High Hive Honey Ale rises to the top as the World’s Best Beer for its category at this year’s World Beer Awards (WBA). It leads the rest of the beer entries from Engkanto Brewery to an unprecedented six-for-six medal haul that once again represented the Philippines on the global stage.
Unrelenting pursuit of excellence
For four straight years, Engkanto Brewery has brought honor to the country in the World Beer Awards, an annual beer competition held in the United Kingdom that began in 2007 and joined by over 30 countries that include England, Japan, Belgium, China, Australia, Germany, and the United States. Hundreds of beer entries have been accepted for judging, and the number has greatly increased according to the organizers.
This 2024 marks the highest achievement for the brewery with High Hive Honey Ale claiming the World’s Best Beer in the Flavored Honey and Maple Syrup beer category, besting over 70 entries from Canada, France, the Netherlands, Brazil, and other countries. It’s also a historic first for a local craft beer brewed in the Philippines to win a prestigious award on an international level.
Meanwhile, all the Engkanto beer entries at this year’s WBA took home honors, which include Gold Medal and Country Winner for Live It Up Lager, Gold Medal and Country Winner for Green Lava Double IPA, and Silver Medals for Mango Nation Hazy IPA, Paint Me Purple Ube Lager, and the limited release Dew Drop Dalandan Wheat Ale.
“It’s unprecedented, it’s historic, and we’re all ecstatic!” describes Ian Paradies, Founder of Engkanto, after receiving the results, which were published last 9 August on the World Beer Awards official website. “The performance of our beers at the World Beer Awards is testament to the hard work and dedication of the whole Engkanto Team. I couldn’t be any prouder of them and how they tirelessly work hard these past years to represent the country consecutively and prove what we all can do together.”
Highlighting homegrown ingredients
In the High Hive Honey Ale, the local ingredient that makes the craft beer truly stand out is the high-quality, pure local honey harvested from local bee farms and apiaries.
“I’m super stoked and proud of this accomplishment! The fact we’re using local honey is so cool as it really lets the world know that we have top-class ingredients along with a talented team in our brewery,” says Michael ‘MJ’ Jordan, renowned Brewmaster of Engkanto.
This appreciation and respect for homegrown products also resonate in the Mango, Ube, and Dalandan used in brewing their respective beer styles. Together with the improvement of processes and continuous innovation at the brewery, more unique Engkanto beers are coming out from the Philippines for local and international craft enthusiasts to savor, enjoy, and celebrate.
“Who would’ve thought that a small craft brewery in the Philippines can reach the highest level in brewing the World’s Best Beer, right?” quips Ricard Basora, Engkanto’s Managing Director. “The team’s putting in amazing work while sticking to our roots: quality first. We’ve been winning awards for consecutive years, but we’re not stopping in making the best beers possible. For now, I just want to congratulate the Engkanto Team and share with the whole world that Filipino beers can be as good, if not better, than anything else.”
Here is the complete list of entries and awards from Engkanto Brewery in this year’s WBA 2024:
- High Hive Honey Ale – World’s Best and Country Winner, Flavoured Honey and Maple category
- Live It Up Lager – Country Winner and Gold Medal, Classic Pilsner category
- Green Lava Double IPA – Country Winner and Gold Medal, Imperial/Double IPA category
- Mango Nation Hazy IPA – Silver Medal, IPA Session category
- Paint Me Purple Ube Lager – Flavored Beer, Fruit and Vegetable category
- Dew Drop Dalandan Wheat Ale – Silver Medal, Belgian Style Wheat Beer category
The World Beer Awards is under the main umbrella of the prestigious World Drinks Awards. Each year, the organization presents internationally recognized awards after a rigorous, blind tasting judging from an acclaimed panel of experts from different countries.
Author and beer expert Pete Brown led the judging panel forthis year’s Awards. He has been for UK Beer Writer four times, written more than 10 books on beer, and has judged beer competitions all over the world. Currently, there’s 10 taste categories for the World Beer Awards, including World’s Best Lager, IPA, Wheat, and Flavoured Beer.
Note: This is a press release. Minor edits have been made by the Bitesized staff.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, and Youtube for foodie finds, re-imagined recipes, and easy eats that will take Pinoy bellies on an adventure!
Leave a Reply