Brewer and pub operator Bath Ales’ flagship beer, Gem, has won one of the most prestigious international brewing awards.
The International Beer Challenge considers more than 500 brews from 30-plus countries. As well as receiving a Gold Medal, Gem also scooped the highly-coveted trophy for its category – the Best Ale up to 5% abv – in the view of the expert panel of judges. Bath Ales was the only British brewery to land one of the Challenge’s top awards. 
Managing director Robin Couling said: “With Gem we were determined to create an exceptional best bitter with a superb depth of flavour and great balance.
“The many fans of Gem have always agreed we have done an excellent job and to now receive this highly-respected international accolade is a tremendous honour.
“We are very honoured to be the only British brewer to be recognised for one of the six top beer awards and the globally-recognised trophy will take pride of place in the brewery.”
The blind tasting was conducted by a panel of experts with the 30 gold medal winners again being tasted in London to determine the Champion Beers.
Chairman of the judges Jeff Evans said: “The final judging round is always a great occasion because we have on the table in front of us the very best beers in the competition. It means that choosing a winner can be tough but it's tough for all the right reasons.
“It was also exciting to hold the final taste off on the day of the presentation itself. It definitely added a buzz to the event, knowing that just two hours before the winners were announced the awards had not been decided.”
Bath Ales, based at Warmley between Bath and Bristol, recently become an official partner of Bath Rugby. Under the two-year agreement Bath Ales’ branding, featuring Gem, will be included on the team’s shorts while the West Stand at the Rec will be Bath Ales branded.
Bath Ales was established in 1995 and uses traditional brewing techniques with cutting-edge technology.
Its range of beers includes Barnsey, Dark Side, Wild Hare, Special Pale Ale and Ginger Hare as well as its top-selling Gem.
It also operates 12 pubs, bars and restaurants, including The Hop Pole and The Salamander in Bath as well as its latest Graze restaurant next to Bath Spa railway station.
Pictured, from left: Bath Ales' Mark Harding with Jeff Evans, chair of the IBC judges
