The Third Edition of the just ended Ghana Beverage Awards saw the efforts of many indigenous beverage producers as well as some international brands rewarded.

Held at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City Accra, the award ceremony brought together many key players in the beverage industry. The night saw awards given to producers of different categories of beverages who have excelled in their various fields.

Speaking at the launch, Mr. Robert Ahomka-Lindsay, Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry said: “I feel very honoured to be associated with an event that seeks to celebrate Ghanaian beverages and their manufacturers. It is heartwarming to realize that we are still in tune with our Ghanaian heritage and this we exhibit by consuming our own beverages and celebrating its manufacturers.”

“By consuming made in Ghana products, we do not only share in our identity and heritage as Ghanaians, but also support the growth of our economy as well. Government is ready to provide the needed subsidies for the growth of the industry. When we talk about one district, one factory, we recognize that the beverage industry is a significant part of this industrialization process,” he added.

This year’s Ghana Beverage Awards encouraged the participation of the general public by creating the avenue for them to nominate their favourite beverages as well as going to a step further to determine the winner of the most coveted “Product of the Year category’’ by voting via various platforms.

The award categories included Beer of the Year, Spirit of the Year, Bitters of the Year, Water of the Year, Fruit Juice of the Year, Carbonated Soft Drink (CSD) of the Year, Energy Drink of the Year, CSR of Beverage Company of the year, Manufacturer of the Year and Product of the Year.

New categories added were International Wine of the Year, International Spirit of the Year, International Beer of the Year and New Beverage of the Year.

Kasapreko’s Storm Energy Drink emerged Product of the Year. Brands Manager (CSD,RTD,Water) at Kasapreko Company Limited, Mr. Chris Addo-Sarkodie said;

“We would like to thank the Almighty God for rewarding our efforts for the past year with such a resounding success. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to the staff of Kasapreko Company Limited for their hard work which positioned Storm Energy Drink to win this coveted award. Our heartfelt appreciation also goes to the organizers of this event for recognizing our industry and of course to our Brand Ambassador Shatta Wale for strongly supporting Storm Energy Drink. To the entire Ghanaian public, we cannot thank you enough for your support. Thank you so much for voting and loving our band. We are looking forward to working with you in the coming years for more successes and to grow our industry.”

Commenting on the event, Mr. Ernest Boateng, CEO of Global Media Alliance, also expressed satisfaction in the participation of both the public and beverage companies ahead of the event.

He added that Ghana Beverages Awards was looking at a future where the lesser known locally produced beverages would gain the needed recognition both locally and internationally through proper packaging, branding and adherence to standard practices laid down for the regulation of the beverage industry.

Ghana Beverages Award 2018 was organized by Global Media Alliance in conjunction with Consumer Protection Agency, Food and Beverages Association of Ghana, Ghana Tourism Authority, National Drinking-Bar Operators Association and the Food and Research Institute under CSIR. Daily Guide, Daily Graphic, Today Newspaper, Citi FM, Happy FM, YFM, Oman FM, LIVE FM, Starr FM, Kwese TV, Net 2 TV, GHOne TV, eTV Ghana provided strong partnership on the media front.

Award Winners

New beverage of the year - Kpoo Keke

Fruit juice of the year - Blue skies

CSD water of the year - Coca Cola

lnternational spirit of the year- Jameson

Beer of the year- Guinness

Bitters of the year- Alomo Bitters

Liqueur of the year- Kpoo Keke

Spirit of the year- Castle Bridge

Ciders/RTD of the year-Orijin Beer

Energy Drink of the year- Storm Energy

Cocoa /Chocolate /Dairy product of the year- Vitamilk

Water of the Year- BelAqua

CSR Company of the year - Twellium Industries

International Beer of the year - Heineken

Manufacturing company of the year - Kasapreko Company Limited Product of the year- Storm Energy Drink