Drinking Less, Enjoying More: Beer in 2025
What’s going on, Internet? This was a quieter year for beer. I checked in less, tried fewer new things, and enjoyed what I drank more. I leaned hard into IPAs, especially West Coast IPAs, spent more time with Bright IPAs, and reaffirmed my appreciation for the humble APA. 2025 wasn’t about chasing novelty. Beer isn’t getting cheaper, and it made more sense to stick with what I know I enjoy.
Year in Numbers
I still use Untapped to keep track of my beers. Here are my 2025 stats:
81
Total Check-ins
↓ 37 from 2024
76
Unique Beers
↓ 34 from 2024
34
Breweries
↓ 4 from 2024
3.69
Average Rating
↑ 0.11 from 2024
The continued drop in volume alongside a higher average rating summed up the year well. Fewer beers, better choices, and more consistent enjoyment.
Friday remained my most popular day for check-ins, with beers logged from four countries across the year, led overwhelmingly by New Zealand with only a small handful from overseas.
American IPA was my most checked-in style, with Garage Project as my top brewery.
Top 5 Beers
| Beer | Style | Avg Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Thunderbird Bright IPA | Bright IPA | 5.00 |
| Yakima Monster | West Coast IPA | 4.80 |
| Fresh Outta Riwaka 2025 | NZ IPA | 4.50 |
| Gila Monster | West Coast IPA | 4.50 |
| Overbite Fresh Hop | Fresh Hop IPA | 4.50 |
Top 5 Breweries (by Avg Rating)
| Brewery | Avg Rating |
|---|---|
| Liberty Brewing | 4.80 |
| Baylands Brewery | 4.17 |
| Waitoa | 4.00 |
| Boneface | 4.00 |
| Heyday Beer Co. | 4.00 |
Top 5 Breweries (by Unique Beers)
| Brewery | Unique Beers |
|---|---|
| Garage Project | 11 |
| McLeod’s Brewery | 6 |
| Parrotdog | 6 |
| Baylands Brewery | 4 |
| Behemoth Brewing Company | 4 |
Garage Project remained the most explored brewery in 2025. I still picked up a run of their seasonal releases early in the year, but stepping away from the Fresh Hop Subscription allowed other breweries to feature more prominently. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a different brewery take the top spot in 2026 as I spend more time exploring Auckland breweries.
One thing these stats don’t fully capture is the beers I reached for most often. The Friday after-work beers and the ones that lived in my golf bag rarely made it into Untappd, but they were easily my favourites across the year.
Parrotdog’s Raptor APA, Thunderbird Bright APA, Urbanaut’s Detroit Bright IPA, and Liberty’s Yakima Monster APA were constants. They aren’t seasonal or rare, but they are delicious, reliable core-range beers I kept coming back to. Untappd reflects moments. These beers reflect habits.
Cheers to drinking less and enjoying more! 🍺
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