The International Brewing & Cider Awards Announces Historic Milestone with New Manchester Location & Public Festival
The world’s most historic international beer and cider competition, The International Brewing & Cider Awards, has announced the expansion of its prestigious awards into Manchester, UK, and the launch of a beer and cider festival.
The biennial competition, known as the ‘Oscars’ of the brewing and cider world, will take place in March 2024 at Depot Mayfield Manchester, which will see industry professionals gather to celebrate the extraordinary and well-crafted beers and ciders from all corners of the world.
For the first time in its 137-year history, the Awards will be accompanied by a public festival – The International Brewing & Cider Festival, which will be a two-day ticketed event for the public, showcasing the range of beers and ciders entered into the competition from around the world, together with local manufacturers.
The expansion into Manchester, and the launch of the first International Brewing & Cider Festival, represents a significant milestone in the Awards’ commitment to promoting and supporting the brewing and cider industries.
The Festival will take place following the end of the competition, on Friday 22nd March and Saturday 23rd March, offering for the first time a rare opportunity for attendees to taste such a wide range of local, national and international products, including award-winning beer and cider from the Awards. Tickets to the International Brewing & Cider Festival will be available for purchase from November on the official festival website: https://ibcfest.com/.
Founded in 1886, The International Brewing & Cider Awards takes place every two years and has been the gold standard in rewarding the passion and craftsmanship of breweries and cidermakers across the world. Its 2021 Awards attracted entries from worldwide breweries and cider mills, with winners coming from countries including Australia, China, Japan, Luxembourg, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, USA and the UK.
Ruth Evans MBE, Director of the International Brewing & Cider Awards, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing the world-renowned Awards to Manchester for the first time.
“The International Brewing & Cider Awards is the most historic international competition of its kind, and it is important that we innovate and expand, and our move to Manchester and the introduction of our Festival is part of that evolution.
“The city has a rich history in brewing and an up-and-coming cider scene making it a fitting location for the expansion of our Awards. After being at our previous location in Burton-Upon-Trent for a decade, we now look forward to invigorating the competition, with an aim to further expand the Awards and forge valuable new partnerships with local organisations and community stakeholders.
“Our competition has always been there to support the brewing and cidermaking industry on a not-for-profit basis and celebrate the best beers and ciders from around the world, providing the recognition they truly deserve.
“The move to Manchester allows us to extend the knowledge and appreciation of a win at the competition to the consumer, whilst promoting excellence within our industry.”
Registration for the Awards will open in October 2023 and close on 1 February 2024. Brewers and cidermakers from all around the world are encouraged to submit their finest beers and ciders for evaluation by a panel of worldwide judges, who are all practicing brewers and cidermakers and are revered within the brewing and cider world.
For more information about the Awards, including a list of categories and entry criteria, please visit International Brewing & Cider Awards’ website.
