Adnams’ Ghost Ship Citrus Pale Ale 0.5% has sailed away with a Gold award in the World Beer Awards 2019, just over a year after its launch. Adnams started brewing the low alcohol version of Ghost Ship Citrus Pale Ale 4.5% in response to consumers’ growing interest in low alcohol options. The installation in the brewery of a high tech de-alcoholisation plant enabled Head Brewer Fergus Fitzgerald to retain the flavour of Ghost Ship 4.5% by filtering out the alcohol at the end of the brewing process via reverse osmosis, leaving 100% of the flavour and just 0.5% of the alcohol.

Ghost Ship 0.5% was not the only winner at the World Beer Awards. Jack Brand Earl Grey Lager was awarded top experimental beer in the UK. The lager is brewed from Galaxy hops using Pilsner malt before being infused with tea pigs’ Darjeeling Earl Grey blend. The tannins in the tea work like the bitterness in hops and the citrus notes of the bergamot complement the citrus notes of the hops. Well-established Adnams’ beers such as Broadside and Triple Knot also picked up best in the UK in their categories in the annual global competition, which selects the very best internationally recognised beer styles.

Other awards included Both Barrels Oak Aged Broadside, which picked up Silver in Wood Aged Flavoured Category and Ghost Ship 4.5% Citrus Pale Ale won Bronze in Pale Beer Speciality.

Head Brewer Fergus Fitzgerald said: “It is always great to see the quality of our beers recognised in these high profile awards. I am especially pleased for the brewing team who have worked so hard over the last few years while we’ve invested in and modernised the brewery in Southwold. It’s great to see the well-established beers, like Broadside, pick up medals alongside the newer beers like Earl Grey lager. Getting a Gold for Ghost Ship 0.5% is particularly rewarding for the brewing team who have spent long hours developing the beer and fine tuning the process.”

Adnams’ CEO Andy Wood said: “Fergus and his team have once again pushed the boundaries of innovative brewing. Adnams is 147 years young and still looking to better how and what we do. For our Ghost Ship 0.5% to be recognised internationally proves that we are continuing to brew world class beers which our existing and new customers love drinking”