Brave Brewing and their cult IPA, Tigermilk, roared the loudest at last night’s New Zealand Beer Awards in Christchurch.
Brave Brewing, from Hastings, won a swag of trophies — with the most important being the title of overall Champion New Zealand Brewery. Moments earlier they claimed the Champion Small Brewery title as well as three trophies — for Tigermilk IPA and Stay Gold Pacific Wheat Ale and True Blue West Coast Pilsner.
Garage Project won champion beer with Chance, Luck & Magic 2021, which reprised the win of the original 2020 vintage which took out the champion beer title three years ago. They later returned to take champion large brewery crown, winning it back from Parrotdog.
Queenstown’s Altitude Brewing won the champion medium brewery, adding to their triumph as the champion small international brewery at the Australian International Beer Awards in May. They won trophies for the Remarks Hazy IPA (a collab with cult English brewery Verdant) and their Powder Day NZ Pilsner.
Karamu Barrelworks, located in rural Waikato, won the champion microbrewery title.
Head Judge Tina Panoutsos from Australia congratulated Kiwi brewers for the quality of their beers.
“The New Zealand craft beer industry continues to show strong creative energy and a deep commitment to quality, even as it navigates an increasingly competitive and cost-conscious environment.”
“Low and no-alcohol beers have improved remarkably in flavour and technical execution. While they once felt like an afterthought or compromise, many now offer a full sensory experience with clean fermentation, quality hop products, and a focus on drinkability.”
Panoutsos noted that this year’s judges had been excited by seeing brewers push boundaries with ingredients and styles, including Italian Grape Ales — a relatively new style that has made an appearance recently. “We’ve seen different ingredients used creatively and represented across a range of styles from Fruit & Flavoured, European Ales and Experimental classes. Beyond that, there’s a trend toward using a range of fruits like the native Horopito and stone fruits to influence texture and complexity.”
Brave Brewing, founded by Matt Smith and his wife Gemma in 2013, won a total of eight gold medals, four silver and five bronze medals.
Garage Project added to their trophy cabinet; collecting four trophies and the highest number of medals of any entrant —10 gold, 11 silver and 6 bronze medals.
Matakana’s Sawmill won the Brewing Sustainability Award for the sixth consecutive year —an unbroken run since the award’s inception in 2019. Protecting and preserving land, sea, soil, and water is woven into everything they do, making this win especially meaningful. Sawmill also took home the Packaging Award and the Wheat and Other Grain Trophy, proving that sustainable values and brewing excellence go hand in hand.
Wellington’s Craft Beer Capital received the Beer Tourism Award. Craft Beer Capital taps into the passion for craft beer and tourism, with a trail map for beer lovers to take on a walking tour to discover Wellington’s breweries and claim a souvenir of their journey.
In a statement, Brewers Guild of New Zealand Executive Director, Melanie Kees, noted the New Zealand Beer Awards 2025 highlight a growing trend — more towns and regions claiming their status as beer destinations.
“Historically, only major cities were seen as ‘beer hotspots’. Now, regions are gaining recognition for their breweries and beer experiences. Christchurch is expanding rapidly, with new breweries and venues opening regularly. Nelson/Tasman, known as the home of hops, has a natural connection to the industry and offers outstanding experiences. Queenstown and the Southern Lakes are rising stars, as reflected in multiple awards heading their way. Let’s not overlook North Island regions like Taranaki, Matakana and Hawke’s Bay, which will receive the largest number of trophies this year.”
NEW ZEALAND BEER AWARDS 2025 CHAMPION AWARD WINNERS
Karamu Barrelworks, Champion New Zealand Micro Brewery
Brave Brewing Co, Champion New Zealand Small Brewery
Altitude Brewing, Champion New Zealand Medium Brewery
Garage Project, Champion New Zealand Large Brewery
Brave Brewing Co, Champion New Zealand Brewing Company
bStudio, Champion New Zealand Manufacturer
Garage Project, Chance, Luck and Magic 2021, Champion New Zealand Beer
NEW ZEALAND BEER AWARDS 2025 TROPHY WINNERS
Brew Moon Brewing Company, International Lager – Czech Please
Bach Brewing Co., NZ IPA, NZ Pale Ale & NZ Draught – BEDFORD NZ IPA
Altitude Brewing, NZ Lager & NZ Pilsner – Powder Day
Garage Project, British & European Ale – Chance, Luck and Magic 2021
The Emerson Brewing Company, Amber/Dark Lager & Ale – DCBC
Brave Brewing Co, International Pale Ale – Stay Gold
Shining Peak Brewing, No, Low & Reduced Alcohol – Little Fake
Brave Brewing Co, India Pale Ale – Tigermilk
Canyon Brewery, Juicy/Hazy Pale Ale – Vacation Hazy Pale Ale
Altitude Brewing, Juicy/Hazy IPA – Remarks
Beer Baroness, Stout & Porter – Madame Brown
Sawmill Brewery, Wheat & Other Grain – Hefeweizen
8 Wired Brewing, Fruit & Flavoured – Sticky
Brave Brewing Co, Specialty & Experimental – True Blue
Garage Project, Wood & Barrel Aged – Engeltjes Pis
NEW ZEALAND BEER AWARDS 2025 INDUSTRY AWARD WINNERS
Sawmill Brewery, Brewing Sustainability Award
Craft Beer Capital, Beer Tourism Award
Sawmill Brewery, Packaging Award
NZBA-Catalogue-of-Results-2025-FINAL