Looking for a bucket list of all the best beers to sample in New Zealand?
There’s no better place to start than with the beers that clean up at the annual Brewers Guild of New Zealand Beer Awards.
Since 2007, the guild has held annual awards to recognise the beers judged best in their class, with all the main styles of beer recognised.
Local and international beers are judged over a three day period by a panel of selected experts from New Zealand and globally.
In recent years, small craft brewers have intensified the levels of competition and innovation as brewers look for beers to suit every palate.
2016 Brewing Guild of NZ’s Beer Awards
Champion New Zealand brewery
Champion manufacturer
Champion International Brewery
International Lager
DB Breweries for Heineken Light
New Zealand Lager
Tuatara Brewing Company for Mot Eureka
British Ale
Sprig & Fern Brewery for Best Bitter
European Ale
Moa Brewing Company for Moa St Josephs
US Ale
8 Wired Brewing for Tall Poppy
Pale Ale
Tuatara Brewing Company for Sauvinova
Strong Pale Ale
Epic Brewing Company for Epic Armageddon IPA
Stout and Porter
Emerson’s Brewing Company for Emerson’s Phantom Lord
Wheat and Other Grain
Tuatara Brewing Company for Weiz Guy
Flavoured and aged
Choice Bros for Reet Petite
Speciality, experimental, aged, barrel, wood-aged
Croucher Brewing for Lowrider
Cider or Perry
Zeffer Cider Co. for Cidre Demi-sec
Fruit or Flavoured Cider or Perry
Zeffer Cider Co. for Apple Crumble Cider
Packaging
Moa Brewing Company for Moa NZ Gold Ale 375ml retail unit
Past winners
Champion Brewery
2016: Tuatara Brewing Company
2015: Lion
2014: Townshend Brewery
2013: Renaissance Brewing
2012: Harrington’s Breweries
2011: 8 Wired Brewing
2010: DB Breweries
2009: Emerson’s Brewing Company
2008: Tuatara Brewing Company
Source: Brewersguild.org.nz
