The two best competition beers in New Zealand this year are pilsners — and two absolute classics.
Curiously they both come from craft breweries under the Lion umbrella, and they both use Riwaka hops (of course).
What they also have in common is the way they push the New Zealand Pilsner style as far as it will go without stepping outside the lines.
Emerson’s Pride of the Plains Pilsner was first brewed in 2025 to mark 30 years since Richard Emerson turned the pilsner style on its head with the all-Riwaka, all-organic, all-original Pride of the Plains Pilsner.
The beer was so popular (it was this magazine’s beer of the year last year in 2025) it merited a rebrew and it was the draught version that won the Champion Beer at the Brewers Guild-hosted NZ Beer Awards in Dunedin.
At the time of writing, another batch was in the conditioning tank getting for a release in 440ml cans — if you missed it last year don’t make the same mistake!
Panhead Port Road Pilsner won champion beer at the New World Beer & Cider Awards, returning to the top ranks after a few quieter years in terms of competition performance.
For a stretch of time this beer was gunning for the title of New Zealand’s most awarded beer. It was a frequent gold medallist in a variety of competitions. For many years, it has been the benchmark for the modern New Zealand pilsner style, taking what Emerson’s created and adding horsepower … sorry, hop-power.
For lovers of pilsner this double-down on the big stage reflects the current quality of New Zealand brewing as well as a greater understanding of different hop varieties and how they change depending on when they are picked.
Particularly so with Riwaka. When that hop shines it really sends a beer into overdrive. In the past this notoriously difficult-to-grow hop could be described as temperamental. But hop growers now have a wealth of great sensory and chemistry data that tells them optimal time to pick certain hops.
Like the original, the new Pride Of The Plains is an all-Riwaka-hopped beer and Emerson’s senior brewer Mason Pratt says modern Riwaka is not as variable as it used to be.
Given the reliability of the hop, he didn’t “overthink it” when deciding how to make the most of its distinct character.
“I was wanting to pay tribute to the original but not remake it, and I definitely wanted to bring it into a more modern style — it’s the pilsner I’ve always wanted to make.
“I don’t over-think it and just try to balance aal the Riwaka characters — passionfruit, citrus, a little grassy, hay-like — and not push too far into one area.”
He noted that the biggest difference to the original Pride of the Plains is the dry-hopping, or rather the lack of it in the 1995 version.
“The dry hop gives a more aromatic hop note, adding character and we push it a little further than if it was a core range beer.”
Pushing things as far as they can is what Panhead manage to do with Port Road Pilsner.
It’s a beer that’s racing right on the edge.
Tim Low, chair of judges at the New World Beer & Cider Awards, said it stood out in the final taste-off for the brilliant balance of the strong flavours.
“In the final taste off it was absolute perfection on the technical side, it was just flawless. It was so well-balanced and drinkable even with that quite bold and assertive hop character, which is a great example of technical execution and integration in service of seamless drinkability.”
Panhead brewery leader Ben Osborne says the key with this beer is blending three very bold hops: Riwaka, Motueka and Nelson Sauvin.
“As you can imagine, they can all be pretty heavy hitters, so we really try to get a balance between those hops.”
Motueka is the main hop used on the hot side and Ben says it brings the others together and delivers a sense of sweetness and that lime zest character.
They select Riwaka, the dominant dry-hop, for its passionfruit note, with just a hint of diesel and some dry spice.
“We don’t want it to go too heavy to that diesel side because it is going to be overpowering.”
Nelson Sauvin is chosen for its classic white grape flavour and they avoid the later harvest onion-garlic (OG) traits.
“We also find that the earlier harvest Nelson Sauvin can be a little bit green, and it is important not to go too green as well, even though that stem-like flavour is considered a traditional pilsner characteristic but it’s not so lovely in a New Zealand pils.”