Despite huge growth, craft beer still only accounts for around 2 per cent of the New Zealand's total beer market, and Asian demand is expected to surge in the next decade. Photo / Getty
New Zealand could become a "superpower" of the global craft beer market, with demand for Kiwi brews expected to triple over the next decade, partly as a result of increasing Asian demand, according to research by ANZ.
John Bennett, ANZ's general manager of the central region for commercial and agri,
said Asia's fast-growing middle classes were beginning to develop a taste for boutique beer.
The potential for New Zealand exporters in countries such as China was huge, he said, but brewers and local hops growers would have to lift production significantly in order to fully grasp the opportunity.
"These consumers are increasingly looking for premium products that are authentic, high-quality and were made by a craftsman, not a factory production line," Bennett said. "The challenge for craft brewers is to grow production quickly and without compromising quality or uniqueness."
New Zealand craft breweries currently exporting to Asian markets include Blenheim-based Moa and the Kapiti Coast's Tuatara. Most of this country's hops is grown in the Nelson region.
