20/08/2026
MEDIA RELEASE
Vailima Lager Awarded International Gold at the 2026 Monde Selection Quality Awards
Vailima Breweries proudly announces that Vailima Lager received an international Gold Quality Award in the Beers category at the 2026 Monde Selection Quality Awards in Brussels, Belgium. The award was presented in June 2026.
The internationally recognised distinction follows an independent expert evaluation of the product against category-specific quality criteria. For beer, the assessment considers the complete consumer experience, including taste, aroma, appearance, ingredient quality, labelling and overall presentation.
The achievement is especially significant because Vailima’s current brewery operation has only been operating for approximately 18 months. In that short time, the team has established internationally recognised quality standards and returned Vailima Lager to Monde Selection’s Gold standard 28 years after its 1998 Gold Medal.
“Bringing Gold home after 28 years is a proud achievement for Vailima and for Samoa. This international recognition reflects the skill, dedication and high standards of our team. It also demonstrates that a product proudly brewed in Samoa can compete successfully on the world stage. This award belongs to our team and everyone who has supported Vailima’s journey.”
— Beattie Ott-Vaai, Co-Managing Director, Vailima Breweries
A legacy of internationally recognised quality
Vailima’s association with Monde Selection spans more than three decades. The verified award record includes Gold Medals in 1990 and 1992, a Grand Gold Medal in 1995, and another Gold Medal in 1998. Those achievements were displayed on Vailima bottle labels for many years and became a visible symbol of the brand’s quality, taste profile and brewing standards.
The 1998 recognition was earned in a field of 133 beers entered by 57 breweries worldwide, according to a Pacific Islands Monthly feature published that year. The new 2026 Gold Quality Award carries historical significance while providing independent confirmation that Vailima continues to place product quality at the centre of its brewing operation today.
A Pacific milestone and a first for Samoa
Vailima together with Hinano beer (Tahiti) were the only breweries’ across the Pacific region to receive this Gold Quality Award in 2026. It is also the first and only beer company in Samoa to be internationally recognised with this award - a landmark achievement for the brewery, and ‘The taste of Samoa’.
For consumers at home, the award is an independent endorsement of Samoa’s very own brand. For export customers and partners, it offers clear evidence that Vailima Lager meets internationally benchmarked quality expectations. By receiving the 2026 Gold Quality Award, Vailima carries Samoa’s brewing story onto an international stage and the legacy it’s creating for Samoa.
