The best beers and brewers have been recognised for excellence at the prestigious 2023 Perth Royal Beer Awards.

Held on 9 June at Claremont Showground by the Royal Agricultural Society of WA (RASWA), the awards highlight the best from across the industry, with more than 50 exhibitors providing 574
beers.

Entries were provided from across the state from Esperance, Kalbarri, Margaret River, Busselton, Denmark, Swan Valley and Perth. There were also entries from Queensland this year.

The Beer Awards judging panel comprised of 65 experts, led by Chief Judge Will Irving, scoring each beer out of 20 according to international judging criteria of appearance, aroma, flavour, technical quality and style.

Rocky Ridge Brewing Company, based in Busselton, had an extraordinary night, winning the coveted overall Champion Beer for their Jindong Balling, along with Champion Large Brewery, Best India Pale Ale Draught and Best Hybrid and Specialty Packaged.

Other big winners on the night were White Lakes Brewing from Baldivis, winning the Champion Medium Brewery Category, and Best Lager Draught while the award for Champion Small Brewery went to nearby King Road Brewing Co, who also won the trophy for Best India Pale Ale Draught.

The Beer Awards kick off the first competition of the annual Perth Royal Food Awards program, which invites food and beverage producers to pit their products against their competitors to seek benchmarking success and gain valuable feedback from industry experts that can elevate their products and business to greater commercial heights.

The 12 annual competitions across categories as diverse as beer, wine and distilled spirits through to dairy, chocolate, branded meats and smallgoods, have attracted top quality judges to assess products mainly from WA entrants, as well as some interstate rivals.

This year the Beer Awards event was open to the public for the first time, giving attendees exclusive opportunity to find out first about what’s hot and why, and enjoy on-the-spot tastings.

Chief Judge Will Irving said while there were no obvious trends this year, the quality of the beer was outstanding.

“We had an exceptionally talented and experienced judging panel to sort through every conceivable style of beer. Tasting and scoring more than 570 beers is no small task,” he said.

“I must commend our outstanding beer industry, which continues to punch above its weight and excite with innovation and a commitment to quality.

“What sets these beer awards apart from other competitions is the robust integrity shown throughout the entire process.”

RASWA CEO Robyn Sermon said as an organisation, RASWA was passionate about supporting producers and communities, which it has been doing for more than 190 years.

“Along with our iconic breweries, it is very exciting to see the upcoming brewers from across the State and see them recognised for their hard work and excellence in their product,” she said.

“Our vibrant beer sector is a major driver of economic activity from farmers to brewing and all the way through to retail, tourism and hospitality.

“West Australian produce has sustained the lives of regional communities, triumphed on stages around the world and brought joy to diner’s palettes far and wide.

“We can all continue looking forward to discovering new products and producers, and cheer on known producers as they continue improving their offerings for greater commercial success.”

RASWA is a not-for-profit agricultural organisation that not only supports WA producers but also agricultural students and their communities through the RASWA Foundation.

2023 PERTH ROYAL FOOD AWARDS PRESENTATION SCHEDULE:

• BEER – Friday 9 June
• DAIRY – Friday 30 June
• CHOCOLATE – Friday 30 June
• BREAD & PASTRY – Wednesday 26 July
• DISTILLED SPIRITS – Friday 9 August
• WINE – Friday 1 September
• SMALLGOODS, BRANDED MEAT – Friday 27 October

Results Catalogue