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After the great success of Grado Plato’s Chocarrubica at the recent Mondial de la Bière, another international competition prized Italian brewing scenario. Italy cornered medals at the European Beer Star, one of the most important craft beer competitions in the world. A total of seven placings for Italian beers: two gold medals, three silver and two bronze, for a loot unimaginable until a few years ago. The first success was in fact only one in 2008, with the gold of the Birrificio del Ducato of Verdi Imperial Stout , which was followed by three medals in 2009. Although last year Italy did not get a gold, I interpreted the increase in total placing as a sign of growth of the Italian movement, growth that is strongly supported by the results of the 2010 edition of this competition.

Analyzing the award-winning ales, it is interesting to see how Italy prevails in unexpected categories. Among them the most striking is the gold medal of the Via Emilia, by Birrificio del Ducato in the Kellerpils category, a specialty in which Germans and Czechs are widely recognized as masters – and the competition is organized in Germany, just for the record. If you think this will do you’re forgetting that in third place of the same category we find a world-classic, the Tipopils by Birrificio Italiano. In a nutshell: Italy dominates between unfiltered Pils, with great bliss of those who love traditional styles and not only à la page beers.

A similar but less sensational situation for Vudù (from Birrificio Italiano as well), which takes home the silver medal in the Weizenbock Dunkel category and – even – for the Ducato Sally Brown, which earned a silver as well, in the Sweet Stout’s. The latter is a top fermented distinctly Anglo-Saxon inspired ale, but somehow the analysis can be extended to this result too.

In addition to Kellerpils’s, herbs or spices category was reigned by Italians as well. To say that this should be expected is perhaps a bit exaggerated, but it certainly cause less sensation than the outcome of ViaEmilia and Tipopils. The gold medal in this broad classification went to Zingibeer by Doppio Malto, while at the lowest rung of the podium there’s another Ducato ale: New Morning. The American Saison du BUFF by Dogfish Head in the middle, which I have never had but of which I’ve heard a lot: a further confirmation of the quality of our productions.

The last Italian silver medal is for the Chimera in the Belgian Strong Ale category . Another Birrificio del Ducato creation. A name that so far we have met several times: this edition of the European Beer Star was in fact thrilling for the Emilian brewer with an impressive number of awards. As emphasized by Maurizio Maestrelli on his blog , 2010 closes for Ducato with 14 medals in national and international competitions. The awards they’ve achieved are countless: it is the right reward to the excellent quality level and to the desire to continually confront themselves in brewing competitions.

To emphasize the value of the results (which can be viewed in pdf on the site of the event), I just want to remember you that the beers in the competition were 955 from 34 different countries.Among the award-winning breweries many Germans, Belgians, Czechs and Americans brewers can be reported, with some curious placings for surprising countries like Singapore, Myanmar, Belarus, Peru and Romania. Among the “beer powers” the poor performance of the United Kingdom strides, with only two medals (one gold and one bronze).

Finally at the EBS were awarded the prizes of the popular jury. The gold medal went to Adriaen Brouwer Dark Gold by Roman Brewery (Belgium), the silver to the Meinel’s Weizenbock by Meinel-Brau (Germany) and bronze to Störtebecker Roggen-Weizen by Brewery Stralsunder (Germany).

All that remains is to congratulate the Ducato, Birrificio Italiano and Doppio Malto with superb results. And now we are waiting anxiously for the 2011 edition, hoping for more awards!