The Brewers Association Export Development Program (or EDP) announced that they will be facilitating the entry of 19 craft brewers into the the Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA)
From the press release:
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.”
These are the brewers entering their beer in Australia:
- 21st Amendment Brewery Café, San Francisco, California
- Blue Point Brewing, 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, Hood River, Oregon
- Great Divide Brewing, Denver Colorado
- Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, Dexter, Michigan
- Kona Brewery, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
- Rogue Ales Issaquah Brewhouse, Issaquah, Washington
- Left Hand Brewing, Denver, Colorado
- Matt Brewing, Utica, New York
- Odell Brewing, Fort Collins, Colorado
- Rogue Ales, Newport, Oregon
- Shipyard Brewing, Portland, Maine
- Sprecher Brewing, Glendale, Wisconsin
- Stone Brewing, Escondido, California
- Widmer Brothers Brewing, Portland, Oregon
Let’s wish all good luck. Winners will be announced April 19.
Well, as a New Zealander I am extremely jealous of the Australians.
I know that a couple of the American breweries have entered New Zealand beer awards with good success (Deschutes, Full Sail and Sam Adams spring to mind) and would love to see more American craft beer imported to New Zealand.