Craft Brewers Compete Down Under

Craft Brewers to Compete in Australian International Beer Awards

The Brewers Association Export Development Program (EDP) announced today the participation of 19 Brewers Association members and EDP subscribers in this year’s Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA). www.beerawards.com

Held in Melbourne each year, the AIBA is Australia’s most prestigious beer event and has become firmly established on the international brewing calendar as a renowned and recognized barometer of excellence and diversity in beer brewing across the world. In 2006, the Australian International Beer Awards attracted 974 entries from 31 countries. AIBA uses the Brewers Association’s Beer Style Guidelines.

The Brewers Association’s Export Development Program, in an effort to help promote the image of American craft beer as a world class beverage, pays for entry fees and transportation into select international beer shows for its program subscribers, such as the AIBA.

“Assisting US craft breweries with participation in large international competitions like AIBA is a major focus of the EDP,” says Brewers Association vice president Bob Pease. “Our work for EDP subscribers allows us to allocate funds for their entry fees and cover the cost of a consolidated beer shipment to the competitions. US craft beers typically perform well on the international stage and the awards they receive bring attention to the brands and to the US industry as a whole. ”

The following US breweries are entering the AIBA through the BA’s EDP:
21st Amendment Brewery Café– San Francisco, California Blue Point Brewing Co – Patchogue, New York Deschutes Brewery – Bend, Oregon Dogfish Head Craft Brewery – Milton, Delaware Eugene City Brewery – Eugene, Oregon, Flying Dog Brewery – Denver, Colorado Full Sail Brewing Co – Hood River, Oregon Great Divide Brewing Co – Denver Colorado Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales – Dexter, Michigan Kona Brewery Co – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Rogue Ales Issaquah Brewhouse – Issaquah, Washington Left Hand Brewing Co – Denver, Colorado Matt Brewing Co – Utica, New York Odell Brewing Co – Fort Collins, Colorado Rogue Ales – Newport, Oregon Shipyard Brewing Co – Portland, Maine Sprecher Brewing Co – Glendale, Wisconsin Stone Brewing Co – Escondido, California Widmer Brothers Brewing Co – Portland, Oregon

Judging takes place in March in Melbourne with winners announced April 19.