The 2025 Royal Queensland Beer Awards (RQBA) will debut a new category for Best Ginger Beer, with support from Buderim Ginger. The announcement marks a significant expansion of the competition, which aims to highlight both alcoholic and non-alcoholic ginger beers.
Steve Henderson, Advisory Committee Chairperson and Judge, shared expectations for the competition, saying, “We anticipate a strong turnout from Queensland breweries, but this category is open to entrants from across Australia. We’re eager to see a diverse range of ginger beers.” Henderson also noted that the competition’s brewed ginger beer class would accept any alcoholic product that meets specific style guidelines, crafted explicitly for the event.
In addition to ginger beer, the RQBA will introduce a Non-Alcoholic Malt Beverage category, further diversifying the competition’s offerings.
The Grand Champion Beer of Show will receive a $5,000 Lion bursary, while an emerging Queensland brewer will be named The Star Brisbane Emerging Brewer of the Year, with their beers showcased at The Star Brisbane.
Since restructuring in 2019, the RQBA has seen growing participation, and with the introduction of the ginger beer category, further increases in entries are anticipated. Henderson expressed confidence that this year’s competition would continue to see rising interest, as it offers breweries an early opportunity to have their products evaluated by expert judges.
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