Thanks for the props! However, just a little correction on your opening section: our "Punkadiddle" didn't actually win any medals as it wasn't entered in the awards... it was only brewed two weeks ago, was still fermenting when the judging took place, so only arrived at the town hall the night before the festival (another beauty of low ABV beer, besides its sessionability, is the super fast turnaround - there wouldn't have been a beer there anywhere near as fresh).

There may be another beer or two in your list that didn't medal but they're all damn good!

Slainte
Stu - Yeastie Boys

You are right Hayden. Spot on.

I played a lot of cricket and can assure you that, unfortunately, the men on the field are likely to be no more gentlemanly (just less drunk). That aside, there is no greater sporting contest than a good 5 day test.

A good sculpture, I reckon, and I do really like the idea of having it up on the walkway.

They could always make it 10x bigger and put it on the Wellywood hill ;-)

hounds-tooth Hammer Pants

I'm wearing them right now - "Someone needed pant".

more hand-pumped cask-conditioned real ale

We had a handpump serving "bag-conditioned" Nerdherder pale ale (it is essentially a huge bladder - like a giant version of the bags that cask wine goes into). It was easily the biggest volume seller at our stand, which is funny because although we've been doing it for 18 months I'm always really nervous about what the average drinker will think of "flat beer".

The Malthouse, Bar Edward and D4 do kegged beer through handpumps, while Hashigo Zake, The Malthouse and Bar Edward do bagged beer through them.

Neither system is quite as amazing as a perfectly conditioned cask ale but it is a very good alternative given the limitations of bars (at least until someone can chip in a million dollars to set up Yeastie boys brewpub in Wellington).

Stu - a Yeastie Boy

Hashigo Zake already have their case earmarked for a Yeastie Boys tasting next month ... who knows what The Malthouse Wizard has in mind with the other one but no doubt he'll spread the word (and love) when he works something out.

My beer of the day, for what it is worth, was Mata's Wheat Beer - Belgian-style with homegrown tangelos and horopito. Summer in a bottle... wow!

Cheers
Stu the Yeastie Boy

ps. I'd rather have some anchovy than pork on my pizza.

Good call. It's not the size of your horseshoe but the detail of your Dali.
I've never grown a moustache, only beards, and I don't intend to this year - I just hope Ocsober (no drinking in October) doesn't take off 'round these parts.

Nice to come across this, great to see anything about Beervana and BrewNZ.... three weeks in Australia and I'd forgot all about talking to you.

A few points:

I agree with the food and know this is on the agenda for next year.

Beers can win a category trophy if they are generally available for sale in New Zealand. Baltika met this requirement, hence the win.

I agree that NZ Draught should be incorporated into an international lager category but the argument is certainly not entirely one sided. It is in my mind but not when people start arguing back.

On the lager/ale debate... Pretty much anything made by Lion or DB, besides a few Mac's beers, will be a lager. Examples: Speight's Golde Medal Ale = lager. Tui East India Pale Ale = lager. It's a story worth following up but it does get complicated (lager yeast fermented at ale temps and vice-versa). None of these beers are are worth the water (and sugar) that they are made with. Let alone the ink that they lie with.

You say: There are a certain amount of Golds, Silvers and Bronzes to give out.
This is not correct. There is no limit - every beer or zero beers can receive medals. Gold, silver and bronze medals are are given to each and every beer that meets the required style standard. So, in theory, all 8 NZ Draughts could have received gold - in reality, only one beer was good enough. Good enough for the judges, against the style, but not for your beer fridge or mine!

Congrats to the champion brewer - an inspirational man - and to David Cryer and his Brewer's Guild Committee who pulled off a phenomenal event on the smell of an oily rag (or alcoholic rag) and the sweat of volunteers.

Finally - I (as Yeastie Boy owner) am not the trophy + gold medal winning person who is outspoken against the judging. I've worked in the awards for 5 years so probably have a better understanding of how it works than the one who do complain... perhaps they should get involved. I'm proud of our beer being champion of the "Porters and Stouts" (and even more so the People's Choice one) and, too, of all the people I have volunteered with over the last 5 years. There are still improvements to be made but we're streets ahead of where we have ever been.

Cheers
Stu - www.yeastieboys.co.nz