Mount Maunganui brewery Mount Brewing Co has taken two wins in the prestigious Top 30 at the 2024 New World Beer & Cider Awards.

This means their beers were scored and ranked among the very best from more than 600 entries from Aotearoa and the world, after a rigorous two-day blind tasting by a panel of industry experts.

“We are stoked to be named twice in the Top 30. We always brew with high aspirations and were hoping for at least one to make it through but two is a fantastic result,” says Mount Brewing Co head brewer, Pawel Lewandowski.

Mount Brewing Crazy Hazy Daze. Photo supplied.

Crazy Hazy Daze is the first hazy beer that Mount Brewing produced and having spent nearly half a decade perfecting the recipe it was a matter of time before it made its Top 30 debut.

“We only finalised the recipe for Crazy Hazy Daze in the last year or so, which is almost five years after it was first brewed, so it’s been quite a labour of love,” says Pawel.

In his tasting notes, chair of judges for the New World Beer & Cider Awards Michael Donaldson says that “the judges raved about this beer, from its golden good looks, soft, pillowy texture and rounded mouthfeel”, adding “Crazy Hazy Daze confirms the skill of the brew team as this is a seamlessly complex beer”.

Mount Brewing Muito Bom. Photo supplied.

Mount’s other winner, Muito Bom, is a more traditional wheat beer, created in collaboration with a Brazilian brewery, ZEV.

With the recipe developed over email and the bringing together of the Kiwi and Brazilian styles of beer, this beer is a perfect combination of familiar and foreign flavours.

“We’ve got quite the international crew here with Polish, German, English and Canadian team members so to create a beer that has the international influence mixed with the Kiwi side is pretty special,” says Pawel.

Mount Brewing Co. team. Photo supplied.

Pawel also said that while Covid tipped much of the brewery scene on its head, Mount Brewing Co used the time to cement a stable and experienced team, which clearly reflects in the quality of their brews.

A place in the Top 30 is a fantastic opportunity for Mount Brewing Co. to reach customers all around the country.

The full list of winners is available online at www.newworld.co.nz/top30. Beer and cider lovers can find all Top 30 winners in New World stores nationwide while stocks last.