How craft beer has made hops hip

Istill remember my backyard after an ill-fated party, littered with beer bottles, stale vomit and comatose party stragglers.

And I remember fuming at my flatmate to never, ever, bring his home brew out during a dozen day again.

‘‘Dozen days’’ were gatherings where everyone drank a dozen beers each. I believe it was competitive, although I cannot ever recall any victorious outcome.

The quality and taste of the beer just didn’t matter, it was all about volume.

Fast forward many years and these days my beer-swilling friends have turned into boring beer snobs who now discuss infusions of lemongrass and lychees in their ale.

Beer has turned from being what you drank while you were talking about something interesting to now being the main topic of conversation.

We’ve moved a long way from the brand and marketing trajectory of beer from Lion Red and Steinlager to $10-a-glass boutique beers.

The annual beer-mecca – Beervana – is about to take place in Wellington for the 18th year, with 60 brewers and about 14,000 visitors expected over the two days. More beer festivals have popped up around the country.

Craft beer has grown exponentially since 2008 and last year represented 10 per cent of all sales in New Zealand.

There’s been recent chat that craft beer has grown so fast it has reached saturation point, but they said the same about gin and we’re still drinking it.

An ANZ report on craft beer says beer is becoming easier to sell because knowledgeable consumers are eager to try new or different tastes.

From a brand perspective, brewers have been smart about their target markets, pricing and appeal; not just inside the cans.

Top-end craft beers now fetch hefty prices but that just makes them attractive to the more discerning palates of hipster drinkers, it seems the hop is hip.

But it’s outside the cans and bottles where war is also being waged with link-ups with local artists and designers and eyecatching labels that scream ‘‘pick me’’ on the chiller-room shelf.

Seemingly naming your beer is probably as much fun for brewers as actually making it. Particular favourites at Beervana are: Bill Us For The Damages; Mistress Oldtimers Chicken Soup IPA; Weasel Juice or I’m afraid of Americans.

Or those that scream flavours you know you’ll probably hate but have to try: green tea and jasmine lager; gin barrel aged imperial stout, smoked oyster stout, Mango Lassi sour or Chocolate, Coconut & Raspberry Brown.

Auckland-based brewer Behemoth has got plenty of profile from re-issuing its Dump the Trump beer as a satirical protest at United States President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign.

The competition is fierce and with only about 17 per cent of our beers being exported – and a plethora of craft beer – brewers are wise to focus on their local, regional market for loyal followers.

Overseas, the creative marketing tactics have taken a step up: one US brewery offers Air Bed & Beer, another took a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory approach; hiding stickers under cans with winners promised an incredible experience at their brewery.

Then there’s the brewery offering marathon training to ‘‘get lazy boozers in shape’’ and in Milwaukee The Lakefront Brewery created an enormous 12-metre high public sculpture using 71 used stainless steel beer kegs.

So, while I love to remind my snooty friends of their dozen-day pasts, I’m very pleased we’ve all moved on and up when it comes to drinking beer.

Even the thought of a dozen of my flatmate’s home brew could have put us all off beer for life.

– Cas Carter is a marketing and communications specialist.

Phil Barber and James Drayton enjoyed their beer at last year’s Beervana festival. This is the 18th year of the festival and 60 brewers and about 14,000 visitors are expected over the two days.