Michael Hovorka, Marlena Troc, Carolyn Etherington accept the award for Best Non-Alcohol Beer won by ‘Tinnies Ultra Low Alcohol’ produced by Coles Supermarkets.

Trophy for best non-alcohol beer headlined a variety of developments at this year’s Australian International Beer Awards

The recent 2021 Australian International Beer Awards, conducted by The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) at Melbourne Showgrounds, featured a number of exciting category changes.

With more than 2,500 entries from 400 breweries representing 21 countries, this year’s event was a huge success after the cancellation of the event in 2020 due to COVID-19.

One of the new additions for 2021 was the category for Best Non-Alcohol Beer, with the inaugural trophy winner being ‘Tinnies Ultra Low Alcohol’ produced by Coles Supermarkets Australia.

RASV Growth and Development Manager, Damian Nieuwesteeg was thrilled with the interest in the non-alcohol category this year.

“Category changes and new additions are a valuable aspect of ensuring that the Australian International Beer Awards remain at the forefront of industry trends, production techniques and consumer interest.

“The inclusion of the category and trophy for Best Non-Alcohol Beer recognises the consumer trend towards wanting to enjoy the flavour of beer without the alcohol content.

“It was terrific to have 25 entries in the first year and we anticipate that as people look for greater choice, the range of non-alcohol beers and styles will continue to grow,” stated Mr Nieuwesteeg.

Overseen by a highly skilled Industry Advisory Group, the AIBA is shaped by the industry and consumer demand, with close consideration placed on keeping the AIBA relevant to brewers from around the world.

Along with the new Non-Alcohol category, The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria this year introduced a split of the IPA category into Best Modern IPA and Best Traditional IPA. This change was made to better recognise the unique IPA styles and reward brewers that are supporting the largest category at the AIBA.

“With the introduction of new trophies for Best Modern IPA and Best Traditional IPA, we have seen further growth in the category with more than 400 entries across the two classes,” concluded Mr Nieuwesteeg.

Alongside the AIBA, the RASV manage four other food and beverage award programs including the Australian International Coffee Awards, Australian Food Awards, Australian Distilled Spirits Awards and the Royal Melbourne Wine Awards.

Ballarat’s Dollar Bill Brewing were awarded the prestigious title of Champion Australian Beer for their Gold Teeth 2021 Belgian-Style Fruit Beer.

The 2021 Australian International Beer Awards presented 35 trophies to breweries across the globe at a sell-out presentation dinner held at Melbourne Showgrounds’ brand-new function centre, Victoria Pavilion.

Ballarat’s Dollar Bill Brewing were awarded the prestigious title of Champion Australian Beer for their Gold Teeth 2021 Belgian-Style Fruit Beer, and Champion International Beer was awarded to Auckland’s Deep Creek Brewing Company for their Sauvage Wood- And Barrel-Aged Beer.