It’s Choice Beer Week here in Wel­ling­ton and last night The Sut­ton Group Brew­ers Guild of New Zea­l­and Awards took place at the Michael Fowl­er Centre. Har­ring­ton’s Brew­er­ies of Christ­ch­urch took out the top hon­ours and were named Cham­pi­on Brew­ery in New Zea­l­and for 2012.

Wel­ling­ton, being the self-claimed and now gen­er­ally accep­ted Craft Beer Cap­it­al of New Zea­l­and, was not to be out shone with the ever pop­u­lar Tuatara tak­ing out awards for their Pils­ner, Hefe and for their fancy pack­aging.

The two brew­er­ies Wel­ling­ton can be ultra-proud of are the new kids on the brew­ing block Gar­age Pro­ject and Par­rot­Dog who walked away with the awards for Fest­ive Brew (Ziggy’s Car­rot Cake) and Inter­na­tion­al Ale Styles (Bit­ter­Bitch) respect­ively. Full details of awards are below.

Of course you can get a taste of these brew­er­ies’ beers on the reg­u­lar at Hashigo Zake but today and tomor­row you can taste their wares at the Beer geek’s mecca: Beer­vana.

Beer­vana is where you can live and breathe and drink and learn beer for four hour stints. Not only can you imbibe the nec­tar of the gods but you can attend sem­inars giv­en by brew­ers, drink­ers, chefs, judges and writers. There’s some­thing for every­one and I know I’ll cer­tainly be attend­ing Yvonne Lorkin’s Beer & Food 101 sem­in­ar on Sat­urday.

I say get yourselves to Beer­vana and wal­low* in the great­ness that our brew­ers have to offer.

*do not try to lit­er­ally wal­low in the beer. Though I have heard it is good for your skin and hair.

The Sut­ton Group Brew­ers Guild of New Zea­l­and Awards

New Zea­l­and Cham­pi­on Brew­ery Har­ring­ton’s Brew­er­ies

Cham­pi­on Inter­na­tion­al Brew­ery Boston Beer Co

European Lager Styles Wigram Brew­ing Com­pany: Munch­ner Dunkel

Inter­na­tion­al Lager Styles Tuatara Brew­ing Com­pany: Tuatara Pils­ner

Brit­ish Ale Styles Emer­son’s Brew­ery: Region­al Best Bit­ter

Oth­er European Ale Styles Golden Bear Brew­ing: Pir­ate Peach Sais­on

US Ale Styles Liberty Brew­ing Co: Yakima Mon­ster

Inter­na­tion­al Ale Styles Par­rot­Dog: Bit­ter­Bitch

Stout & Port­er Styles Wigram Brew­ing Com­pany: The Czar

Wheat & Oth­er Grain Styles Tuatara Brew­ing Co Ltd: Tuatara Hefe

Fla­voured & Aged Styles (incl. Fruit/Spice/Herb/ Honey/Smoke) Gar­age Pro­ject: Dark Arts

New Zea­l­and Spe­cif­ic Styles Bound­ary Road Brew­ery: NZ Pure

Spe­cialty, Exper­i­ment­al, Aged, Bar­rel & Wood-Aged Styles 8 Wired Brew­ing: Grand Cru 2011

Cider & Perry Styles Bulmer Har­vest: Har­vest Pear Cider

Cask Con­di­tioned Town­shend Brew­ery: HM’s Black Strap Port­er

Pack­aging Tuatara Brew­ing Com­pany: Tuatara Range

Mor­ton Coutts Trophy for Innov­a­tion James (Jim) Pol­litt

Brew­ers Guild New Zea­l­and Beer Writer of the Year 2012 Phil Cook