February 2019 sees the start of a month-long celebration of New Zealand brewers on the UK’s shores with more NZ breweries and beers on show around the country than ever before.
Including celebrations on New Zealand’s national holiday of 6 February, Waitangi Day, drinkers in major cities up and down the UK will get the opportunity to take part in a month long celebration of the favourite Kiwi tipple: craft beer!
With seven breweries confirmed, more to be announced, and the promise of 100+ different beers during the month, it will showcase the very best of New Zealand’s independent craft brewers. The inaugural events aim to bring a taste of the land of the long white cloud to venues in Edinburgh, York, Nottingham, Leeds, Manchester, Brighton and London.
However, it doesn’t stop there, as well as a nationwide event schedule there will be special one-off beers, collaborations between New Zealand and British breweries, in both keg & cask, plus UK breweries will be getting involved with their own NZ themed beers. There will also be competitions and prizes throughout the month, as well as online and in-store specials from participating stockists.
Commenting on the idea organiser, Todd Nicolson of the New Zealand Beer Collective, said: “We were founded four years ago to provide the platform for independent NZ breweries to reach the UK beer drinker so we are so excited to offer the pub, bar and restaurant industry the chance to get involved and the opportunity for drinkers to taste the widest selection of New Zealand beer ever seen outside the country.”
Adding her thoughts on the ambitious project, award-winning beer writer Melissa Cole said: “Having visited New Zealand, I can honestly say that the beers drinkers are being offered the opportunity to get their hands on are not only rare, but of world-class quality and I will be doing my best to try each and every one of them, it’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it!”
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Notes to editors:
Home to one of the hottest and trend-setting independent beer scenes in the world, New Zealand has over 200 breweries among a population of just 4.5 million people (around twice as many breweries per capita as London). It boasts some of the most sought after hops in the world – with a unique terroir that produces similar flavours to its world famous Sauvignon Blanc – and, combined with an obsession on quality and that well known kiwi ingenuity, it produces some of the very best beer on the planet.
For more information on what is happening, or to get involved contact Todd Nicolson, Director of Beer NZBC todd@newzealandbeer.co.uk, +44 (0) 787 6787273 or find updates on facebook and instagram: @NZBeerCollective twitter: @NewZealandBeer