Drinkers will be able to try the Champion Beer of Britain 2015 at this year’s Swansea Bay Beer & Cider Festival.

Cwtch, by Newport brewery Tiny Rebel, will be just one of 115 beers and 60 ciders and perries on offer during the three-day celebration at the Brangwyn Hall from August 27-29.

The traditional bitter with a modern twist was named top beer at the Great British Beer Festival at Olympia last week, beating a huge number of other brews to the title.

Tiny Rebel is one of the main sponsors of the Swansea festival and they will be making sure they send a good supply of Cwtch, after long queues formed to try the brew at Olympia.

Swansea festival chairman Chris Radford, who was at GBBF, saw the queue for himself: “It went to the end of the bar, round the corner probably another 25 yards and then round another corner!”

Queue stretching as far as the eye can see!

Queues are unlikely to be a problem at the Brangwyn Hall though as drinkers will be spoiled for choice. The Swansea branch of the Campaign for Real Ale has sourced the most exciting brews from up and down the land, including many from the Swansea area itself. (Click here for more on the Swansea Festival)

Tiny Rebel is just one of dozens of new and pioneering breweries that have set up in Wales over recent years.

Their Cwtch brew was named the Supreme Champion at GBBF over a host of other finalists in ten different beer categories, including beers from both small microbrewers and large regional brewers.

Head Brewer Gareth Williams, who brewed Cwtch (which means cuddle in Welsh) said what it meant to win: “I feel like I’m dreaming! This is the ultimate award to win in our eyes and after winning at the Great Welsh a few years ago this feels even better. It’s just a crazy feeling and we’re massively proud.”

Co-founder of the brewery Bradley Cummings, added: “We were brought up on real ale and we love traditional styles, Cwtch is our modern version of a traditional bitter, with extra hopping for a more pronounced bitterness and aroma. It’s new world and old world all in one.”

This year’s Silver went to Kelburn, Jaguar (Renfrewshire) whilst the Bronze award went to Dancing Duck, Dark Drake (Derby).

The individual category winners were:

Mild –

Gold – Williams Bros, Black

Silver – Rudgate, Ruby Mild

Bronze – Great Orme, Welsh Black

Bitter –

Gold – Pheasantry, Best Bitter

Silver – Acorn, Barnsley Bitter

Joint Bronze – Purple Moose, Madog’s Ale & Timothy Taylor, Boltmaker

Best Bitter-

Gold – Tiny Rebel, Cwtch

Silver – Highland, Scapa Special

Joint Bronze – Barngates, Tag Lag & Salopian, Darwin’s Origin

Golden Ale-

Gold – Kelburn, Jaguar

Silver – Adnams, Explorer

Bronze – Blue Monkey, Infinity

Strong Bitter-

Gold – Dark Star, Revelation

Silver – Salopian, Golden Thread

Bronze – Grain, India Pale Ale

Speciality Beer –

Gold – Titanic, Plum Porter

Joint Silver – Kissingate, Black Cherry Mild & Saltaire, Triple Chocolate

Bronze – Hanlons, Port Stout

Champion Winter Beer of Britain (from category winners announced in January 2015)-

Porter – Elland Brewery

Stout – Dancing Duck, Dark Drake

Barley Wines and Strong Old Ales – Lees, Moonraker

Old Ales and Strong Milds – Purple Moose

Champion Bottled Beer of Britain winners
(Sponsored by Beer Hawk)

Gold – Harveys, Imperial Extra Double Stout

Silver – Fyne Ales, Superior India Pale Ale

Bronze – Mordue, India Pale Ale