Getting a taste for the real brew

By SIMON HENDERY

A Herald article about DB's new low-fizz, fruit-flavoured Hopper beer prompted a response from boutique brewer Luke Nicholas.

"After your article 'Beer for those who don't like hops', which was a bit depressing, I think you could do a story on 'Beer for those who do like hops'," the entrepreneurial Nicholas wrote in an email.

As a beer purist, he may take exception to the brewing giant's attempt to recapture the young drinker market by producing a beer version of the increasingly popular ready-to-drink spirit concoctions that have flooded the market.

But DB yesterday declared itself delighted with the initial consumer reaction to Hopper, and said strong trade orders had prompted it to double the size of the first production batch.

Nicholas, meanwhile, is continuing his crusade to get people drinking "real" beer.

When not brewing specialty beers under contract for pub chain Cock & Bull, he runs beer tastings and sells boutique brands over the internet.

"Tastings are becoming the main way I can expand my market and educate them at the same time," he says.

"Most people think they know what beer tastes like because they have tried a few of the mainstream brands. And, yes, they all pretty much taste the same.

"I introduce people to a wide and varied range."

Once he has whetted their appetite, Nicholas' aim is to sell his new converts more of the product, which he does through website www.real beer.co.nz.

"Since anyone can buy beer at the supermarket or local bottle store, I look for unique ways of packaging beers together and adding value in a way you can't find anywhere else."

This involves themed gift packs of exotic beers and branded beer glasses, including, for example, Belgian beer packs.

And although Nicholas may sniff at products such as DB's Hopper, there is no doubt that the big breweries are also focused on boosting drinkers' enthusiasm for "real" beer.

This can be seen from the proliferation of new theme bars:

* The DB-affiliated Horse & Trap in Mt Eden has been revamped as the country's first Monteith's theme bar, with a down-to-earth pub decor reflecting what DB describes as the values of the Monteith's brand.

Horse & Trap director John Lincoln says he would like to open more Monteith's pubs throughout the country.

* Around the corner, Lion Breweries this month opened its third Speight's theme bar, the Cardrona Speight's Ale House.

The exterior is a replica of the historic Cardrona Hotel south of Wanaka, made famous through Speight's television commercials.

English businessman Mark Wescott, who owns the South Island Cardrona and has a stake in its Auckland namesake, says he is investigating taking the Speight's theme bar concept to Britain.

* Construction has begun to turn part of Takapuna's R'Toto bar into Auckland's fourth Lion-affiliated Belgian beer cafe. It is due to open in November.

A Lion spokesman says themed bars help to increase the beer market "by communicating credible beer values in a compelling way, which is

good for the entire industry".



"They are all about presenting tap beer in an environment where consumers feel comfortable preferring to drink beer."

Another Lion initiative aimed at stemming the drift away from tap beer is a CD-based training programme for bar staff.

The BeerMaster programme takes hospitality staff through the history of beer, the brewing process and pouring protocol.

By increasing their knowledge and appreciation of beer, "hospitality staff can give better customer service to beer drinkers who want to know more about the product", says Lion technical director Donald Nelson.



While the big breweries are getting smarter about the way they present and sell their products, the marketing strategy of one tiny Waikato brand is as crisp and refreshing as the amber liquid in its bottles.

Raglan Gold started life last year as a lager in a blue bottle, which creator Stephen Sandwell proudly declared could, after consumption of the contents, "make a great gift or a flower vase".

The company's rather broad marketing strategy early this year was to "battle on, with a possible change to the beer, finding a new taste".

It has now done that: the beer has become a Pilsner and the bottle colour has reverted to green.

"Our market research shows that consumers want a quality product in a green bottle," Sandwell says.

"We've had the fun and games [with the blue bottle]. Now we're getting to the serious side of brewing where we've gone for quality."

Real beer

Lion Nathan

DB