Australian brewers have tasted success at the World Beer Cup, collecting two golds and two silvers at the event described as “The Olympics of Beer Competition”. Golds went to Queensland’s Burleigh Brewing for its HEF in the South German-Style Hefeweizen/Hefeweissbier category and Sydney’s Redoak in the Ordinary or Special Bitter category. The silvers were picked up by brewing company Endeavour, for its Pale Ale in the Australasian-Style Pale Ale or International-Style Pale Ale category, and Stone & Wood, whose Pacific Ale collected the medal in the English Style Summer Ale category, continuing a remarkable success story for the Byron Bay brewed beer.
In total, 95 categories are judged for the World Beer Cup, which is run every two years by the US Brewers Association. A single gold, silver and bronze are awarded in each category with five trophies awarded to the champion small, mid-size and large brewing company and small and large brewpub. While the vast majority of medals were awarded to American brewers, the success of the four locals made it a worthwhile trip for the Aussie contingent.
Jamie Cook, from Stone & Wood, says: “Despite [head brewer] Brad’s on and off stage excitement it is a little humbling for us as we put our toe into the water of the awards world with Pacific Ale, based on there being a class that it sort of fitted into – English Summer Ale. It wasn’t a neat fit, but we gave it a go to see how the judges would view it. We’ve had lots of comments from Pacific Ale fans who are happy that their love of our beer has been validated; that’s a great thing in itself.
“It was also great for Tim Lord from Hop Products Australia to be there to share the result with us, given the role Galaxy hops play in that beer and the importance of the hop for HPA.”
Stone & Wood don’t enter the beer into the Australian International Beer Awards, which announces its results for 2012 on May 17, because the brewers don’t feel there is an appropriate category. However, with the awards' structure evolving since the appointment of an Industry Advisory Group last year, they may reassess.
For Burleigh, it’s merely the latest success Stateside, with the HEF and other beers in its range, including their 28 Pale Ale, My Wife’s Bitter and Black Giraffe, having picked up golds at the World Beer Championships in recent years. The Redoak Bitter is no stranger to medals either, while the winemakers behind Endeavour will be delighted with their silver.
The HEF will be one of the beers on tap at the Baden Powell during Good Beer Week as part of the Queensland arm of the Pint of Origin interstate showcase. Meanwhile, there is a chance for home brewers to win a guernsey with Stone & Wood’s side project, The Mash Collective, at The Pitch on May 15. The organisers of the biannual World Beer Cup, the US Brewers Association, will also be in Melbourne, bringing their Export Development Program with them to showcase beers from a number of US brewers who have never sent their beers to Australia. They will have a stand at the AIBA World of Beer Showcase on May 18.
It should prove a welcome break for the Brewers Association after presiding over the largest World Beer Cup to date. The ninth running of the event ninth received entries from 799 breweries from 54 countries and 45 US states – in total, there were 3,921 beers.
“It’s called ‘The Olympics of Beer Competition’ for good reason,” said Charlie Papazian, president of the Brewers Association. “The event brings together great brewers from all corners of the globe. Plus, the awards are highly regarded. A brewer who wins a World Beer Cup gold award knows that their winning beer represents the best of that beer style in the world. Congratulations to all the winners of the 2012 World Beer Cup. The Brewers Association and the proud sponsors of our event thank all participating brewers for their involvement.”
Pictured above (left to right): Peta and Brennan Fielding (Burleigh), David Hollyoak (Redoak), Brad Rogers and Ross Jurisich (Stone & Wood)
Major Trophy Winners
Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2012 Champion Brewery and Brewmaster
Small Brewing Company
Brauerei Michael Plank, Kelheim, Germany
Michael Plank
Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2012 Champion Brewery and Brewmaster
Mid-size Brewing Company
Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Paso Robles, CA
Matthew Brynildson
Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2012 Champion Brewery and Brewmaster
Large Brewing Company
AB InBev, New York, New York
Claudio Ferro
Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2012 Champion Brewery and Brewmaster
Small Brewpub
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – Media, Media, PA
Iron Hill Brewery Team
Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2012 Champion Brewery and Brewmaster
Large Brewpub
Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR
Darron R S Welch
The full list of winners is here.
