Choice of craft beer growing in the Bay

Giant Brewing Company brewer Chris Ormond, left, and Brave Brewing's Matt Smith are finding willing palates for their beers. Photo / Warren Buckland

Matt Smith left one crate of beer at The Common Room bar in Hastings as a trial but delivered six before the week was up.

"I pretty much brew the styles I like drinking but people seem to like it," Mr Smith, of Brave Brewing, said.

He is one of a growing craft brewing scene in Hawke's Bay: Roosters Brew House, Fat Monk Brewery, Giant Brewing, Hawkes Bay Independent Brewery, Zeelandt Brewing, Godsown Brewery and Brave Brewing.

Today is International Beer Day.

Giant brewer Chris Ormond said craft breweries were confidently making better and more interesting beers, "so if you are a beer lover you have a lot to choose from".

He said Hawke's Bay was slow to catch on to craft beer despite being a food and wine destination.

In cities such as Wellington some retail outlets had beer selections rivalling the range of wine.

"It makes sense to add beer - it is conducive to the province," he said.

"I'm not sure there will be as many breweries as there are wineries but there is a growing choice of craft beer."

He said smaller breweries had a market niche and were not in competition with the major breweries in the country's $2.2 billion beer brewing industry.

"They mass produce and put it everywhere but craft beers go to boutique outlets.

"The focus is on quality rather than scale."

Hawke's Bay is also home to the WilliamsWarn Personal Brewery, which has sold 700 of its second-generation model since 2013.

Brewers Guild of New Zealand chairman Bob King said New Zealand brewing had "exploded" recently.

"We're enjoying a golden era for brewing in terms of the variety and quality of beers produced," he said.

"In the past five years, the number of professional brewing operations in New Zealand has almost trebled, while beer exports have almost doubled.

"New Zealand has an incredibly proud tradition and talent for beer brewing," said Mr King.

"It's been a favourite pastime for many Kiwis and it turns out others think we're pretty darned good at it.

"What we're seeing now are huge opportunities in Asia, which is the next big export frontier for Kiwi brewing."

A record 670 beers from 84 breweries were nominated in 15 categories for last year's Brewers Guild of New Zealand Awards.

In the United States, one of New Zealand's biggest beer export markets, demand for craft beer has grown 10 per cent year-on-year.