Brewers cringe at the question "is beer the new wine?"
It conjures up images of pretentious snobs in their tweed jackets finding obscure adjectives to describe the new offerings from the latest ultra-cool microbrewery.
That said, it's hard not to draw comparisons between the way Sauvignon Blanc rocked the wine world in the '80s and how New Zealand pilsner rocked the beer world in the '00s. Packed with New Zealand hop aromas, that sort of character wasn't considered acceptable in a lager, to the extent that New Zealand pilsner wasn't even a recognised style until 2010. One New Zealand brewer defied that restriction and deserves to take credit as the architect of the style. Richard Emerson is arguably the godfather of the New Zealand craft beer movement. From humble beginnings in his Dunedin Grange Rd brewery, serving cask conditioned porter at the university staff club, to being the latest multimillion-dollar acquisition for Lion Breweries, Emerson's has become synonymous with great innovative beer.
Perhaps his greatest accomplishment has been Emerson's Pilsner (4.9 per cent) where he defies convention using New Zealand hops and malt to produce a unique, beautiful fruity lager that many New Zealand brewers have sought to emulate.
At its best, the New Zealand Riwaka hops smash your olfactory senses with passionfruit and tropical fruit notes.
