Alexander Black takes yet another international medal

The European Beer Star Silver Medal
to Alexander Black was announced 
this year over the internet.

I simply have to tell myself not to get jaded or complacent.  

For the eighth time, with surprising regularity, the Alexander Brewery in Emek Hefer has won a medal in the internationally prestigious European Beer Star competition.  This time, once again, the winner was Alexander Black.  While described as a Porter, it took the Silver Medal in the Sweet Stout category.  

Alexander Black has taken medals in the European Beer Star in 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018 -- and a Gold Award in the U.S.-based World Beer Cup in 2014.

We can safely describe that as an "award-winning beer"!  And now here's the deal (as Joe Biden would say):  It's a flagship beer of the Alexander Brewery and you can go out and buy it wherever Alexander Beers are sold.  It's brewed afresh before the winter and is almost always available. 

Ori Sagy, CEO of the Alexander Brewery,
shows the old blogger some of the earlier
awards from the European Beer Star.  

Ori Sagy, CEO of Alexander, told me that other Israeli beers have entered the European Beer Star through the years, but he's not sure about this year, and no other Israeli beers won medals this year.  

"To use an analogy with sports," he added, "only the best compete, only the very best win medals, and very few win medals more than once.  This competition draws the best breweries in the world.  Beers are judged by professionals in a pure blind tasting, and there are only three winners in each style."      

This was the 16th consecutive European Beer Star.  2,036 beers from 42 countries were entered.  Because of the coronvirus, there were no live events.  A 72-member judging panel, made up of master brewers, beer sommeliers and European beer connoisseurs, blind-tasted all the beers over two-and-a-half days, and awarded gold, silver and bronze medals for 70 different beer styles. 

Instead of the usual award ceremony, the winners were announced over the internet.

[You can read about Alexander Brewery's earlier achievements at the European Beer Star here.  Follow the links back to read about 2017 and 2014 as well.]      

So congratulations again to Ori Sagy and Alexander Beer for having the ambition and daring for entering international contests, and the excellent beers for winning them!   

Technically a Porter, Alexander Black is brewed every year for the winter months.  It's perfect for this season, dark brown and warming (alcohol volume is a high 7%), rich in flavors of bitter chocolate, coffee and roasted malt.  This year's version is now on the shelves, so go get some if you want to taste an international prize-winning beer.