Big, Bought, Boutique — Beer Tasting

Overview

The topic of brewery buyouts is a massive one in the beer world at the moment. NZ's beer scene has two huge players who are constantly looking to buy into the momentum of up-and-coming breweries, and a few have succumbed in recent months. There's been plenty of debate down at the pub about the issues this causes — some believe it's a good thing for the bought breweries and that the quality remains the same, and others reckon it goes against the 'craft' beer ethos and makes the beer worse on the whole.

Craft Beer College are a group of beer enthusiasts who run tours and beerducation events for those who want to hone their beer palates, and are taking on the issue of 'bought' beers with some tastings. They'll be serving up four different beer styles with three unique beers in each — one from a big commercial brewery, one from a brewery that's recently been bought out, and one from a boutique or independent brewery.

When you don't know who made a beer, what will you really think about it? This tasting will challenge your assumptions about beer and its owners.