For the third year running, hazy ales are enjoying their own spotlight in the New World Beer & Cider Awards.
As the name implies, these beers have a hazy or cloudy appearance, hinting at the fullness of flavour they deliver. Beloved for their maximum fruity and citrus character, they are perfect for the hottest summer day or an autumnal evening.
Out of our Top 25 for 2025, three hazy ales made the cut.
Keep scrolling to discover the best of the best New Zealand-made hazy ales for 2025 plus our favourite food pairings for each beer.
Remarks
Type of beer: Hazy
Brewery: Altitude Brewing
Flavours: Pineapple, mango fruit bursts
Judges’ comments: Queenstown’s Altitude Brewing collaborated with UK brewery Verdant to create a robust hazy IPA that expertly captures the full noise of New Zealand hops and the special character of Verdant’s acclaimed yeast strain. Looks spectacular in the glass. Delivers pineapple and mango flavour bursts on a puffer jacket malt base. A crunchy bitterness rounds out a real treat.
For more on this beer visit: https://www.altitudebrewing.co.nz/
Buy this beer: Visit online shopping
Good George Haze of Glory NZIPA
Type of beer: Hazy
Brewery: Good George
Flavours: Mandarin, pineapple and sweet grapefruit.
Judges’ comments: If you’ve ever wondered exactly what people are on about when they talk about New Zealand hops, just try this beer! From Hamilton’s Good George, it’s the almost perfect encapsulation of the flavour of our hops — sweet fruit and bright citrus. It’s a multi-award-winning beer and an appearance in these awards rounds out an impressive CV.
For more on this beer visit: https://www.goodgeorge.kiwi.nz/
Buy this beer: Visit online shopping
Martinborough Brewery Hoppy Haze
Type of beer: Hazy
Brewery: Martinborough Brewery
Flavours: Citrus, pine and dank.
Judges’ comments: Martinborough Brewery returns to the Top 25 for the second time in three years with an exquisite hazy IPA. It looks stunning in the glass beer and follows up with a harmonious blend of flavours. The judges loved the intensity of the “citrus, sweat and pine” aroma. The flavour tends more towards tropical fruit, and the texture is rich, juicy and smooth but the sweetness doesn’t run away, thanks to a careful application of the brakes in the form of a dry and slightly dusty finish.
For more on this beer visit: https://martinboroughbeer.com/
Buy this beer: Visit online shopping
Thirsty for more top New Zealand beers?
If you’re after dark beers, lagers or more unique craft varieties, don’t forget to check out the articles linked below, or browse the Top 25 from the New World Beer & Cider Awards 2025.
Not sure what you like? Our craft beer guide will walk you through what makes craft beer special and the different styles and flavours you can find in Aotearoa.
Related articles:
Best New Zealand craft beers for 2025
Best New Zealand IPAs and pale ales for 2025
Best New Zealand lagers and pilsners for 2025
Best New Zealand stouts and porters for 2025
About the author
Michael Donaldson is one of New Zealand’s most renowned beer writers and was named Beer Writer of the Year by the Brewers Guild of New Zealand for a third time in 2018. He has been the Chair of Judges for the New World Beer & Cider Awards since 2016.
His writing appears in North & South, The New Zealand Herald, Stuff and Drinksbiz. He is also the editor of The Pursuit of Hoppiness magazine published by the Society of Beer Advocates (SOBA). He is the author of New Zealand's definitive beer history Beer Nation - the Art and Heart of Kiwi Beer as well as The Big Book of Home Brew: a Kiwi Guide and The Hopfather, the biography of Emerson's founder Richard Emerson.