Beer News - AIBA Results

Alrightly,

Most of you would have seen various press / press releases on the just released results from the Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA). Full results can be found at this link at www.beerawards.com.

As per usual reaction to the various awards was mixed. Weihenstephan was a strange choice as Grand Champion in our very humble opinion; a good enough beer (I guess) but hardly deserving of greatness. Then again, a better beer than some of the absolute crap that has won trophies in years gone by. Perhaps its time to get Foster's and Lion Nathan staffers off the senior judging panel?

What really gave us this shits was the farce surrounding the Premier's Trophy for Best Victorian Beer - hard to believe that the 'local' version of Stella was actually even seriously considered, let alone deemed worthy of winning. This is boring, flavourless pale lager rubbish at best and is appropriately known as 'wife beater' in the UK. It is also the brew of choice for the down and out in Amsterdam and Belgium. We wonder if CUB will publicise the win, the irony being that full disclosure of the brewing location may well damage the laughable 'premium' image of this beer.

Emerald Hills Carl Jacobson was good enough to include the emails of Steve Bracks (steve.bracks@parliament.vic.gov.au) and John Brumby (john.brumby@parliament.vic.gov.au) in an email yesterday annoucing his achievements plus the Stella win. We sent a rocket to Brumby.........

"Hi Mr Bracks and Mr Brumby,

I just received notification that Stella Artois (brewed under license by CUB) won the Premiers Award for the best Victorian Beer at the AIBA. The Belgians will be pleased that their beer has gone on to receive such a prestigious award, as back in Belgium it is the beer of choice of the homeless and others down on their luck....a far cry from the fancy brand it is marketed as in Australia!

Given the great many beers developed in Victoria by locals, with quality ingredients that are often grown locally; it is a shame that recognition goes to the mass-produced boring brands owned my multi-nationals being pumped out of beer factories.

Meanwhile we have some absolutely fantastic beer being produced in Victoria, such as Red Hill Brewery who grow their own hops on the Mornington Peninsula, or Hargreaves Hill brewed with Yarra Valley rainwater (yes stocks are limited) using no artificial ingredients or preservatives. These are just two examples of great Victorian beer, both of which outsell Stella Artois in my wine and beer outlets - and rightly so.

I think you should get busy drinking some quality Victorian beer over the next twelve months so at least you may be able to select a beer developed in Victoria by Victorians. Oh, and I believe CUB want people to think that Stella is a posh European beer....so I am not sure they will be sending out press releases declaring it won best Victorian beer!"

and suprisingly recieved a very prompt reply....

"The award was determined by the RAS judging panel. The Government does not determine the award. Last night i also launched the 3rd edition of our guide to microbreweries which was very well received."

Whilst we are all for the Government doing its bit to support the industry awarding this award to a beer with very little local linkage, made by a global industrial beer company, is a complete f$%$# joke.

On-line discussions on the AIBA awards can be found at Rate Beer, Beer Advocate and Australian Home Brewer.

Predictably the beer factories had a whinge (see article here) at the results given in recent years offshore micro brewers with no Australian retail presence have cleaned up. Whilst there might be a sliver of logic in this arguement these clowns need to realise 2 obvious truths - (1) AIBA is an international competition so it will attract offshore attention, and (2) cease churning out shit beer and you may improve your chances.