Brew scoops regional craft beer bar awards

Rotorua's Brew Craft Beer Pub and co-owner of Croucher Brewing, Paul Croucher, has picked up more awards. PHOTO/FILE

Rotorua's Brew Craft Beer Pub has been named the best bar in the Bay of Plenty at the annual Society of Beer Advocates Awards.

To top it off, Brew's sister bar on The Strand in Tauranga took home the best restaurant award.

The Society of Beer Advocates (Soba) Awards were "designed to recognise, reward and encourage those who are providing excellent products and services to the beer community and industry, the awards are nominated and voted on by the SOBA membership in each region," society president Maree Shaw said.

The awards were announced yesterday.Brew Bar co-owner Paul Croucher said Soba had a reasonably active group in the Bay of Plenty and it was gratifying to receive both awards.

The awards come after Croucher Brewing won the trophy for best specialty beer at October's Brewers Guild of New Zealand 2016 Beer Awards for their Lowrider 2.5 per cent low alcohol beer.

"We had a bit of a dry patch, but the last 12 months have been really good for us.

"The craft beer game is changing rapidly and we have to be consistently relevant, not just consistent."

He said he had a lot of respect for all the bars serving craft beer in the Bay of Plenty, "so to wins these awards is great".

"There's some excellent craft beer lists popping up in Rotorua and the Bay, there's a lot of good beer around right now.

"The food has to be appealing as well and is a critical part of the business. In Rotorua and Tauranga nearly half of our trade is in food.

"But a lot of the credit has to be given to our amazing staff who we are pretty lucky to have with us.

"There's a culture where good people are attracted to the place and enjoy the atmosphere.

"They make our bars an enjoyable place to work and an enjoyable place for our customers, I'm really proud," Mr Croucher said.

Wellington's Garage Project was named best brewery for the third year running, while Upper Hutt's Panhead Supercharger APA won the coveted best beer award for the second time.

This year also saw first-time winners announced in smaller regions like the Bay of Plenty, Whanganui, and Manawatu.

Ms Shaw said it was great to see more bars, restaurants, off licences, and events recognised in the regions compared to previous years.

"More and more people are realising just how diverse and exciting beer can be, and it's fantastic to see more establishments embracing good beer," she said.

The awards also recognise festivals and events in each region, from Wellington's massive Beervana to a more cosy Meet the Brewer tasting in the Bay of Plenty.

"The SOBA members are some of the most knowledgeable beer drinkers in New Zealand [and] all of the winners should be proud of their commitment to good quality and service," she said.