The annual Brussels Beer Challenge has been held since 2012 and has grown to become one of the most prestigious international competitions for commercial brewers. Over the course of three days this past October, eighty five world reknowned beer experts judged over 1500 beers from around the world, and awarded gold, silver and bronze for each style or category. NBeer Craft Brewing Co' Beijing Gose Modern bested all other sour wheat beer entries with its first place gold medal!
We have been brewing this beer since 2014, and at that time was likely the first commercial brewery in China to attempt this obscure traditional beer style from northern Germany. Infused with spices, fruits and dry-hopped with numerous New World hop varieties, our Beijing Gose Modern strikes a delicate yet dangerously drinkable balance of tartness and salinity with a savory spiciness and fruity fragrance. Initially only sought after by the most dedicated beergeeks, we were surprised how quickly it gained a wider fan following. What didn't surprise us however, was that its high quality could stand toe to toe with the best in the world!
Belgium holds a special place in the hearts of craft beer afficionados, with countless small and traditional producers brewing possibly the most diverse array of beer styles within a such tiny geographical space. This includes the unique and beloved sour beer traditions of Lambic, Flanders Red and Oud Bruin. NBeer is both honored and proud to earn this distinction, in one of the heartlands of sour beer, amid a field of over a 1500 entries from across the globe!
Although China's craft beer scene has only been around for a few years, more and more Chinese brewers are gaining similar international recognition. We consider it our mission, along with our fellow domestic craft brewers, to continue putting China on the map of the world's best beers!
Brewing sour beers requires not only ordinary beer yeast, but other microorganisms such as lactobacillus, which adds to the difficulty and complexity of its production. This is the type of challenge that only skilled brewers can truly relish. Such forward thinking in China however, faced the obstacle of being unprecedented. Without any previous legal standards for sour beer production, NBeer spent months upon months of bureaucratic haggling to obtain what is possibly the first license to brew sour beer in China. We think it's safe to assume most of our international competitors had fewer difficulties in this regard... But we hope our efforts will in turn help other craft brewers in China to diversify the range of beer styles available to consumers!
