The Brewers Guild of New Zealand have announced (see below) that they had received 670 beers entries from 82 breweries for the 2014 NZ Beer Awards. This is pretty exciting news as it is a record number of entries for the competition.
The piece of information that surprised me in the press release was that there are 18 breweries in Auckland that have entered. I guess it has been awhile since anyone has actually counted / listed the breweries (beer brands) in Auckland. I hadn’t given it much thought, hence the surprise.
Below is a list of breweries (bold) and beer brands (contract brewed). My count here is 29? breweries/brands. If you can think of any others let me know and I’ll update this list.
Lion Breweries
– Macs
– Crafty Beggars
DB Breweries
– Monteith’s
Independent Liquor
– Boundary Road Brewery
– Founders
Steam Brewing Company
– Epic Brewing Company
– Bach Brewing Company
– 8 Wired Brewing
– Croucher Brewing
– Galbraith’s Brewing Company
The Beer Fountain
– Hallertau Brewpub
– Liberty Brewing Company
– Behemoth Brewing Company
Shakespeare Brewery – brewpub
Brothers Beer – brewpub
– Laughing Bones Brewing
Deep Creek Brewery – brewpub
Galbraith’s Brewing Company – brewpub
Waiheke Island Brewery – brewpub (Wild on Waiheke)
Leigh Sawmill Brewery – brewpub?
Hancocks – brewed at McCashins
Black Sands Brewery
- Ben Middlemiss Brewing Company
– Schippers Beer
Zeppelin Brewing – Governors Lager
– Weezeldog Brewing – Brewed at Zeppelin Brewing
Dedwood Brewing Co. – not sure if this is still going. I think it was a Williams Warn system set up by Luke Dellow in his bar Tin Soldier. Guess this gets the title for smallest commercial brewery in New Zealand at 20 litres? Could this be called a brewpub?
1010 Brewing – Sales St, is this still open? Are they still brewing? Brewpub
Little Empire Brewing – The Crown (previously The Brewery Britomart) now used as a small test/trial brewery for Lion brewers. Not even sure the official name for the brewery, or how often they brew. Guess it is time for a quick visit. Brewpub
Ale Chaps Brewing – Waiheke ( Amelia Beerhart )
How many breweries in Auckland?
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Beer judges fizzing to find New Zealand’s champion brewery
A record number of New Zealand breweries are vying to be crowned beer champion at New Zealand’s prestigious beer awards, the 2014 Brewers’ Guild of New Zealand Awards.
Now in its eight year, entries for the beer awards officially closed last week with more than 670 beers from 82 breweries being nominated across seventeen beer categories. A total of 72 breweries were nominated from New Zealand.
Brewers Guild Chairman, Craig Bowen, said New Zealand breweries had been performing well in international competitions. He was looking forward to seeing this level of quality and success translated to the New Zealand stage.
“Beer brewing has exploded in recent times – amongst hobbyists and professional brewers alike. In the last two years, the number of professional brewing operations in New Zealand has increased by more than a third.
“That confirms that New Zealand is enjoying a golden period for brewing in terms of the variety and quality of beers produced. These Awards are the epitome of the $2.2 billion beer industry, and reward those who are especially talented at brewing quality beer,” he said.
The Brewers’ Guild of New Zealand Awards is an international competition, with entries from throughout New Zealand and the world. Judging will take place over three days from 8 August with the judging panel comprising 25 national and internationally qualified judges.
All beer entries will be rated against a style guide for each category for its aroma, colour, bitterness, flavour and presentation. A beer’s overall balance of characteristics, with all those factors taken into account, is then rated and judges decide whether it’s worthy of a gold, silver or bronze medal.
Winners of the 2014 Brewers Guild Awards of New Zealand will be announced at a gala dinner on 21 August at Shed 6, Wellington.
This year, Auckland has the most number of breweries vying for awards, with 18 breweries entered. Last year, Marlborough-based Renaissance Brewing was crowned 2013 New Zealand Champion.
For more information including a list of all categories and beers nominated for the Awards, visit www.brewersguild.org.nz/awards
2014 Brewers Guild of New Zealand Awards – nominations by region:
| Northland – 1 | Bay of Plenty -5 | Wellington – 12 | Taranaki – 1 | Otago – 2 |
| Auckland – 18 | Hawkes Bay – 5 | Nelson/Tasman -7 | Canterbury – 12 | Southland – 1 |
| Waikato – 2 | Poverty Bay – 2 | Marlborough – 3 | West Coast – 1 | International – 10 |
I see there’s only one listed for Northland – so either that’s Brauhaus Fring in Whangarei or Sawmill at Leigh. Or do they consider Sawmill an Auckland brewery?
Hey Luke. We (Weezledog) are brewing at Black Sands. Im the head brewer there and we do Black Sands, Weezledog and Behemoth here, Ben Middlemiss did a bit here previously, Shippers hasnt had any beer brewed here.
Sale St is still open – though at the time of writing of this blog we were closed for refurbishment. Now called Sweat Shop BrewKitchen (the building was a clothing factory for 40 years), part of the refurbishment includes moving the brewery and expanding it. We are now open, with a Marzen, BPA & APA on tap and takeaway Growler, with 2 more beers to come! Brewery tours are available too.