NEWCASTLE consolidated its reputation as a growing craft beer mecca, with a quintet of local breweries winning gold medals at the Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA) on Thursday night in Melbourne.
Established King Street brewhouse FogHorn claimed gold medals for its Slaked Magpie Porter (Herb and Spice Beer) and the Cali IPA (New Zealand Style IPA) and another four minor medals.
Merewether's Modus added more gold medal to its cabinet for the Social Club (Fruit Wheat Beer) and six overall.
Beresfield's Maltnhops scored gold in the German-style pilsner category and silver and bronze for the double hoppy red ale and low-alcohol ale.
Hamilton's new brewery Good Folk won gold for its Danny's Wedge Tropical Pale Ale (Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale) and a further three minor medals.
Despite opening less than a month ago Broadmeadow's Thirsty Messiah claimed gold for its Red IPA and bronze for the Wee Bonnie Scottish Export.
Thirsty Messiah owner Thomas Delgatto joked "it's time I stopped referring to myself as a home brewer."
"We entered two beers and got two medals," he said. "In our category there were only three people who got gold medals as red IPAs aren't the easiest things in the world to brew either."
Good Folk co-owner John Elsley was particularly happy to have Danny's Wedge recognised. The beer was launched in memory of Danny Egan, a Westpac Helicopter Service fundraiser who died in 2019 after falling off his bike while crossing the light rail tracks in Newcastle East.
"We were stoked, that was the one we wanted," Elsley said.
While FogHorn's Staked Magpie is a proven award-winner, the Cali IPA was only launched in February for the Newcastle Beer Festival.
The judges were impressed by the Cali IPA's combination of Australian eclipse and New Zealand nectaron hops.
"They both throw an interesting sort of mandarin and sweet citrus characters and a little bit tropical," FogHorn brewer and owner Shawn Sherlock said.
"The balance of that beer is very different to other hazy IPAs out there and isn't as bitter as some of the bigger west coast IPAs."
Islington brewery Method scored two bronze medals and Pokolbin's IronBark Hill left Melbourne with two silver and two bronze.
RESULTS
Thirsty Messiah
Red IPA (gold) - Experimental India Pale Ale
Wee Bonnie Scottish Export (bronze) - Scottish Style Export Ale
Modus
Modus XPA (silver) - Australian Style Pale Ale
Modus Pale (silver) - International Style
Modus Cerveza (bronze) - American Style Lager
Sonic Prayer (bronze) - American Style India Pale Ale
Cloud Bound (bronze) - German Style Hefeweizen
Social Club (gold) - Fruit Wheat Beer
Method
Method Pale Ale (bronze) - Australian Style Pale Ale
New World IPA (bronze) - American Style India Pale Ale
Good Folk
Normal Beer (bronze) - New World Lager
Black (bronze) - European Style Dark Lager
Danny's Wedge TPA (gold) - Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale
NEIPA (bronze) - Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale
FogHorn
Pivo Bohemian Pilsner (silver) - Bohemian Style Pilsner
Hunter Classic (bronze) - Kolsch
Cali IPA (gold) - New Zealand Style India Pale Ale
Sligo Extra Stout (silver) - American-Style Stout
Belgio Blonde (bronze) - Belgian Style Blonde Ale
Slaked Magpie (gold) - Herb and Spice Beer
Maltnhops
Maltnhops Pilsner (gold) - German Style Pilsner
Maltnhops Day Of The Red (bronze) - Double Hoppy Red Ale
Maltnhops Session Ale (silver) - Reduced / Low Alcohol Ale
IronBark Hill
Far Canal Lager (bronze) - Australian Style Lager
Tickled Pink XPA (bronze) - International Style
Wheatermelon (silver) - Fruit Wheat Beer
Old Nessie (silver) - Scotch Ale
