The Cypher Brewing crew (from left): Head brewer Matt Thiele, brewer James Hillsdon, co-founder Jeff Wilson Shipley, events manager Roxanne Michaud Gallone, co-founder and director Leonardo Valenzuela and director Peter Macfarlane. Photo: SDP Media.
Gungahlin’s own Cypher Brewing has come home from the 2026 Australian International Beer Awards in Melbourne with a swag of medals.
It came close to picking up a trophy after being one of five nominees shortlisted for the Champion Small Australian Brewery category. One of five is a huge achievement in Australia’s largest beer competition, which attracted a whopping 2200 entries from 22 countries, assessed across 185 classes.
Not bad for a little Gungahlin local!
Co-founder Jeff Wilson Shipley told Region that over the three years of entering the competition, Cypher had seen improved results. The first year, it netted a shared gold with Tumut Brewing Co for a collaborative brew, the second year brought two gold, and this year it won three, along with a handful of silver and a bronze medal. All under the leadership of head brewer Matt Thiele.
“Each year is getting better and better. But the number of entrants just shows that the whole comp is super competitive and intense,” Jeff said.
“But to have a couple of our core range consistently winning medals just shows the quality of Matty’s brewing. And to be nominated for that main award was huge!”
The Cypher Brewpub in Gungahlin. Photo: Tenele Conway.
The logistical effort of judging a competition of this scale is massive: 1800 litres of beer were poured during the four-day judging period. There are 84 judges required to cover the huge number of beers in 185 classes. Trophy opportunities included Best Australian-style Pale Ale, Best Pilsner, Best Specialty Beer, Best Non-Alcohol Beer and Best Perry or Cider. The awards are run by the Melbourne Royal Show.
Two of the gold-winning beers were limited editions brewed for Cypher’s third-anniversary celebration in March. Jeff said only small amounts of the Pastry Stout and the Triple West Coast IPA were left, and others were selling fast as well.
But the good news with Cypher is that a new and exciting brew is just around the corner.
“We’ve just released a new amber ale called Local Joint,” Jeff said.
”It’s named Local Joint because we’re trying to be a community hub out here. It’s a bit of a hat-tip to places like Gus’ Cafe and to places like Herberts at Evatt, who have shown off how your tap list can look when you are independent.
“When you look at places around Canberra, they’ve got so many taps on and they’re all just the same big names … There’s so much more venues could be doing to show off small, independent brewers.”
Cypher’s Local Joint amber lager is a nod to hospitality venues that act as community hubs. Photo: Cypher Brewing/Instagram.
Canberra is lucky to have so many excellent local, independent breweries. Jeff acknowledged that the overall high quality of Bentspoke and Capital Brewing meant his team members pushed themselves to make beers that would stand up to comparison. They’ve been working hard to prove themselves in the industry, and these awards are proof they’ve succeeded after only three years.
Cypher Brewing Co is at 3/35 Hinder Street, Gungahlin. Follow the brewery on Facebook or Instagram. To learn more about the International Australian Beer Awards, click here.
Original Article published by Lucy Ridge on Region Canberra.
