A START-up brewery near York has won global acclaim within a year of its launch.

Elvington Brewery which only started brewing in 2020 scooped The International Keg Lager Award for its Mittel Pils at the International Brewing & Cider Awards.

It was one of 12 prestigious trophy winners following three days of judging, with Elvington Brewery joining brewers from Japan and Malta and cider-makers from Australia and Luxembourg in claiming the three-day event’s top awards.

The event, said to be the world’s most historic international beer and cider competition, dating back to 1886 took place this week at the National Brewery Centre in Burton-upon-Trent.

Brewers and cider-makers from 24 countries received accolades, with 126 medals and 12 trophies awarded to beers and ciders from all over the world, including entrants from Australia, China, Japan, Luxembourg, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, USA and the UK.

Nine beer Trophy winners were announced which included winners from Japan and Malta.

The competition has a long history of championing the world’s best brewers and cider-makers, and its unique approach to the judging process sets it apart from other awards.

Judging comprised working professionals in the brewing and cider making industries, chosen to reflect the current expertise in the tasting and commercial evaluation of beers and ciders going into the market.

Ruth Evans, director of the International Brewing & Cider Awards, said: “It’s been an honour to recognise and celebrate the extraordinary beers and ciders that both brewers and cider-makers have worked so hard to produce during what has been such a difficult 18 months for the industry.

“Despite being forced to postpone the awards due to the pandemic, our brewing and cider community across the globe rallied together and continued to produce outstanding and innovative produce and it’s this determination and success that’s worth celebrating."

Rob McCaig, chair of beer judging, said: “For three days, we have seen and tasted some of the very best beers from around the world, crowning winners from all corners of the globe.

“Despite what has been probably the most challenging period in recent memory for the brewing industry, producers from around the world have presented some exceptional beers, ales and lagers.

“It has made the job of our judging panel extremely difficult because of the quality of the beers. Japan is proving itself as an evolving brewing nation producing quality products across the beer spectrum.”

This year, new categories reflected key trends that have emerged in the beer and cider markets since the last event in 2019. In the beer competition, a new Zero Alcohol category was added to reflect the growth and interest in this market segment and in the cider competition a Rosé category has been added to reflect the growing trend for ‘pink’ ciders.