Mountain Goat Celebrates Champion Australian Beer Win for Bract to the Future

Victoria’s Mountain Goat Brewery has taken home the prestigious Champion Australian Beer trophy at the 2026 Australian International Beer Awards, with its standout brew, Bract to the Future, crowned the best Australian beer in the competition.

Presented at the Melbourne Royal Australian International Beer Awards Trophy Presentation Dinner on Thursday 14 May, the win cements Mountain Goat’s place among Australia’s brewing elite and highlights the continued strength and innovation of the country’s craft beer industry.

The award-winning beer also secured the trophy for Best Modern IPA, impressing judges with its bold hop profile and technical excellence. Crafted using the experimental NZHops-106 varietal from the NZ Hops Bract Brewers Program, Mountain Goat was one of only 60 breweries globally selected to trial the hop as part of its commercialisation process.

For Mountain Goat, the recognition marks a significant achievement and a proud moment for the brewery team.

Joshua Croall, General Manager at Mountain Goat Brewery, said the award was a reflection of the team’s dedication to innovation and quality brewing.

“We're incredibly proud to see Bract to the Future recognised on one of the biggest stages in beer. Winning Champion Australian Beer alongside Best Modern IPA is a huge achievement and a testament to the creativity, passion and craft obsession of our team.

“To take home Champion Australian Beer for the second time is an incredibly special moment for Mountain Goat and reflects the consistency, innovation and dedication of everyone involved.”

Mountain Goat’s Head of Operations, Alana Rees, also acknowledged the brewery team behind the beer’s success.

“A huge shout out to Kenny for his creativity and passion in bringing Bract to the Future to life, alongside the incredible brewing team.

“These awards are such a special recognition for the entire brewing team who put so much care into every stage of the process. Seeing that collective hard work recognised at the AIBAs is incredibly rewarding for everyone involved.”

The 2026 Awards also celebrated a number of standout Australian breweries and producers across a wide range of categories and trophies.

Victorian brewery Stomping Ground Brewing Co was awarded Champion Australian Independent Beer, while King Road Brewing Co took home both Champion Small Australian Brewery and Champion Australian Independent Brewery.

Other major Australian winners included Pirate Life Brewing for Champion Large Australian Brewery, Hawkesbury Brewing Co for Champion Medium Australian Brewery, Hawkers Brewery for Champion Victorian Brewery and Plenty Cider for Champion Cider or Perry Producer.

As the largest annual beer competition of its kind in the world, the Australian International Beer Awards continue to provide an internationally recognised benchmarking platform for breweries and cideries of all sizes, celebrating excellence, innovation and craftsmanship across the global brewing industry.

For more information about the Awards, visit Melbourne Royal Australian International Beer Awards.