Chocolate stout sweet success
ANORTHUMBERLAND brewery is celebrating after picking up a top award at the European Beer Challenge.
The Twice Brewed Brewing Company, located in the heart of Hadrian’s Wall Country, saw its Czech Dark Lager, Juno Black land the Gold medal in the Czech/Bohemian Pilsner category. It follows its Gold Award at the SIBA National Beer Awards in March.
The European Beer Challenge saw thousands of samples from breweries across 39 countries battle it out for glory with the winners being announced in London earlier this month.
Head Brewer at The Twice Brewed, Matthew Brown, said: “It’s a real honour to pick up another award at the European Beer Challenge, which recognises the best beers in the world. As you would expect, it’s an incredibly competitive field so we’re thrilled to have brought a Gold medal home.”
This international recognition for the brewery, which shares a site with The Twice Brewed Inn near Bardon Mill in Northumberland, comes on the back of some sweet success at the recent SIBA North East Independent Beer Awards, which were held as part of the Gateshead Beer Festival.
Matthew and his team brought home Gold and Silver awards for The Twice Brewed’s Consus Chocolate Stout.
Described as ‘a dark intense stout conditioned on organic cacao nibs, delivering roasted flavours and dark chocolate’, judges put Consus at the top of the table in the category of Cask Session Dark Beer, while assigning it the silver spot in the Overall Champion of the Cask competition.
Matthew said: “As always, it was a pleasure to attend the Gateshead Beer Festival, and it’s always that bit nicer when you can bring an award or two home with you.
“This is the first win for our Consus Chocolate Stout, but I’m sure it won’t be the last. We look forward to taking it to next year’s SIBA Nationals and hope we can replicate the success we recently enjoyed with Coria.”
The excitement of awards success comes during a particularly busy time at the brewery. Having recently launched When In Rome, a heritage brew to coincide with the 1900th anniversary of Hadrian’s Wall celebrations, the Twice Brewed was also one of the North East breweries who worked together to produce the anti-imperial stout, Resist to raise money for the Red Cross working in Ukraine.