Victorian brewery Holgate Brewhouse has taken the trophies for Best Commercial Beer of Show and Best Packaged Ale at this year’s Perth Royal Beer Show.

It was an unexpected surprise birthday present for Holgate brewer Ian Morgan.

“Western Australia has a great craft brewing tradition and we were up against some excellent breweries that do very well in these competitions,” he said.

“At best we were hoping for a nice medal or two, so to walk away with the best beer trophy has us pretty stoked.”

Head brewer and owner Paul Holgate included the Hopinator Double IPA in the Holgate range three years ago, and it has since been winning over beer lovers with its blend of a strong malt flavours and intense hop aromas and bitterness.

“Most of our beers get two or three hop additions. The Hopinator gets seven,” he explained, “It keeps the brewer jumping!”

The Hopinator is available in bottles year-round (and on draught seasonally) at the Woodend brewhouse and at finer bottle shops and pubs in the Melbourne area and interstate.

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