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The awarding ceremony of the 2009 edition of European Beer Star took place yesterday in Germany, one of the most important contests in the world for craft beer. As in other contests of this kind, all the participants beers – 836 this year, coming from 30 different countries – are divided in categories. For each of them the three most deserving productions are awarded a prize. The contest shows a growing tendency: this year were present 78 judges to vote 41 different typologies of beer. The beers have been 30% more in comparison with 2008, with a very varied provenance: from Australia to Panama, from Russia to Thailand, from Brazil to USA.

After the necessary introduction, let’s pass to the core of the post about the results. We start from Italy, that has succeeded in the difficult task to bring home three medals. The excellent performance has been done from the Birrificio Italiano of Lurago Marinone (CO) and from the Rienzbräu of Brunico. The first one, that doesn’t need presentations, has conquered two bronze medals: one with the Bibock and the other with the Tipopils, both outdone from German productions. If we consider that the contest is organized in Germany and that the beers typically reenter in German styles, the outcome of Agostino Arioli’s brewery appears exceptional indeed.

The Rienzbräu is a barely known brewery, but that it evidently produces beers of high level. Despite it is very little known outside its city boundaries, it is not the first time that gets prestigious results: just remember the successes in the Beer of the Year of Unionbirrai of the last year. The Rienzbräu has gotten the silver medal in the Schwarz categories with its La Nera, outcomed only from a Czech beer.

So Italy is awarded three medals, unfortunately none of the more appreciated metal; nevertheless it is important to notice that the appreciation is growing towards our country. Not the exploit we had in 2008, when Birrificio del Ducato won the gold medal with the Verdi Imperial Stout: a brilliant result, but also the only Italian outcome in an edition without other satisfactions for us. The three medals of this edition show instead a constant growth and they confirm that the result of one year ago was not fortuitous.

Among the countries with more medals stands out Germany, followed from United States and Belgium. Outdistanced the others, with the interesting performance of Brazil: 4 medals, one gold, confirmating that the South American country is one of the more promising emergent beer nations. If you want to know more of the four winning beers read the blog of my friend Roberto Fonseca, that I interviewed a long time ago. To be noticed the gold medal for a Swiss beer, the Balckbier of the brewery Rappi Bier, in the Stout category.

As for the rest many renowned names from United States and Belgium (not that appealing) and an infinity of small German breweries, unknown to the mass. For the details you can consult the complete list of the awarded beers in all the categories  (pdf). The visitors have been able to express their own preferences, prizing three German products: gold for the Saalfelder Bock of Bürgerliches Brauhaus Saalfeld, silver for  the Fürstentrunk of Hofbräuhaus Traunstein, third the Drei Kronen Weizenbock of the brewery Drei Kronen of Scheßlitz.

Said this, many compliments to Birrificio Italiano and  Rienzbräu for the brilliant results!