Recently, the winners of the Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA) were announced. As is pleasantly common where brewing competitions are concerned, a number of local beer interests were recognized. Not only did two local non-alcoholic beer producers medal in the near-beer category, but North County’s Belching Beaver Brewery took top honors among non-Australian operations, earning Champion International Beer for its Viva la Beaver.
A Mexican hot chocolate stout brewed with peanut butter, cinnamon and coffee, Viva la Beaver took gold in the Other Flavoured Specialty Beer category, and was also named the Best Specialty Flavoured Beer of the entire competition, leading to its champion out-of-country title. Belching Beaver also scored a silver medal in the American-style India Pale Ale category for its core West Coast IPA, No Worries.
Much like Australian-rules football or water eddying down a sink drain, that country’s largest annual brewing competition runs a bit different from beer contests in the States. While the Great American Beer Festival and most US competitions award a single first, second and third-place prize to trios of beers or breweries in a particular category, the AIBA use a grading scale that leads to multiple gold, silver and bronze medals being awarded for the same style.
This organizational difference allowed Miramar-based Athletic Brewing’s Upside Down non-alcoholic golden ale, and a pair of beers from Kearny Mesa’s Two Roots Brewing, Enough Said non-alcoholic Helles-style lager and Straight Drank non-alcoholic IPA, to all garner bronze medals.
The following is a full list of this year’s winning local breweries and beers…
- Champion International Beer: Viva la Beaver, Belching Beavery Brewery (Oceanside)
- Best Specialty Flavoured Beer: Viva la Beaver, Belching Beavery Brewery (Oceanside)
Gold
- Other Flavoured Specialty Beer: Viva la Beaver, Belching Beavery Brewery (Oceanside)
Silver
- American-style India Pale Ale: No Worries IPA, Belching Beaver Brewery (Oceanside)
Bronze
- Non-alcohol Beer: Upside Dawn Non-alcoholic Golden Ale, Athletic Brewing (Miramar)
- Non-alcohol Beer: Enough Said Non-alcoholic Helles Lager, Two Roots Brewing (Kearny Mesa)
- Non-alcohol Beer: Straight Drank Non-alcoholic IPA, Two Roots Brewing (Kearny Mesa)