By Andy Young
The winners of the 2016 Sydney Royal Beer and Cider Show have been revealed with judges saying that the quality of Australian beer iscontinually improving.
This year’s show, which is now in its 10th year, saw almost 200 beers from around Australia poured for a team of 26 judges and officials.
Six overall Champion beers were named with Bridge Road Brewers claiming Best in Show – Beer for its Robust Porter, and Franklin Cider Company being named as the Best in Show – Cider/Perry, for its Frank’s Summer Pear Cider.
Bridge Road Brewers also took out the Champion Bottled Beer award, with Champion Draught Beer going to Redoak for Aussie Lager, which was also named as the Best NSW Beer.
The final Champion award also went to the Franklin Cider Company’s Frank’s Summer Pear Cider.
Chair of Judges and Director of The Institute of Beer, Neal Cameron, was understandably impressed by the quality of beers that were judged for this year’s show.
“The options of beer and cider available to the everyday consumer have increased dramatically, however now we’re also seeing the quality increase across the board. It’s a good time to be a beer or cider drinker in Australia,” he said.
“Each judge is an expert, earnt from years of professional experience, and although we didn’t see a rise in the number of Gold medals awarded this year, there were an enormous amount of Silvers and Bronzes, which shows the overall quality continues to improve.
“At Sydney Royal, the judges don’t only taste and rate each product but they provide individual feedback to every exhibitor. It’s great to see the support and dedication to the industry shown by our judges is helping large and small breweries improve and grow,” Cameron added.