KEY POINTS:
Sitting on Hahei Beach in the Coromandel, David Elmsly lamented his impending return to Auckland and the end of his summer break.
In a bid to cheer his maudlin friend, Andrew Somervell passed Elmsly a beer and suddenly, there was light in the world once again.
Well, not
really. But it makes a good story, laughs Somervell.
The duo, who are organisers of the inaugural New Zealand Beer Festival, which takes place this Saturday at the Ellerslie Racecourse, have long been fans of barley pop and thought it was about time it got a show of its own.
"The local wine industry has done so well over the last 15 years, through developing and promoting wine as a premium product. The beer industry is just as good but no one is pushing it," said Somervell.
Created as an industry event, the festival is about beer appreciation, not getting pissed, said Somervell.
"We would love to see, in ten years time, the festival still going and taking up the entire Ellerslie in-field."
There will be a strong security presence on the day to prevent "aggro idiots" ruining the event for other punters, said Somervell.
The day-long event will feature more than 50 beers from 20 breweries, the majority of which are New Zealand-based.
Head brewer and managing director of Aotearoa Breweries, Tammy Viitakangas, will be showcasing her boutique brew, Mata, at the festival.
Viitakangas said the festival reflected an increased interest in beer in New Zealand, and a cultural shift away from drinking to get drunk, to drinking for enjoyment.
"A lot of boutique breweries have been popping up both in New Zealand and overseas. The fact they are succeeding shows that people are thinking about beer more and enjoying it," said Viitakangas.
Set in Ellerslie's horse stables and parade ring, the festival will feature two beer halls with bench seating and an outdoors beer garden.
However, Somervell said the intention is not to emulate traditional German beer festivals.
"It's the New Zealand Beer Festival and it needs its own identity and flavour," he said.
Local musicians and DJs will entertain throughout the day, which kicks off at 12.30pm and runs until 10.30pm.
* Tickets to the R20 event are $20 and available from the Beer Festival website.