The New Zealand Beer Awards 2023 winners have been announced at a gala dinner in Christchurch on Saturday, 5 August.
Judging of the 825 entries took place in Christchurch in late July, and Executive Director of the Brewers Guild Melanie Kees says they were thrilled with the number and the quality of entries.
“Considering the challenges the industry has faced over the past few years we were really pleased to receive such a high number of entries,” she says.
“The quality was also improved on from last years competition with the success rate at gaining a medal up 11% from last year, in fact 69% of all entries gained a medal.
“This is testament to the quality of the beer being brewed, which is of course wonderful to news – for both brewers and consumers.”
NZ Styles and Juicy and Hazy continued to be the largest classes judged in the awards, with Speciality & Experimental and Fruit & Flavoured the next most popular classes.
The big winners on the evening included 8 Wired Brewing, which took out both of the top gongs – Overall Champion New Zealand Brewery Trophy and Champion New Zealand Beer, with its Wild Feijoa 2022.
Founder and Head Brewer of 8 Wired Brewing, Søren Eriksen, expressed his gratitude and pride in the team’s achievements.
“To be recognised as the Overall Champion is a testament to the passion, dedication, and innovation that our team puts into each and every brew.
“It’s truly a team effort, with everyone playing a vital role,, from the suppliers of the freshest ingredients, to those chopping up the fruit, carefully tending to the barrels during the aging process, and making everything happen.”
The Awards also celebrated the wider brewing industry and included awards for Beer Tourism, Sustainability in Brewing, the Packaging Award and the Morton Coutts Award for Innovation, which was won by Simon Ross of Wanaka.
The Champion, Trophy, and Industry Award winners were…
Champion Award Winners
Champion Micro Brewery
Workshop Brewing, Raglan
Champion Small Brewery
Shining Peak Brewing, New Plymouth
Champion Medium Brewery
Behemoth Brewing Company, Auckland
Champion Large Brewery
Garage Project, Wellington
Overall Champion New Zealand Brewing Company
8 Wired Brewing, Warkworth
Champion New Zealand Manufacturer
bStudio, Napier
Champion New Zealand Beer
8 Wired Brewing, Warkworth – Wild Feijoa 2022
Trophy Winners
McLeod’s Brewery
International Lager – Longboarder Lager
Behemoth Brewing Company
New Zealand Styles – Clayton F#$%ing Hops NZIPA
Sprig + Fern Brewing Co
Amber/Dark Lager – Lock Bock Barrel
The Emerson Brewing Company Ltd
British Ale – Emerson’s Old 95
Garage Project Brewery
European Ale – Chance, Luck & Magic 2020
Parrotdog
Amber/Dark Ale – Red IPA
Sawmill Brewery
International Pale Ale – Sawmill XPA
Beer Baroness Brewing Company
No & Reduced Alcohol – Little Mighty
Brave Brewing Co
Indian Pale Ale – Terrible Lizards
Behemoth Brewing Company
Juicy/Hazy – Music City Hazy IPA
Burkes Brewing Co
Stout & Porter – Unforgiven Porter
Good George Brewing
Wheat & Other Grain – Good George Hefe Mulligan
8 Wired Brewing
Fruit & Flavoured – Wild Feijoa 2022
Deep Creek Brewing
Specialty & Experimental – Solera
Wilderness Brewing
Wood & Barrel Aged – Russet
Industry Award Winners
Brewing Sustainability Award
Sawmill Brewery
Beer Tourism Award
Rhyme & Reason
Packaging Award
Waitoa Beer
Morton Coutts Award for Innovation
Simon Ross, MicroBrewTech
For the full catalogue of results, click here.
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