International family gathering | European Beer Star awards have been presented for 17 years now – time to look back to the very beginning. How has the beer competition changed since 2004? What has stayed constant at European Beer Star? And where is it heading?
When you take a look at the pictures from the very first European Beer Star competition in 2004, it’s like looking at baby photos.

In the spring of 1996, the Brewers Association (then the Association of Brewers) staged an unprecedented international beer competition. Twenty-five judges from five countries evaluated 600 beers at a standalone event in Vail, Colo. Winners of the first World Beer Cup were announced in 60 beer style categories and the pioneering international competition was on its way.

Long tradition | The International Gruitday was founded by Steve Beauchesne from Beaus All Natural Brewing Company, Vankleek Hill, Ontario, Canada, in 2013 to celebrate gruit, a beer with herbs instead or in addition to hops, according to medieval traditions and recipes. He established www.gruitday.com as his webpage to inform and to network about gruit beers. In 2018 more than 60 brewers from all continents took part in International Gruitday. Unfortunately colleagues in Canada stopped brewing gruit and also returned their domain.

For young scientists | From 4–7 September 2022, the University of Cambridge will host the 7th International Symposium on Malting, Brewing and Distilling for graduate/PhD students and young professionals working in these fields.

Wide range of topics | Due to the imponderables concerning the organising and hosting of the EBC congress, a decision was reached jointly between The Brewers of Europe and the EBC to organise the next EBC congress, together with an edition of the Brewers Forum, from 29 May to 2 June 2022, at IFEMA / Madrid. The call for abstracts for both poster and oral presentations for the 38th EBC is now open.

Sponsorship | More than 30 companies from across the globe have confirmed sponsorship support for the 2021 International Brewing and Cider Awards. The competition, which dates back to 1886, has a long history of championing, on a not-for-profit “by industry for industry” basis, the world’s best brewers and cider-makers, and companies from across the globe have been keen to align their brands to the Awards.

What’s new | The European Beer Star (EBS) has become one of the foremost international beer competitions within the two decades of its existence. BRAUWELT International has been a proud partner of the “global family” surrounding the competition since the very beginning and presents the new developments in the following article. Author Kilian Kittl, EBS Director, talks about what’s new, including new beer categories, the new logistics partner, moving to the new premises and launching the European Beer Star online shop.

The International Malting and Brewing Symposium 14th Trends in Brewing had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will now take place from 17–20 October 2021. For the first time, the venue is located in the renowned historical centre of Leuven.

Further restrictions | food & drink technology (fdt) Africa, the premier trade fair for the processing, filling, packaging and logistics for Africa’s food and beverage industry, has been cancelled. Suzette Scheepers, CEO of event organisers Messe München South Africa, says the event, which had been scheduled to take place at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg from November 2–4 this year, will not go ahead this year due to uncertainty in the market and ongoing travel bans and restrictions as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Anniversary edition | The Brussels Beer Challenge returns for its 10th anniversary edition to the city where it all began: Brussels is famous for its impressive city hall on the Grand Place, its Manneken Pis, its Atomium… and of course for three delicious delicacies: chocolate, fries and – beer.