New Zealand craft beer scene is boiling hot.
Not only our Pacific island, with its English heritage, is by essence a beer drinking country full of brilliant and creative people, but it also has a climate perfectly suited to the culture of hops.
New Zealand, and the South Island in particular, has a cool climate, full of Southern Hemisphere gorgeous sunshine. Hops grow particularly well under these conditions. The key spot in NZ for hop cropping is Nelson, an area at the very North of the South Island, a few miles away from the famous Marlborough wine region. Like New Zealand wines, NZ hops come out particularly fragrant, fresh, and full of oily essence goodness. The government itself has identified hops as a key culture for the country, and invests on breeding programs to develop unique Kiwi hops. The country already counts with about 15 commercial hop varieties, some of which have gained international recognition (more info on nzhops.co.nz). To mention some of the few Kiwi hop star varieties, let’s mention Motueka, Nelson Sauvin, Southern Cross, Wai Iti, or Green Bullet. New breeds are developed in laboratories, grown in small quantity in experimental fields, then tested in small batch with local craft brewers. Given the worldwide shortage of quality hops supply, NZ hop industry will have a bright future.
New Zealand counts with craft breweries all over the country, and new ones are opening every year. Some have been established for quite a while, like Renaissance in Marlborough. Others are slightly more recent but are knowing a global success. Epic Brewing Company is notable example. Many craft breweries are very much ’boutique’, and focus on satisfying the local market. There’s a local-only brew in every corner of NZ.
Let’s go on a journey to discover New Zealand passionate brewers, and their most-inspired creations. Explore the following profile pages on New Zealand’s most remarkable craft brewers:
Or check their individual beer reviews:
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