Finalists named in the inaugural Beer Championships

The beers were assessed by a panel of 19 judges, supported by six stewards, using a judging and feedback model designed to look beyond traditional competition scoring and provide breweries with useful insight into how their beers progressed through the competition. Beer Championships Co-founder Justin Fox said the breadth of the finalist field was one of the most exciting outcomes from the competition’s first year.

“One of the things we hoped the Championships would do was give us the opportunity to tell more stories about great beer and the breweries making it,” he said. “When you look more closely at the list of 42 finalists, you start to see some really interesting things – breweries performing strongly across very different styles, multiple beers from the same brewery making it through highly competitive categories and established national brands sitting alongside breweries that many drinkers may not have discovered yet.”

Notable success among the finalists includes Tasmania’s Bicheno Brewing which secured three finalist positions across three different categories, with its Launch Lager in Australian Lager; Italian Ti Ama Pilsner in Lager; and Juicy Pale in Pale. Victoria’s Blackman’s Brewery also has three beers including two of the six Pale finalists, Mervyn and Ernie, and Arthur in the Dark category.

Queensland’s Slipstream Brewing Company demonstrated similar breadth, with Laguna Pacific Ale progressing in Australian Pale, G-Force IPA in IPA and Stealth Mode Black IPA in Dark. Shambles Brewery secured two of the six places in the Lower Alcohol category, while Alby, CBCo Brewing and Love Shack Brewing Co each have two beers among the 42 finalists.

The field also brings together some of Australia’s best-known beer brands with smaller independent breweries, reflecting the competition’s focus on what is in the glass rather than the brewery behind it. The Beer Championships was created by Fox, Jayne Lewis and Cass Cochrane earlier this year, with a focus on bringing a new perspective to beer competitions, delivering meaningful feedback and commercial impact.

“We wanted to build something that genuinely gives breweries something back, rather than simply putting a medal on a beer and moving on,” said Fox. “The response from breweries in our first year has been incredible. To have 262 beers from 74 breweries take a chance on a brand-new competition and a new way of evaluating beer has given us enormous confidence in what we’re building.”

The seven category Champions will be announced at The Beer Championships Awards Ceremony at Brunswick Town Hall on Wednesday 14 October. A Champion Small Brewery, Champion Medium Brewery and Champion Large Brewery will also be awarded.

See the 2026 Beer Championships finalists below:

Champion Australian Lager

• Bicheno Brewing – Launch Lager
• Alby – Alby Draught
• Beerfarm – Lager
• Deep Elite Brewing – Periscope Lager
• Great Northern Brewing Co – Great Northern Original
• travla – Australian Full Strength Lager

Champion Lager

• CBCo Brewing – Goldy Lager
• Bright Brewery – Alpine Lager
• Eagle Bay Brewing Co – West Coast Pilsner
• Bicheno Brewing – Italian Ti Ama Pilsner
• Devilbend Farm Beer Co – 120 Day Pilsner
• Love Shack Brewing Co – Love Shack Lager

Champion Australian Pale

• Slipstream Brewing Company – Laguna Pacific Ale
• Balter – XPA
• Otherside Brewing – Rhapsody
• Philter Brewing – Philter XPA
• BentSpoke Brewing Co – Barley Griffin
• Big Little Brewing – Big Little Pale Ale

Champion Pale

• Tar Barrel – Corner Pale
• CBCo Brewing – Pale Ale
• Blackman’s Brewery – Mervyn
• Blackman’s Brewery – Ernie
• Bicheno Brewing – Juicy Pale
• Broulee Brewhouse – Pale Ale

Champion IPA

• Urban Alley Brewery – Misdirection
• Mountain Goat – Bract to The Brewer
• Moo Brew – IPA
• Slipstream Brewing Company – G-Force IPA
• Ripple Brewing – Field Day #5
• Margaret River Beer Co – In The Pines

Champion Dark

• Blackman’s Brewery – Arthur
• Little Creatures – White Rabbit Dark Ale
• Stomping Ground – Bunker Porter
• Aether Brewing – Black XPA
• Slipstream Brewing Company – Stealth Mode Black IPA
• Mitta Mitta Brewing Company – Black Velvet Revolution

Champion Lower Alcohol

• Shambles Brewery – Session IPA – Baggy Green
• Alby – Alby Crisp
• Grainfed Brewing Company – Game Day Lager
• Gage Roads Brew Co – Yeah Buoy
• Love Shack Brewing Co – Love Shack Mid Red Ale
• Shambles Brewery – Hazy Mid – Singularity