First-time winners share ranks with NZ’s most-loved names in beer
Some of New Zealand’s newest and smallest breweries have been recognised alongside many of the country’s most-loved
names in beer in the 2021 New World Beer & Cider Awards announced today.
Seven first-time winners from around the regions have made this year’s prestigious Top 30 list, sharing the podium with
well-known brands like Steinlager, Panhead Custom Ales, Garage Project and Liberty Brewing Company.
With these wins, comes the opportunity to get discovered by beer-loving shoppers nationwide as the top beers and ciders
hit shelves in more than 140 New World supermarkets from today.
It’ll be a first for these up-and-coming breweries, like Burkes Brewing Co from Tekapō – one of the country’s smallest and most remote craft beer producers, Baylands Brewery – a fast-growing family business from Petone, and Crooked Cider – a mother and daughters team based in Ōtaki and Gisborne.
For others, like Christchurch’s Cassels Brewing Co and Motueka’s Townshend Brewery, it’s a chance to showcase years of local success on the national stage, while relative new-comers like Auckland’s Urbanaut Brewing Co and Isthmus Brewing Co will get the opportunity to make a big impact further South.
Beer writer, author and Chair of Judges for the Awards Michael Donaldson says beer-lovers and novices alike can get
excited by the range of beers and ciders that have come to the fore in this year’s competition.
“New Zealand’s most experienced and celebrated brewers and cidermakers judged their way through more than 650 entries
over two days to discover these best-of-the-best beers and ciders.
“Judged blind – the independent panel weren’t privy to any brands along the way, so beer-lovers can have confidence that
these winners really stack up based on their quality and taste alone.”
He says the judges were blown away by the Top 30 this year. “It should be no surprise – New Zealand is home to a
world-class brewing industry, but the quality of this year’s winners is truly excellent.”
As well as new brew brands to explore, shoppers will again be treated by the return of some of New Zealand’s most
respected craft breweries.
Behemoth Brewing, Deep Creek Brewing, Garage Project and Sawmill Brewery each have two winning beers in the Top 30, while Matakana’s 8 Wired Brewing, Upper Hutt’s Boneface Brewing Company, Kaikōura’s Emporium Brewing, Waipū’s McLeod’s Brewery, Blenheim’s Renaissance Brewing and Zeffer Cider in the Hawke’s Bay all celebrated repeat success.
“We also have two standout trifectas,” highlights Donaldson.
“Liberty Brewing Company built on all its previous years with a triple Top 30 win this year - another feat from these craft beer darlings who
were named the country's best brewery in the last Brewers Guild of New Zealand Awards. And Panhead’s Port Road Pilsner raced into to the Top 30 for the third year running – making it arguably New Zealand’s best
pilsner.”
2021’s biggest beer trends
Trending styles also won big after the introduction of two new classes, one for hazy beers and another for alcoholic
seltzers, ginger beer and kombucha.
“The haze craze has certainly hit New Zealand, and the huge number of entries in the new hazy class, well over 100,
shows just how popular these cloudy beers are with consumers,” explains Donaldson. “The five hazy winners – again from a mix of both established and new producers, are all surprisingly different while still sticking to
those-must have hazy qualities: lush tropical fruit, creamy body and a sweet finish.”
In contrast, two “Brut” beers from Auckland brewery Urbanaut, which are made using the same techniques invented to create low-carb beers, offer a
dryer option for those that find hazies too heavy.
Another round of applause goes to the sours and barrel-aged class, which showcased evolving consumer tastes and brewers who aren’t afraid to push the boundaries with three Top 30 brews
and a total of 12 across the Top 100. Donaldson described this years’ Top 30 winners, including a 2.9% peachy-delight, a
deeply tropical sour and a vintaged feijoa ale, as “the tip of a very deep iceberg of flavour, with many more great
examples from the sour, barrel-aged and fruited category also recognised in the Award’s Highly Commended list.”And
finally, the new alcoholic seltzers, kombucha and ginger beer class – a first for a national competition anywhere in the world, uncovered an inaugural win for a ginger beer from Zeffer. “This beauty from these Hawke’s Bay cider specialists was the clear front-runner and a welcome addition to the Top
30.”
A full list of the Top 30 winning beers and ciders is below. All winners, as well as the 70 Highly Commended brews, can
also be found on the New World website at newworld.co.nz/Top30
- Ends-#newworldnz #nwbca
2021 New World Beer & Cider Awards Top 30Beverage NameBrandClass/StyleTown8 Wired Wild Feijoa8 Wired BrewingWheat & SoursAuckland - MatakanaBach DUSKRIDER Red IPABach Brewing CompanyIPAAucklandBaylands Offshore BanditBaylands BreweryHazyWellington - PetoneBaylands Sky SurferBaylands BreweryPale AleWellington - PetoneBehemoth Be Hoppy #3 Hazy Pale AleBehemoth Brewing CompanyHazyAuckland - Mt EdenBoneface The Darkness India StoutBoneface Brewing CompanyStout, Porter & AlesWellington - Upper HuttBurkes #Fakenews Hazy IPABurkes Brewing CompanyHazyTekapōCassels APACassels BreweryPale AleChristchurchCrooked Apple & Blackcurrant CiderCrooked CiderCider & Ginger BeerOtaki & GisborneCrooked Apple CiderCrooked CiderCider & Ginger BeerOtaki & GisborneDeep Creek AlohaDeep Creek BrewingWheat & SoursAuckland - SilverdaleDeep Creek Redwood APADeep Creek BrewingPale AleAuckland - SilverdaleEmporium Brewing Get To Da ChoppaEmporium BrewingWheat & SoursKaikōuraGarage Project Party & Bullsh#*tGarage Project BreweryHazyWellingtonGarage Project White MischiefGarage Project BreweryWheat & SoursWellingtonHeart of Darkness Some Sorcerer Hazy IPABehemoth Brewing CompanyHazyAuckland - Mt Eden/VietnamIsthmus 3D IPAIsthmus BrewingIPAAucklandLiberty CitraLiberty Brewing CompanyIPAAuckland - HelensvilleLiberty Knife PartyLiberty Brewing CompanyIPAAuckland - HelensvilleLiberty Oh BrotherLiberty Brewing CompanyPale AleAuckland - HelensvilleMcLeod's Paradise Pale AleMcLeod's BreweryPale AleNorthland - WaipūPanhead Port Road PilsnerPanhead Custom AlesLager & PilsnerWellington - Upper HuttRenaissance Stonecutter Scotch AleRenaissance BrewingStout, Porter & AlesBlenheimSawmill Baltic PorterSawmill BreweryStout, Porter & AlesAuckland - MatakanaSawmill The DoctorSawmill BreweryLager & PilsnerAuckland - MatakanaSteinlager Tokyo DryLionLager & PilsnerAucklandTownshend Sutton Hoo American Amber AleTownshend BreweryStout, Porter & AlesNelson/Tasman - MotuekaUrbanaut Copacabana Brut IPAUrbanaut Brewing CompanyIPAAuckland - KingslandUrbanaut Miami Brut LagerUrbanaut Brewing CompanyLager & PilsnerAuckland - KingslandZeffer Alcoholic Ginger BeerZeffer Cider CompanyCider & Ginger BeerHawke's Bay - Hastings