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| Fritz & Maria having a beer at the Moutere Inn |
The recent article about “Craft brew capital” by Fritz & Maria (a good read) raises some interesting questions about naming the Nelson region “Craft Brew Capital”.
The main question, is does it deserve the title? The region maybe the hop growing region, it may have more breweries per head of population, but do the locals drink the local beer?
Whatever the questions are, and whatever people think ( “…more than a few objections were raised” there are always going to be haters, especially when you stand up and try and do something new) I think it is really great what Emma, Doug, John and the group have done to raise the profile of brewing and beer in the region. This awareness will help to bring more people to the region for beer tourism, and that in itself will continue to help spread the word about good beer in Nelson, and New Zealand.
The only area of confusion really comes from Wellington naming and promoting itself as the Craft Beer Capital. The general public who don’t really pay close attention to things they don’t really care about, they might get confused. They maybe thinking what is the difference between “Craft Brew Capital” & “Craft Beer Capital”. I have to side with them and say the message isn’t different enough to really matter.
But whatever the confusion at least the message is the same, there is good beer out there, lots of good places brewing it, and lots of good places to drink it in. Whether it be in Nelson, Wellington or some other city or town in New Zealand.
I know the popularity of New Zealand hops is starting to increase the number of North American brewers coming to visit NZ during hop harvest time, as several have stopped by over the last few years, for a beer while they have been in Auckland. Next week there is a hop grower from Oregon (who I met in Washington DC during CBC) who is in Auckland who I am having a beer with before he has a bit of a holiday before heading to the hop fields in Nelson.
Hop Tourism, Beer Tourism, everyone has to be happy.
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Check out 10 of the breweries from the Nelson region Interviewed for NZ Craft Beer TV.