Local brewers tap into gold
Having earlier this year been named Champion International Small Brewery, last Saturday Altitude was crowned Champion New Zealand Medium Brewery at the 2025 Beer Awards, four years after winning the small brewery category.
Additionally, Altitude won two beer category trophies — the NZ Lager & NZ Pilsner for 'Powder Day', and the Juicy/Hazy IPA trophy for 'Remarks' — and brought home a total of five gold medals, seven silvers and seven bronzes.
Another home-grown brewery, Canyon, made a bold debut at the awards, winning the Juicy Hazy Pale Ale for 'Vacation', and bringing home seven medals — one gold, three silvers and three bronzes — from their eight entries.
Canyon Brewing also received an honourable mention in the Sustainability Award, recognising their commitment to low-waste brewing, local sourcing and regenerative practices, including growing its own malt in Central Otago.
Glenorchy Brew Co picked up three silvers and two bronzes, while The Cargo Collective brought home one bronze medal.
Run by the Brewers Guild of NZ, the awards this year attracted 625 beers made by 70 brewers.
Head judge Tina Panoutsos says the NZ craft beer industry continues to show strong creative energy and a deep commitment to quality.
Brewers Guild of NZ executive director Melanie Kees notes this year's awards highlight a growing trend — more towns and regions claiming their status as beer destinations, when historically only major cities were seen as 'beer hotspots'.
"Queenstown and the Southern Lakes are rising stars, as reflected in multiple awards."
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Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Local brewers tap into gold
Queenstown's Altitude Brewing's done it again. Having earlier this year been named Champion International Small Brewery, last Saturday Altitude was crowned Champion New Zealand Medium Brewery at the 2025 Beer Awards, four years after winning the small brewery category. Additionally, Altitude won two beer category trophies — the NZ Lager & NZ Pilsner for 'Powder Day', and the Juicy/Hazy IPA trophy for 'Remarks' — and brought home a total of five gold medals, seven silvers and seven bronzes. Another home-grown brewery, Canyon, made a bold debut at the awards, winning the Juicy Hazy Pale Ale for 'Vacation', and bringing home seven medals — one gold, three silvers and three bronzes — from their eight entries. Canyon Brewing also received an honourable mention in the Sustainability Award, recognising their commitment to low-waste brewing, local sourcing and regenerative practices, including growing its own malt in Central Otago. Glenorchy Brew Co picked up three silvers and two bronzes, while The Cargo Collective brought home one bronze medal. Run by the Brewers Guild of NZ, the awards this year attracted 625 beers made by 70 brewers. Head judge Tina Panoutsos says the NZ craft beer industry continues to show strong creative energy and a deep commitment to quality. Brewers Guild of NZ executive director Melanie Kees notes this year's awards highlight a growing trend — more towns and regions claiming their status as beer destinations, when historically only major cities were seen as 'beer hotspots'. "Queenstown and the Southern Lakes are rising stars, as reflected in multiple awards."
RNZ News
01-08-2025
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It will probably come as no surprise that beer is still the most popular alcoholic drink in Aotearoa. It actually accounts for almost 1% of New Zealand's GDP according to a report earlier this year by the Brewers Association. But who brews the best of the best? Tina Panoutsos, Head Judge at this year's New Zealand Beer Awards being held in Christchurch tonight, speaks to Susie about what ticks the taste test. Photo: Unsplash / Lucas Santos
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Cheers To China: Three Sisters Brewing Significant Export Growth
Press Release – Venture Taranaki What began as a 10,000-can 'sample' order in mid-2024 from a Chinese distributor has grown rapidly, with recent shipments increasing to 20,000 cans. Award-winning local brewery Three Sisters has been toasting to international success recently, with booming demand from China a resounding endorsement to the quality of their beer. What began as a 10,000-can 'sample' order in mid-2024 from a Chinese distributor has grown rapidly, with recent shipments increasing to 20,000 cans. 'The initial email came out of the blue,' says founder Joe Emans. 'To be honest, when I initially saw the email, I thought it was spam. That's a really big sample order. It's nearly equivalent to what we'd normally produce every other month.' The order wasn't just by chance however, as Three Sisters had captured the attention of the distributor thanks to their reputation for top-quality hazies and strong user ratings on the global beer app Untappd, where users can discover new brews and track trending favourites. This visibility helped them stand out in a crowded market. Fortunately, Emans followed up on that initial email – and the relationship has since flourished. 'China has its own version of Untappd, so they're really in tune with their customers over there,' says Emans. 'Sours in particular have really taken off, making up around 60% of their orders, up from 30% a year ago.' Emans is no stranger to adapting. Since brewing in his garage with his wife Sarah in 2017, the brewery has expanded three times thanks to some hugely successful crowdfunding campaigns, and they recently launched a popular taproom. Three Sisters has also won numerous national and international awards, including back-to-back Champion International Small Brewery trophies in 2023 and 2024 at the Australian International Beer Awards. Now, with demand approaching capacity in recent months, another expansion is already in sight. 'We're a small brewery even by national standards, but we're flexible and curious,' says Emans. 'If we're asked for a beer that's a particular colour, with specific flavour notes – we'll make it. We're happy to tailor beers to suit the market, while keeping our creativity and quality at the heart of everything we do.' Recent global market shifts, including US tariff increases, have made New Zealand beer even more attractive to Chinese distributors, alongside the country's growing reputation in the industry. The journey from garage to exporter hasn't happened over night though. 'We've had some great help from the community along the way, including from Venture Taranaki who has provided some fantastic support – from providing co-funding for courses on crowdfunding campaigns which have been crucial to expanding our production capacity, to helping us tell our story as a guest on their Podcast series ', says Emans. Venture Taranaki, the regional development agency, has also supported and explored the potential of a local hops industry through the Branching Out project. If you're a local business looking for advice or support, check out the range of services offered by Venture Taranaki here:
