An Award For Longboard

Illawarra Mercury

Wednesday March 5, 2008

KILMENY ADIE

If you go to Wollongong's Five Islands Brewery you now have the chance to taste a medal-winner, writes KILMENY ADIE.

The Illawarra's Five Islands Brewing Company is toasting its success after the business collected a bronze medal at the Sydney Royal Easter Show last week.

The judging of the wine, fine food, cheese and dairy elements of the annual show has already begun and the North Wollongong-based business entered both its Pigdog Pilsner and Longboard beers in the competition.

Five Islands Brewing Company head brewer Tim Thomas says he was thrilled the Longboard wheat beer collected a bronze medal.

"The Longboard is a great beer," he says.

"It's an interesting beer and it's a little out there in that it's a style that's not done well in Australia.

"This is really the first competition we have put our wheat beer into in the bottles and it shows us that the industry is seeing what we're doing and we're doing well with it. It's exciting."

The competition also had entries from Fairy Meadow's South Coast Real Ale - Summer Ale - and the Bowral Brewing Company. The Bowral business won a silver medal in the pale/golden ales division for its Pigs Fly Pale Ale.

Thomas says the opportunity to compete and compare their beers with other microbreweries is exciting.

"The microbrewery and craft industry is getting bigger all the time," he says.

"It's good to see where we are and get a little peer recognition as well."

The Five Islands Brewing Company has also entered some of its product in the Australian International Beer Awards which will be judged this month in Melbourne.

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

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