Oakham Ales continue winning ways

​Fans of the award-winning Oakham Ales have been raising a glass to more success recently following their latest competition triumphs.

Oakham have previously picked up awards at the Great British Beer Festival, the International Brewing Awards and from local and national competitions held by SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers), and have continued that success at the start of 2017.

Oakham won first and third places in the Golden Ales category in the East Anglia Beer Awards recently announced at the Colchester Beer Festival through Citra, the company’s biggest-selling brew, and Bishop’s Farewell, with Citra also taking bronze in the overall competition.

Oblivion, a 5.7% ABV Amber Ale with a strong spiced fruit aroma and rich malt flavour, was voted champion beer by drinkers at the recent Saints Winter Beer and Wine Fest, and there was yet more success for Green Devil IPA, which won the Premium Strong Beer category at the SIBA East regional competition, and will now take part in the SIBA national championships, in both the cask and keg categories. 

Green Devil is also hoping for a hat-trick of wins at the International Beer Awards, with medal winners due to be announced next month and final awards given out in April.

Oakham’s American Pale ale has also been entered in the SIBA national awards, and Citra (in 500ml bottles) and new product Tiki Blonde have also been entered for the International Brewing Awards.

“We’re hugely proud of the continued popularity and success that our brews are enjoying at bars and beer festivals, and that’s a massive incentive to keep up the good work,” said Oakham’s managing director Adrian Posnett. 

“These are exciting times for Oakham – as well as in pubs, we’re selling in supermarkets nationwide and have just seen our best-seller Citra added to the menu in the Gourmet Burger Kitchen restaurant chain. We’ve raised our profile through sponsorship of glasses at the recent Stevenage Beer Festival, and hopefully the launch of Tiki Blonde at the Craft Beer Rising festival in London this month will spread the word even further.

“We have a great relationship with our customers and our suppliers, and we really listen to what they say about our products, so to receive such public recognition is hugely rewarding.”

Oakham’s involvement with the Stevenage Festival is another example of how seriously the company takes public feedback and opinion. 

“We had five brews on sale at the event – New World Order, Black Hole Porter, Bona Nox, Citra and Preacher – as well as our name on the glasses, which meant it was a huge opportunity for us to get our name known in the Hertfordshire area, so we made a point of attending in person to meet and talk to the people buying our products, to see what they think about them,” said Adrian.

“The event organisers are all regulars at the Half Moon in Hitchin, which is one of our stockists, so we were delighted when they offered us the chance to get involved as sponsors, and it was clear from the outset we were dealing with people who would take the job seriously – the beer orderer for this year’s event was called Martyn Beer!”