To celebrate its 20th year, the Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA) will host the first ever AIBA World of Beer – Tastings From Around the Globe, a unique event showcasing some of the world’s best beers.

Part of Good Beer Week, AIBA’s World of Beer will bring the best Australian and International beers to Melbourne for a public tasting and will feature premium and unique beers from Argentina to Austria, China to Columbia and Western Australia to Victoria.

Guests can taste from over 500 of the packaged ales, lagers, pilsners, porters, IPAs, saisons and stouts entered into the prestigious 2012 AIBA. Many of the beers on show are not available in Australia, so AIBA’s World of Beer is the perfect opportunity to try something new.

Ann Houlihan, Manager, Epicure Events at the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) said, “With more than 500 beers on show, AIBA’s World of Beer is the hottest ticket in town for all beer lovers. We are thrilled to be joined by visiting international brewers including past AIBA winners Steve Grossman from Sierra Nevada and Kjetil Jikiun from Nøgne Ø and Brendan Moylan from Moylan’s Brewery.”

“The US Brewers Association will also be on hand to chat and taste some of the US entries from the 2012 Awards.”

Alongside our U.S presence will be award winning Australian breweries; Feral Brewing, Higginbotham of Dromana and the Little Brewing Company.”

With over 1,352 entries from 39 countries, the AIBA is going from strength to strength and shows that beer is a serious contender to wine when it comes to quality and style.

AIBA’s World of Beer – Tastings From Around the Globe runs for one evening only from 4.00pm to 8.00pm on Friday, 18 May 2012 in The Atrium, Federation Square. Tickets are on sale now at www.beerawards.com.

Presented annually by the RASV in conjunction with the University of Ballarat, the AIBA judging was conducted at Melbourne Showgrounds in April. The AIBA will culminate with the announcement of the 2012 winners at an Awards Presentation Dinner at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia on Thursday, 17 May 2012.