Roaring success for Lion with eight medals at Brewers Guild Awards

The Sutton Group Brewers Guild of New Zealand Awards have been announced with Lion scooping one gold, four silver and three bronze medals across its Steinlager, Speight’s and Mac’s brands. Mac’s Isaac’s Cider enjoyed particular success, winning gold for its Apple Cider and bronze for its latest creation, Winter Cider. 

Lion won the following medals:

• Gold – Isaac’s Apple Cider (Cider and Perry Styles)
• Silver – Mac’s Gold (New Zealand Specific Styles)
• Silver – Mac’s Black Mac (Stout and Porter Styles)
• Sliver – Mac’s Spring Tide (International Lager Styles)
• Silver – Steinlager Pure (International Lager Styles)
• Bronze – Isaac’s Winter Cider (Cider and Perry Styles)
• Bronze – Speight’s Gold Medal Ale (New Zealand Specific Styles)
• Bronze – Steinlager Premium Light (European Lager Styles)

Lion first entered the cider market in 2009 under the Mac’s brand. Just as the apple fell down and hit Isaac Newton square on the head, Mac’s enjoyed an equally splendid flash of inspiration and launched its apple cider using New Zealand grown apples which was an instant hit with consumers. Since then
Mac’s has expanded its range to include four different flavours, the latest being Winter Cider (served warm or chilled), which launched in May this year.

“We are delighted to keep winning awards as it recognises our unwavering commitment to brewing beers and ciders of the highest quality. These awards acknowledge the outstanding skill and dedication of our team of world class brewers,” says Danny Phillips, Brand Director at Lion.

“In particular, our entry into the cider market is still fairly recent so it’s great to receive industry accolades for our efforts so early on. Given the huge amount of media attention in craft beer at the moment, it’s also fantastic to see that Mac’s, New Zealand’s original craft beer brand, continues to stand toe to toe with the
many newer craft beers entered into the awards. We’re also pleased that the Steinlager and Speight’s brands continue to be recognised as providing beers of outstanding quality, as they have over their long and proud histories.”

In its eleventh year, the Awards continued to be strongly contested with 460 entries in 2012. The Awards were handed out at a gala evening in Wellington last Thursday hosted by the iconic entertainer Te Radar.