KEY POINTS:
Three beer lovers are hoping the pulling power of the internet will lead them to the perfect pint - Danis Roberts, 24, Dan Phillips, 29, and Tim Tregonning, 24, have used social networking sites to recruit 400 thirsty Kiwis for their "Our Brew" experiment.
Their helpers will create what they claim is the world's first "crowd-produced" beer, voting on everything from style to packaging - and taking part in tastings - they are hoping to team up with a brewer to produce their dream drink.
Roberts, who quit his job as a strategic planner to focus on the initiative, said brewers found it hard to sell beer to 18- to 23-year-olds who tended to buy RTDs and spirits.
"This is a way to engage them and get them involved in the process," he said. "It will be a beer for the people, by the people."
Roberts said he honed his drinking skills as a student at the University of Otago.
Living in the deep south helped make Speight's his favourite domestic drink, with French lager Kronenbourg 1664 his top tipple from overseas.
Roberts said crowd-production was similar to crowd-sourcing, a relatively new way for businesses to involve the public in tasks, such as product development. But his group wanted to go a step further and involve the public in every aspect of the production process.
He said crowd-production was an inevitable consequence of Generation Y wanting more control over consumer products.
The trio has worked in advertising and noticed a push by companies such as Nike to find out what people want rather than telling them what to buy.
Roberts is moving to London later this year and hopes he and his business partners can take the Our Brew idea with them.
For more information, visit: www.ourbrew.co.nz
