Moretti Beer Awarded Gold and Silver Medals at The 2006 Brewers Association World Beer Cup®

Birra Moretti Strikes Gold in the European-Style Pilsner Category

White Plains, NY - Birra Moretti, which is fast becoming the top selling beer in Italy, was awarded a Gold and a Silver medal at The 2006 Brewers Association World Beer Cup®, the world's largest and most diverse international beer competition for commercial breweries. Birra Moretti took home the Gold in the European-Style Pilsner category, competing against 61 other entries, and Birra Moretti La Rossa won the Silver in the Traditional German-Style Bock category.

"We are extremely proud that Moretti has received this honor from the Brewers Association, which puts on one of the greatest competitions in the beer industry today," said Damiano Possenti, Star Brand Imports marketing manager for Moretti. "We are pleased that the Brewers Association recognized the quality ingredients and traditional handcrafted brewing techniques that go into producing Moretti, which continue to also resonate well with consumers. Moretti is enjoying substantial market growth and this quality and heritage are making Moretti a top selling beer."

Award winning Moretti has a global audience who appreciates its superior taste and style. After all, Moretti is from Italy---a country renowned for its great lifestyle.

During the 2006 World Beer Cup ®, an international panel of 109 beer judges hailing from 18 countries took notice of what makes Moretti stand out from other beers in their respective categories. An impressive 2,221 entries were received from 540 breweries in 56 countries. More than 3,800 breweries in 100 countries were invited to compete. A total of 85 beer-style categories were awarded during the World Beer Cup Gala Awards Ceremony and Dinner on April 14 at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle, Washington.

About Moretti:

In 1859, Luigi Moretti founded his "Beer and Ice Factory" in Udine, Italy. Today, Birra Moretti, the most desired beer in Italy, is still produced following traditional handcrafted brewing methods, the result of a production process that has remained almost unchanged. The recipient of several international awards, Birra Moretti is now exported to more than 30 countries worldwide. Star Brand Imports markets and imports Moretti in the U.S. For more information visit: www.morettibeer.com

About Star Brand Imports:

Star Brand Imports, based in White Plains, NY and a member of the Heineken Group, imports and markets a wide range of specialty beer brands, including: Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr imported from Munich, Germany; Birra Moretti, produced in Northern Italy; Murphy's Stout and Murphy's Red Beer; Affligem brewed in Belgium; Zywiec from Poland; Edelweiss from Austria and Fischer imported from France. For more information, please visit www.starbrandimports.com.