A BEER produced on Orkney has been named as the best in Scotland by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA).
At the SIBA Independent Beer Awards, held on November 10 at Drygate Brewery in Glasgow, Swannay Brewery’s Island Hopping beer was named Overall Champion Cask Beer of the Competition, beating rivals Williams Bros Brewing Co and Drygate Brewing Company, which took the silver and bronze trophies, respectively.
Island Hopping also took gold in the Standard Bitters & Pale Ales category, and the brewery took two more golds – in the Best Bitters & Pale Ales category for its Scapa Special, and in the Small Pack – Speciality Beers category for its Barrel Aged Orkney Porter (2014 Arran Ed).
Host brewery Drygate took three gold awards. The company won gold in the Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Strong Milds & Strong Brown Ales category for Dark Skies Stout, in the Small Pack – Strong Bitters & Pale Ales category for Seven Peaks IPA, and in the Small Pack – Standard Lager & Pilsners for Bearface Lager.
Other winners at the event included Strathaven Ales, which took gold awards in the Speciality Beers category for its Usquebae beer and in the Small Pack – Standard Mild Ales & Brown Ales category for Craigmill Mild, and Loch Lomond Brewery, which won golds in the Premium Strong Beers and Small Pack – Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Strong Milds & Strong Brown Ale categories, for Bravehop Amber IPA and Silkie Stout, respectively.
SIBA chairman Guy Sheppard said: “Scotland has an amazingly vibrant and exciting independent craft beer scene and as such the quality of the entries was exceptionally high this year.”
