Winning competitions is a great way for any brewery to gain recognition and German- based Riegele Brewery has earned official bragging rights once again, having just beer awarded the Bundesehrenpreis federal award of excellence for outstanding achievement in the Deutsche Landwirtschafts- Gesellschaft (DLG) Quality Test for Beer. This is the most prestigious award that can be bestowed upon a German brewery.
DLG is serious business. The award is similar to the Great American Beer Festival in some respects, since competing breweries are awarded with a Gold, Silver, or Bronze medal (or possibly no medal at all). But DLG differs in other ways. For one, the field of competition includes most every brewery in Germany (hence the possibility of receiving no medal). For another, the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture computes the scores, averages them for each brewery, and awards the DLG to the top 12 breweries. That would be like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration taking part in the Great American Beer Festival award selection.
The field of competition for the DLG included 1,600 German breweries and several thousand beers. Riegele Brewery has now won this prize 11 consecutive times, the first time any brewery has won this many times in a row. With a grand total of 16 medals and the overall highest average, Riegele was also named 2018 German Brewery of the Year. Sebastian Priller- Riegele, the brewery’s 28th generation brewer, is overwhelmed, as you might imagine, with his brewery’s achievements.
“To receive the Bundesehrenpreis for the 11th time in a row is an unbelievable honor, as is being named German Brewery of the Year,” said Priller-Riegele. “Our family has focused on producing outstanding beers since 1386, and it’s incredibly fulfilling to have our hard work continue to be recognized and rewarded.”
Riegele, located in Augsburg, Germany, is one of the oldest craft breweries on the planet. The brewery produces about 140,000 barrels per year and is one of the most frequently awarded and recognized breweries in Europe. Its impressive lineup of awards includes 2018 International Craft Brewer of the Year at the Meiningers International Craft Beer Award; 2017 German Craft Brewery of the Year and 2016 German Craft Beer of the Year at the same competition; Europe’s Best Brewery at the European Beer Star and 2016 World Cup of Beer; and 2015 German Craft Brewery of the Year. On top of that, the brewery’s own Commerzienrat Riegele Privat was proclaimed 2010 German Beer of the Decade!
Riegele is imported here in the United States by Luxe Brands and is currently being distributed by Sarene Craft Beer in New York and New Jersey; Cavalier Distributing in Ohio and Indiana; Massachusetts Beverage Alliance in Massachusetts; Imperial Beverage in Michigan; Microman in Florida; and Lipman Brothers in Tennessee. To learn more about this historic and highly honored brewing operation, visit online at www.riegele.com or follow the brewery on Facebook
Great article!!
Wow! I love this. You are so well versed in beer!