The best beers of the year
Special prizes for the best beers and breweries of the year go to Aventinus Eisbock, Viennarillo, Brauerei Kundmüller and Stieglbrauerei zu Salzburg
A beer close to perfection, a brewery with 15 awards and a record number of world-class ratings: The third edition of the Finest Beer Selection powered by Meininger Verlag and Doemens once again wowed the industry and left behind beaming winners, who were honoured at an impressive awards ceremony in Neustadt an der Weinstraße on the evening of 23 June 2025.
852 beers from 172 breweries from all over the world were entered this year. Finally, 291 beers were awarded a Finest Beer Score of 90 or more points by the international expert jury during the three-day expert tasting at Doemens at the end of May and thus made it into the Finest Beer Selection 2025, the selection of the best beers of the year.
"The industry has recognised the value of this seal of quality. Not just nationally, beers from 18 different countries were entered," summarises Dr Werner Gloßner, Managing Director of Doemens. And Christian Wolf, Member of the Management Board of Meininger Verlag, adds: "This year, we have once again seen a strong leap in quality among the beers entered. No fewer than 32 beers received a world-class rating of 95 or more points."
The awards ceremony focused in particular on the special prizes for ‘Beer of the Year’ and ‘Brewery of the Year’, awarded in the German and international categories respectively.
The Aventinus Eisbock from Schneider Weisse in Kelheim achieved a sensational 99 out of a possible 100 points and thus the highest Finest Beer Score in the entire competition, making it the ‘Beer of the Year National’. ‘The Schneider Aventinus Eisbock is not just an extract from the Aventinus Weizen Doppelbock, it is an essence of enjoyment,’ commented Jens Luckart, Head of the Doemens Genussakademie.
The Italian brewery Batzen Bräu from Bolzano was also delighted. Their Viennarillo, a new interpretation of a Viennese lager, scored 97 points in the blind tasting and was thus honoured as ‘Beer of the Year International’. Jens Luckart: ‘This beer is an absolute tongue-pleaser, refreshing and brewed with finesse.’
With a record number of 15 beers, the Kundmüller brewery made it into the Finest Beer Selection 2025 and won the title of ‘National Brewery of the Year’. Whether pale ale, pilsner, bock, IPA or wood-aged specialities - the beers from Viereth-Trunstadt in Franconia shone on all levels. "The result underlines the wide range of beer types and styles that characterise us. The award is a confirmation of our very high quality standards and an appreciation of our daily teamwork," emphasise the two managing directors Oswald and Roland Kundmüller.
The Stiegl brewery in Salzburg is also proud to have achieved the feat of making it into the Finest Beer Selection 2025 with eleven beers. The well-deserved reward: the title of ‘International Brewery of the Year’. "Our team combines not only an enormously high level of brewing expertise, but above all an exceptionally diverse one. This has enabled us to succeed with both traditionally brewed products and creative beers," says a delighted Stiegl head brewer Christian Pöpperl.
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