Peninsula craft beer good as gold

Dromana craft brewery TWØBAYS Brewing Co has won gold at the World Beer Cup, only the fifth time an Australian brewery has achieved the feat at the self-proclaimed “most prestigious beer awards on the planet”.

Held in Las Vegas, the awards attracted 9300 entries from 2060 breweries representing 50 countries, with a team of 280 judges awarding one gold, silver and bronze in each category – including gold for TWØBAYS Session Ale.  Brewery founder and CEO Richard Jeffares said the win “puts Australian craft brewing on the map globally”.

When Richard was diagnosed with coeliac disease in 2015, he thought he would never drink great beer again. Now his gluten-free brewery has been named the best in the world for its session ale.  “When we opened our doors in December 2018, US gluten-free breweries set the standard,” he said.  “Today we joined them on the global platform with a World Beer Cup gold medal.

“We’ve always strived for quality beer. Last year this same beer won the Champion Specialty Beer Trophy at the Australian Independent Beer Awards in a category up against specialty barley beers. Today was further recognition of the quality and consistency our brewers are putting out.

“This is massive recognition for our brewers Kristian, Grant, Stephen and our packing team for their brewing and packing skill. Our brewers have all stepped away from the barley beer world to brew with our difficult malts – millet, buckwheat and rice – and I think the whole gluten-free community thanks them for making us all some great beers.”

Richard said gluten-free beer could not be brewed using barley, rye, wheat or oats, “and brewing good beer without those traditional ingredients is not easy”. TWØBAYS Session Ale is a mid-strength (3.5% abv) American-style pale ale brewed with naturally gluten-free millet, buckwheat and rice malts.

TWØBAYS wasn’t the only Aussie brewery to pick up an award this year, with fellow Victorian Hop Nation winning bronze for its American red ale, The Buzz