A newly launched brewery has the chance to win a national award after being recognised for one of its beers.

Virtue Brewing has won the gold award for its German Dunkelweizen beer in the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) regional bottle and can awards.

Uber Die Brucke was the only beer in the wheat beer category to score bronze, silver or gold in the competition which had over 550 entries from regional breweries.

The beer will now be entered into the finals of the National Independent Beer Awards in 2023 for a chance to win a national award.

Virtue Brewing only started brewing beer in July this year and is based in Milton Under Wychwood.

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It was started and is run by Jamie Conroy "as a result of my love for craft beer and a desire to produce the best beers and alcoholic drinks in the country".

Oxford Mail: Jamie Conroy, managing director of Virtue Brewing Jamie Conroy, managing director of Virtue Brewing

He said: "I decided to start the brewery after years of successful homebrewing, like the majority of others who've started their own breweries.

"I was eventually inspired by other brewers on brewery tours to open my own, as I felt I had a lot to offer and that I could make my mark in this competitive market.

"I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit."

He added: "We use state-of-the-art equipment to produce our beers which I had custom-made to my own specifications. And we try to do our bit for the environment where possible, by using fewer chemicals than most breweries and producing less waste."

Oxford Mail: Virtue Brewing has been recognised for its wheat beer Virtue Brewing has been recognised for its wheat beer

The brewery offers a selection of craft beers and for sale directly to consumers, bottle shops, pubs and bars, the majority of which are sold in cans, which each feature a unique artwork produced by talented artists from all over the world.

Mr Conroy said: "The mission of Virtue Brewing is to create beers that are a joy to drink, with something for everyone.

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"We're, proudly, the first brewery in Oxfordshire to brew an alcohol-free beer in this fast-developing category which has its own following.

"And we're also one of few breweries that also hold a license to produce alcoholic soft drinks, which enables us to produce our recently-launched, popular alcoholic lemonade."

He added: "My focus, when creating a recipe is to ensure that the ingredients are the best quality possible and that the water quality fits perfectly the profile of the beer, as this plays a huge part in the flavour of the end result."

 

 

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This story was written by Miranda Norris, she joined the team in 2021 and covers news across Oxfordshire as well as news from Witney.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Miranda.Norris@newsquest.co.uk. Or find her on Twitter: @Mirandajnorris

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