Old Hooky Arrives Early to Its 50th Anniversary Celebrations with Silver at the “Oscars of Brewing”

Old Hooky arrives early to it’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations with Silver at the “Oscars of Brewing”

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of Old Hooky, the iconic ale from Hook Norton Brewery, and the celebrations have already begun after the beer picked up a Silver Medal at the 2026 International Brewing & Cider Awards — often referred to as the “Oscars of Brewing and Cider.”

After three days of one of the most rigorous and respected competitions in the industry, the International Brewing & Cider Awards’ 43 international judges have named the best beers and ciders in the world, with Old Hooky recognised among the winners.

The winners were announced live on Friday 6 March during a medal announcement open to the trade, organised by the Brewing, Food & Beverage Industry Suppliers’ Association (BFBI) as part of the awards programme.

The event, hosted at Victoria Warehouse, Manchester, brought together renowned brewers, cidermakers, buyers and industry professionals for a day of networking, tasting and celebration.

This year once again saw celebrated breweries and cider makers from Sweden to Cambodia taking part, confirming the international reach of the competition and its prestige across the global brewing community.

The International Brewing & Cider Awards are not only the oldest brewing and cider competition in the world, but also a major professional milestone for brewers and cidermakers thanks to their unique judging process. Its panel of experts — all of whom are commercially practising brewers and cidermakers — focuses on providing detailed feedback from both production and commercial perspectives, offering entrants a world-class tasting panel experience.

Commenting on this year’s results, Ruth Evans, Chief Executive of the BFBI and Director of the International Brewing & Cider Awards, said: “Our international panel of brewers and cider makers have judged a fantastic array of beers and ciders from around the world. The results reflect the quality of entries this year — ensuring a high level of debate amongst the judges, debate being at the core of our judging process.”

For Old Hooky, the Silver Medal provides a fitting early toast ahead of its 50th anniversary in 2027, reinforcing the enduring quality and reputation of one of Britain’s most beloved traditional ales.

Old Hooky – Silver Award Winner, Class 3, Cask Conditioned Beer Competition
at the INTERNATIONAL BREWING AWARDS 2026.

To enjoy the taste of Old Hooky pop into your local Hooky pub
Or enjoy at home and get some online