Boulder, Colo . . May 15, 2007 -Nineteen U.S. craft brewers, who are also subscribers to the Brewers Association Export Development Program (EDP), won medals at the 2007 Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA). T he AIBA is the pre-eminent showcase for premium beer and brewing excellence in the Asia Pacific Region.
Held in Melbourne each year, the AIBA, Australia's most prestigious beer event, has become firmly established on the international brewing calendar as a renowned and recognized barometer of diversity in beer brewing across the world. This year there were 941 entries from 39 countries.

"The Brewers Association Export Development Program subscribers value the recognition that comes with competing in international competitions such as the AIBA," states Bob Pease, Vice President of the Brewers Association. "We are proud to have such a great number of active breweries in the Export Development Program competing and winning world-wide recognition for all US craft beers."

The performance of the American craft breweries and American craft beer on the international stage in Australia was outstanding! Brewers Association EDP Subscribers took home 9 gold medals, 24 silver medals and 22 bronze medals. Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon took home 2 coveted awards: the International Malting Company Trophy for Champion Large International Brewery and the Veolia Environmental Services Trophy for Champion Stout - Deschutes Obsidian Stout. Both Deschutes Brewery and Sprecher Brewery took recognition as the 2007 highest gold medal winners by class - Deschutes for their Black Butte Porter and Obsidian Stout and Sprecher Brewing Company for their Sprecher Imperial Stout. The awards from this competition and others will be presented in April 2008 at the Brewers Association Craft Brewers Conference in San Diego , California .

The Brewers Association's Export Development Program, in an effort to help promote the image of American craft beer as a world class beverage, pays for entry fees and transportation into select international beer competitions for its program subscribers, such as the AIBA.

Export Development Program Subscribers who won medals at the 2007 Australian International Beer Awards:

A complete list of winners can be found on the festival's website at: www.beerawards.com

The Brewers Association's Export Development Program is a partially federally funded effort to increase global awareness of American craft beers and expand international distribution for American breweries. Activities funded annually as part of the Export Development Program include trade shows in Europe and Asia, international beer competitions, promotional and educational materials, buyer missions to the Great American Beer Festival(sm)and Craft Brewers Conference and more. To learn more about the Export Development Program or to become a subscriber to the program please contact Mark Snyder at 303.447.0816 x137 or mark@brewersassociation.org.

Based in Boulder, Colo., U.S.A., the Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade and education association for American craft brewers and the community of beer enthusiasts. Visit the website: www.beertown.org to learn more. The association's activities include events and publishing: World Beer Cup®; Great American Beer Festival (sm); Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America®; National Homebrewers Conference; National Homebrew Competition; American Craft Beer Week (May); Zymurgy magazine; The New Brewer magazine; and books on beer and brewing. The Brewers Association has an additional membership division of 11,000+ homebrewers: American Homebrewers Association.