A STAR IS BORN AS STELLA ARTOIS® CROWNS AVRIL MAXWELL OF NEW ZEALAND ITS 2009 WORLD DRAUGHT MASTER

After Year-long Global Search, Maxwell Begins Mission of Passion to Teach Bartenders the World Over the Art of the Perfect Pour

October 30, 2009 – Now in its 13th year, the annual Stella Artois® World Draught Master competition epitomizes Stella Artois®’ dedication to delivering superior beer experiences the world over. On Thursday Oct. 29, this year’s competition saw contestants from 26 countries across the globe converge in New York to compete for the coveted title and complete the brand’s time-honored 9-step pouring ritual of perfection.

After a tense semi-final round, which saw the contestants and three competition winner wildcard entries whittled down to a final 10, an enthusiastic audience of Stella Artois® connoisseurs joined the discerning Jury panel to select only those who could demonstrate true passion and dedication to perfection in pouring in a dramatic “Passion test.” A tense head-to-head pouring finale followed, before Avril Maxwell was announced the winner and returned to the stage to claim the coveted title. Maxwell, hailing from New Zealand now begins a global journey to more than 20 different countries across the globe as an ambassador for Stella Artois® and her own quest to ensure every chalice of Stella Artois® is preciously poured and perfectly served the world over.

Maxwell was awarded a unique trophy created by New York fashion designer Tim Hamilton as part of a pioneering design collaboration with Stella Artois®, successfully bringing to life his signature style and dedication to quality and craftsmanship within an entirely new design medium. Hamilton, who introduced his apparel line at the event, also created a limited-edition iconic Stella Artois® Chalice glass in celebration of World Draught Master 2009.

Alexander Lambrecht, Global Marketing manager for Stella Artois®, comments: “The World Draught Master competition is integral to our ongoing quest to deliver superior beer experiences the world over, ensuring that Stella Artois® is served with the same care, consideration and craftsmanship as has gone into more than 600 years of brewing. We are extremely proud to welcome not only finalists from around the globe to compete in New York, but also Stella Artois® connoisseurs and pioneering partners, such as Tim Hamilton, who share our ongoing quest for perfection.”

Runners up in the competition were Joe Oppedisano of Canada (2nd) and Alexey Shtukarev of Russia (3rd). Remaining contestants came from: Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil,China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Dubai, Finland, France, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Montenegro, Paraguay, Serbia, Singapore, UK, Ukraine and the United States.

In addition, the Stella Artois Online Fans’ Choice went to Oppedisano who was selected by consumers watching the competition streamed live to their computers.

Lambrecht added, “We wanted to create a global conversation about the Stella Artois World Draught Master competition by inviting people into the event via live streaming and providing an opportunity for them to decide on what competitor embodied perfection. “

WHEN HE POURS, HE REIGNS

Las Vegas Bartender Captures U.S. Draught Master Title, Heads to Belgium for Finals

LAS VEGAS (Mar. 4, 2009) – It’s a competition that starts with a “Purification,” includes a “Sacrifice,” “Beheading” and “Judgment; and for Las Vegas bartender Greg Black, it ended with a “Championship.” A bartender since 1997, Black, best mastered the nine-step Belgian beer pouring ritual Tuesday night to win the Stella Artois Draught Master Competition held at Lavo Nightclub.

Black will now represent the U.S. against more than 30 other countries at the World Draught Master Competition in Leuven, Belgium this October.

“Cracking open a can or popping the cap off a bottle is easy, but preparing a beer following the strict standards of the Belgian Pouring Ritual takes a lot more care and attention to detail,” said Black. “At the Draught Master Competition you know every step of the pouring ritual will be highly scrutinized. To be named champion and able to represent the U.S. in Belgium is incredible.”

The Draught Master Competition recognizes the best bartenders for their ability to adhere to the Belgian Pouring Ritual – a nine-step process that includes “purifying” the glassware; “sacrificing” the first beer poured and “beheading” the beer for the perfect head of foam. The timed competition took place in front of a panel of four judges as well as a large audience of consumers and industry experts.

Judges graded the competitors on their ability to pour a perfect glass of Stella Artois and Hoegaarden from draught. Competitors also were judged on how well they opened, poured and served bottles of Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and Leffe Blonde. Judges were looking for the perfect pour as well as a showcase of skills, style and personality.

“The Belgians have mastered the art of the perfect pour, which not only ensures the utmost enjoyment of the beer, but also showcases the pouring process itself,” said competition judge Cian Hickey, vice president of draught, Anheuser-Busch InBev. “The pouring skills on display in Las Vegas Tuesday were near perfection and would make any Belgian beer drinker proud. The strong competition also will prepare the U.S. champion to take on the best from around the globe at the World Draught Master finals.”

Each bartender in the competition was carefully selected by Anheuser-Busch representatives as well as the local wholesaler. The bartenders were chosen based on their ability to pour and present Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and Leffe perfectly using the traditional nine-step Belgian pouring ritual.

In 2008, U.S. champion Anthony Alba finished fourth in the World Draught Master finals. It was the highest finish for an American since 2005 when Jessica Waltz took first.

Stella Artois is a classic Belgian lager, golden in color with exceptional clarity and a spicy hop character. Hoegaarden is the Original Belgian White Beer, featuring a unique, refreshing flavor and spicy nose. Leffe Blonde is an authentic and respected Belgian “Abbey” beer, a category almost exclusive to Belgium. Stella Artois is 5.2 percent ABV; Hoegaarden is 4.9 percent ABV; Leffe Blonde is 6.6 percent ABV. All are brewed in Belgium.

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser­Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.5 percent share of U.S. beer sales. The company brews the world’s largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser­Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico’s leading brewer. Anheuser-Busch ranked No. 1 among beverage companies in FORTUNE Magazine’s Most Admired Global Companies list in 2009. Anheuser­Busch is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and one of the world’s largest recyclers of aluminum cans. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.