The 2025 New World Beer & Cider Awards have been announced. Here’s the list of the Top 25 winners which will be available in New World stores over the next month.
Champion Beer
Isthmus 3D IPA
Isthmus Brewing is the Auckland creation of husband and wife team Hamish Ward and Caroline Muller-Ward. Hamish was the head brewer at Deep Creek before that brewery went into liquidation. Isthmus 3D IPA — our champion beer —lives up its name by offering a multi-dimensional flavour experience. There’s a powerful and classic American hop character on the nose, featuring grapefruit and pine. That’s wrapped up in a rich caramel malt that supports and enhances the ongoing hop expression
Weird & Wonderful
Three Sisters Lush
New Plymouth’s Three Sisters are one of New Zealand’s boldest breweries when it comes to adding fruit to beer and with Lush, they’ve emptied the fruit bowl to create a beer that tastes just like a smoothie. And don’t worry that it’s weird looking — it’s just what we were looking for — with real vanilla seeds visible in the glass. Thick and lush, the pineapple, guava and feijoa are all obvious and yet they meld together superbly. “Super thick and juicy with just enough enough sourness to cut through sweetness,” said the judges.
Garage Project Spicy Pickle Beer
If you discovered Garage Project’s Pickle Beer at last year’s awards, it’s time to take things up a notch with the spiced up version. This sour beer is infused with cucumber, dill and pickle spice, and a liberal dose of chilli. The judges noted the chilli heat hit “a good level … just on the cusp of being too hot”. And they confirmed that it’s a beer that does exactly what it says it’s going to do. For spicy pickle lovers everywhere.
McLeod’s Chili Pils
Northland brewery McLeod’s with its iconic Pizza Barn bar and restaurant are regulars in this event but for the first time one of their longest-standing brews has forced its way into the Top-25. This chilli pilsner gets its heat courtesy of fellow Northlanders Kaitaia Fire, who supply the chillies. Pretty as a picture in the glass it delivers a hint of heat up the nostrils on the aroma. In the flavour department, the chilli is Well balanced base beer that lets the chilli sing without detracting. Warming finish but not overpowering spice.
Low carb
Urbanaut Copacabana Brut IPA
Urbanaut, based in Auckland’s food-centric suburb of Kingsland, rule the roost when it comes to low carb beers. Copacabana is their flagship, a 7.1% IPA that’s incredibly light and agile with a super-dry finish. Fragrant hops and a spritzy carbonation make for a classy drinking experience with a flavour profile that resembles tinned fruit salad mixed with sweet lime cordial. A fantastic summer’s day IPA because it’s so light and refreshing.
Urbanaut Beat Street Hazy IPA
Urbanaut rule supreme when it comes to low carb beers. They have four in their range, with two making the Top-25. Beat Street is a punchy tropical fruit salad with a few wine gums thrown in for good measure. It has a medium-light body with a lively carbonation and finishes nicely dry thanks to the low sugar. “Very drinkable, very satisfying,” said the judges.
Lager & Pilsner
Tiger Lager
In a word of global lager the competition is intense, which also means the quality has to be super-high. Because it’s brewed under licence in New Zealand by DB Breweries, Singapore’s flagship lager is always fresh and lively. It stood out among the other global lagers this year with the judges lauding the “delicate floral, herbal hop character”. There’s a a good depth to the supporting malt sweetness. “Clean, well-balanced, smooth finish … a great example,” the judges concluded.
Heaven’s Judas Sheep Dark Lager
Heaven’s Brewery is hand-built brewery near Hikurangi, Northland. It was founded by Ben Heaven and his wife Jodi after they returned from a stint England where they’d started Bondgate Brewery, a tiny brew house supplying country pubs and beer festivals with “real ale”. Ben’s pedigree shows with this amazing entry onto the national scene. A dark Czech-style lager, it’s a meld of chocolate, toast and smoke, with a lovely roasty charry bitterness.
Black Sands Pilsner
Repping West Auckland in the Top-25 for the first time, Black Sands is a second generation business with brewer Craig Hebblethwaite and Matt Holden at the helm of a brewery started by their dads Ian Hebblethwaite and Dave Holden. This pilsner marries elements of the classic German version with New Zealand hops to create a zingy, herbaceous beer that expertly blends a lemon-lime hop character into a rich, resinous malt texture. Judges loved the “great drinkability”.
Lakeman Primate Pilsner
Three years in a row in the Top-25 for this beer! That says a lot about the reliability and consistency of the team at Lakeman’s farm-based brewery in Taupo. They’ve worked incredibly hard on perfecting this recipe and it’s an encapsulation of everything a New Zealand-style pilsner should be. The judges loved the “croissant” malt aroma, the “bright and fresh New Zealand hop” and the superb crisp and fruity finish.
Sprig + Fern Doppelbock
Back for another year in the Top-25 Nelson-based Sprig & Fern’s aptly-named G.O.A.T is one of the most awarded beers in recent New Zealand history. They call this beer G.O.A.T because “bock” in German translates to goat (as to how a beer style ended up being named for a goat is a story for another day). But we also know that G.O.A.T stands for “greatest of all time”. Think toast and honey overlaid with chocolate-coated raisins and spice.
Pale Ale
Hallertau No 2
West Auckland’s Hallertau have been a go-to beer and food destination for 20 years and their No.2 Pale Ale, aka Statesman, has been a rock-solid part of their line-up the entire time. In fact, it’s something of an elder statesman of New Zealand beer — a classic American-style pale ale with loads of lemon and grapefruit hop character superbly integrated on a rich (old-fashion) malt base with notes of caramel. A gentle minerality leads to a lingering finish. “Great beer,” said the judges.
McLeod’s Blue Sky APA
Northland-based McLeod’s are one of the country’s best when it comes to using American hops to maximum effect. This beer won a trophy at the 2024 New Zealand Beers Awards so its pedigree is faultless. Blue Sky captures a classic American hop profile of grapefruit and mandarin offset by a biscuity malt, softened by the addition of oats for a creamy texture. Lovely, well-rounded beer.
Hazy & Juicy
Altitude Remarks
Queenstown’s Altitude Brewing are one of New Zealand’s most adventurous breweries when it comes to working with colleagues around the globe. For this beer they collaborated with cult UK brewery Verdant to create a robust hazy IPA that expertly captures the full noise of New Zealand hops and the special character of Verdant’s acclaimed yeast strain. Looks spectacular in the glass. Delivers pineapple and mango flavour bursts on a puffer jacket malt base. A crunchy bitterness rounds out a real treat.
Good George Haze of Glory
If you’ve ever wondered exactly what people are on about when they talk about New Zealand hops, just try this beer! From Hamilton’s Good George, it’s the almost perfect encapsulation of the flavour of our hops — sweet fruit and bright citrus. It’s a multi-award winning beer and an appearance in these awards rounds out an impressive CV. There’s mandarin and pineapple from the fabulous Nectaron hops but also a hint of ripe grapefruit thanks to Riwaka hops. A solid malt backbone carries the flavours all the way to a mildly bitter, slightly dry finish which makes it an easy drinker.
Martinborough Hoppy Haze
Martinborough Brewing return to the Top-25 for the second time in three years with an exquisite hazy IPA. It looks stunning in the glass beer and follows up with a harmonious blend of flavours. The judges loved the intensity of the ”citrus, sweat and pine” aroma. The flavour tends more towards tropical fruit and the texture is rich, juicy and smooth. But the sweetness doesn’t runaway, thanks to a careful application of the brakes in the form of a dry and slighty dusty finish that enhance the ongoing drinkability.
Fruit & Flavoured
Parrotdog Coconut Hazy IPA
Wellington brewery Parrotdog have created the beer equivalent of a pina colada with this Coconut Hazy IPA. A judicious use of coconut, not too overpowering, blends with pineapple and tropical fruit hop flavours create a long and rewarding drinking experience. The sweet notes are offset by a gentle cedarwood character and the flavours lasts all the way to a smooth and dry finish.
IPA
Garage Project Pernicious Weed
The first ever beer released by Wellington legends Garage Project and one which has gained cult status over the following 13 years. It’s easily New Zealand’s most popular strong IPA (8% ABV) thanks to its bold but balanced flavour profile. Powerful notes of diesel, passionfruit and sauvignon blanc combined with a weighty, chewy malt character and a thumping bitterness make this a celebration of New Zealand-style IPA.
Parrotdog Thunderbird Bright IPA
Wellington’s Parrotdog are the industry leaders when it comes to the trend of Bright IPA — crystal clear beer with all the flavours you’d expect in a hazy, including sweet hop notes and a mellow bitterness. Thunderbird Bright IPA is back in the Top-25 for the second year running and wowed the judges not only with its “perfect clarity” but with a vibrant hop character that delivers sweet citrus, offset by a tingling bitterness that lingers but doesn’t dominate.
Cider
Peckham’s Classic Apple
Peckham’s Cidery are dedicated to growing traditional cider apples which have a distinctive aroma and flavour. These apples often bring layered flavours that move beyond simple apple “juice”. In this case the aroma is hay, dried apricots, honey, and a subtle spice. Once you taste it, the funkier aromas fade and you’re left with sweet caramalised apples offset by some grippy tannins and a gentle acidity. The judges said it was “lovely and moreish” and a good introduction to traditional cider.
Non alcoholic
Brewed with traditional cider apples grown by Peckham’s on their Moutere orchard which are used to full effect in this 0% cider. They’ve brewed a full-strength cider and removed the alcohol using the “spinning cone” technique that wineries use for their zero wines. The results are stunning. The aroma is funky and wild but the flavour is caramelised apples and hay. A full and rich texture means you’d be hard-pressed to tell this has no alcohol in it.
Bach Brewing All Day Hazy IPA
Bach Brewing’s All Day Hazy Non-Alcoholic IPA is arguably the best non-alc beer in New Zealand right now after also winning a gold medal in Australia’s biggest beer competition. This is so tasty and “beer like” it’s hard to believe there’s no alcohol in it. The judges loved the tropical fruit hop aroma, bready malt flavour and decent level of bitterness. They added that it’s “refreshing, balanced and easy-drinking” and that all the flavours are seamlessly integrated.
Stout & Porter
Panhead Bounty HuNter Coconut Porter
Upper Hutt’s Panhead Custom Ales are best known for their hoppy beers but their dark side is also impressive. As the name — Bounty Hunter — suggests, this has a close flavour approximation to a certain chocolate and coconut candy bar. But this is a very sophisticated adult version of that sweet treat, with the chocolate, coconut and vanilla flavours all seamlessly and smoothly integrated.
Alcoholic Lemonade & Ginger Beer
Good George Old School Lemonade
What a banger of a brew this is. Think of the home-made lemonade you might have whipped up in the summer holidays and add and adult dose of alcohol (4% ABV) and you’ve got this super-refreshing, ultra-lemony treat from Hamilton’s Good George. The judges loved the “clean lemon-drop notes” and the “crunchy ‘old-fashioned’ lemonade profile. Layers of lemon with fresh juice, zest and hints of candy. High sweetness balanced by clean, lemony acidity.”
Highly Commended
Behemoth Brain Smiles
Beer Baroness Sunshine & Spaceships
Canyon American Hazy IPA
McLeod’s Sea Spray Dry Hopped Pilsner
Garage Project White Mischief
Parrotdog Bitterbitch
Colab Brewing American Pale Ale
Beer Baroness Sunshine & Spaceships
Duncan’s Raspberry Ripple, Ice Cream Sour
Epic Blue Low Carb Pale Ale
Sawmill X Pale Ale
Brave Brewing Tropical Knockout
Double Vision Espresso’self
Eddyline EddyLite Low Carb Pale Ale
Kaiserdom Wheat Beer
Speight’s Gold Medal Ale
Waikato Draught
Beers by Bacon Brothers Ol’ Bluey
Emporium Tinkers Tickler
Mount Brewing NZ Bright IPA
Urbanaut Detroit IPA
Garage Project Konbini Yuzu and Lemon
Zeffer Hazy Alcoholic Ginger Beer
Peckham’s Boysenberry Cider
Morningcider Black Cider
Paynter’s The Pict Pear