A whole lot of medals: Weihenstephan wins seven times at the AIBA

Freising, May 18th, 2026 – People celebrate Weihenstephan beer in Down Under! It has been a huge medal haul for the world’s oldest brewery at the Australian International Beer Awards. Weihenstephan got to take home seven medals – and the two „golden boys“ stand on top again.

Two golds, two silvers, three bronzes—the medals at the AIBA were well distributed. Once again, the winners were led by the two gold medalists from the Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan: the Kristall Weißbier and the Weizenbock Vitus. The Kristall, in particular—a beer that has become somewhat of an exotic find in our part of the world—is an absolute hit in Australia. Its crispness, subtle citrus notes, and hints of banana and clove combine to create the perfect beer Down Under.

Director Prof. Dr. Josef Schrädler is delighted with the success: “Australia is an important market for us. I’m particularly pleased that our Kristallweißbier enjoys great success there every year. It’s a beer style that, outside of Bavaria, is really only drunk in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.” The director also emphasizes that success in Australia is always a testament to the highest quality – after all, the beers first have to be transported halfway around the world. The fact that the taste remains top-notch upon arrival “is a credit to our technical and logistics team”, explains Prof. Dr. Schrädler.

“Flavor consistency is of the utmost importance for an export-oriented brewery,” Technical Director Tobias Zollo also emphasizes. “That’s also why our team is constantly working on it.” Anyone who has ever had a beer here in Weihenstephan wants to have the same taste experience at home – and then it has to taste exactly the same in Seattle as it does in Brisbane.

About the Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan
The Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan, founded in 1040 as a monastery brewery by Benedictine monks, is today a state-owned enterprise managed according to private-sector standards. Behind the brewery’s historic walls lies state-of-the-art technology that draws on the latest scientific findings in beverage technology. Combined with nearly 1,000 years of experience and traditional brewing methods, this results in premium beers of the highest quality, which are honored each year with the most coveted awards at international beer competitions. More than 180 employees, with great dedication and expertise, ensure that Weihenstephan beer specialties are available regionally, nationally, and internationally.

The brewery grounds are surrounded by the modern institute buildings of the Technical University of Munich in Weihenstephan, which is known worldwide as a training center for master brewers and brewing engineers. For this reason, there was no possibility for the brewery to expand at its Weihenstephaner Berg location. With the logistics center inaugurated in 2019 in the Clemensänger industrial park in Freising, near the highway entrance, the world’s oldest brewery is now very modern and well-positioned for the future. By outsourcing logistics, brewing can continue on Weihenstephan Hill even as the company grows further.