The United States was a standout, winning four trophies; New Zealand breweries claimed two and Belgium, Brazil, Germany and Norway achieving one each.

AIBA committee chairman and chief judge, Peter Manders, said the awards draws international recognition from the beer industry and showcases the commitment to excellence from brewers.

“Now in its 20th year, the AIBA continues to attract a remarkable number of high calibre entries from international and Australian breweries, with a record 1,344 brews entered from 41 countries this year, an increase of 10 per cent on last year’s,” Manders said.

The trophy trophy winners:

Fält responsibilities include educating the beer community and media in Europe about the availability and quality of American craft beer. As an independent contractor, he will continue to serve as a consultant at Blue Yellow Media in the UK. He has previously held sales manager positions at Vertical Drinks, also in the UK, and Invicta Import and More Import in Sweden.

“Andreas’ appointment comes at an exciting time for American craft beer export market growth,” said Bob Pease, chief operating officer, Brewers Association. “Overall craft exports increased in record numbers in 2011, and regionally, Western Europe was the largest destination for American craft beer exports. Andreas will serve as a valuable bridge-builder to educate the growing audience of American craft beer lovers abroad.”

Globally, American craft beer exports increased 86% in 2011, with craft breweries exporting more than 110,000 barrels of beer, valued at an estimated $23.4 million.

The employee was identified as Newington resident Ben Harris.

Assistant Fire Chief Steve Achilles said the brewery employee had been pressurizing a keg by filling it with air as part of a cleaning process to remove residual beer.

“The keg failed and exploded, and he was injured by parts of the keg,” Achilles said.

Andy Thomas, vice president of Redhook’s commercial operations, said the Redhook organization is “saddened by the tragic event that occurred at the Portsmouth brewery this morning, resulting in the death of one of our employees.”

“Our deepest sympathies go out to his family,” Thomas said. “We are doing everything in our power to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragic accident and have closed down all non-essential operations at the Portsmouth brewery, including the pub, while the investigation continues.”

While in the past only a handful of regions had access to the program, today’s national expansion of Brewing the American Dream will target at least $1 million in new loans, expanded for the first time to recipients across the country, with significantly increased access to its high-impact one-on-one mentoring and coaching activities. Additionally, the nationwide program includes the introduction of the new Brewing the American Dream Online Community, the first online resource to provide small business owners in the food, beverage, and hospitality sector with a comprehensive platform of tools to help their businesses succeed.

Working in partnership with Accion, the country’s only nationwide microlender, Brewing the American Dream has already provided more than $1 million in micro-financing to close to 150 businesses, and created or saved nearly 1,000 jobs. Since it began a few years ago the program has offered one-on-one coaching and advised nearly 3,000 small business owners in the food, beverage, craft brewing, and hospitality industries throughout New England, New York, Chicago, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

“What differentiates Brewing the American Dream is the combination of loans and hands-on education,” said Boston Beer founder Jim Koch. “Working with Accion, we identify small business applicants who are often viewed as too risky by traditional banks – yet at the forefront of job creation and growth within their local communities – and where a relatively modest loan can have a meaningful impact. From there, we get down in the trenches with them through one-on-one mentoring and coaching to help them grow their businesses.”

The White Labs Tasting Room, located at 9495 Candida St., offers a continuously-rotating menu of 35 taps pouring experimental beers brewed on site. White Labs may feature ten different pale ales simultaneously, brewed to the exact same recipe except for the yeast. The following week, beers on tap might include a similar number of stouts, pilsners or IPAs.

The beers will change regularly as the experiments continue. Each beer served comes with a complete analysis report so that tasters can learn where the flavors come from. The initial opening beers were brewed by a team of White Labs employees led by general manager Johnny Oliphant, former head brewer at Rock Bottom Brewery in downtown San Diego.

The newly-designed White Labs Tasting Room will introduce new small-batch beers brewed on-site many times per week.

Hours (to be expanded in June):
Wednesday – Friday: 4 to 8 p.m. (tours available at 5:30 p.m. both days)
Saturdays: Noon to 8 p.m. (tours available at 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays)

Canada remained the industry’s largest export market, with shipments increasing 127% by volume (up to 27,976 barrels) in 2011, largely as a result of increased demand in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.

Additionally, the United Kingdom and Sweden remained the next two largest markets. Exports to both countries totaled approximately 13,065 barrels. Regionally, Western Europe is the largest destination for American craft beer exports. Shipments to the region increased by 52 percent in 2011 and now surpass 51,613 barrels.

“The growth in international sales is remarkable in light of the lingering global economic recession. Despite decreasing purchasing power, consumer demand for American craft beers has remained strong and importers have continued to expand their portfolios of American craft beer brands, even in emerging markets, like Brazil and India,” said Bob Pease, BA chief operating officer. “These export figures speak for themselves. They are a testament to the innovation of small, independent American craft brewers and their focus on creating products of value to the consumer.”

Senate Bill 2878, effective July 1, will expand the variety of beers sold in the state, especially craft beers. After the new law goes into effect, about 70 of what he called the top 100 brands in the world could be on shelves and on tap, said a thrilled Butch Bailey, founder and president of the nonprofit group Raise Your Pints. Currently 15 on that list are.

“It’s a great day to be a Mississippian!” Bailey exclaimed Monday on Twitter.

Bailey said the new 8% alcohol-by-weight limit translates to about 10.% alcohol-by-volume. Mississippi and Utah are the only two states that measure alcohol content by weight.

Mississippi still has the lowest beer alcohol content compared to neighboring states. Alabama has a 13.9% alcohol-by-volume cap, while Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee have no caps.

“The current law really hampers Mississippi and restricts Mississippians’ access to gourmet products,” said Bailey, who has sought the new law for the past five years. “We are thankful to the governor for recognizing this is a good bill for Mississippi.”

Monday was the deadline for Bryant to act or do nothing, allowing the bill to become law unsigned.

Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson, who authored the new law, said the measure paves the way for job creation and more “cottage” and home-based industries like Lazy Magnolia Brewing Co. in Kiln and up-and-comer Lucky Town Brewing Co. in Gluckstadt.

“Sometimes it takes five years for a measure to catch on and get accepted, and that was the case with this particular measure,” Horhn said. “The craft beer community was better organized this year than ever before.”

“After several years of searching, we are incredibly excited to have landed in Asheville,” said Kim Jordan, CEO and co-founder of New Belgium. “From the deep sense of community to the rich natural environment and the opportunity to revitalize a brownfield site near a vibrant downtown, Asheville has everything we’ve been looking for in a location for our second brewery.”

The 17.5-acre site located in the heart of the River Arts District will accommodate a 150,000 square-foot facility. The brewery will feature a 200-barrel brewing system, a tasting facility, and a process wastewater treatment center on-site. Tours will be available to the public. Total cost projections are over $100 million.

“Today’s announcement by New Belgium will enhance the craft brewery cluster that is growing in North Carolina,” said Gov. Bev Perdue. “The jobs and investment the company is committing will be a major boon for the region and for the state.”

Construction is expected to begin in early 2013 with beer rolling off the line in early 2015.

Through the water leasing program, local farmers are paid for the lease of their irrigation water and then that water is legally protected instream at the brewery’s namesake waterway – the Deschutes River. By doing this, stream flow and water quality is increased in the river, creating opportunities for life to flourish.

“We’ve always been avid supporters of the DRC and its mission,” said Michael LaLonde, chief operating officer for Deschutes Brewery and a board member of the DRC. “By creating this new partnership, we are able to give back to the river in a significant way, preserving the lifeblood of the Central Oregon region.”

In the spring and summer, water flows are greatly decreased in the river due to irrigation withdrawals. By increasing flows in the Deschutes River through the leasing program, fish habitat is revitalized and water quality is improved. Other benefits include overall enhanced ecosystems for plants and animals, while also improving recreation and tourism opportunities.

In 2012, Tour de Fat, which is a free event, will exceed the $2 million mark for money raised for local nonprofits through beer and merchandise purchases. Funds generally go to organizations in the world of bike advocacy.

Each stop now includes a car-for-bike trade. Basically, a person gets up on stage, hands over car keys, and pledges to live one year car-free. Tour de Fat is now seeking volunteers to accept the swapper challenge. Each car-for-bike swapper will choose a local bike shop to help them turn their $2,250 budget into their ultimate car-replacement commuter bike. The cars will be auctioned by Vehicles for Charity, with proceeds to benefit local cycling organizations.

Tour de Fat 2012 will cycle through each of the following cities:

Nashville, TN – June 2 – Centennial Park
Washington, DC – June 16 – Yards Park
Durham, NC – June 23 – Diamond View Park on the American Tobacco Campus
Atlanta, GA – June 30 – Historic 4th Ward Park
Milwaukee, WI – July 14 – Coast Guard Event Area, McKinley Park
Chicago, IL – July 21 – Palmer Square
Minneapolis, MN – July 28 – Loring Park
Boise, ID – August 18 – Ann Morrison Park
Fort Collins, CO – September 1 – Civic Center Park Area
Denver, CO – September 8 – City Park
Los Angeles, CA – September 15 – Los Angeles State Historic Park
San Francisco, CA – September 22 – Lindley Meadow in Golden Gate Park
San Diego, CA – September 29 – Golden Hill Park
Tempe, AZ – October 6 – Tempe Town Lake
Austin, TX – October 20 – Fiesta Gardens