A Dunedin brewing company has taken out two coveted titles, two trophies and more than a dozen medals at this year’s New Zealand Beer Awards — its biggest success since 2009. Emerson’s Brewing Company won the champion New Zealand large brewery award and its Pride of The Plains Pilsner was named champion New Zealand beer at the weekend. That same beer also won the NZ lager and NZ Pilsner trophy, while its Ingrid Weizenbock dark beer took out the wheat and other grain trophy. In addition to all of that, Emerson’s was awarded six gold, five silver and five bronze medals. Emerson’s Brewery founder Richard Emerson said the results reaffirmed the quality of its beers and the brewing team’s skills. “It confirms that we are on the right track, making beers that are still relevant in this day and age of culinary explosions,” Mr Emerson said. “Needless to say our staff, and especially those directly involved in the brewing process, are over the moon.” More than 70 companies submitted a combined total of 660 entries in this year’s awards. The 20th anniversary awards were presented by the Brewers Guild of New Zealand at the Glenroy Auditorium, in Dunedin, on Saturday. Mr Emerson said the company had seen a similar level of success 17 years ago — “this is our biggest success since then”. “I would like to believe that the judges recognised the fact that we are consistent in brewing classic beer styles, not only chasing new fads that may only last a short while.” He was pleased two beers honouring his parents — Taieri George and Ingrid Weizenbock — were both recognised with awards. “Not a bad result for a brewing son to ‘can’ his parents.” Winning all of this on the home turf was also a “damn good feeling and great for Dunedin”, Mr Emerson said. Emerson’s sales and marketing manager Greg Menzies said the whole team was ecstatic “and will be buzzing for months to come”. “We were very happy with the quality of beer that we entered and are extremely humble to be awarded this year’s accolades.” Emerson’s was not the only Otago brewing company recognised at the awards. The industry-sponsored packaging award was picked up by b.effect Brewing Co, of Wānaka. tim.scott@odt.co.nz
