FW: AHA announces Winners of Largest Beer Competition in the World

-----Original Message----- From: Association of Brewers [mailto:cindy@aob.org] Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 8:30 PM To: mmoranz(a)net-info.com Subject: AHA announces Winners of Largest Beer Competition in the World FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE American Homebrewers Association announces Winners of Largest Beer Competition in the World Boulder, Colo. • June 26, 2003 – The Association of Brewers crowned winners of the largest homebrew competition in the world this past weekend at the American Homebrewers Association’s 25th annual National Homebrewers Conference in Chicago, Ill. The best of 3,340 beer and mead entries by homebrewers from the U.S. and around the world advanced to the second round of the AHA National Homebrew Competition and were judged onsite during the conference. Winners of the competition were announced at the conference’s Rogue Ale Grand Banquet on Friday night and were awarded gold, silver or bronze medals in 29 style categories. The National Homebrew Competition winners list is at the end of this press release and also available on www.beertown.org. Some of the highlights of the awards were the crowning of Homebrewer and Homebrew Club of the Year. Bruce Stott of Hop River Brewers in Rockville, Conn. was named Homebrewer of the Year for his Cee Cee Schwarz Beer. Homebrewer of the Year, sponsored by Muntons P.L.C., is given to the Best of Show beer from the 24 beer categories. Homebrew Club of the Year, sponsored by Coopers Brew Products, went to the Quality Ale and Fermentation Fraternity (QUAFF) for the third year in a row making them only the second club ever to secure the award for more than two years running. The Ninkasi Award, sponsored by Boston Beer Company, is given to the winningest brewer in the 24 beer categories, with six points for a gold medal, four points for a silver medal, and two points for a bronze medal. For the second year in a row Curt Hausam of Salem, Ore. won the Ninkasi Award. Meadmaker of the Year, sponsored by Redstone Meadery, was given to Paul Zocco of Andover, Conn. This award is given to the Best of Show mead from the three mead categories. Cidermaker of the Year was awarded to Steve Olson of Menasha, Wis. and is given to the Best of Show cider from the cider category. Alaska’s homebrewers shined, winning 11 of the 87 medals awarded. The American Homebrewers Association is a division of the Association of Brewers, established 1978 in Boulder, Colo., U.S.A. In 1979, 200 people attended the first AHA National Homebrewers Conference held in Boulder, Colo. Now the conference is recognized as the world’s largest-attended conference devoted to amateur brewers. Based in Boulder, Colo., U.S.A., the Association of Brewers (AOB) is a not-for-profit educational, trade association for small and craft brewers. Its mission is to make quality beer and brewing knowledge accessible to all. Visit the website: www.beertown.org to learn more. The Association of Brewers has an additional membership division of 8,000+ homebrewers: American Homebrewers Association. The association’s activities include events and publishing: World Beer Cup®; Great American Beer Festival®; Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America®; National Homebrewers Conference; National Homebrew Competition; American Beer Month (July); Zymurgy magazine; The New Brewer magazine; and books on beer and brewing. # # # CONTACT: Association of Brewers Cindy Jones, Sales and Marketing Director Phone: +1.303.447.0816, ext. 144 Fax: +1.303.447.2825 E-mail: cindy(a)aob.org Web Site: www.beertown.org