Australia’s best brewers have been recognised at the 2026 Perth Royal Food Awards Beer competition with standout producers from across Western Australia claiming top honours following rigorous blind judging by a panel of industry experts.
The annual competition continues to highlight the strength, diversity and innovation of Australia’s brewing sector from technically precise lagers and hop-driven IPAs through to emerging alcohol-free styles reflecting changing consumer tastes.
This year’s competition attracted 482 entries, with judges awarding 77 Gold, 178 Silver and 153 Bronze Medals, alongside 17 Trophies and 5 Champion Trophies.
The coveted Champion Beer Trophy was awarded to King Road Brewing Co (Oldbury, WA) for their Pale Ale, recognised by judges as the outstanding beer of the competition across all classes. King Road Brewing Co's Pale Ale also collected the Trophy for Best Pale Ale Packaged, and their IPA won the Trophy for Best India Pale Packaged.
“Winning Champion Beer is an incredible result for our team. A lot of care goes into every batch we produce, so to have our Pale Ale recognised in this way is hugely rewarding. The Perth Royal Food Awards are a respected platform within our industry, and we’re proud to have the work we do acknowledged and celebrated,”said Steve Wearing, Head Brewer at King Road Brewing Co.
Western Australian producers won big with Campus Brewing (Canning Vale, WA) awarded three trophies, and CBCo Brewing (Bramley, WA), Lucky Bay Brewing (Esperance, WA) and Rocky Ridge Brewing Company (Jindong, WA) awarded two trophies each.
Responding to evolving consumer preferences, the 2026 competition introduced a new Alcohol-Free Packaged Trophy, which was awarded to Boston Brewing Company (Denmark, WA) for their Little Wren Non-Alcoholic Raspberry Sour, recognising excellence in one of the fastest-growing segments of the beer market.
Purchases of zero-alcohol beer and related beverages in Australia have more than doubled since 2020, with the category now representing around 10% of total beer sales, highlighting strong momentum in mindful drinking trends.
Each entry in the Perth Royal Food Awards - Beer is assessed through blind judging against strict technical criteria, including appearance, aroma, flavour, style and overall quality. This commitment to independent judging, diversity of expertise and transparency continues to set the Awards apart, ensuring medals are awarded purely on merit.
The Judging Team consisted of more than 55 judges allocated to 10 panels, who were supported across two intensive days of adjudicating by Chief Judge, Dan Feist. Dan has more than 15 years' global experience in the industry and is currently Head Brewer at Pirate Life Perth.
“The standard this year was incredibly strong across both traditional and experimental styles. As the judging is blind and technically rigorous, receiving a medal is something brewers can take real pride in,”said Dan Feist.
Perth Royal Food Awards - Beer | Chief Judge Dan Feist and Royal Agricultural Society of WA Food & Beverage Ambassador Alex Crisp. Photo by Dan MacBride.
Two members of the Pink Boots Society’s ‘Pathway to Judging’ program also participated as a Judge and a Steward, supporting the continued development of women and non-binary professionals within the fermentation industry.
Australia is home to more than 600 independent breweries, with over 120 based in Western Australia, supporting the State and regional economies, tourism and agricultural supply chains through their use of locally grown barley, wheat and hops.
Robyn Sermon, CEO, Royal Agricultural Society of WA, said:
“Western Australia continues to build a strong reputation as one of the most exciting brewing regions in the country. The results this year reflect both the technical capability of our brewers and their willingness to innovate across traditional and emerging styles, including the fast-growing alcohol-free category.
“The Perth Royal Food Awards are about recognising that excellence while celebrating the people and businesses helping shape Australia’s evolving beer culture. It is once again wonderful to see breweries from so many different WA regions recognised."
The Perth Royal Food Awards Beer competition is part of the wider Perth Royal Food Awards program, celebrating excellence across Australia’s food and beverage industries.
Perth Royal Food Awards medals continue to serve as a trusted signal of quality for consumers at the bottle shop or bar, while offering producers valuable third-party recognition and benchmarking against peers in the industry.
Perth Royal Food Awards | Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC Minister for Agriculture and Food; Fisheries; Forestry; Small Business; Mid West with Brittany Aikman from CBCo. Photo by Dan MacBride.
Winners | Special Trophies
🏆 Champion Beer | Pale Ale, King Road Brewing Co (Oldbury, WA)
🏆 Champion Large Brewery | Rocky Ridge Brewing Company (Jindong, WA)
🏆 Champion Medium Brewery | Campus Brewing (Canning Vale, WA)
🏆 Champion Small Brewery | Lucky Bay Brewing (Esperance, WA)
🏆 Best New Exhibitor | Ripple Brewing (Beaconsfield, WA)
Winners | Trophies
🏆 Best Lager Packaged | West Coast Pilsner, Eagle Bay Brewing Co (Eagle Bay, WA)
🏆 Best Lager Draught | Darth Lager, Phat Brew Club (Success, WA)
🏆 Best Pale Ale Packaged | Pale Ale, King Road Brewing Co (Oldbury, WA)
🏆 Best Pale Ale Draught | Shit Show Supervisor V2, Rocky Ridge Brewing Company (Jindong, WA)
🏆 Best India Pale Ale Packaged | IPA, King Road Brewing Co (Oldbury, WA)
🏆 Best India Pale Ale Draught | IIPA, Cheeky Monkey Brewing Co. (Broadwater, WA)
🏆 Best Amber – Dark Ale Packaged | Prom Queen Barleywine Style Ale, Campus Brewing (Canning Vale, WA)
🏆 Best Amber – Dark Ale Draught | Prom Queen Barleywine Style Ale, Campus Brewing (Canning Vale, WA)
🏆 Best Porter – Stout Packaged | Clout Stout C5 2024, Nail Brewing Australia (Applecross, WA)
🏆 Best Porter – Stout Draught | Shelter Export Stout, Shelter Brewing Co (Busselton, WA)
🏆 Best European Style Beer Packaged | Kolsch, Margaret River Beer Co (Margaret River, WA)
🏆 Best European Style Beer Draught | Saint Isidore Saison, Homestead Brewing (Caversham, WA)
🏆 Best Hybrid and Specialty Beer Packaged | Barley Chardonay, Lucky Bay Brewing (Esperance, WA)
🏆 Best Hybrid and Specialty Beer Draught | Quke Slam, CBCo Brewing (Bramley, WA)
🏆 Best Low Alcohol Beer Packaged | Small Ale, CBCo Brewing (Bramley, WA)
🏆 Best Alcohol-Free Beer Packaged | Little Wren Non-Alcoholic Raspberry Sour, Boston Brewing Company (Denmark, WA)
🏆 Best Low Alcohol Beer Draught | Half Mast Mid, Indian Ocean Brewing Co (Mindarie, WA)
Full results are available in the 2026 Perth Royal Food Awards - Beer Results Catalogue.
Media Contact
Aimee Ko
PR & Communications Specialist
Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia
Email: media@raswa.org.au
Perth Royal Food Awards | Best New Exhibitor: Ripple Brewing - Joel Nash and Matt Crockett. Photo by Dan MacBride.
