Beer awards handed out

Our beer has once again received the thumbs up from a world expert in the subject.

Dave Logsdon from the United States was a special guest judge at the 2006 BrewNZ beer awards, which have just been decided.

Logsdon liked what he tasted: "The quality and diversity of the beers entered in this year's awards was outstanding. I continue to be impressed at the way New Zealand beer is developing. New Zealanders are making world class beer, no doubt about it, and that is great for consumers."

The results of the 2006 BrewNZ New Zealand Beer Awards were formally posted this morning. A panel of ten expert judges spent three days evaluating more than 170 beers from across New Zealand and around the world. The judges studied a record number of entries across fourteen diverse classes.

The final category judged was the Festive Brew. This demanding category requires brewers to make a beer specially for the awards. This year the theme was "All Hail Pale Ale" and the winner was the Epic Brewing Company with their beer called simply "Mayhem".

Mayhem took out the Best in Class Trophy as well as a Gold medal.

Epic Head Brewer Luke Nicholas joked about his beer, "we have set out to wilfully maim and cripple the palates of the most extreme hop head. This act of wanton destruction is in the true spirit of what festive brews are about, to create something unique and fun".

Epic Brewing also won another of the 14 classes with its Epic Pale Ale which picked up Best in Class and a Gold medal. Epic is run by the same company who own successful restaurant chain the Cock & Bull.