Scottish brewers in fine fettle after award wins
BREWERIES across Scotland are closing out a difficult year on a high note after scooping trophies at the fifth annual Scottish Beer Awards.
Big winners at the event – this time held online – included Loch Lomond Brewery, which was named Brewery of the Year; Fierce Beer, which picked up gold awards in four different categories for its beers; and The Ferry Brewery, which won Beer of the Year for its Ferry Black Liquorice Porter.
The awards were split into two sections: business and taste. Loch Lomond was the major winner in the business categories, picking up both the Brewery of the Year and Excellence in Branding awards, while Craig Scotland of Stewart Brewing was named Brewer of the Year.
Aberdeen craft brewery Fierce Beer took the most gold medals in the taste categories, winning the top awards in the Best Barrel-Aged Beer category for its Barrel Aged Imperial Cafe Racer; Best Imperial or Double IPA for Fancy Juice; Best IPA for Split Shift; and Best Porter for Cafe Racer.
The Ferry Brewery in South Queensferry scooped three taste awards, winning Beer of the Year for its Ferry Black Liquorice Porter; a gold award in Best Amber or Dark Ale for Ferry Alt; and another gold in the Best Amplified Beer category for Black.
Other taste category winners included Brew Toon in Peterhead and Six Degrees North in Laurencekirk, which took two gold medals apiece.
Brew Toon was awarded gold in the Best Fruited Sour Beer category for its Sour to the People beer, while its Raspberry Carronade took gold in the Best Fruit-Forward category.
Six Degrees North took the gold award in the Best Session Beer category for Wanderlust, and another in the Best Sour Beer category for its Barrel Aged Hopocrisy.
Chair of the judges, Hilary Jones, said: “Like most businesses, especially those involved with the hospitality sector, it has been a deeply difficult year for breweries.
“The great news is that despite multiple obstacles thrown their way in 2020, many Scottish breweries more than just survived – they adapted and innovated.
“They have shown resilience, looked after their staff, and continued to produce high quality product despite a rapidly changing business market.”
