Brew and improved
Zero and low-carb beers rise up, and weirdos get a category of their own: Michael Donaldson reveals some BTS moments from the 2025 New World Beer & Cider Awards
Pictured above: scenes from the judging panel; Michael Donaldson on the far right
Michael Donaldson – prolific beer writer, author and editor of Pursuit of Hoppiness – has been chair of the judging team for the New World Beer & Cider Awards for close to a decade. This year’s awards saw the panel of experts evaluating more than 650 beers and ciders across 13 categories, and selecting a top 25. As a judge on numerous food and travel industry awards – but never having judged a beer competition – I was curious about what it’s like behind the scenes, so Michael filled me in.
This year brought about a new category, Weird & Wonderful
Craft beer is incredibly creative and boundary-pushing. Often the trends in beer move faster than industry-driven style guidelines so Weird & Wonderful offers a chance for breweries to enter beers that might not fit into normal categories and have them judged for their creativity and ability to astonish. Yes, they still have to taste good and to fit into normal judging expectations around good balance, no technical faults – but it’s a chance for a beer to have the equivalent of an open mic moment. There’s always been room in judging for experimental brews but they are often judged against a base beer style, whereas Weird & Wonderful is judged on the flavour and the “wow” factor. It’s also a chance for consumers to see beers that might not be normally available on supermarket shelves, which usually feature higher volume products in more recognisable categories.
Was that the trickiest category to judge this year – or is there another category that is really toughly fought every year?
Hazy and juicy [is the most challenging], just for the sheer weight of numbers. We had seven tables of beer judges and with the hazies it meant each table had to judge 17-19 of these. We had to split these into smaller packages of 8-9 beers otherwise the judges risk palate fatigue. Hazies by nature are intensely flavoured and very hoppy so even for experienced judges tasting so many in a row can be very hard. We want them all to have a fair chance. The top beers from each table go into a second round, and even with the hazies that means another judging experience, where they have to be ranked against other. And when the quality is so good, separating out the excellent from the very good is so hard.
Chilli, pickles (together even), coconut… have any flavour additions proven to be a hard ‘no’ from the judging team?
No! We welcome everything with open minds. Beers only get a hard no if there’s a problem with the brewing.
Zero alcohol beers are growing in popularity, and to my mind seem to have seriously improved in taste
They have seriously improved. This is combination of factors. Brewers have far more understanding of what they’re trying to achieve but most of the innovations are around ingredients and techniques. There’s so many ways to make a non-alc and getting all the factors aligned is key. The most important developments are around yeast. Yeast manufacturers are now making speciality yeasts that are designed not to produced much alcohol. Yeast is such an under-rated ingredient in any beer. Yeast can create lots of flavour (or none at all if you use a neutral strain). In non-alcs, these specialist yeasts can create an aroma-taste profile without “off” flavours. They also ferment only certain sugars meaning you can get a naturally super-low abv. There’s also new products and techniques around hops and how they are used to ensure the bitterness doesn’t get out of hand. In short, innovation on all fronts is driving progress.
Low-carb beer is a category that’s also booming – these days, would you be able to detect that you’re drinking a low-carb when tasting blind, or not?
Experienced judges could possibly pick a low carb beer based on the palate weight and texture, but with the ones in this competition that came through it would be very hard – especially Urbanaut Copacabana IPA. Modern IPA is already tending towards that light and dry style so this is in closely in keeping with the current market. Urbanaut’s Beat Street Hazy Pale Ale is remarkable, in that it’s very hard to pick that it’s low carb. Quite a feat. The highly commended also features two low carbs: Epic Blue and Eddyline’s Eddylite. They are both incredible and impossible to pick as low carb for most punters.
Cider – always made on the too-sweet tip here in NZ. Convince me I’m wrong!
Try the Peckham’s Classic Apple. It’s an incredible mesh of flavours and aromas. The traditional cider apples offer a great aroma and some lovely tannins that offset the sweetness of crushed apples. The judges said it had flavours of “dried apple and apricot, honey, subtle spice. Flavours carry through really nicely on the palate and overall this is a lovely cider. It has some good tannins and I think just enough sweetness to make it approachable to those new to the trad style. Lovely and moreish.
Explore and shop the Top 25 beers and ciders here.
