Karamu Barrelworks, a small farmhouse brewery in rural Waikato, has been named Overall Champion New Zealand Brewing Company at the 2026 New Zealand Beer Awards. The result was announced during the competition’s 20th-anniversary ceremony in Dunedin on Saturday, July 25.
The victory follows Karamu’s Champion New Zealand Micro Brewery award in 2025. It places owner and sole brewer Daryl Bryant’s small operation ahead of breweries from every production category.
Who Runs Karamu Barrelworks?
Karamu operates from a purpose-built shed beside an old farmhouse about 30 minutes southwest of Hamilton. Bryant, a former civil engineer, constructed much of the facility himself and turned professional in 2021.
The brewery produces approximately 10,000 litres annually, well below the 50,000-litre limit for the microbrewery category. No nationwide expansion or new distribution agreement has been announced following its latest win.
How Karamu Makes Its Beer
Bryant specialises in Belgian-influenced wild and fruit beers. Some use spontaneous fermentation, allowing naturally present microorganisms to contribute to fermentation rather than depending entirely on a selected commercial yeast strain.
The method can create noticeable differences between barrels, particularly when fruit is added. Careful ageing, tasting and blending are therefore important before the finished beer is released.
Belgian beer has a long-standing place in Auckland hospitality, although the closure of the De Fontein Belgian beer café in Mission Bay ended more than two decades of trading in April 2026.
Karamu and Emerson’s Won Different Titles
Karamu received the leading company award, which reflects a brewery’s overall competition performance. The separate Champion New Zealand Beer trophy went to Emerson’s Pride of the Plains, winner of the NZ Lager and NZ Pilsner category.
Emerson Brewing Company collected four trophies and was named Champion Large New Zealand Brewery. Its Ingrid Weizenbock won the Wheat and Other Grain class.
How the Awards Were Judged
Judging was held at Riccarton Park in Christchurch from June 29 to July 1. The competition received 660 beers from 70 brewers, with entries assessed for appearance, aroma, flavour, mouthfeel, technical execution and suitability for their declared styles.
Head judge Tina Panoutsos said approximately 80% of entries received a medal. The result adds to a year of recognition for the country’s food-and-drink businesses following the announcement of New Zealand’s first Michelin-star restaurant winners.
2026 Champion Brewery Winners
- Overall Champion: Karamu Barrelworks
- Champion New Zealand Beer: Emerson’s Pride of the Plains
- Large Brewery: Emerson Brewing Company
- Medium Brewery: Mount Brewing Co
- Small Brewery: Shining Peak Brewing
- Micro Brewery: Neck of the Woods Beer Co
- Australian Brewery: Two Bays Brewing Co
- NZ Manufacturer: Steam Brewing Company
What the Award Means for Karamu
Karamu’s move from champion microbrewery in 2025 to the overall title in 2026 demonstrates that production scale is not the deciding factor in the awards. Technical quality and performance across submitted beers carry greater weight.
The recognition could increase demand, but Karamu’s limited output means wider retail availability should not be assumed. Complete medal and trophy results are available on the official New Zealand Beer Awards page.
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