The annual Stella Artois World Draught Master Competition is one of the most anticipated events in beer history. (Rita DeMontis/Sun Media)

NEW YORK CITY - In a flurry of foam and frenzy, the great 13th annual Stella Artois World Draught Master competition came to a dramatic head in the Big Apple recently.

Contestants from 29 countries including Russia, India, Israel, New Zealand, Hong Kong, the U.S., and Canada had gathered in the city's venerable New York Public Library (where a beer-poring competition was probably the last thing founding fathers had in mind when the building was built) to compete in a centuries-old Belgian pouring ritual for the 2009 Stella Artois World Draught Master title.

The stakes were high — the crowned winner gets to go on a global quest to visit more than 20 different countries as a Stella Artois brand ambassador and share their passion and dedication to the craft of the perfect pour.

And it came down to two people: Canadian champion Joe Oppedisano, who hails from the Maple region of Ontario, and Avril Maxwell of New Zealand.

The pouring finale was rife with tension, and in the end, Maxwell was announced the winner. Crowds spontaneously cheered for second-place winner Oppedisano — the only contestant who was not a professional bartender — who was happily awarded Stella Artois Fans' Choice by those watching the competition streamed live to their computers and through on-site voting.

"It feels amazing," said an ecstatic Oppedisano, 28, after the announcement. "Being Canadian champion and having this incredible opportunity to represent Canada on the world stage has been an absolute honour," added the sweet-faced bachelor whose day job is in real estate.

The annual draught master competition is one of the most anticipated events in beer history, a contest that normally takes place in Leuven, Belgium, official home to Stella Artois, a beer whose history dates back to the mid-1300s.

For the first time in the contest's history organizers decided to take the event to another country, New York City to be exact, where no detail was left to chance, including instructions on the famous poring ritual.

This nine-step "pouring ritual" demands a rigid set of standards that includes a strict discipline be applied to everything from correct glassware washing to draught and bottle pouring techniques as well as proper serving etiquette. The steps include the purification of the glass, achieving a proper crown, the beheading of the foam and washing the outside of the glass before the beer is consumed.

From the precise angle of the poring to how much foam in the glass is minutely scrutinized. It was a given the international assembly of judges — who consisted of Stella Artois brewmasters, editors from such esteemed food publications as Bon Appetit and Food & Wine, and Canada's own “food concept architect” Dana McCauley — had their work cut out for them.

"“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," said Alexander Lambrecht, global marketing manager for Stella Artois, adding “The World Draught Master competition is integral to our ongoing quest to deliver superior beer experiences the world over."

"This has been one of the greatest experiences of my life!" said Oppedisano.

We're raise the perfectly pored glass to that and to our Joe!

For more information check out Clubstellaartois.com.

Check out the video on torontosun.com/beer.