Five Category Champions at the SIBA Indie Beer Awards 2026
We've had a week to remember. At the North West round of the SIBA Indie Beer Awards 2026, we picked up seven awards, five of them Category Champion titles. That means five RedWillow beers are off to the National Final next year.
The Indie Beer Awards are run by the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates and are the UK's leading beer awards, judged by master brewers, beer sommeliers and expert tasters. Caroline was there on 15 October to collect the awards for the whole team, and she came home with her arms full.
Lagers that take their time
We don't rush our lagers. They're brewed the traditional Bohemian and Bavarian way and spend at least six weeks lagering before they reach your glass. It's a long wait, so seeing two of them win means a lot.
Guileless, our Pilsner, was named Category Champion in Keg Session Lager. It's built on German Pilsner malt and Czech hops, and that slow maturation is what gives it such a clean, crisp finish.
Goldless, our Helles, took the title in Keg Premium Lager. A classic German-style helles lager, brewed to be rounded and full-bodied, with soft, bready malt and a touch of sweetness, as a Helles should be!
From West Coast IPA to Imperial Porter
The rest of the wins show just how much ground our brewing covers.
Restless, our 8.5% Imperial Vietnamese Milk Porter, was crowned Category Champion in Keg Speciality & Flavoured Beer. It's brewed with 25kg of Vietnamese coffee beans, giving a dark, full-bodied beer with sweet, nutty chocolate notes. It's not the first time SIBA judges have rated it, either: Restless won National Gold back in 2018.
On cask, Breakfast Stout won Cask Speciality Amber to Dark. It's another one for coffee lovers, opening with a roasty bitterness from the dark malts before settling into smooth dark chocolate and hazelnut. This adds to the three stars it was awarded by the Great Taste Awards in 2025.
Shameless, our West Coast IPA, took the title in Cask IPA and was first brewed just after we opened in 2010! Featuring vibrant mango and passionfruit on the nose, Shameless packs in the bitterness! Our latest version of Shameless - Beyond Shameless - was recently brewed with Northern Monk Brewery and also received a star in 2024 from the Great Taste Awards.
Two more on the podium
Less Is More Mosaic, our low-alcohol Pale Ale, picked up Silver in Keg Non-Alcoholic & Low ABV. A labour of love, we worked hard to make our first AF beer as satisfying as traditional ABV beer, and it has been receiving rave reviews from drinkers and non-drinkers alike!
Finally, Dreamless, our NE Hazy Pale, took Bronze in Session Pales.
PHEW!
What makes us proudest is the range. From lagers that sit patiently in tank for weeks to cask IPA, a coffee stout and a big imperial porter, these awards cover pretty much everything we brew. That's down to Toby and the brewing team, and to everyone at our bars who looks after these beers every day. Thank you all.
Recognition from master brewers and beer sommeliers means a great deal to an independent brewery like ours.
As Category Champions, Restless, Guileless, Goldless, Breakfast Stout and Shameless now go through to the Indie Beer Awards National Final at BeerX 2027, held at Exhibition Centre Liverpool. They'll be up against the winning beers from SIBA's eight other regions, all competing to be named the best in the UK in their categories. We can't wait to see how they get on.
In the meantime, the best way to celebrate is with a pint. You'll find our award-winning beers on the bar in Macclesfield and Buxton, in pubs across the UK, and in our online shop.
Cheers!