Howe Sound Rail Ale Takes Gold at 2014 North American Beer Awards

SQUAMISH, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - June 25, 2014) -

Editors Note: There is one photo associated with this press release.

One of Howe Sound Brewing Company's original ales - Rail Ale Nut Brown - took top spot in the brown ale category at the latest North American Beer Awards, held in Idaho Falls, Idaho this month.

Howe Sound also took a bronze medal for its Woolly Bugger Barleywine in the Barleywine category.

A long time favourite and now gold medal winner, Howe Sound Rail Ale is an English style nut brown, that has a complex malt profile producing subtle hints of chocolate and licorice. This medium bodied dark ale has a smooth and creamy finish and provides a nice contrast to the many hoppy beers that are brewed here in the Pacific Northwest. Woolly Bugger, a Canadian Brewing 2013 gold award winner, is a traditional barley wine with exceptional flavour and depth.

Head Brewer Franco Corno stated: "Each year, Howe Sound Brewing attempts to compete in a variety of local, national and international beer competitions, in order to promote Canadian craft beer and to gather feedback on the quality of its beers. The North American Beer Awards are a true competitive event with more breweries and tastes from the US, Canada and around the world. We're very proud that our beers performed so well in US blind-tasting competition especially our "Rail Ale Nut Brown" and "Woolly Bugger" Barleywine."

"As much as it is nice to get a medal once in a while, the bigger thing for us is to get feedback from trained beer judges. In Idaho, for example, we receive a dozen pages of beer notes on our beers, and this is invaluable outside input," Corno said.

During 2014, Howe Sound has competed in competitions in Canada and the US, where the interest in craft beer and new artisan styles is growing rapidly. "As a Craft Brewery, one needs to adapt to this changing market, by delivering creativity and flavour, but you also have to make sure that the fundamentals are there. That you're brewing good clean beers. That's where input from judges and blind-tasting panels really help out," Corno said.

Howe Sound beers are being shipped across Canada and also are now available in the Ontario LCBO as a regular listing. In 2013, 2x4 Brewing and Distribution introduced Howe Sound Brewing into a larger mainstream market in the US, as part of the "Canada's Select Brews" label.

Howe Sound Brewing is based in Squamish, BC and has been brewing delicious craft ales and lagers since 1996. Howe Sound Brewing is a privately owned craft brewery located in Squamish, BC. brewing 30 different artisan ales and distributing a full-range of lagers and ales in BC, Alberta and across Canada and in 11 states in the U.S.

To view the photo associated with this press release, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/howe0624.jpg

For more information about Howe Sound Brewing, www.howesound.com.

For all media related inquiries regarding Howe Sound Brewing contact Leslie Fenn via the contact information below.