Barossa

2021 Royal Adelaide Beer and Cider Award winners announced

South Australian breweries have dominated at the 2021 Royal Adelaide Beer and Cider Awards.

South Australian breweries have dominated at the 2021 Royal Adelaide Beer and Cider Awards.

McLaren Vale’s Vale Brewing scooped the pool with three trophies, including the coveted Most Outstanding Beer
in Show for their Fox Hat Phat Mongrel. An oatmeal stout, this beer also won the Champion Porter or Stout title,
and Vale Brewing was named Champion Large Brewery.

Beer and Cider competition Chair of Beer Judges Stephen Nelsen said the Awards, run by the Royal Agricultural &
Horticultural Society of South Australia, recognise achievements in quality, consistency and innovation from Australia’s ever-growing brewing and cider industries.

“This year’s awards attracted 299 entries from breweries of all sizes from across Australia, with all entries judged blind by expert industry panels,” Mr Nelsen said.

“This year we noted that the sour beers were more balanced and the barrel characteristics more harmonised – it was also exciting to see all manner of fruits and micro-organisms being experimented with.”

“Pilsners were well represented, and I foresee a return to lager styles in the near future, led by the darker and
European variants. The number of ales also forged ahead, especially American-style pale ales and all manner of things called ‘IPA’.”

Another South Australian brewery, Barossa Valley Brewing, took out the Champion Small Brewery trophy, while Port Adelaide’s Pirate Life Brewing won the Champion Lager trophy with their Dark Lager. Near neighbours, Big Shed Brewing Concern won the Champion Alternative Grain Beer/Speciality class with their Mega Bare Bones Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, while McLaren Vale’s Swell Brewing won the Champion Reduced Alcohol Beer title with Small Swell.

Interstate breweries to triumph included Stomping Ground Brewing Co from Melbourne, who won the Best New Exhibit trophy with their Bunker Porter, and Otherside Brewing Co whose Anthem IPA was named Champion Ale.

In the Cider class, Barossa Valley Cider Company won the Best Cider in Show and Best South Australian Cider Exhibit trophies with their Squashed Apple Cider, while Hills Cider Company won Best Perry in Show with their
Hills Cider Pear.

Chief cider judge Warwick Billings said cider has grown in popularity and diversity in recent years and the Royal Adelaide Show Beer and Cider Awards has evolved to keep pace with changes in the market.

“This was particularly shown by the significant increase in flavoured ciders that the judges had to consider this year,” he said.

“Overall cider entries were slightly down, and perhaps experimentation is up, shown by the diversity of ciders received – some great ciders shone through.”

Details of the award winning beers and ciders can be found on www.theshow.com.au

2021 ROYAL ADELAIDE BEER AND CIDER AWARD WINNERS

BEER AWARDS

THE CCL LABEL TROPHY for CHAMPION REDUCED ALCOHOL BEER
Sponsored by CCL Label Solutions
Winner: Swell Brewing Company Co Pty Ltd, Small Swell.

THE SIP’N SAVE TROPHY for CHAMPION LAGER
Sponsored by Sip’n Save
Winner: Pirate Life Brewing, Dark Larger

THE BOC TROPHY for CHAMPION ALE
Sponsored by BOC
Winner: Otherside Brewing Co, Anthem IPA

THE ANDALE TROPHY for CHAMPION PORTER OR STOUT
Sponsored by Andale
Winner: Vale Brewing, Fox Hat Phat Mongrel

THE ECOLAB TROPHY for CHAMPION ALTERNATIVE GRAIN BEER/SPECIALTY
Sponsored by Ecolab
Winner: Big Shed Brewing Concern, Mega Bare Bones Barrel Aged

THE SIMON FAHEY TROPHY for BEST NEW EXHIBIT
Highest scoring exhibit from an exhibitor in their first year of exhibiting.
Sponsored by Simon Fahey
Winner: Stomping Ground Brewing Co, Bunker Porter

MAJOR AWARDS

THE BINTANI AUSTRALIA TROPHY for CHAMPION SMALL BREWERY
(Brewery must produce less than 2,50000 hectolitres per annum)
Awarded to the highest scoring small brewery (from the average of the four top scoring exhibits entered).
Sponsored by Bintani Australia
Winner: Barossa Valley Brewing Pty Ltd, wet hop neipa cascade focus

THE FASSINA LIQUOR TROPHY for CHAMPION LARGE BREWERY
(2,50000 hectolitres or greater per annum)
Awarded to the highest scoring large brewery (from the average of the four top scoring exhibits entered)
Sponsored by Fassina Liquor
Winner: Vale Brewing, Fox Hat Phat Mongrel

THE ORORA GROUP TROPHY for MOST OUTSTANDING BEER IN SHOW
Awarded to the highest scoring exhibit overall.
Sponsored by Orora Group
Winner: Vale Brewing, Fox Hat Phat Mongrel

CIDER AWARDS

THE CCL LABEL SOLUTIONS TROPHY FOR BEST CIDER IN SHOW
Sponsored by CCL Label
Winner: The Barossa Valley Cider Company Pty Ltd, Squashed Apple Cider

THE ASHTON VALLEY FRESH TROPHY for BEST PERRY IN SHOW
Sponsored by Ashton Valley Fresh
Winner: Hills Cider Company, Hills Cider Pear

THE WINEQUIP TROPHY for BEST SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CIDER EXHIBIT
To be eligible for this trophy Cider or Perry must have been fermented in South Australia using at least 90% South
Australian Fruit.
Sponsored by Winequip Adelaide
Winner: The Barossa Valley Cider Company Pty Ltd, Squashed Apple Cider

More News

To Top