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Finding a good drink in Mahurangi won’t be difficult after two local breweries came up trumps in the New World Beer and Cider Awards last month.
Sawmill Brewery collected one of 12 champions trophies for best pale ale with its eXtra Pale Ale and 8 Wired for best experimental beer with its Cucumber Hippy.
Chair of judges Michael Donaldson says this year was the biggest ever for the awards, with nearly 600 entries from 90 breweries that had to undergo an extensive judging process.
8 Wired Warkworth brewery owners Soren (left) and Monique Eriksen were happy to pick up eight awards.
“These are world class beers and ciders and every one delivers to the promise of the gold medal sticker attached to them,” Mr Donaldson says.
In total, 113 beers were entered in the pale ale category where 16 judges examined each one.
“We were thrilled to win an award for the eXtra Pale Ale that we have been brewing for a few years now as it’s become increasingly popular,” a Sawmill Brewery spokesperson says.
The brewery also picked up silver for its pilsner, bronze for its Session IPA, IPA and Doctor.
Meanwhile, 8 Wired snapped up one top prize for Cucumber Hippy along with two silvers for Baltyk-Tasman Baltic Porter and Hippy Berliner.
“It’s an honour to win at the awards with so many high-quality entries and is particularly special to see our sour beer take out its category,” co-owner Monique Eriksen says.
“It’s a sign of changing times that consumers are embracing a lot more variety with their beer.”
The brewery also won five bronze awards for its Tall Poppy Red Ale, Semiconductor Session IPA, Tropidelic Pale Ale, Big Smoke Porter and Superdank IPA.
