The Hawke's Bay Brewing Company has taken the title of Top Lager Champion at the just announced 2017 New World Beer and Cider Awards.
Hawke's Bay Pure Lager triumphed in the hotly contested class with chair of the independent judges Michael Donaldson describing it was "a revelation in the lager class".
He also said the diversity of the individual winners across the 10 beer classes showed the strength of the local brewing industry, and that the standard in all classes meant selecting an individual champion for each was a challenging and "very difficult" task for the 19-strong judging panel.
Which was more than satisfying to hear for the brew crew at the Meeanee-based brewery which has been part of the local and national brewing scene since 1995.
"Yes it's very good news - we must be doing alright," head brewer Geoff Edwards said.