WA-based the Feral Brewing Company last night won five trophies at the Australian International Beer Awards, racking up half of the 10 trophies won by the nation at the world's second largest international beer competition.
WA-based the Feral Brewing Company last night won five trophies at the Australian International Beer Awards, racking up half of the 10 trophies won by the nation at the world's second largest international beer competition.
With 1,140 entries this year, across 39 countries, the results confirmed that Australians know how to make a winning brew.
Presented by the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) - in conjunction with the University of Ballarat - the 2009 Australian International Beer Awards attracted the best beers from around the world, showcasing entries from countries such as Nigeria, Columbia, Czech Republic, Poland, Cambodia, Bolivia and Puerto Rico.
For the third consecutive year the Feral Brewing Company stole the show amassing five trophies, including the 2009 Champion Exhibitor and Champion Small Brewery, proving that its not just the big players that are influencing the growth of the beer industry.
State-by-state, breweries from Western Australia took out six awards, Victoria won two and New South Wales and Queensland, one a piece.
Richmond-based brewery, Mountain Goat Beer Pty Ltd, was awarded the 2009 Premier's Trophy, for the best Victorian entry, for its beer, Rapunzel, while the state toasted its second success story with The Flying Horse Bar & Brewery of Warrnambool, winning Champion Porter for its Dirty Angel beer.
Barons Brewery flew the flag for New South Wales, received the Champion Packaging Award for its Barons Black Wattle Original Ale and the Sunshine Coast Brewery's Sunshine Coast Summer Ale was the highest scoring Reduced Alcohol Beer.
Demonstrating the event's truly international flavour, countries outside of Australia that took out top honours in one or more categories included Honduras, Canada, Germany and the United States of America.
The Best New Exhibitor this year went to McAuslan Brewing, hailing from Montreal in Quebec, while Cerveceria Hondurena SA de CV of Honduras was the best performing international, taking out the Champion Lager and Champion Large Brewery.
Internationally recognised as the second largest beer awards of its kind in the world, the Australian
International Beer Awards was established 16 years ago to reward excellence in the field of brewing and to assist in the promotion of the brewing industry.
Chief executive of Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria, Mark O'Sullivan, said the Australian International Beer Awards was the largest of its kind in Australia and continued to grow each year.
"The high level of participation from international breweries demonstrates the competition's stature and relevance on a global scale," he said.
Impressed with the list of winners from around the world vice-chancellor of the University of Ballarat Professor David Battersby said his university was delighted to partner the RASV in presenting the Australian International Beer Awards.
"As the providers of Australia's premier brewing course, the University has a long established tradition in the field," he said.
