International success for Liberation Group beers

Thursday 19 February 2015

The Liberation Group is raising a celebratory glass to its brewery team after enjoying outstanding success at this year’s International Brewing Awards.

The company has won gold, two silver and two bronze medals at the awards, which were held at the National Brewery Centre in Burton on Trent.

Liberation IPA won a gold medal in the International Small Pack Ale category and there were silvers for Liberation Noire and Mary Ann Best Bitter, with the latter also picking up two bronze medals.

The International Brewing Awards is the premier event for the global brewing industry, recognising excellence in beer and cider making from all over the world. And to show how tough the judging is, in some categories medals are not awarded if the standard is not believed to be high enough.

Paul Hurley, Head Brewer at Liberation Brewery in Longueville, Jersey said: "I am over the moon about these results and am particularly delighted for Pat Dean who has produced an exceptional IPA and a cask beer in Noire that have richly deserved their Awards. Also pleasing is the number of medals Mary Ann Best Bitter has collected again. For all these beers I must sincerely thank the tireless effort put in by the team of Peter Corcoran, Nigel Dowden, Chris Boudier, Bryan Snedden and Olly Jones. Their enthusiasm and professionalism is why we keep winning these awards and they are all to be congratulated."

Mark Crowther, Chief Executive of the Liberation Group said: "I have to echo Paul’s sentiments. This is the result of a remarkable effort by a small but very talented and dedicated team at our brewery. The whole company is extremely proud of what they have achieved. Increasingly we are exporting our beers to the UK where they stand head and shoulders with some of the finest ales in the country. These awards demonstrate they deserve their place at the bar."

The International Brewing Awards, incorporating the international cider awards are often dubbed the "Oscars of the brewing industry". An Award is recognition by fellow professional brewers that a beer is an outstanding commercial example of its style. The competitions were first run in 1886 and are constantly developed to reflect the global market for beer.

All the judges are currently practising brewers or cider makers. With ten broad categories and 35 classes, linked to the consumer experience, there is a place for every beer with every beer having a chance of winning.