The head brewer at Simonds Farsons Cisk, Eugenio Caruana, has been presented with the prestigious Silver award for Cisk Lager, an award won last year in the world's foremost beer competition.
Farsons placed second in the International Lager Competition category, Class 1, of The Brewing Industry International Awards (BIIA) 2005.
Farsons Group chief executive, Louis A. Farrugia, was among the more than 600 guests from the international brewing industry and media who attended the ceremony held in London.
The presentation was made by Roger Putman, chairman of the judges, at Guildhall, City of London, during the Brewing, Food and Beverage Industry Suppliers Association (BFBi) annual luncheon.
"No other beer competition can match this worldwide range. The nine lager medals went to nine different countries - you do not get more international than that!" said Mr Putman. "I think anyone who witnessed the judging in Munich, and tasted the entries, will agree that the presentation of the beers was of the highest order."
The world's top professional beer competition was judged last September at Drinktec 2005 World Fair for Beverage Technology in Munich. This beverage exhibition attracts over 80,000 visitors from around the world.
BIIA received 752 entries from 43 countries to compete for various awards, known as the "oscars" of the brewing industry - the pinnacle of brewing achievement.
"This award provides another significant and major achievement for Cisk Lager," said Mr Farrugia.
"Competition was fierce and a great number of international brews competed for these awards. Furthermore, the award ceremony was a major opportunity to showcase Cisk Lager to an international gathering of industry and media guests, who also had the opportunity to sample Cisk Lager.
Mr Caruana said: "This success is a wonderful tribute to everyone involved. Since its first production in 1928, Farsons has strived to keep up the highest quality of its Cisk Lager. With a recipe that has remained unchanged, Cisk is brewed to the highest brewing standards, using the choicest raw materials, and this unwavering commitment has once more borne its fruit."
The BIIA Award adds to Cisk Lager's long list of awards. These include the UK's Brewex Competition in 1980 when it was awarded gold medals in both the Lager and the Best Overall categories, and the top prize in the Australian International Beer Awards 1995, while its sister brand Cisk Export won the Gold Medal at the World Beer Cup in Ohio, USA in 2002.