Dates have been released for the 2023 Asia Beer Championship, the beer competition organized by the Asia Brewers Network celebrating excellence in Asian brewing.
The annual competition to award the region’s best brews of the year will be judged in Singapore on 30th September & 1st October.
Registration for the 2023 edition will open on 1st July and close on 31st August.
Last year’s competition saw a record 560 entries compete over 32 beer and cider categories (28 beer, 4 cider) with submissions from over 100 breweries across 12 countries & territories.
It also witnessed the return of international judges to the competition after a break of two years due to travel restrictions imposed by the covid pandemic. The majority of those judges came from Asia, but several internationally experienced judges travelled from countries such as Switzerland, Belgium and Australia to share their global expertise with the regional team.
A team of international beer judges assessed over 550 entries over 2 days in 2022 (Photo: Asia Beer Championship)
New for 2023
There will be a few changes to the tournament format in 2023.
New beer style guidelines will be introduced to acknowledge the regionality of brews now being produced around Asia and the organizers will also be launching the Asia Cider Championship as a stand-alone tournament, reflecting the growth of the cider market in the region.
A No/Lo-Alcohol category has also been added to the line-up as well as Session IPA.
Awards for the industry
The Asia Beer Championship was launched in 2018 to support the region’s rapidly developing beer culture and provides a trusted quality benchmark for consumers as well as independent feedback to the regions’ brewers.
The competition is open for entry to any beer brewed commercially within Asia and is an opportunity for brewers across the region to showcase their craftsmanship.
The top 3 beers in each competition category are awarded Gold, Silver & Bronze certificates respectively (with additional “Chairman’s Selection” awards for notable entries). The top beer in each style category will enter a taste off for the title of “Champion Beer of Asia”.
The results of the competition will be announced on the 20th October in Ho Chi Minh City at a live Awards Presentation Ceremony during Brew Asia, the annual brewing industry gathering.
The wide range of beer categories will highlight the diverse talents and styles popular throughout the region with brewers able to enter their beers in 29 categories covering everything from Wheat Beers and Lagers to Fruit Beers, Imperial Stouts and Experimental Brews.
Last year’s competition saw perennial favourites South Korea top the medal table taking home 6 Gold, 4 Silver & 3 Bronze medals. Individual big winners included China’s Trueman Brewing Company with the BarthHaas Group Champion Beer of Asia for their Haihe River Gose, India’s Mannheim Craft Brewery as Champion Small Sized Brewery of Asia and South Korea’s Beervana Brewing Company as Champion Brewpub of Asia.
Winners celebrate at the 2022 Asia Beer Championship Presentation (Photo: ABN)
“We are expecting to see an increase in entries this year reflecting the recovery of brewing post-pandemic as well as the growth in the number of breweries around the region. We are also very excited to be launching a stand-alone Cider Championship” said competition organizer Charles Guerrier “The live presentation at Brew Asia last year was a great occasion and allowed winners to celebrate with their peers from across the region. We’re looking forward to raising the bar again in Ho Chi Minh City this October”.
The Asia Beer Championship aims to promote excellence, foster collaboration and provide a platform for brewers to showcase their craft and passion. This event is not only a competition but also a celebration of the vibrant and evolving beer culture across Asia.
For more information on this year’s competition as well as 2022 winners please visit: http://www.asiabeerchampionship.com/
Registration Opens July 1st, 2023
Registration Closes August 31st, 2023
Judging: September 30th/October 1st, 2023
Awards Presentation: October 20th, 2023
