Entries Open For New Zealand Beer Awards 2022

Entries opened this week for the New Zealand Beer Awards, New Zealand’s most prestigious beer competition.

In its 16th year, the New Zealand Beer Awards, managed by the Brewers Guild of New Zealand, recognises excellence in beer as well as other accolades across New Zealand’s brewing industry. The competition is open to commercial brewers of all production sizes in New Zealand.

The judging has been brought forward to run in July this year, and Executive Director of the Brewers Guild, Melanie Kees says, “by slotting it into the winter months we have hopefully taken some of the pressure off our brewers, who historically start to ramp up production from October to meet summer demand.”

The New Zealand competition gathers some of the best beer judges from New Zealand and across the Tasman, who, over 2.5 days will taste and score beers across 15 different Trophy classes. Last year saw well over 850 entries which, considering the environment the industry has been operating in, really shows how highly regarded the competition is and how resilient the brewing industry in New Zealand is.

This year sees 21 judges, 7 trainee judges and 23 stewards. It is the job of the stewards to deliver the right beer, at the right time to the right judges. “Beer can be entered in either keg, bottle, or can. Our stewards do a remarkable job of navigating this and ensuring the seamless running of the back of house. They are essential in upholding the integrity of the competition”. Says NZBA Competition Manager, Kelly Ockwell. “This year, we had the highest ever number of people apply to be a judge or a steward, both from inside and outside the industry. We are thrilled that participating in the competition attracted so much interest”.

An exciting addition to the NZ Beer Awards for 2022 is the introduction of the new No & Reduced Alcohol Trophy Class for beers (under 2.5% abv). As one of the fastest growing beverages markets the NZBA Advisory Panel thought that it was important that these beers were recognised in their own right.

The New Zealand Beer Awards also celebrate the wider industry with trophies for Beer media, Beer packaging, Beer tourism and sustainability initiatives. The Morton Coutts trophy is one of the most prestigious trophies in the industry recognises a business or individual who has shown outstanding innovation or achievement for the Brewing Industry. Last year’s recipient was Dr. Ron Beatson, for his outstanding contribution to the New Zealand Hop’s industry.

“We are looking forward to this year’s competition and to celebrating the New Zealand Brewing industry at awards events dotted around New Zealand in late July. If you’ve got a favourite New Zealand produced beer, or a local brewery that you support, remind them to enter the competition – entries are open to all commercially produced brews in New Zealand. We’d love to see some new names on the entry list” adds Ms Kees.

Information about the competition and how to enter can be found at www.brewersguild.org.nz/nzba/competition-information/

Entries close on Friday 17 June.

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