Five Kiwi craft beers to try despite their unassuming label design

If you're one of those people who mainly chooses a beer by its cool label design then hello, we should start a club. But also, let me tell you: our penchant for artsy bottles means we miss out on some delicious beverages.

With new micro breweries popping up pretty much every week, you can go months before you even repeat a beer. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise: it is truly a great time to be alive.

But all these options beg the question: how do you choose?

Since I'm an equal opportunist when it comes to different beer styles, the only considerations I keep in mind when standing at a liquor store browsing beer are: how much does it cost? And look, what a cool label design!

That last criterion, which is perfectly justified and has brought me much joy, means some inconspicuous kiwi beers passed me by for a while, in favour of more stylish designs.

I'm here to make sure the same doesn't happen to you (thank me later).

Hallertau
This Riverhead pub is now a grown-up stylish place, biergarten and all, but their beers remain beautiful in their simplicity. Their main lineup is made up of six beers named 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and - you guessed it - 6. It doesn't get much simpler than single digits, does it? They actually have other names but no one really uses them anyway.

Which one to try first? You can't go wrong with a Hallertau 2 Pale Ale.

Mike's Brewing
A Taranaki Treasure, mike's Organic Brewery has recently come out with some funky label designs and some good beer names to match (hello, "Hopstock and 2 Smoking Barrels") but you can still spot their beers on the shelves from a distance for the big bold red M on the label, and not much else.

Which one to try first? Skip dessert and have a Mike's VCP (Vanilla Coffee Porter) instead.

Sawmill Brewery
There's not a lot to say about Sawmill's black labels and that's exactly why they're worth mentioning here. The best of this Matakana-based brewery is definitely inside the bottle (and in their food menu at their pub because anyone that brings kina pate to your table is a good friend).

Which one to try first? Their IPA, which now also comes in a slightly fancier golden can, will not disappoint.

Hop Federation
Any beer that dares to come from wine country is already defying odds and, for that, should be respected. Hailing from Riwaka, Hop Federation bottles are unassuming with their standardised geometric hop flower but they hold some of the most reliably delicious beer you'll ever drink.

Which one to try first? The Red IPA is Hop Federation's signature beer. The brewery describes it as a "confident mahogany brew" and I'm not even sure what that means but I can assure you it's worth it.

Renaissance
I ignored Renaissance for an embarrassingly long amount of time and I blame their discrete labels for not yelling "BUY ME" at me from the shelves. The design doesn't vary much from bottle to bottle and, while the glass bottles themselves are a distinctive shape, there really isn't much else going for them. Until you try what's inside, of course.

Like Hop Federation, Renaissance comes the middle of Marlborough wine country in New Zealand and we'd like to thank them for being more sauvin hop and less sauvignon blanc.

Which one to try first? Clear your schedule because you're not going anywhere today. Pour the Renaissance Stonecutter Scotch Ale into one glass, turn your phone off, and rejoice in your decision not to share this one with anyone else.