American Craft Brewers Win International Accolades

BOULDER, CO —American craft brewing’s global success story continued at the Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival and the European Beer Star Competition. Brewers Association (BA) Export Development Program (EDP) members participated in both competitions again this year, winning a total of 37 awards.

Notable successes:

• Lagunitas Brewing Company won the Best Beer at the Festival award for their New Dog Town Pale Ale at the 2011 Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival.
• Pelican Pub & Brewery won six awards-two gold, three silver and one bronze-at the 2011 European Beer Star competition.

The prestige of international success has helped American craft brewers promote their brands at home, increasing sales and brand awareness. This is why the BA works to educate the American craft beer community on opportunities that exist in the international market place and how best to take advantage of them through the EDP.

2011 Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival

Lagunitas Brewing Company of Petaluma, Calif. won the competition’s first-ever Best of Festival award for its New Dog Town Pale Ale.

“We can’t believe our New Dog Town Pale Ale won the Best Beer at the Festival! We are very proud of our ‘Mondo Ultra Mega Super Premium Pale Ale’ and have watched it assault folks’ palates in the coolest way. We are proudly out of style when it comes to the Beer Judge Certification Program guidelines… Maybe they need to add a ‘Modern Ales’ category,” said Ron Lindenbusch, chief marketing officer at Lagunitas Brewing Company.

More than 34,000 visitors celebrated the 20^th anniversary of the Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival. The event and competition are an annual part of the EDP’s schedule.

2011 European Beer Star Competition
The eighth annual European Beer Star is one of the most recognized beer competitions in the world, committed to the traditional European art of brewing. The competition evaluates beers purely on sensory criteria. Brewers from 39 countries submitted 1,113 beers, an increase of 16 percent from last year, including 125 beers from 32 BA EDP members. Nineteen BA EDP members won 30 awards in 18 different categories in the competition.

“Europe is the home for much of the world’s beer culture, so it is truly an honor for Pelican beers to be recognized at the European Beer Star. The many rich brewing traditions of Europe have always inspired the brews of the Pelican Pub & Brewery,” said Darron Welch, brewmaster and owner of Pelican Pub & Brewery.

BA EXPORT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WINNERS

2011 Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival

Best Beer at Festival 2011 (The gold winner who received the highest rating of overall score from the panel of judges-a new award for 2011)
Lagunitas Brewing Company, New Dog Town Pale Ale

Category British Style (4.8%-5.9%)
Gold: 90 Shilling, Odell Brewing Co.

Category: Ale Modern Style (4.8%-5.9%)
Bronze: Caldera Pale Ale, Caldera Brewing Company

Category: Ale Modern Style 6% and above
Gold: New Dog Town Pale Ale, Lagunitas Brewing Company
Silver: Modus Hoperandi, Ska Brewing Company
Bronze: Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, Stone Brewing Co.

Category: Wheat Beer max 5.9%
Silver: Flying Dog In Heat Wheat, Flying Dog Brewery
Bronze: Sierra Nevada Kellerweis, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Category: Porter/stout max 5.9%
Silver: Sierra Nevada Stout, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Category: Porter/stout 6% and above
Gold: Big John, Goose Island Beer Co.

Draft:
Category: Draft Light Lager to Medium max 5.9%
Bronze: Samuel Adams Boston Lager, Boston Beer Company

Category: Draft Semi-dark, dark lagers max 5.9%
Bronze: Samuel Adams Octoberfest, Boston Beer Company

2011 European Beer Star Competition

To date, the EDP has successfully promoted its members’ beer in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Philippines, Scandinavia, Singapore and the United Kingdom.