Liberty Brewing Claim Trophy at the Sutton Group Brewers Guild of New Zealand Awards
PRESS RELEASE: Liberty Brewing
Liberty Brewing's remarkable journey of growth and success continues, as the New Plymouth brewery claimed a Trophy for
their Yakima Monster at the Sutton Group 2012 Brewers Guild of New Zealand Beer Awards this past Thursday where over 460
entries competed for honours.
Peer judged by industry professionals, this accolade makes Yakima Monster the best example of a US Ale styled beer in
the country in 2012, with Liberty's Debilitated Defender also receiving a Bronze medal in the class.
Liberty's Festive Brew, Renalls Towards Muriwai, also received a Bronze medal. The fruit and vegetable themed Festive
class will see a limited release after having its first outing at Beervana in Wellington in the past weekend.
The husband and wife duo of Joseph and Christina Wood purchased Liberty Brewing in 2009, and since then have balanced
day jobs and two young children with an online homebrew supplies store. This has rapidly evolved into one of the
country's leading craft breweries pioneering an expanding range of Liberty Brewing beers.
"I brewed Liberty Beer to sell the ingredients in the first place", says Joseph. With his predominantly Wellington
market able to taste his "homebrew" and then jump online to buy the ingredients it led to just one problem. "It was more
popular than I expected and there was huge demand for the beer".
Since then Liberty's reputation and progressive approach to intensely flavored brews has travelled through the country,
although their beers have remained elusive such is the demand.
With distribution now handled by Wellington cult beer bar Hashigo Zake and New Zealand's leading craft beer distributor
BeerNZ, this is set to change with bottles even reaching Australian shores, to great acclaim.
The Trophy then is both a celebration of Liberty and a confirmation that the brewery is at the forefront of a burgeoning
craft beer industry in New Zealand.
"Winning this Award in a room of 300 members of our industry, in a competition of over 400 entries is a real privilege.
It makes all the hard work, late nights and early morning's worth it", Joseph confesses.
His wife Christina agrees. "I am incredibly proud of him (Joseph). I always knew he had the skills and passion to make
it happen, but to get a Trophy at the Awards and be in the company of so many great brewers we respect like Luke from
Epic, Soren from 8 Wired and Richard Emerson for example, is phenomenal".
Liberty have a full brewing calendar coming up, with orders for brews like Beervana favourite C!tra and the Award
winning Yakima Monster far exceeding supply. "We will take it as it comes, work harder and try to make sure everyone who
wants to taste our beers will get the chance", says Joseph.
Liberty Brewing releases can be found at craft beer bars and discerning outlets across New Zealand.
ENDS