A Warwickshire brewery, originally located in an old coffin shop, has won the Campaign for Real Ale’s Champion Beer of Britain award on the opening day of the Great British Beer Festival.
Church End originally brewed the bitter as a one-off for a local festival at the Goat pub, thus the champion’s name, Goat’s Milk. Head brewer Carl Graves said the 3.8% beer has a simple recipe of Maris Otter pale malt with a touch of crystal malt and malted wheat and is hopped with American Cascade and Chinook hops.
Final judging for the competition was held at the festival in London, which will attract 50,000 drinkers to sample from more than 900 beers, ciders, perries and wines.
The results:
Overall
Gold-Church End Goats Milk
Silver-Bishop Nick Ridley’s Rite
Bronze-Tiny Rebel Cwtch
Mild
Gold-Rudgate Ruby Mild
Silver-West Berkshire Maggs Magnificent Mild
Bronze-Winter’s Mild
Bitter
Gold-Church End Goats Milk
Silver-Bishop Nick Ridley’s Rite
Bronze-Triple fff Alton’s Pride and Sambrook’s Wandle Ale
Best Bitter
Gold-Tiny Rebel Cwtch
Silver-Blackedge Pike
Bronze-Surrey Hills Shere Drop and West Berkshire Good Old Boy
Golden Ale
Gold-Blue Monkey Infinity
Silver-Fyne Ales Jarl
Bronze-Oakham Citra and Ludlow Gold
Strong Bitter
Gold-Greytrees Afghan Pale Ale
Silver-Barngates Red Bull Terrier
Bronze-Salopian Automaton
Speciality
Gold-Saltaire Triple Chocoholic
Silver-Blackedge Black Port Porter
Silver-Cromarty Red Rocker