Latest news with #AustralianInternationalBeerAwards
Otago Daily Times
7 hours ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Timaru brings best-tasting tap water title back south
Timaru District Council's Seadown water supply has been crowned the best tasting tap water in New Zealand in the 2025 IXOM National Water Taste Test competition. Four New Zealand district councils were vying for the coveted title, including the reigning champions, Rotorua Lakes District Council. Mayor of Timaru, Nigel Bowen, was delighted with the result. 'It is really good water, it's from a shallow well next to the Ōpihi River, so a really good source water and there's not a lot of treatment, a little bit of chlorine and ultraviolet.' It's the third time Timaru's water has taken out top spot, he says, but this is the first win for the Seadown water scheme. The scheme covers 450 households, and farm stock, but also the airport, so visitors can sample for themselves when they land, he says. 'Come to Timaru and try the best water in the country,' he said. Water Industry Operations Group of New Zealand chairperson Joshua McIndoe said the finalists were judged on four criteria: colour, clarity, odour and taste. He said the water from Rotorua and Taupō were both from surface water catchments, while Timaru and Waimakariri were both bore water supplies. "That just shows no matter what the source there is a great treatment process to produce really good quality water." He said the competition was a way of showcasing the work operations staff were doing to produce safe, compliant and good tasting, quality drinking water. McIndoe said it was a tough competition, as drinking water quality was high across New Zealand. One of the judges, IXOM technical specialist Rachel Oxtoby was impressed with each of the samples. "This is a tough call. They are all really clear, really crisp, not too much in the way of earth tones, chlorine, or odour. It's hard." It was also a difficult decision for judge Jean Calderon of Water Industry Operations Association of Australia. "They are all delicious, it's interesting. I thought there would be more differences in the odour. It's going to be a tough call." Water Industry Operations Group executive officer Craig Hiddleston identified at least one notable sample. "There's definitely three that are very similar and one that stands out, but not in a good way." Sprig and Fern Brewing Company owner Tracy Banner has been judging beers and ciders for several decades, but it's the first time she's judged water. "I've just literally come back from judging the World Beer Cup in Indianapolis and from there I went to Melbourne and judged the annual Australian International Beer Awards and I was so thrilled to be invited to come and judge water because it is actually a real interest of mine." Banner tasted the water in her Richmond brewery every day to check its quality and said while beer and water tasting were not dissimilar, the latter had proven more difficult. "It was so hard, there were four fantastic finalists who were deserving... it was more difficult than judging beer. "I think it's easier to score on the clarity and the colour than the aroma and the flavour, because they were so close." Previous winners of the IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water in New Zealand title 2024 Infracore Rotorua Lakes Council 2023 Waimate District Council 2022 Conference and competition cancelled due to Covid 2021 Timaru District Council 2020 Conference and competition cancelled due to Covid 2019 Timaru District Council 2018 Waikato District Council 2017 Sicon (Contractor for Selwyn DC) 2016 Palmerston North City Council
Otago Daily Times
7 hours ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
NZ's best-tasting tap water found
Timaru District Council's Seadown water supply has been crowned the best tasting tap water in New Zealand in the 2025 IXOM National Water Taste Test competition. Four New Zealand district councils were vying for the coveted title, including the reigning champions, Rotorua Lakes District Council. Mayor of Timaru, Nigel Bowen, was delighted with the result. 'It is really good water, it's from a shallow well next to the Ōpihi River, so a really good source water and there's not a lot of treatment, a little bit of chlorine and ultraviolet.' It's the third time Timaru's water has taken out top spot, he says, but this is the first win for the Seadown water scheme. The scheme covers 450 households, and farm stock, but also the airport, so visitors can sample for themselves when they land, he says. 'Come to Timaru and try the best water in the country,' he said. Water Industry Operations Group of New Zealand chairperson Joshua McIndoe said the finalists were judged on four criteria: colour, clarity, odour and taste. He said the water from Rotorua and Taupō were both from surface water catchments, while Timaru and Waimakariri were both bore water supplies. "That just shows no matter what the source there is a great treatment process to produce really good quality water." He said the competition was a way of showcasing the work operations staff were doing to produce safe, compliant and good tasting, quality drinking water. McIndoe said it was a tough competition, as drinking water quality was high across New Zealand. One of the judges, IXOM technical specialist Rachel Oxtoby was impressed with each of the samples. "This is a tough call. They are all really clear, really crisp, not too much in the way of earth tones, chlorine, or odour. It's hard." It was also a difficult decision for judge Jean Calderon of Water Industry Operations Association of Australia. "They are all delicious, it's interesting. I thought there would be more differences in the odour. It's going to be a tough call." Water Industry Operations Group executive officer Craig Hiddleston identified at least one notable sample. "There's definitely three that are very similar and one that stands out, but not in a good way." Sprig and Fern Brewing Company owner Tracy Banner has been judging beers and ciders for several decades, but it's the first time she's judged water. "I've just literally come back from judging the World Beer Cup in Indianapolis and from there I went to Melbourne and judged the annual Australian International Beer Awards and I was so thrilled to be invited to come and judge water because it is actually a real interest of mine." Banner tasted the water in her Richmond brewery every day to check its quality and said while beer and water tasting were not dissimilar, the latter had proven more difficult. "It was so hard, there were four fantastic finalists who were deserving... it was more difficult than judging beer. "I think it's easier to score on the clarity and the colour than the aroma and the flavour, because they were so close." Previous winners of the IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water in New Zealand title 2024 Infracore Rotorua Lakes Council 2023 Waimate District Council 2022 Conference and competition cancelled due to Covid 2021 Timaru District Council 2020 Conference and competition cancelled due to Covid 2019 Timaru District Council 2018 Waikato District Council 2017 Sicon (Contractor for Selwyn DC) 2016 Palmerston North City Council
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
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:
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Cheers To China: Three Sisters Brewing Significant Export Growth
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:
West Australian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- West Australian
How Pete McDonald & Howie Croft at Wedgetail Brewing made Australia's best beer: a stunning dark lager
Tucked in a quiet corner down the back streets of Mandurah, no one would assume that Wedgetail Brewing is home to Australia's best beer. But it's official: One of Mandurah's best-kept secrets is officially home to the country's best beer — a dark lager that snagged the champion Australian beer trophy at the Australian International Beer Awards, the world's biggest annual beer competition, earlier this month. Pete McDonald and Howie Croft opened Wedgetail Brewing about 18 months ago and the taproom has quickly become a favourite among locals. But the recent success at the AIBAs proved what locals already knew: the beers Howie and Pete and producing are something special. It's a far cry from the shed on head brewer Howie's property, where the pair first began experimenting with homebrews. 'Our first beers were probably pretty ropey,' Pete laughed. 'Typically with home brewing, you start off with kits, a lot of the work is done for you, it's cheap alcohol at first, and then you start getting the hang of it, and with a lot of learning and reading, you realise there's a bit more to it.' The duo met while working in WA's north decades ago and decided to take the plunge and open the taproom after Howie was made redundant. The brewery's name comes from the Wedgetails the pair would encounter while flying choppers over the Pilbara. The winning beer in question, the dark lager, is something Howie says he's been working on for a decade. The dark lager is served looking as one would expect but the taste is a surprise. It has all the best tasting notes of a dark lager: coffee, malt, and chocolate. But it leaves the drinker with none of the worst elements, no overwhelming bitterness and none of that fullness that discourages a second pint. The dark lager didn't just take out the top gong at the AIBAs but also best independent beer and best dark lager. Surprisingly, though, the brewery's newly crowned 'best' beer isn't the founders' favourite. 'Mine is the IPA. I keep going back to that, it's an older style traditional IPA and that's maybe my roots, I suppose,' Pete said. 'Mine's the draught, it's quite refreshing,' Howie added. The venue is always busy and has been embraced by the community. 'This place wouldn't exist without them; we would have fallen flat on our face without that support,' Pete said. Currently, the only way to drink a beer outside of the taproom is to fill up a growler, but the pair recently invested in a canning machine and are hoping to begin selling their products in local bottleshops soon. 'We'll get our heads around that, and we'll be canning our own product directly,' Pete said. 'It'll be a lot more flexible, a lot more efficient and cheaper. So watch this space, we'll be coming out with cans too.' Wedgetail's hearty pub grub is also a standout, with young gun head chef Rhys Hura passionate about matching the quality of the beer to the food. There's a roaring oven producing delicious wood-fired pizzas and Rhys hopes his steak sandwich will make the finals in WA's best steak sandwich awards. 'I've taken all the aspects of what makes a good steak sanga and reinvented it as something that's different, but also quite modern,' he said. 'We chose Scotch fillets because with the fat content, it renders down and comes apart really easily. 'There's a green tomato relish, which I made to be like a normal tomato relish, but green tomatoes have less tartness and less acidity than red tomato does.' Rhys also uses the beer to flavour the food, with the darker beers going into the sauce on the ribs, the wheat beer in the fish finger batter and the barrel-aged beer being used to make ice cream. The pair hope to have more success at the upcoming Perth Royal Show and have entered the dark lager, the double red ale and the draught. 'So we're hoping that the product will perform again,' Pete laughed. Erskine's Boundary Island Brewery also earned a trophy for best traditional India pale ale with its The Deckie IPA, and King Road Brewing in Oldbury took home prizes for two of its King Road Short Stay Series beers: the American pale ale and NZ Cryo.
