Three Australian brewers were among the medal winners at the 2010 Word Beer Cup announced in Chicago over the weekend.

Lion Nathan’s Malt Shovel Brewery won gold for its New Norcia Abbey Ale, Sydney’s Redoak won silver for its Redoak Bitter and Ballarat’s O’Brien Brewing won silver for its gluten-free O’Brien Brown Ale.

The Australian contingent joined breweries from 18 other countries to claim medals in what this year became the world’s largest-ever commercial beer competition.

This year, 642 breweries from 44 countries and 47 US states vied for awards with 3,330 beers entered in 90 beer style categories. The entries in each category were eligible for gold, silver and bronze awards. Judges presented a total of 268 awards.

The 2010 World Beer Cup eclipsed the record set by the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) to become the largest commercial competition ever. There were 3,308 entries judged in the 2009 GABF, compared to the 2010 World Beer Cup’s 3,330 entries judged.

“Brewers from around the globe participate in the World Beer Cup to win recognition for their creativity and brewing ability,” said Charlie Papazian, president of the Brewers Association, the US-based trade association that has put on the competition every two years since 1996.

“For a brewer, a World Beer Cup gold award allows them to say that their winning beer represents the best of that beer style in the world.”

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Australian medal winners

Category 50: Other Belgian-Style Ale (35 Entries)

Gold New Norcia Abbey Ale Malt Shovel Brewery Camperdown, Australia

Silver Frozen Kriek Sleeping Lady Brewing Co. Anchorage, AK

Bronze Signature Quadruple Choc Beer Company Krebs, OK

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Category 54: Ordinary Bitter (12 Entries)

Gold Drop Top Widmer Brothers Brewing Co. Portland, OR

Silver Redoak Bitter Redoak Sydney, Australia

Bronze Cutthroat Pale Ale Uinta Brewing Co. Salt Lake City, UT

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Category 14 Gluten Free Beer (10 Entries)

Gold Celia Saison The Alchemist Waterbury, VT

Silver O’Brien Brown Ale O’Brien Brewing Bakery Hill, Australia

Bronze RedBridge Anheuser-Busch InBev St Louis, MO