Windhoek Draught reels in accolade at prestigious beer awards

WINDHOEK, NOV. 27 – Premium beer brand Windhoek Draught – a product of Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL) – received international accolades for world-class quality at a recent ceremony in Nuremberg, Germany.

Windhoek Draught was awarded a bronze medal at the annual 2018 European Beer Star Award ceremony; one of the most coveted trophies in the world of international breweries that are held by the Private Brauereien Association.

Some 2,344 beers (39 % German, 61 % international) participated in the 2018 European Beer Star Awards competition. This year’s 51 countries from across the globe represents a 9 % increase compared to 44 countries in 2017.

The winners of the different beer categories were announced on the 14th of November 2018 which saw Windhoek Draught walk away with a bronze medal in the category ‘European Style Mild Lager’.

NBL Head Brewer, Christian Müller said the competition celebrated breweries around the globe that are committed to the traditional European art of brewing and is limited to beer-categories which originated in Europe.

He added: “It also celebrates authenticity, distinctive beers of an impressive taste and quality that fulfill the criteria of the particular type in the best way possible. It evaluates the beers on the basis of purely sensory criteria, and is one of the most challenging competitions worldwide. The European Beer Star Award is an amazing recognition of our commitment to the art and craft of brewing and using the best raw ingredients.”

The countries that participated this year were: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cambodia, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, El Salvador, Finland, France, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldavia, Myanmar, Namibia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Russia, San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine and USA

The beers were tasted by an international expert panel at the Doemens Brewing Academy in Gräfelfing near Munich, with 144 beer and brewery experts from 32 countries all over the globe. The panel included master brewers, beer sommeliers and proven beer connoisseurs who judged entrants based on criteria reflecting what all consumers value in a good beer: appearance, foam, smell, taste and varietal characteristics.

Managing Director of Private Brauereien Bayern, Oliver Dawid explained: “The goal of the competition is to demonstrate the diversity of flavours in craft-brewed beers. The European Beer Star has long been a showcase for the best beers in the world and its reach is constantly growing.”

The European Beer Star tasting and award ceremony took place for the 15th consecutive time this year. – info@namibiadailynews.info