Upcoming Pauanui Craft Beer and Gin Festival a sellout success

Pauanui is set to play host to a gin and craft beer festival. Photo / NZME

Friends told Gary Smith he was mad when he told them he was organising a gin and wine festival in Pauanui.

"I don't drink," explains the teetotaller of two and a half years. "So people thought it was a bit crazy."

But there'll be a "zero bar" featuring non-alcoholic tasty drinks at the event which showcases 60 craft beers and 20 varieties of gin.

The Pauanui Craft Beer and Gin Festival on Saturday, September 24, was planned a year ago but postponed due to lockdowns and uncertainty around event gatherings, and such was the enthusiasm for it that tickets sold out straight away last year.

Gary says some of those tickets will become available from those unable to make the new date this year, but he's already got a waiting list.

And he promises next year's event will be double the 500 limit this year.

Entertainment includes Tim Armstrong Band, DJing by Mike Plant and five food trucks and coffee.

Gin and craft beer has become an expanding industry on the Coromandel with products manufactured in Hahei, Coromandel Town, Thames, Waikino, Whenuakite and Kuaotunu.

The event showcases many Coromandel distilleries including the Pour House, Hot Water Brewing, Blue Fridge, Kaimai Brewing and Distilling and Coromandel Distillery which won the World's Best Classic Gin at the 2022 World Gin Awards. Others are Bach Brewing, Lady H, Holland Road, Broken Heart, Strange Nature and 1911 Distilling.

Breweries include the Pour House, Bootleg, Manaia Craft Brewers of Clevedon, Tuatara, Kaiser Brothers, Deep Creek Brewing and Brewaucracy Brewing.

The event is sponsored by Harcourts Pauanui and fundraising for the Pauanui Club which supports numerous charitable causes in the town.