Classes and minimum volume requirements

Class

Definition

1a. Low alcohol and non-alcoholic beer

All beer containing less than 1.15% ABV

1b. Low carb beer

All beer labelled as low carb 

2. Lager

All products labelled as Lager including dark lagers

3. Pilsner

All products labelled as Pilsner

4. Pale Ale

All products labelled as Pale Ale. Includes American pale ale, NZ pale ale, extra pale ale, XPA, strong pale ale etc.

Excludes Hazy Pale Ale – enter into class 6 Hazy / Juicy

5. IPA

All products labelled as IPA. Includes double IPA, red IPA, black IPA etc.

Excludes Hazy IPA – enter into class 6 Hazy / Juicy

6. Hazy & juicy

All products labelled as Hazy or Juicy or featuring descriptions such as NEIPA, cloudy, oat, cream etc. This category also includes products labelled as unfiltered if the beer is made in a hazy/juicy style.

7. Stout & porter

All products labelled as stout or porter.

8. Other ales & beers (including wheat & other grain beer)

All products that fall outside the other beer classes eg brown ales, Belgian-styles, Scotch ales, bitter, summer ale, Irish ale, amber ale etc. including all products labelled as wheat beer and predominantly featuring other grains such as rye, oats, rice, corn, gluten free etc.

9. Sour beer

All products labelled as sour including fruited sour, dessert sour etc.

10. Barrel-aged & wood-aged

All products labelled as barrel-aged or wood-aged

11. Fruit, flavoured & spiced

All products that have added fruit, flavouring or spice.

Excludes fruited, flavoured or spiced sour beers – enter into Class 9 Sour Beers

12. Weird & wonderful beer

An inclusion of an unexpected or unconventional ingredient that deviates from the standard recipe or style. It introduces an element of surprise, creativity, or innovation, adding a unique twist that you wouldn't typically find in the traditional version.

The weird and wonderful ingredient breaks the norm, enhancing the flavour profile, texture, or overall experience with something delightful, surprising, or unusual. Think Festival Beers :-)

13. Low alcohol and non-alcoholic cider and mead

Cider, cider blends and mead containing less than 1.15% ABV

14a. Modern cider – dry

Up to 20.5g/L residual sugar or Final S.G. of < 1.008

14b. Modern cider – medium

20.5-38.2g/L residual sugar or Final S.G. 1.008-1.015

14c. Modern cider – sweet

More than 38.2g/L residual sugar or Final S.G of > 1.015

15a. Traditional cider – dry

Up to 20.5g/L residual sugar or Final S.G. of < 1.008

15b. Traditional cider – medium

20.5-38.2g/L residual sugar or Final S.G. 1.008-1.015

15c. Traditional cider – sweet

More than 38.2g/L residual sugar or Final S.G of > 1.015

16. Perry & pear cider

Minimum 75% pear juice, maximum 25% apple juice, with no other fruit or flavouring, and must have the characteristics of pear cider. Maximum of 9% ABV.

17a. Cider blends – cider with fruit

Cider or perry/pear cider made with added fruit only. Max ABV 9%. Excludes ciders with a blend of fruit and spices, botanicals etc – enter into Class 17b

17b. Cider blends – cider with spices, botanicals or honey

Cider or perry / pear cider made with added spices, botanicals or honey, including ginger, chili, chocolate / cocoa, elderflower. Includes those ciders also blended with fruit. Max ABV 9%

18. Specialty cider

Cider or perry / pear cider that does not fit in any other category including hopped cider, ice cider, bottle fermented and heavily oaked ciders. Please include the intended style under the Brewers Notes.

19. Alcoholic gingerbeer, kombucha, hard tea, soda, seltzer, mead etc

Enter grocery-compliant products that don’t fall into earlier classes into this class for evaluation. Please include the intended style under the Brewers Notes.

Important: due to the long approval times, your product(s) must be approved as grocery compliant by Foodstuffs North Island and South Island legal teams PRIOR to judging.