Home Brew TV

[Mike Neilson]

MUST C TV CHANNEL 1 7PM 1 NOV 2008. HOMEGROWN. CAUGHT A GLIMPSE ON AND AD AND IT LOOKS LIKE? IS IT SOME ONE ON HERE? DONT KNOW BUT IT LOOKS GOOD!! WE SHALL FIND OUT ON SAT!!

[Rusty Chch]

In particular, the whole "beer is the new wine" aspect sits very badly with me.

I'd rather the craft beer community was able to sell "Craft beer is the new beer" rather than trying to gain credibility by attaching itself to a completely different industry.

I liked the guy from Mussel Inn's answer to the question. "Beer the new wine? God I hope not."

[Kempicus]

i can see your point, who'd want to be a wine connoisseur knob end?

What i do like about it is that it's a useful association "craft beer is the new beer" is good but to a pleb all that means is 'new fizzy lager is the new fizzy lager' what does it mean?

Associating beer with the mystique and image that wine has built for itself rather quickly cuts through any confusion of meaning, to me it quite nicely rides on the coat tails of their advertising campaigns and neatly explains that beer is flavourful and classy....why re-invent the wheel?

[Rusty Chch]

Sure there's cachet in being associated with wine but there is also the danger in over-extending the link into identifying beer with the snobbishness and inaccessibility of wine (in some people's mind).

I'd rather craft beer was seen to be a complimentary drink rather than a replacement.

[James P]

It may be up on TVNZ OnDemand in the next week if you want to watch it.... although it didn't cover anything useful.

No wonder the Wild Food Festival has gone to the dogs.. with that twat sponsoring it.

[Barry]

I thought the show was very good. I should point out that it was Wayne Nicholas in the homebrew segment, not Luke (of course). Awesome setup too, I was very green-eyed.
Geoff put in a good show, should've been wearing a SOBA t shirt though ;)
Wigram, Mussel Inn, all good.

Paddy Sweeney, why oh why did they have to focus so much on that guy. Nothing whatsoever to do with good beer.

Couldn't find it on ondemand by the way.

[denimglen]

I thought the show was good. It can't be taken too seriously I guess, FFS Radar is presenting it :-P At least it gave some publicity to craft beer.

I thought that guy from Good Bastards was a good laugh, I mean, he's from the South Island, how much can you really expect :-P

[Ollie]

Remember a study done a few years ago:
The vast majority of NZ wine is drunk within 30mins of purchase... REAL CLASSY.
That's why NZ produces a lot of young, New World style wines designed to drink within the first year (eg. whites that taste like Just Juice and reds that taste like Ribena). I think our wine industry is a lot like our beer. The rich, sauvoury delights are lost on many people, and this is reflected in our grape growing. Sh*tloads of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir... Many wine drinkers I've met and even know a reasonable amount about it in fact just have bland, timid pallets anyway - just like international lager drinkers really. God 80% of craft beer drinkers only drink it because it's cool, regardless of flavour. Look how well certain beers not at their best still sell.

The problem isn't marketing, producers/drinkers of crap beer, crap wine... It's a timidity and an unwillingness to experiment with new flavours - or even to pay attention to them.

RANT.

[Greig McGill]

God 80% of craft beer drinkers only drink it because it's cool, regardless of flavour

Do you really think so Ollie? Maybe I've been lucky, but I don't think I've ever met a beer lover who drinks craft beer for the image. Can't say the same about wine snobs. I know many wine lovers, but the snobs outweigh them.

[Kempicus]

depends on your definition of craft beer i guess, 80% of 'green bottle lager' drinkers drink them for image but that's a long way from craft beer

[Ollie]

I was referring to NZ micro-brewed craft beer. 80% is an exaggeration but it's still a large proportion - For evidence look at sales of Renaissance APA and PPA - riddled with acetylaldehyde but surprisingly popular. Ditto some awful batches of Emerson's that some have sworn are nectar of the gods.
Was just pointing out that the beer and wine industries and people's drinking habits are pretty much the same. I've met as many beer snobs as wine snobs. Beer or wine, joe/jane the plumber still generally drinks what's on special.
Perhaps I'm being naiive but I don't understand what makes beer more accessable than wine... what's the difference between talking crap about hop terroir in NWPA and talking crap about the degree of malo-lactic fermentation in your chardonnay? Both are equally geeky and antisocial towards those who aren't interested :-).

[Greig McGill]

But both equally fun to indulge in with others of like mind! :)

I see what you're saying, I've just not experienced it. Also, there are other interpretations. Renaissance is a good example. I had some excellent beer from them, so I keep going back, knowing what they're capable of. I don't often buy it by the dozen, sure, but I do keep trying it. Yeah, I get a lot of disappointment at the batch variance, but every so often I get an absolute gem of a beer that I'd have missed out on if I'd written them off. No way do I ever say it's good when it's not, but "when it's good, it's awesome!" :)

[Kempicus]

I don't think i've ever met anyone that can afford to buy renaissance by the dozen! ;0)