Cisk 0.0 has collected the gold medal at the International Brewing and Cider Awards 2021, after being named as the winner in November.

Cisk 0.0 came out on top in the Non & Low Alcohol Beer Class 1 category of the competition, as well as being the overall trophy winner of the gold winners of the three classes of the same category which included zero alcohol, low alcohol, and ultra-low alcohol beers.

The competition’s unique approach to the judging process has led to it becoming known as the “Oscars of the brewing industry”, with this edition being held at the Guildhall in London.

Judging for the competition took place between 16th and 18th November at the National Brewery Centre in Burton-upon-Trent in the United Kingdom, with the panel of judges made of working professionals in the international brewing and cider-making industries.

The panel was led by Chair of Beer Judging, Rob McCaig and Chair of Cider Judging, Gabe Cook.

Brewers and cider-makers from 24 countries received accolades in the 2021 edition of the awards, with a total of 126 medals and 12 trophies being awarded, including to competitors from Australia, China, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The nine beer trophy winners that were announced included entrants from Japan and Malta.

Cisk 0.0’s gold medal and overall trophy were collected by Farsons Group Executive Director of Operations and Business Development Michael Farrugia, as well as the company’s Chief Operations Officer Eugenio Caruana.

Mr Caruana emphasised the recognition of such a prestigious competition, which is “technically unrivalled” as the beer is judged by working professionals within the international brewing industry.

“With new zero alcohol categories introduced to the awards for the first time, we are extremely proud that Cisk 0.0, introduced just last year, was not only awarded a gold medal in its class but also the overall trophy from all gold medal winners within the three classes of the Non & Low Alcohol Beer category,” Mr Caruana added.

With many brewing professionals claiming that alcohol-free beer is the “ultimate challenge” in terms of brewing, the creation of an award-winning one is “testament to the skilled and experienced brewing team at Farsons.”

“This accolade will no doubt help boost our efforts as we continue to grow our international business in new regions and markets in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, where an attractive non-alcoholic beer segment exists,” Mr Farrugia said.

Having started in 1886, the International Brewing and Cider Awards have a “long history of championing the world’s best brewers and cider-makers.”

Farsons Group plc was established in 1928, focusing on several market sectors, particularly that of branded beers and beverages.

Farsons Brewery, which falls under the group, is the brewer of Cisk 0.0, the company’s alcohol-free lager that was released in 2021.