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Enter The Thirsty Games 2020

THE THIRSTY GAMES 2020

The Thirsty Games is IMBC’s competition to find the best small and upcoming breweries operating in the UK today. This year will be the fifth year of The Thirsty Games.

From nationwide submissions we will pick the best three entrants to present as The Thirsty Games 2020 finalists. A public vote, alongside an industry panel, will decide the winner of The Thirsty Games 2020.

In previous years, The Thirsty Games bar has been a focal point of the physical festival at Victoria Baths. This year, with IMBC 2020 not happening in its usual guise due to COVID-19, public voting will assume a new normal form. In the next months we will look to provide you with options to sample The Thirsty Games finalists. Stay tuned for updates.

The winner of The Thirsty Games 2020 will receive prizes from Thirsty Games supporters Lallemand, Yakima Chief Hops, and Simpsons Malt. Basically all the ingredients you need to make great beer, from three of the greatest suppliers around. The winner will also become a featured brewery at IMBC 2021. A prize fund and further incentives will also be bestowed upon the crowned brewery.

Previous Thirsty Games winners are ÖL Brewery (now Ventile Brew Co, 2019), Liquid Light (2018), Burning Soul (2017), and Fivecloud Brew Co (2016). Thirsty Games alumni includes Donzoko, Yonder, Little Earth Project, Affinity Brew Co, Wilde Child,  Maregade,  Cellar Boys, and Vault City.

HOW TO ENTER THE THIRSTY GAMES 2020

Use this FORM if the below criteria applies. 

CRITERIA

The entrants should be 10bbl single brew length or under in size, or a brewery operating on a cuckoo basis in the UK.

The entrants should have been producing beer for less than 24 months.

The entrants should have their beer on general sale and be duty paid.

TO ENTER

We want to sample your A-game beers. Send us your most interesting and creative samples.

Send a minimum of two cans / bottles per beer entered. Please send no more than three different beers.

IF THE ABOVE APPLIES THEN FILL IN THIS FORM HERE, PLEASE. SORRY TO SHOUT BUT HERE IS WHERE YOU FILL IN THE FORM. CLICK CLICK. 

DEADLINES

All samples must reach Port Street Beer House, 39-41 Port Street, Manchester M1 2EQ by 1st September 2020.

The chosen three Thirsty Games finalists will be announced shortly afterwards.

Thank you and good luck!

 

The Thirsty Games 2019

THE THIRSTY GAMES 2019

The Thirsty Games is IMBC’s competition to find the best small and upcoming breweries operating in the UK today.

From nationwide submissions we will pick the best three entrants to make up the Thirsty Games contenders at IMBC 19 (3rd – 6th October 2019, Victoria Baths). Each chosen brewery will pour their beers at every session of IMBC 19. You, the beerholder, will then vote on your favourite brewery across the length of the festival alongside our guest panel and the brewery with the most favour will be crowned the winner of The Thirsty Games 2019.

This is the fourth year of The Thirsty Games. Previous Thirsty Games winners are Liquid Light (2018), Burning Soul (2017), and Fivecloud Brew Co (2016).

CRITERIA

The entrants should be 10bbl single brew length or under in size, or a brewery operating on a cuckoo basis in the UK.

The entrants should have been producing beer for less than 24 months.

The entrants should have their beer on general sale and be duty paid.

TO ENTER

We want to sample your A-game beers. Send us your most interesting and creative samples.

Send a minimum of two cans / bottles per beer entered. Please send no more than three different beers.

The beer you send should feature at least one beer that you would pour at IMBC 19.

IF THE ABOVE APPLIES THEN FILL IN THIS FORM HERE, PLEASE. SORRY TO SHOUT BUT HERE IS WHERE YOU FILL IN THE FORM. CLICK CLICK. 

DEADLINES

All samples must reach Port Street Beer House, 39-41 Port St, Manchester M1 2EQ by 12th August 2018.

The chosen three Thirsty Games finalists will be announced shortly afterwards.

WHAT YOU WIN

The victorious brewery of The Thirsty Games 2018 will win…

A featured brewery pitch at IMBC 20 pouring their beers at each and every session rubbing shoulders with some of the best breweries in the world.

Plus more prizes to be announced.

Thirsty Games 2017 Finalists

THE THIRSTY GAMES 2017 FINALISTS

This week we announced the finalists for our Thirsty Games 2017 competition. The Thirsty Games is an IMBC initiative to find the best new small breweries operating in the UK today. From the nationwide entrants, we, along with Thirsty Games sponsor Lallemand, tasted the submissions and chose the strongest three breweries.

Last year, 2016, was the first year of The Thirsty Games. Fiveclouds took home the crown after a close run battle with Wilde Child and Maregade on the inaugural Thirsty Games bar. Read about Fiveclouds journey since HERE and seek out their beer.

At IMBC 17, you will be invited to taste the beers from The Thirsty Games 2017 finalists and encouraged to vote for your favourite brewery. You, along with a panel of brewers at the festival, will decide the winner of The Thirsty Games 2017.

You will find our three Thirsty Games finalists on The Thirsty Games bar at every session of IMBC 17, pouring a selection of their beers throughout the festival.

The winner of The Thirsty Games 2017 will be gifted the prize of being the first brewery on the team sheet for Indy Man Beer Con 2018, invited to have their own bar across all sessions. Thirsty Games supporters Lallemand have also queued up a couple of big prizes that we will unveil shortly.

Without further ado, here are the three Thirsty Games 2017 brewery finalists…

LITTLE EARTH PROJECT


Little Earth Project is a small and adventurous micro brewery in Sudbury, Suffolk. Specialising in Historical, Farmhouse and Sour beers. Very British Sour Beer. IPA, Stock Ale, Porter and Farmhouse ales all fermented with local wild yeast and bacteria. We look forward to welcoming Little Earth Project to IMBC for the very first time.

Twitter
Instagram
Website


AFFINITY BREW CO
Affinity Brew Co: a South Walian and a Bristolian, marooned in a shipping container in North London, with nothing but a 2.5bbl Brew kit and an idea: To brew the beers they want to drink.

Both have been in the industry for many years as brewers, publicans and many other roles in between.

Head brewer Steve’s love of Belgian styles has resulted in Affinity’s signature beer being ‘Breeze’, a 3.8% Lime Zest and Coriander Seed Saison. And rather than brewing a double IPA, why not have a crack at a raspberry, coconut and cacao stout based on a famous Australian cake?

Steve and Ben’s unwillingness to stick to a core range mean that things are unlikely to stagnate at Affinity HQ; welcome along for the ride!


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Instagram
Website

BURNING SOUL



Burning Soul of Birmingham complete the Thirsty Games 2017 line-up. Here’s what Burning Soul have to say…

“The two of us set up Burning Soul Brewery on a mission to brew the best beer we can, because it’s what we love doing. Making uncompromised beers with the best ingredients available to us, to serve to the awesome beer community. The name Burning Soul isn’t just about beer, it’s about chasing down whatever it is that makes you tick, for us it’s brewing beer and we hope our passion for brewing great beer shines through in every drop we make.
We love all beer styles so for us it’s worth experimenting to find new exciting beers that work. We don’t shy away making progressive styles and love switching it up, using exciting ingredients in order to create memorable beer we hope you don’t forget.”

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Instagram
Website




#IMBC17TG

Indy Man Beer Con 2017
Thursday 28th September – Sunday 1st October 2017
Victoria Baths, Manchester

Tickets for the Thursday and Sunday sessions available HERE. All other sessions have sold out.

The Thirsty Games

THE THIRSTY GAMES
Indy Man Beer Con 2016

The Thirsty Games is a new initiative at Indy Man Beer Con (6-9th October 2016) to showcase the best up and coming UK brewers working out of a small facility (Sub 2bbl capacity), or who are operating on a cuckoo brewery basis. The idea being to feature the top brewers of the future at IMBC and give them a leg up into the industry.

To enter please fill in the form below. Should your entry be successful we will be in touch and you will be asked to submit samples of your beers. Initial beer submissions must be received by Friday 15th July 2016. From the beers submitted, the IMBC team will pick their favourites and purchase 1-3 kegs from each qualifying brewer to pour on The Thirsty Games bar at the festival. The chosen ones will be announced on Monday 1st August 2016.

Throughout IMBC 16 attendees will be encouraged to sample The Thirsty Games beers and vote for their favourite via social media. Public vote along with IMBC judges will determine the winner of The Thirsty Games 2016.

If you would like to submit additional information or branding, please send to [email protected]

Good luck!

#thirstygames2016

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