For over ten years, the Brewers Association (BA) has assisted American craft breweries in participating in the Australia International Beer Awards (AIBA). The awards have proven an effective tool in promoting U.S. craft beer in Australia and beyond. In order to support the BA’s presence at the competition, Adam Dulye, the BA’s Executive Chef, traveled to Melbourne in May to represent the BA at Melbourne Good Beer Week, a nine-day festival that hosts the AIBA judging process. This marked the first time in five years that a BA representative has attended the event in person.
The BA’s participation in Melbourne Good Beer Week included hosting two dinners—one being a BA-specific dinner which focused on American craft beer and the other being the official AIBA awards ceremony dinner. Adam worked to create a beer and food pairing component to each meal, with the aim of promoting the BA as the voice of craft beer in a global sense. Further to this point, Adam hosted a seminar during the week that illustrated the work done by the BA, and the quality of U.S. craft beer. Outside of the show, the BA met with a number of in-market importers and distributors, and made several site visits to on- and off-premise points of sale for craft beer.
As in years past, the American craft breweries who took part in AIBA performed very strongly in the competition. BA Export Development Program (EDP) members won 143 awards (22 golds, 48 silvers, and 73 bronzes) and claimed seven best-in-class trophies at AIBA. The winners are listed below:
- Alaskan Brewing Co.
- Almanac Beer Company
- Black Tooth Brewing Company
- Boston Beer Company
- Boulevard Brewing Co.
- Caldera Brewing Company
- Coronado Brewing Company
- DC Brau Brewing Company
- Denver Beer Co.
- Deschutes Brewery
- Firestone Walker Brewing Company
- Foolproof Brewing Company
- Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
- Harpoon Brewery
- Hopworks Urban Brewery
- Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
- Lakefront Brewery Inc.
- Left Coast Brewing Co.
- Lord Hobo Brewing Co.
- Melvin Brewing
- New Belgium Brewing Company
- No-Li Brewhouse
- Pelican Brewing Company
- Pfriem Family Brewers
- Quarter Celtic Brewpub
- Rahr & Sons Brewing Co.
- Reuben’s Brews
- Roadhouse Brewing Co.
- Rogue Ales & Spirits
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
- Sixpoint Brewery
- Ska Brewing Company
- Spoetzl Brewery
- Stone Brewing
- Strap Tank Brewing Co.
- Tailgate Brewery
- F.X. Matt Brewing Company
- Three Weavers Brewing Company
- Wander Brewing
- Wormtown Brewery
Congratulations to all the winning breweries!