There's a lot of beer available and a lot of it's good but what separates a good beer from a great one? And what exactly goes on at beer judging? To find out, we spent three days tracing the judging of the Juicy-Hazy category and spoke to the brewer behind the overall winner to find out what makes a Champion Hazy Beer.
How does a session IPA designed for easy beach drinking beat out both session beers and bigger IPAs for beer awards? None of us, including the brewer, seem to quite know the answer. But read about the beer that does it in The Story Of Moff's Summer Ale.
Emma Locke's first brush with beer came while pulling pints of cask ale to help fund a uni degree in the heart of England. Now, having switched British pubs for WA's Beerfarm, she's been named Indies Young Gun of the Year for 2022.
White Bay claimed Champion Beer for their Lager at the 2022 Indies, a night on which Moffat Beach continued their remarkable run of form, and Jade Flavell of The Wheaty won a Champion Brewery trophy and the Services To Industry award.
Ahead of the 2022 Indies awards, we went behind the scenes at judging. While there, Will Ziebell spent time with Joslyn Erickson, the Indies Coordinator, to find out who and what goes into becoming a beer awards steward.
Last year, an audit of recent Indies awards saw a number of state trophies change hands. It led to a review of the entire judging process, which has now concluded with significant changes including new categories and a mentoring program.
Four state champion trophies from the Indies awards in 2020 and 2021 are changing hands following an independent audit of results. Wildflower, Future Mountain and Mismatch are the new recipients as the audit continues.
WA's Blasta are once again toasting their awards success, with the brewery's wheat beer named Champion Beer at The Indies. The perennial award winners at Moffat Beach also had a huge night, as did Stomping Ground and Future Mountain.
Hepburn Springs Brewing Co's trophy triumph at the 2020 Indies was one of the highlights of the night. We got in touch with the tiny family-run operation to find out more about their inspiring win.
Range had an impressive night at the Indies 2020, taking out four trophies including Champion Australian Independent Beer. Perennial award winners Dainton and Moffat Beach also added to their considerable collection of silverware.