By Gift Olivia Samuel, The Sight News
ABUJA: With Africa being home to many international and local breweries that are at the top of their games, and in a bid to reward and award these brands, Hospitality360 Africa Ltd, owners of Drinks4Dummies TV and Zermatt Liquor Ltd, owners of Beer Barn Nigeria have partnered with the World Beer Awards to organize the 2022 World Beer Awards for the African region.
The World Beer Awards (WBA) is the global event that rewards the very best in all internationally recognised beers, and also promotes the world’s best beers to consumers and trade across the globe, and Nigeria will in May 2022, play host to the World Beer Awards Africa.
Speaking at a press conference on the World Beer Awards Africa 2022 in Abuja on Thursday, Mr. Emeka Ihumezie, the World Beer Awards Regional Director for Africa, said the WBA has three (3) major types of awards it confers on the beer world— Award on TASTE, DESIGN, and the ICONS of Beer Awards.
He further explained that the Taste categories are based upon the commonly held beer groupings, which define the style and process of beer production. On the design awards, he said beers are judged on their packaging beauty, designs and aesthetics with five design categories in which an individual product can be judged, each categories reflecting the major product or display areas of the market.
While on the third categroy—the Icons of Beer, he explained that it simply celebrates the brew masters, the ambassadors, the retailers and the breweries, adding in a nut shell, that the ICONS of Beer Awards honours those who have worked tirelessly to produce and promote beer.
Ihumezie, disclosed that every year, beers from across the world are tasted by groups of Judges to select which is the best, and for over 20 years now, the finest of beers have won the World Best Awards in their respective countries, and with many going ahead to win the grand prizes at the global stage in London.
L-R: Emeka Ihumezie, World Beer Awards Regional Director for Africa in a handshake with Toni Cheikwafa, Managing Director, Beer Barn Nigeria, after signing the partnership agreement for the World Beer Awards Africa 2022
Speaking on the reason the World Beer Awards is coming to the African region, he said, “We all know that some of the best beers in the world today are brewed in the continent of Africa. Africa has its role in the history of beer with ancient Egypt playing key roles in the beer evolution story dating back 500 years ago. even the story of the first ever beer production by Sumerians in Mesopotamia was documented in the Ancient Egypt.
“Africa is home to many international and local breweries that are at the top of their games, brewing some of the best beers out there in the world. From the coast of Norther Capes through Kenya in the East to Cameroun in the South and down to the West, Nigeria, Ghana, and Sierra Leone I have tasted some good beers.
“These beers do have the capacity to compete at the global stages. The brewers, the designers, the distributors, Bars, Supermarkets and the drinkers all deserve recognitions and should be rewarded and awarded. The WBA is just the right type of rewards to honour all these players with”, he said.
Furthermore, he noted that winners from the World Beer Awards Africa 2022, will compete at the World Beer Awards global, adding that he is optimistic of their performances at the global stage.
The Regional Director for Africa, while explaining the reason for such a contest, said Beer in itself is the most drank beverage in the world only after water, Tea, coffee and orange juice, noting that the making of beer itself is an art, blended in simple but magnificent piece of engineering, and the process of beer making, design, marketing and promotion should be celebrated.
“We have all come to appreciate the riches, the tastes and the different flavours of beers out there in the market today and the many men and women involved in the entire process also deserves to be recognized”, he said.
For his part, the Managing Director, Beer Barn Nigeria, Toni Cheikwafa, said bringing the World Beer Awards Africa to Nigeria is a huge one for Beer Barn.
According to him, “We want to see Nigerian beers receive great awards, we want to see the breweries receive great awards, and we will like to see the many men and women behind the production of these beers recognized for their hard work.
“The World Beer Awards Africa will bring so much entertainment to Nigeria and we are very proud to be partners to it. The World Beer Awards Africa will hold in Abuja, Nigeria in May 2022 and the portals are now open for entries. To register your beer or your Icons, please visit www.worldbeerawards.com or you can contact our Partners in Africa Beer Barn Nigeria and Drinks4Dummies”, he concluded.
