The Australian International Beer Awards continues to grow apace. After setting a record for the number of beers entered for judging in 2011, the second largest awards of its kind in the world has attracted more than 150 additional entries this year. Judging o the 1,352 beers from 39 countries began this week and will continue throughout April, with the winners to be announced at a Gala Dinner on May 17, during Good Beer Week.
Among the judges are international guests, Anders Kissmeyer, the Danish brewer who recently left Norrebro to establish his own brand, Kissmeyer, and Masayoshi Kaji and Shoji Kobotake of Japan. They will be tasting 692 international brews and 660 from across Australia. The former include entries from Cambodia, Fiji, Lithuania, Puerto Rico and South Korea.
Ann Houlihan, manager, Epicure Events at the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) said: âWe have again received an outstanding number of entries for the 2012 AIBA from exhibitors across the world, recording an increase in not only the number of entries but exhibitors also.
"Now in its 20 year, the increase in entries is testament to the AIBA's global reputation as one of the most highly regarded and respected awards of its industry."
To mark its 20th anniversary, the AIBA will this year host the first World of Beer event where beer lovers will be taken on a unique tour of the globe with the opportunity to taste the best local and international brews entered in the 2012 AIBA. We also understand here at The Crafty Pint that the showcase will feature the US Brewers Association’s Export Program, coming to Australia for the first time to present beers from American craft brewers never before seen on these shores. We have also been working the Brewers Association to set up an industry reception, details of which will be released in the run up to Good Beer Week.
AIBA's World of Beer – Tastings From Around The Globe – will be held on May 18 from 4pm to 8pm at The Atrium, Federation Square. Tickets are available online here.
The awards organisers are also marking their 20th anniversary with the commissioning of a special beer, as mentioned in earlier Crafty Pint newsletters. The Collaborator is an Australian Brown Ale brewed last week by Andrew Ong and Brendan Varis of 2 Brothers and Feral respectively, both trophy winners in recent AIBAs.
The Perfect Match
Another first for the AIBAs in 2012 is their move to create a menu for the gala dinner with beer and food designed to work in harmony. The organisers invited Chris Badenoch, from Josie Bones, to write the menu, which was launched at an event at his restaurant this week.
The three course tasting was presented as a canapé menu, comprising dishes including ocean trout and spanner crab for entrí©e, pork belly for main, and baby pannacotta for dessert. It was served with tasting-sized samples of trophy winning beers from 2011.
Chris says: "We're passionate about using beer as an ingredient as well as an accompaniment to great food and the dishes we've created for the AIBA highlight the quality and diversity of entries."
