Robert Catto, Photographer

Beervana 2012 took place at Wellington's Westpac Stadium, and featured brewers and their wares from New Zealand and Australia. A record-setting 271 brews from 96 breweries across New Zealand and Australia were available at Beervana. That's more beers than have ever been available at a single beer event in New Zealand's history! Beers were organised at the event in a series of Brewery, Regional and Style Bars. There are seven Regional Bars - The North, Central, Wellington, Top of the South, Canterbury, Southern and Australia - and three Style Bars - Festive Brews, Real Ale and Cider. For the second-year the Wellington region's top restaurants developed beer-matched cuisine for Beervana, under the leadership of multi award-winning chef Martin Bosley. The 2012 line-up included Arbitrageur, Boulcott Street Bistro, The Dumpling House, Fork & Brewer, The General Practitioner, The Hop Garden, Martin Bosley's, Monsoon Poon, Steve Morris for Epicure, Vista, and Wakelin House (Greytown).

For the 8th year running, The Brewers Guild of New Zealand invited breweries from all over the world to enter their beers for New Zealand's premier beer competition, the BrewNZ Beer Awards. The beers were judged over three days by a panel of experts, led by US-based judge David Logsdon. The BrewNZ Beer Awards culminated in an awards evening on 27 August at the Duxton Hotel, at which the supreme award of New Zealand Champion Brewery was won by Emerson's Breweries.

The Brewers Guild of New Zealand invited breweries from around the world to enter their beers in New Zealand's premier beer competition, the BrewNZ Beer Awards. Judges included David Logsdon (US), with gold, silver and bronze medals and an overall trophy winner in each category. Awards were also given for Champion International Brewery, and Champion New Zealand Brewery - which was won by DB Breweries.

BrewNZ is a celebration of New Zealand's beer industry, featuring the annual awards at Wellington's Embassy Theatre, as well as public tastings at Beervana, in the Overseas Terminal on Wellington's Waterfront.

Beervana hit Wellington for a celebration of the craft of brewing, full of events that promoted the industry including the BrewNZ Awards. Tastings featured beers from Auckland to Invercargill and even Australia. This opportunity happens only once a year, to sample the freshest brews which have come from many many miles apart - all in one room, surrounded by fellow beer lovers.

New World Beervana hit Wellington for a celebration of the craft of brewing at the Wellington Town Hall, an opportunity to rub shoulders with 45 plus premium Craft Brewers in one room, with tastings of up to 175 different beers. Seminars featured international guests - world famous brewer Sam Calagione (US), Beer Diva Kirrily Waldhorn (Australia) and the Malt Master Thomas Weyermann (Germany).

Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Brewery and wine writer John Saker introduce an evening of fine dining by Ruth Pretty Catering in which guests are invited to vote on matching beer and wine selections with each course. Who will be the winner on the night?