Masterton amber wins bronze | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

It's been brewing for three years but finally Masterton's Peak Brewery has picked up a result at the BrewNZ awards.

"It's bloody good - I'm really pleased.

"It's really nice to get the recognition," East Taratahi Rd brewer Rhys Morgan said of his bronze placing in the new robust porter/cask conditioned category, with his plucky Cornhill Porter.

He describes the bronze medal Cornhill as "very dark, very rich, chocolatey and spicy" and said it followed in the tradition of the beer popularised by London street and river porters in the 18th century.

BrewNZ 2010 attracted a record 450 entries amid the mounting popularity of craft beers in New Zealand and Mr Morgan said the attendant Beervana brewers' expo in Wellington last weekend was invaluable.

The town hall session brought together brewers from around the country and the globe including Mr Morgan's malt supplier from Bamberg, in Germany, whom he met for the first time at the expo.

He said the introduction to his supplier helped solidify the relationship on a more personal level with the malt merchants giving Mr Morgan a German malt shovel.