Panhead Port Road Pilsner has been crowned champion of about 600 beers entered in this year’s New World beer and cider awards. [Missing Credit][object Object] The top 25 of the entries, featuring a range of styles, are now featured in the supermarket’s stores. Two Otago brews are on the list: For the second year, Queenstown’s Altitude, this time with its Built for Speed West Coast IPA (6.7%) which features American hop flavours. And Wanaka’s Rhyme and Reason with Italian Stallion Euro lager (5.2%) which is made with European malt and a Danish yeast. Lake Taupo brewery Lakeman regularly appears on the annual list. This time three beers made the grade, including a sweet chocolate/coffee Choc Ness Monster (8.5%). Non-alcoholic beers are represented by Garage Project’s Tiny IPA (its first zero brew which was introduced five years ago) and a new Tiny XPA with citrus, pineapple and pine flavours. Among the mass-produced alcoholic beers on the list are Steinlager Tokyo Dry, Steinlager Ultra Low Carb and Waikato Draught. There are three sour beers (usually not for the faint-hearted) on the list including Garage Project’s spicy pickle beer for the third consecutive year. Two ciders also make the cut, a non-alcoholic one and a boysenberry-flavoured cider. The top 25 will be in the store’s beer section for the next three weeks, along with a pamphlet describing each brew. You can also vote online for your favourite (with $50 gift cards up for grabs). Gold medals Two New Zealand breweries gained gold medals at this month’s World Beer Awards in England. They were Nelson’s Spring + Fern’s G.O.A.T. (“best of all time”) doppelbock and Moa’s Southern Alps ultra low carb lager. There were 2300 entries. Luscious porter Wellington brewery Double Vision has released for the fourth time its Luscious Loompa (6%), a chocolate and orange porter. [Missing Credit][object Object] The chocolate comes from the cocoa flavour released by chocolate malt which is one of five different malts in it. The orange is real, however, coming from pureed fruit, and there is some extra sweetness from lactose which, along with oats, adds a creamy richness. It was first made in 2021, gained a silver medal at the Brewers Guild awards when it was released again in 2022 and reappeared again in 2024. It is about $11.50 for 440ml. Anniversary Wellington brewery Parrotdog celebrated its 15th anniversary this month. It was started by three student home brewing mates in 2011. An inauspicious start: their first commercial brew of 1200 litres was too bitter and went down the drain. They supplied local with kegs until they began bottling in 2013. Its limited release 39 double IPA (8%) is on the New World top 25 list. Vitamin boost Bach Brewing is now adding vitamin B complex, C and D to its non-alcoholic All Day Go pale ale. Beer has a range of vitamins in it, including B and D, but no C. Corona Cero non-alcoholic beer has vitamin D added. Thirsty work During the recent FIFA world cup, Budweiser sales in the United States were up by 18% and the Italian label Peroni by nearly 20%. Carlsberg sales increased by 25% in the first week.
