Winners of the World Beer Awards 2024 have been revealed, with two Australian breweries taking out World’s Best titles at a ceremony held in Norwich, England.
Seeking to commend the very best in the global beer industry, the World Beer Awards categorises beers by internationally recognised beer styles, comprising 10 overall categories and numerous subcategories.
Hailing from Melbourne, Urban Alley claimed the title of World’s Best in the Golden Ale Category for its Urban Draught. In a statement about the win, the brewery owed its success to the team, brewers and customers who love every drop of Urban Draught.
Dean Grant, Urban Alley CEO, told Beer & Brewer: “It’s pretty amazing. We’ve been going since 2018, so it’s taken us six years to get a world title, but it verifies all of the hard work we’ve been doing, and that Dove, our Head Brewer, has put in.
“In the environment that we’re in, the brewing industry is finding it tough and we’re all working really hard, but to have something like this just give you some hope. It’s great to get some acknowledgement for all of the hard work.”
Head Brewer Dove Bailey added: “It’s really nice for me and Ruth, the other brewer. We toil away in the brewery a lot, and we’re like ‘are we doing alright? Are we making good beer?’ so to receive feedback like that, I guess we are doing pretty well.”
The recipe for Urban Draught has existed for more than six years now, influenced by each of the brewers it has passed through, which Bailey believes has refined the recipe overtime, making it a global winner.
“We’ve been working on it for a long time and the ingredients obviously change with the recipe. Right now, we’re working with really good Victorian malt from Barrett Burston and we’ve refined the hop bill a little bit, so it’s a little bit of US Cascade, a little bit of Australian Galaxy and a little bit of Czech Saaz.
“It’s not an overly hoppy beer, but I think what I’ve found is that because the hops are so good they sing in a very subtle way.”
South Australia-based Fox Hat Brewing scooped World’s Best Oatmeal Stout for its Phat Mongrel, and it isn’t the first time the brewery has taken out a World’s Best title at the World Beer Awards, having previously claimed World’s Best Bitter Over 5.5 Per Cent for Red Pelt.
Anita Ujszaszi, Awards Director for the World Beer Awards, said: “The turnout this year has been phenomenal. The passion for great beer is clearly alive and well in the global industry—the last two days at The World Beer Awards have been a clear testament to that.
“We’ve had beer from dozens of countries and a diverse range within each award category. It’s impossible to imagine how much hard work every brewer has put into their final product but the kind words and detailed feedback from the judges speaks volumes. Thank you so much again to everyone involved.”
Among the Australian beer brands celebrating a win was LARGO, the brainchild of Australian musicians Oli and Louis Leimbach of Lime Cordiale. The Australian easy drinking lager, which is accredited by Climate Active for its commitment to balancing its carbon footprint, was named the Country Winner for Light Lager at the awards.
Speaking about their win, Oli and Louis said: “We are incredibly proud to have LARGO recognised on the global stage. Winning the Country Winner award for Light Lager is a testament to our dedication to creating a beer that not only tastes great but also aligns with our commitment to striving for sustainability. We’re thrilled to bring new energy to this category.”
This year’s main trophy winners are:
- World’s Best Dark Beer: Dragon Premium Dark Beer, Cambodia
- World’s Best Flavoured Beer: Thornbridge Necessary Evil, UK
- World’s Best IPA: Myoko Kogen Alpen Blick Beer Haneuma IPA, Japan
- World’s Best Lager: 1906 Black Coupage, Spain
- World’s Best No & Low Alcohol Beer: Jupiler 0,0, Belgium
- World’s Best Pale Ale: Vocation Crush Hour, UK
- World’s Best Sour & Wild Beer: Boon Millésime Oude Schaarbeekse Kriek, Belgium
- World’s Best Specialty Beer: Hertog Jan Grand Prestige Brut, Netherlands
- World’s Best Stout & Porter: Weiherer/Cervejaria Bamberg Zapfenduster, Germany
- World’s Best Wheat Beer: Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel, Germany