“A beer can be good and miss out on a medal because it didn’t quite meet the very tight technical specifications… It doesn’t mean it’s a bad beer.” Michael Donaldson on why some popular beers sometimes come away empty-handed from competitions.
In this episode, hosts Michael Donaldson and Martin Bridges bring you a comprehensive wrap-up of the 2025 New Zealand Beer Awards held in Christchurch. They dive straight into the big news of the night, dissecting the massive haul taken home by Hastings favourites Brave Brewing. It was a sweep of epic proportions, with Brave securing the title of Overall Champion Brewery, Champion Small Brewery, and grabbing trophies for their iconic Tiger Milk IPA, Stay Gold and True Blue.
The guys break down the mechanics and the madness of the awards, looking closely at the massive feat of Garage Project taking the Champion Large Brewery title with ten gold medals and winning the Champion Beer with Chance, Luck, and Magic—the only beer to win back-to-back Champion titles. They also explore the nuances of the judging process, discussing the subjective nature of beer evaluation and why some beloved crowd favorites, like Panhead Supercharger or Liberty Knife Party, might miss out on medals despite their undeniable quality and popularity.
The conversation then takes a critical turn as Michael and Martin debate the current state and structure of the awards. They question whether the immense cost and administrative burden of entering are justified, especially for smaller breweries facing economic pressure. The duo also debates the controversial “100% strike rate” rule, which rewards breweries that enter fewer beers and hit gold on all of them, leading to some unexpected results in the Champion Brewery categories. Grab a gold-medal brew and tune in for an honest, behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to win in the New Zealand beer scene!