BrauBeviale 2020 Special Edition – European Beer Star 2020

European Beer Star 2020: Phenomenal response despite coronavirus 2,036 entries from 42 countries. An international cast of winners. German Breweries top the medal table with 21 golds. Virtual medal ceremony to take place on 11 November, beginning at 2pm as part of the #braubeviale Special Edition.

Munich, November 11, 2020: The European Beer Star awards, organised by Germany’s Association of Private Breweries (Private Brauereien), was once again the most important beer competition worldwide. Stringent safety measures made it possible for the jury of 74 experts to do the tasting and evaluation in person in early October, at Doemens Academy, a European Beer Star partner, in Gräfelfing outside Munich. For the first time, the gold, silver, and bronze awards will be presented virtually, on 11 November, as part of the #braubeviale 2020 Special Edition.

About the winners: Germany outperforms USA and Italy

As in 2019, German breweries top the medal standings. This year, they have won 72 European Beer Stars in all: 21 gold, 23 silver, and 28 bronze. The United States took second place with 11 gold, 5 silver, and 6 bronze. Third place goes to Italy, with 9 gold, 10 silver, and 8 bronze.

The most successful non-German brewery in the European Beer Star 2020 competition is from Taiwan. Buckskin can look forward to 3 golds in the German-Style Pilsner, German- Style Heller Bock, and Smoke Beer Franconian Style categories as well as 3 silver medals in the Session Beer, Alt, and South German-Style-Kristallweizen categories. It is worth noting that Buckskin’s brewmaster hails from Germany.

Württemberg brewery leads the European rankings

This year’s most successful German brewery is located in the Tauber Valley in the state of Baden-Württemberg. The Distelhäuser Brewery has won 3 gold medals: for its Jubiläumsbier 1670 in the Belgian-Style Strong Blond Ale category, for its Weizen Bock in the South-German Weizenbock Hell category, and for the Distelhäuser Dinkel in the Beer with Alternative Cereals category. The brewery also takes home two European Beer Stars in bronze, in the South-German-Style Hefeweizen Hell and South-German-Style Kristallweizen categories. That makes Distelhäuser the best European brewery in the global European Beer Star competition.

Despite the difficult circumstances in a year overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic, international participation was strong: 61 percent of the beers submitted came from breweries outside Germany – from 41 different countries. Breweries in 28 countries are among the medal winners. The European Beer Star 2020 awardees represent Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Australia.

Bavarian breweries collect the most European Beer Star awards

Camba Bavaria of Seeon, Germany, is the second most successful German brewery in this year’s competition, winning gold for Camba Dark Side and Bavarian Wit, silver for Camba Hell, and bronze for Camba Märzen. With that, Camba Bavaria has even bested its own outstanding performance from last year.

Many Bavarian breweries were able to build on their successes in 2019. Schönramer Landbrauerei earned a gold for Schönramer Hell and a silver for Schönramer Pils. Eittinger Fischerbräu won 2 silvers, for Kirta Bier in the German-Style Märzen category and Urtyp Dunkel in the European-Style Dunkel category.

The Ayinger Brewery is once again among the winners, with its Ayinger Urweisse receiving gold in the South German-Style Hefeweizen Bernsteinfarben category for the fifth time and Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel picking up bronze.

Löwenbrauerei Passau will take home gold medals for both its Festbier and its Stockbauer Weisse Dunkel in 2020. Medals will also be raining down on Aktienbrauerei Kaufbeuren: gold for ABK Kellerbier naturtrüb, silver for ABK Hell, and bronze for ABK Spezialbier Edel.

Many of the German-Style categories – for example, Helles, Festbier, Export, and Dunkel – are firmly in German hands this year. Bavaria also leads the Weissbier categories, followed closely by Baden-Württemberg. In Hefeweizen Hell, though, gold goes to the Czech Republic and silver to Austria.

The competition was a success despite the challenging circumstances

“Contrary to all expectations, more than two thousand beers – 2,036 to be exact – were submitted to the European Beer Star competition. That is almost as many as in 2019, which was a record year with about 2,400 entries. Considering the pandemic, that is a sensational turnout,” says Kilian Kittl, who had the honour of managing the European Beer Star for the first time – and though he was presented with a uniquely difficult set of circumstances, managed this 17th annual competition brilliantly. “The challenges for the entire organisation this year were many times greater than in the previous sixteen years. The level of flexibility and resiliency shown by everyone was incredible.”

Maximum security tasting in October

The tasting was held in early October at Doemens Academy in Gräfelfing, near Munich. The safety of the experts and helpers was the top priority. A comprehensive health and safety policy ensured the best possible level of protection: Each of the ten teams was limited to eight people and had a room to themselves, which was aired out regularly. Together with Doemens Academy, the Association of Private Breweries set the minimum distancing between team members at two metres. Masks were required at all times except, of course, at the tasting table.

Flexibility was crucial – also for establishing the jury

In the end, the Association of Private Breweries had to be flexible. Especially when it came to coordinating the jury, responsiveness and creativity were essential. As Kittl remarks, “We had to check daily which countries or regions had been declared virus hot spots. Unfortunately, we were forced to cancel some tasters at short notice. However, as in every year, we were lucky to have had a long, well-maintained waiting list of jurors. As a result, we were able to quickly switch gears and call on other outstanding tasters.”

The jury comprised experienced, highly trained tasters. The outstanding quality of the jury can also be attributed to its diverse composition, which included master brewers, trade journalists, beer retailers and wholesalers, beerkeepers, beer sommeliers, and well-versed beer enthusiasts. All jurors evaluated the samples in blind taste tests according to sensory criteria and enjoyment. They then discussed and voted on which beers deserved the coveted top three spots in each of the seventy categories.

“I am very proud of our European Beer Star team!“ says Stefan Stang, President of the Bavarian Association of Private Breweries (Private Brauereien Bayern). “Their incredible effort is what made it possible for us to hold the European Beer Star this year.”

Winners to be honoured virtually on 11 November at 2pm

This year for the first time, the medals for the top beers will be awarded in an online ceremony, as part of the BrauBeviale Special Edition. The Executive Board and Management of the Associations of Private Breweries will sit down in front of the camera on 11 November 2020 at 2pm and begin the ceremony.