E-Malt.com News article: Poland: Tyskie of Kompania Piwowarska honoured with "a beer Oscar"

On 15 March 2006 a ceremony of handing 'beer Oscars' took place in London. This prestigious competition of the beer industry - The Brewing Industry International Awards - is held on a regular basis, usually once in 2 years. The contest's latest edition witnessed Polish brewers' stunning success: a gold medal and a Champion Beer award were awarded to Tyskie Gronie, the brewery announced on March 21.

During the London gala, representatives of Tyskie Gronie brand received the gold medal and the Champion Beer award in the 'packaged lager' category.

No other Polish beer had been awarded such a prestigious award before. Tyskie is the first beer brand in history to have won medals in three successive competitions: for the first time in 2002 (Gold Medal and Champion Beer), for the second time in 2004 (Silver Medal) and now for the third time.

The Brewing Industry International Awards is a contest organized since 1886 and the related awards are dubbed Beer Oscars. The awards (gold, silver and bronze medals) are granted in 9 categories (and 27 classes) which means that the total number of handed medals amounts to 81. This year the contest attracted nearly 750 beers from all over the world. As an exception, the contest's latest edition took place not in Burton-on-Trent in the United Kingdom but in Munich, at the world's biggest beer exhibition DrinkTec 2005.
- The Brewing Industry International Awards contest is different from others by selecting only one beer in the category as the best one. This is the only beer to be granted a Champion Beer award. In similar contests awards are granted to all beers enjoying a certain number of scored points - explains Paweł Kwiatkowski, Kompania Piwowarska's spokesman.

The best beers is selected by a team of 30 judges from all over the world - mainly brewers, production or quality departments heads - high class specialists of repute in the industry. The beer tasting plan is designed in a way not allowing any of the judges to assess beer produced by his/her brewery or one within the same capital group. The beers are assessed in 'blind' tests, in bottles marked solely with codes.

The judges are expected to reach consensus in the process of numerous tasting sessions. At the initial stages the beers are assessed by teams of three while at the final stages the 'teams of judges' amount to 10 - 12 people. The exception is the selection of the Champion Beer in each of the 9 categories because the tasting panel makes the choice by ballot.
'In Munich the prizes were awarded to both Tyskie beer and our talented brewers, employees of Kompania Piwowarska's Production department. The award confirms that they can brew highest world quality beer' added Paweł Kwiatkowski.

By scooping the jackpot, Tyskie repeated its success from 2002. The scenario was similar when at the first stage of the contest Tyskie won the Gold Medal for the best beer in the category of lager beer of alcohol content 5,6-6,9%. At the next stage it was awarded the Champions Award for the best product in the whole lager beer category. Tyskie honoured with "a beer Oscar".

On 15 March 2006 a ceremony of handing 'beer Oscars' took place in London. This prestigious competition of the beer industry - The Brewing Industry International Awards - is held on a regular basis, usually once in 2 years. The contest's latest edition witnessed Polish brewers' stunning success: a gold medal and a Champion Beer award were awarded to Tyskie Gronie.

During the London gala, representatives of Tyskie Gronie brand received the gold medal and the Champion Beer award in the 'packaged lager' category.

No other Polish beer had been awarded such a prestigious award before. Tyskie is the first beer brand in history to have won medals in three successive competitions: for the first time in 2002 (Gold Medal and Champion Beer), for the second time in 2004 (Silver Medal) and now for the third time.

The Brewing Industry International Awards is a contest organized since 1886 and the related awards are dubbed Beer Oscars. The awards (gold, silver and bronze medals) are granted in 9 categories (and 27 classes) which means that the total number of handed medals amounts to 81. This year the contest attracted nearly 750 beers from all over the world. As an exception, the contest's latest edition took place not in Burton-on-Trent in the United Kingdom but in Munich, at the world's biggest beer exhibition DrinkTec 2005.

- The Brewing Industry International Awards contest is different from others by selecting only one beer in the category as the best one. This is the only beer to be granted a Champion Beer award. In similar contests awards are granted to all beers enjoying a certain number of scored points - explains Pawel Kwiatkowski, Kompania Piwowarska's spokesman.

The best beers is selected by a team of 30 judges from all over the world - mainly brewers, production or quality departments heads - high class specialists of repute in the industry. The beer tasting plan is designed in a way not allowing any of the judges to assess beer produced by his/her brewery or one within the same capital group. The beers are assessed in 'blind' tests, in bottles marked solely with codes.

The judges are expected to reach consensus in the process of numerous tasting sessions. At the initial stages the beers are assessed by teams of three while at the final stages the 'teams of judges' amount to 10 - 12 people. The exception is the selection of the Champion Beer in each of the 9 categories because the tasting panel makes the choice by ballot.
'In Munich the prizes were awarded to both Tyskie beer and our talented brewers, employees of Kompania Piwowarska's Production department. The award confirms that they can brew highest world quality beer' added Pawel Kwiatkowski.

By scooping the jackpot, Tyskie repeated its success from 2002. The scenario was similar when at the first stage of the contest Tyskie won the Gold Medal for the best beer in the category of lager beer of alcohol content 5,6-6,9%. At the next stage it was awarded the Champions Award for the best product in the whole lager beer category.

Kompania Piwowarska SA is the leader of the Polish beer market. Several hundred years of experience in brewing, adherence to strict international standards and advanced technologies assure top quality of our refined beers. Kompania Piwowarska's brands include beers most popular with Polish consumers: TYSKIE, the largest beer brand in Poland, LECH, Dębowe Mocne, Żubr, Miller Genuine Draft, Pilsner Urquell, REDD’s and Dog in the Fog.

Kompania Piwowarska was created in 1999 from the merger of Tyskie Browary Książęce and Lech Browary Wielkopolski. Browar Dojlidy joined the company in 2003. Today to the company is the largest and most advanced business in the beer industry, with a market share of over 38,5%*. In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2005, Kompania Piwowarska achieved a net profit of PLN 481 m, generating sales valued at over PLN 3.3 b

Kompania Piwowarska is part of SABMiller plc – one of the world's largest brewers with brewing interests or distribution agreements in over 60 countries across five continents.



22 March, 2006