Image: Melbourne Royal Australian International Beer Awards
You’ve probably seen Pirate Life sprawled across the ice cold taps that drip behind the bar at your local pub down the road.
Now they’ve been named Champion Large Australian Brewery, one of the top Champion Trophies at the 2026 Australian International Beer Awards. Melbourne Royal described the win as recognising Pirate Life as “fearless, flavour-forward, and fiercely consistent,” saying the South Australian brewery continues to set the pace nationally.
Mark Moran, Pirate Life General Manager said the team were stoked about the win.
“Awards like this don’t come easy, especially given the standard across the industry,” he said.
“We just focus on the one-percenters and brewing the beers we love – so to be recognised like this is unreal for the whole crew.”
“It comes down to consistency and the people behind it.
“We put a lot into getting the details right, every single day, across the entire range.
“There’s a real drive in the crew to keep improving, and that shows in the beers we’re putting out.”
Alongside the major win, Pirate Life had a huge showing taking home five gold, two silver, four bronze medals and a Consistency of Excellence Medal for Mosaic.
“Mosy is a big one for us,” Mark said.
“It’s been part of the family since 2017 and celebrates a style we love brewing.
“Seeing it recognised for consistency is massive – it shows we’re hitting the mark batch after batch, which is something we take a lot of pride in.”
It all started over ten years ago, when Perth brewers Jack Cameron and Jared Proudfoot headed across the Nullarbor Plain bound for Adelaide and a 1,000-square-metre site in Hindmarsh.
Alongside Jack’s dad and Pirate Life’s founding CEO, Michael “MC” Cameron, they set about transforming the space into a working brewery, installing a 2,500-litre Premier Stainless brew kit, six fermenters and a semi-automated canning line.
What started in that Hindmarsh warehouse has since grown into one of Australia’s most recognisable beer brands, with Pirate Life now pouring everywhere from local pubs to major venues across the country.
“For us, it’s about staying true to what we do and always striving for quality,” Mark said.
“We stand behind our processes, our beers, and our crew – and that mindset goes a long way in a competitive space like this.”
The awards, which are Australia’s largest beer competition celebrates excellence in brewing and cider production across Australia and globally.
Another major South Australian winner was Mismatch Brewing Company, which took out Best Australian Style Pale Ale for its Session Ale. The award adds to a standout result for the Nairne-based brewery, which also claimed gold for its India Pale Ale and Evil Archies Red IPA.
Coopers Brewery, Kick Back Brewing Company, Uraidla Brewery, Little Bang Brewing Co, Watsacowie, Malt Donkey and several other local names were also recognised with medals across the competition.
Coopers picked up gold for its Australian Lager and Coopers Dark Ale, Kick Back Brewing Company claimed gold for Good Folk and Crisp Session Ale, Uraidla Brewery landed gold for Half Moon Session Pale Ale and Equinox, Little Bang Brewing Co took home gold for Doom Bound, Malt Donkey won gold for Orvyn, and Watsacowie claimed gold for Arcadia Holiday Ale.
Next year these gold winners could all be champions, as SA’s beer industry continues to grow.
For a full list of the winners, click here.
