Kiwi brewers enjoy taste of success

BEN CURRAN

Andy Deuchars Renaissance Brewer.

Relevant offers

Food & Wine

What is the meatiest meat? Celebrity chef puts skills up for auction Your Valentine's Day dinner sorted Alex James - what are you playing at? Raw food: what's not to love? Summery sangria packs a punch Homemade icecream a peachy pud Lentil patties a meat-free delight The curious allure of very sharp knives Dumplings for Chinese New Year

There's an ongoing discussion within the beer fraternity as to whether or not the Australian International Beer Awards is the world's largest international beer competition.

While the United States-based World Beer Cup attracts almost three times the number of entries as the Australian competition – this year, in Chicago, we judged 3340 beers – the WBC takes place only every two years, while the AIBA is held annually. The Great American Beer Festival also attracts far more entries than the AIBA and is run every year, but caters exclusively for domestic beers, so as far as I'm concerned it doesn't count.

Size and frequency aside, there's also a fundamental difference between the events in the way medals are awarded. The two American competitions employ a system similar to the Olympic Games, where just three medals can be awarded in any category. By contrast, at the AIBA – and New Zealand's BrewNZ – medals are awarded to any beer which meets the required quality criteria. Thus, several bronzes, silvers and golds can be awarded in any category. The end result is that there are a lot more medals awarded at the two Australasian competitions. Which is the better system? Take your pick!

What's not in question is that this year's AIBA attracted a record number of entries – 1170, from 243 breweries, across 34 countries – and that Kiwi beers did exceptionally well. Eighteen New Zealand breweries submitted 67 entries and achieved a grand total of 48 medals as well as two of the 15 best-in-class trophies that were up for grabs – a remarkable success rate.

Looking at the trophy winners first, perennial high achiever Emerson's won its usual raft of medals, including a gold and best-in-class trophy in the wheat beers category for Emerson's Weizenbock, a warming, malt-driven brew in the strong, dark, German style. Look out for this year's release from the Dunedin brewery in the shops very soon. The other Kiwi best-in-class trophy was for packaging and went to Scott's Brewing Company of Kelston, Auckland. Although the brewery is noted for its gluten-free Scott's Pale Ale, this particular award was for the six-pack box in which the beer is sold.

Back to the liquid itself. Other gold medals went to Christchurch brewers Harrington's for Strongman Lager, a potent (6.5 per cent), hoppy golden lager, and to the Cock & Bull – the Auckland-based pub chain – for Monk's Habit, an aromatic amber ale.

It was gratifying to see several New Zealand brewers showing strength in depth by winning medals for every beer entered. DB achieved 100 per cent success with eight medals for eight beers, the company's reputation for producing consistent golden lagers reinforced by the fact that three of its medals were in the Australian-style lager category.

Harrington's (Christchurch) and Invercargill Brewery also won medals for every beer entered, but the outstanding achiever was Blenheim's Renaissance Brewing, whose four entries all took silver medals. Most impressive is the fact that the winning beers – Elemental Porter, Perfection Pale Ale, Paradox Blonde and Discovery American Pale Ale – reflect a broad range of brewing styles and demands. The Marlborough brewery's success eventually saw it placed narrowly behind Norway's Nøgne Ø for the competition's Champion Small Brewery trophy.

Congratulations to Renaissance and well done to all the winning Kiwi brewers. Cheers!

AIBA results at beerawards.com/results.asp

- The Marlborough Express

Newest First

Oldest First

Aaron   #5   02:59 pm May 31 2010

Mmmm, Renaissance porter

rowan   #4   09:34 am May 31 2010

goodbye Marlborough wine, hello Marlborough beer...?

Canty   #3   08:44 am May 29 2010

Good on harringtons again. Always have a good range of quality brews.Strongman is good but should try the others -really good.cantabs should get in there and support its own !!

Stu as "Stu"   #2   02:28 pm May 28 2010

Tuatara can't have been far off the champion small brewery award either - 4 silvers for what might be considered an even wider range of beers (Hefe, Pilsner, IPA, Porter).

Dave W   #1   08:22 am May 28 2010

Perhaps one yardstick of the Australian competition could be which less tasty beers also won medals. They include our own mouthwashes; Export 33, Export Gold, Tui, and Export Dry (a silver medal). Did Rheineck not enter?

Ad Feedback