The Shout NZ May 2023

HIGH-QUALITY SPIRITS

PLUS

TASTING NOTES

VODKA

FRESH HOP BEER

BUSINESS ADVICE

DRINKS. IT’S YOUR BUSINESS.

25 - 27 JUNE 2023

AUCKLAND SHOWGROUNDS

Sunday - Tuesday 10am - 5pm

You’re invited to New Zealand’s leading industry trade show – Fine Food New Zealand 2023.

Touch, taste and experience what’s cooking in the foodservice, hospitality and food retail sectors. NEW! Liquid Alliance is the place to be at Fine Food New Zealand to find your perfect drop! From sparkling to seltzer and everything in between - discover the very best beverages on offer from Tasman Liquor & Allied Liquor’s suppliers.

Register now for free entry at finefoodnz.co.nz using code SHOUT

SCAN TO REGISTER

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

As everyone in the industry knows, there is a lot that goes into a liquor business. Opening a new bar, pub or liquor store, while daunting in general, comes with a lot of questions. How many staff members do we need? What payment platforms should we have? What drinks should we serve or sell? And how can we make sure everyone is safe? Among many many others, of course. In this issue of The Shout NZ, we have found experts to help answer at least a few of these pressing questions. On pg 21, Wesley Moir from Host explains the advantages of taking orders via a QR code; while on pgs 26-27, Sommelier Andrea Martinisi shares his tips for creating the perfect wine list for your on-premise. And on pg 34, Lightspeed’s Katie Nelson provides ways to deal with negative reviews about your business. Plus, on pgs 28-30 we have a comprehensive guide to ensuring your liquor store is safe through environmental design. With the liquor industry picking up and hopefully more businesses opening their doors, we hope this information serves you well in making good business decisions for your on- or off-premise. Cheers!

Andrew Arnold, NZ Country Manager, Shopper Intelligence, shares his off-premise insights.

21 TABLE SERVICE

Host’s Wesley Moir explains the benefits of QR code table ordering

22 TASTING NOTES

Pinot Noir and Single Varietal Reds

26

Tips for creating the perfect wine list from Sommelier Andrea Martinisi

28

STAY SAFE IN THERE

How to safeguard your liquor store

Beer writer Tim Newman talks us through fresh hopped beers

34

WHEN REVIEWS GO BAD

How to deal with negative feedback on your business

Group Publisher Craig Hawtin-Butcher craig@intermedia.com.au

Digital and Print Coordinator Eclypse Lee elee@intermedianz.co.nz

PUBLISHED BY The Intermedia Group (NZ) Ltd PO Box 109 342, Newmarket, Auckland 1149

Executive Chairman Simon Grover

Managing Director Paul Wootton

Editor Charlotte Cowan ccowan@intermedianz.co.nz

ph 021 774 080

Sales Director Wendy Steele wsteele@intermedianz.co.nz

ph 021 300 473

Graphic Designer Katy Brack kbrack@intermedia.com.au

Production Manager Jacqui Cooper jacqui@intermedia.com.au

Subscription Enquiries subscriptions@intermedia.com.au

For more amazing liquor news (and even a few giveaways), make sure you follow us on Instagram and Facebook @theshoutnz and sign up to our weekly eNewsletter at www.theshout.co.nz.

The Shout NZ Editor, Charlotte Cowan

Asahi expands Australian presence in Kiwi beer market

Asahi Beverages New Zealand is expanding its presence in the New Zealand beer market.

From 1 May, 2023, ABNZ became the official distributor of Asahi Beverages’ Australian beer brands in the Kiwi market, including Victoria Bitter, Pure Blonde and Foster’s.

Under the new distribution arrangement, the beers will continue to be brewed in Australia by Asahi Beverages’ Australian alcohol division, Carlton & United Breweries, before they are shipped to ABNZ. ABNZ sales staff will work closely with pubs and retailers across the country during the transition from the present distributor.

“This is an incredibly exciting announcement for Asahi Beverages New Zealand. It will support our continued growth and expansion,” says Asahi Beverages New Zealand CEO, Andrew Campbell. “Many Kiwis love these iconic Australian brands. Pure Blonde and Victoria Bitter in particular enjoy a cult following in New Zealand.”

WHAT’S ON

Study finds beer improves mental and physical wellbeing

A new study has shown that people who drink a moderate amount of beer every day are in better health, both mentally and physically, than former drinkers or teetotallers.

A team from Spain’s University of Murcia studied 33,185 adults and found that beer consumption shows better indicators of physical, mental and emotional health than in abstainers and ex-drinkers. Brewers Association Executive Director, Dylan Firth, says the research aligns with a range of meta

studies that show low doses of alcohol can improve heart health and the immune system.

“We know from years of research that there is a J-shaped curve when it comes to alcohol, and that there are positive health outcomes for moderate drinkers vs those who abstain,” he says.

Firth says this, as well as other studies, show that regular beer consumption boosts gut bacteria and reduces diabetes and heart disease risks. “It also helps fight dementia through reducing brain toxic substances,” he says. “According to the study, moderate alcohol consumption is defined as drinking one pint (5% ABV) of beer per person per day.”

He says the study concluded alcoholic beer consumption showed a J-shaped relationship with self-perceived, physical, mental, and social-emotional health, with better values at moderate levels.

“It also highlighted that beer, the most popular alcoholic beverage in the world, usually has a relatively low alcohol content compared to other alcoholic beverages.”

May 17

International Pinot Gris Day

May 19

Yalumba The Professionals Lunch, Auckland www.negociants.com/nz/events

May 20

World Whisky Day

May 26

International Chardonnay Day

May 26-28

The Chardonnay Affair, Gisborne www.thechardonnayaffair.co.nz

June 2-23

F.A.W.C Hawke’s Bay www.fawc.co.nz

June 3

World Cider Day

June 9

NZ Spirits Awards Gala Dinner Auckland www.spiritsawardsnz.nz

June 12

World Gin Day

June 12-14

Negociants NZ Fine Wine Tour Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington www.negociants.com/nz/events

June 16-17

Winetopia

Auckland

www.winetopia.co.nz

June 28

Hospitality NZ Awards for Excellence

Auckland

At the time of publication, all event dates were correct but are subject to change. Please check event websites for any updates.

Sandymount Distillery first in Aotearoa to be certified carbon neutral

Sandymount Distillery has received notification from EKOS that it has achieved carbon neutral status.

The distillery, located in Sandymount Road on the Otago Peninsula, has been in commercial operation since May 2021, and owner and distiller Richard Wilson says he is thrilled to have reached this milestone before the business’s second birthday. “This is what I’ve been working towards since I built my first still. It’s really something to celebrate,” he says.

The EKOS certification, which needs to be renewed annually, assesses every aspect of the business, considering the carbon outputs against the carbon mitigation measures.

Wilson’s prior experience in facility management meant that he could factor in carbon mitigations as he was developing the distillery site.

Wilson says he is aiming to create some of Aotearoa’s best craft spirits, using his property to provide the resources, and replenishing the property by replanting and encouraging the growth of native forest and habitat.

“It’s great to be pushing the boundaries in this space,” he says. “New Zealand’s distilled spirits sector is very collaborative and future-focused so I’m definitely not the only one working with our environmental footprint front of mind – but I’m still pretty happy to be the first to get this tick.

Campari becomes majority shareholder in Thirsty Camel

Campari Group is now the majority shareholder in Thirsty Camel Limited. The announcement came after Thirsty Camel Limited, a Campari Group joint venture company, began distributing the full Campari portfolio in New Zealand on 1 January, 2023.

Thirsty Camel markets and distributes global leading brands including, Coruba, Appleton Estate, Wild Turkey, Aperol, SKYY Vodka and Campari. In addition, Thirsty Camel Limited will continue to distribute a number of other brands such as Fever-Tree, Kraken and Disaronno.

With the change in shareholding, Brad Madigan has been appointed to the role of Managing Director. Most recently, Madigan was Managing Director of Campari UK and before that, Sales Director at Campari Australia.

Titch Hay, Founder of Thirsty Camel, will continue to play a role in the business as Commercial Sales and Agency Brand Director.

“We have strong ambitions for the New Zealand market and the Thirsty Camel joint venture is integral to our next phase of growth,” says Madigan. “This announcement not only demonstrates our commitment to growing

“To offset our biggest carbon uses, we’re investing in planting native forests, both on site at Sandymount, with a planting plan of 2000 native trees over 36 months, and through the EKOS carbon zero certification plan at Kanuka hill in Uruwhenua, Mōhua (Golden Bay),” he says. “Becoming carbon neutral is the first step. What we have to do next is work out how to reduce our footprint entirely so we can get to carbon zero – there’s a way to go for that yet.”

THE JOURNEY FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD CONTINUES…

Coruba, Appleton Estate, Wild Turkey and Riccadonna now available from Thirsty Camel.

of the confidence Campari has in Thirsty Camel’s potential for growth in New Zealand.

thirst ycamel

Campari’s footprint in New Zealand but also diversifying the local industry through our increased investment in Thirsty Camel. We will be adding a number of new roles to the joint venture, more than doubling the current team.”

For further information or details please contact 0800 THIRSTY (844 778) or info@thristycamel.co.nz

Hay says the increased investment from Campari is a demonstration

Thirsty Camel Limited was established in 2004 and has grown to be a leading distributor, representing locally manufactured, celebrated international, and craft brands.

Richard Wilson

AMW launches Wine Map of Marlborough

Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) has launched the Wine Map of Marlborough, a reference tool that delineates the Marlborough wine growing region for the first time.

It has been 50 years since the first commercial vineyards were planted in Marlborough, with significant growth occurring and vines now occupying around 30,000 hectares.

“Naturally, subregions with distinct microclimates and stylistic features have been identified over this time,” says John Buchanan, AMW chair. “And the Wine Map of Marlborough represents the first attempt to map these in a detailed way.”

AMW is a member-led organisation established in 2018 to protect the integrity,

authenticity and brand value of wines produced within its region.

The map project was driven by the Marlborough Wine Map Collective (MWMC), a team of five AMW members. Over a two-year period, the group worked in consultation with Wellington-based cartographer Roger Smith of Geographx and local designer Megan Boreham of Eye Catcher Designs.

“The resulting ‘Wine Map of Marlborough’ is a vital resource in understanding the subregional detail and diversity of Marlborough,” says Buchanan. “We look forward to making it available to a wider audience, including industry colleagues, wine educators, and engaged consumers.”

Wellington and Auckland hospitality groups join forces

Kāpura (formerly Wellington Hospitality Group) and Joylab (formerly Barworks) have joined forces to create Star Hospitality Group.

DB Breweries (current major shareholder in Joylab) has acquired the remaining shares in Joylab and merge Joylab with Kāpura.

Kāpura founders Jamie Williams and Andrew Williams will continue as shareholders in Star Hospitality Group.

Kāpura CEO Jamie Williams will become CEO of Star Hospitality, while Joylab Managing Director John Hellebrekers will join the Star Hospitality Board.

The Star Hospitality executive team will include senior executives from Kāpura and Joylab, leveraging the expertise of both groups.

Star Hospitality will continue to deliver outstanding hospitality experiences across New Zealand.

World’s 50 Best Bars launches Best Bar

Design Award

The World’s 50 Best Bars has launched a new award to celebrate the very best in bar design.

The Bareksten Best Bar Design Award will be judged by a panel of hospitality design experts, and bars from anywhere in the world are invited to submit their venues for consideration.

Each entry will be judged on six key pillars, including innovation, aesthetics, accessibility, ergonomics, ecological compatibility and emotional quotient. Any bar can self-nominate for the award and there is no restriction on how long the bar has been open. All entries will be judged anonymously.

Entries close in June and the winner will be announced at The World’s 50 Best Bars ceremony in Singapore on Tuesday, 17 October 2023. For more information and entry details, visit www.theworlds50best.com

Appellation Marlborough Wine

Celebrate New Zealand white wine this month

New Zealand Winegrowers is calling on white wine lovers across the world to celebrate New Zealand white wine this month.

The theme of the month, Pour Yourself a Glass of New Zealand, comes at a time when New Zealand’s top three exported white wine varieties are internationally celebrated with International Sauvignon Blanc Day (6 May), International Pinot Gris Day (17 May) and International Chardonnay Day (26 May) all falling in the same month.

“New Zealand white wine makes up 93% of our global exports, and while Sauvignon Blanc represents 86% of our

exports, New Zealand also produces other world-class white wine varieties such as Pinot Gris and Chardonnay,” says

A matter of excise tax

Distilled Spirits Aotearoa (DSA) is writing a submission to the New Zealand Government, asking it to consider an excise support package for New Zealand distilled spirits in 2023.

CPI is tipped to be in excess of 7% in this year’s increase. Last year the increase was more than 6%, and the year before that over 4%. The current excise rate for spirits sits at just over $60 per litre of alcohol – nearly twice that of beer and wine.

An excise support package (rebate scheme) will enable spirits manufacturers to reinvest excise spend into their business. The New Zealand spirits industry is made up of more than 160 distillers and spirits manufacturers, which have approximately 910 jobs with an estimated $41 million in wages.

The industry has a downstream economic value of $16.8 million across other industries, such as tourism, hospitality, research, agriculture, and manufacturing, providing approximately 1,547 downstream jobs.

Our distillers are recognised amongst the best in the world, bringing home prestigious awards such as the World’s Best Gin at the International Wine and Spirits Competition on three different occasions.

The industry, largely made up of small and medium family businesses, has managed to grow while paying the one of the highest spirits taxes in the world, which increases yearly. Over 65% are located in rural and regional New Zealand, supporting a growing hospitality and tourism economy. The spirits industry is at a similar point to where New Zealand’s wine industry was in the 1980s. That industry showed promise then and is now an important contributor to New Zealand’s agricultural, tourism, and exports industries.

The value of New Zealand wine exports reached $2 billion in 2020. The New Zealand spirits sector currently has an export value of $45.8 million and it is expected that if a “support package” was put in place it would accelerate

Charlotte

Read, General Manager, New Zealand Winegrowers.

In May 2022, New Zealand Wine called on people across the globe to sign the petition for the inclusion of the white wine emoji on global keyboards, and an official request was made to the Unicode Consortium in July.

The request was declined with no explanation as to why but NZ Winegrowers says another attempt will be made to secure the white wine emoji in 2024 when the two-year grace period ends.

You can express how you feel about the missing white wine emoji at the New Zealand Wine online message board (www.nzwine.com/37689), which will be used to advance the case in 2024.

Richard Wilson Chairperson, Distilled Spirits Aotearoa

current exports, with New Zealand made spirits having the potential to match – if not exceed – the value of New Zealand’s wine exports.

Support for the spirits sector has downstream effects for a wide range of other sectors, including tourism, hospitality, research, agriculture, and manufacturing, and New Zealand agriculture. $43.7 billion is spent on leisure and entertainment in New Zealand annually and, increasingly, people are willing to spend more on unique or special experiences. New Zealand distilleries not only produce some of the world’s best spirits and but are themselves now becoming tourist attractions throughout regional and rural New Zealand.

Unfortunately, for most distillers in New Zealand, excise represents more than 50% of their overheads. In Australia, an excise support package comprised of a rebate of up to $350,000 has been proven to be beneficial to both small and large distillers, providing much needed capital while also providing an economic benefit to the government. We are asking the New Zealand Government to consider introducing an Excise Support Package that comprises of up to $350,000 NZD excise rebate per distillery per year.

* All facts, figures, and statements within this are derived from DSA internal documents

Changing demands

It was only at the start of this year when the regulatory calendar of changes impacting the brewing and wider alcohol sectors seemed chock-a-block in the lead up to the 2023 election. There was the tow-stage review of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act, one Bill had been through its first reading and we expected the advice on the second Bill to be with the Justice Minister in March. This would look at areas of price, advertising, sponsorship and licensing in general – it was potentially wide in scope.

There was also Green MP Chloe Swarbrick’s Bill that looked at banning alcohol sponsorship.

Then the implementation of a Container Return Scheme on the horizon. This would add 20c to the cost of a container, plus a management fee of around 8-9c and then GST.

Further to this was the Food Standards work on mandatory energy (Calories/KJ) labelling followed by the consultation being done on whether the ability for alcoholic beverages to make claims about low sugar or carbs.

Also being finalised was the implementation of pregnancy warning labels and our application to change the design for corrugated cardboard outers.

Since then, things have shifted somewhat. Reasonably, the Prime Minister has decided the second part of the work on the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act would be pushed out until Q2 2024, as would the implementation of a Container

New Zealand Wine –Altogether Unique

New Zealand’s geographical location and climate provide perfect conditions for growing grapes and allow for the retention of natural acidity across a wide range of varieties. Coupled with long hours of sunshine and often crisp night temperatures, it’s the ideal recipe for pure, fresh, delicate wines.

This unique combination of factors helped to inspire New Zealand Winegrowers’ new global brand platform launched in January this year ‘New Zealand Wine –Altogether Unique’, highlighting the very best of the New Zealand wine industry. Incorporating the latest consumer insights, New Zealand Winegrowers worked alongside creative agency Many Minds to define its brand essence and create an accompanying new visual identity, supported by the key pillars of Purity, Innovation, and Care.

Our General Manager of Marketing, Charlotte Read, says, “With global activity returning to ‘normal’, it’s more competitive than ever to have voice of the New Zealand Wine brand heard, and a clear premium brand message is essential. Creating a compelling brand positioning for New Zealand Wine is important as we seek to engage and motivate evolving wine drinking audiences.”

Dylan Firth Executive Director, Brewers Association of New Zealand

Return Scheme. Parliament found that it didn’t agree with Green MP Chloe Swarbrick’s Bill and it was voted against in its first reading. Then we saw a decision in the favour of our application on pregnancy warning labels.

So, while the submissions are in on the mandatory energy labelling and we await the results, the reduction in immediate regulatory change is a relief for many. It is important for the regulatory framework which industry operates to be up to date and fit for purpose, but continuous changes and proposals create operational uncertainty and resource to engage with.

The postponement and end of some of these matters give industry some space to actually do what they do best. Create world class product and innovate to meet the changing consumer demands.

New Zealand Wine, Altogether Unique, is New Zealand Winegrowers’ first brand refresh since 2006, and the new visual identity rolled across global markets at the start of this year.

To convey the essence of New Zealand wine, a short storytelling video has been created that aims to create an emotional connection to New Zealand wine. The short clip features Kiwi actor and winemaker Sir Sam Neill of Jurassic Park and The Piano fame, who has been a part of the New Zealand wine story for over 25 years. Established in 1993, Sam is the proprietor of Two Paddocks, a family vineyard based in Central Otago, New Zealand. You can check out the video at nzwine.com.

Amber Silvester Communications Manager, New Zealand Winegrowers

Traditional liquor VS GROCERY

shares his insights into whether liquor stores need to try and compete with big grocery chains.

the psychology of shopping is what I think fascinates me most about working in this industry – trying to understand why shoppers do what they do, why they make the decisions that they make, why they choose to go somewhere and not somewhere else, what their needs are and are they being met – that’s not an exhaustive list by any stretch of the imagination. One question I often get asked is how best to compete when what you sell can be sold by someone else. In the case of the traditional liquor channel, how do you compete with those big box grocery guys?

WE HAVE TO START WITH PRICE, RIGHT?

The natural default position is to look at what they charge for their products and what you charge for yours. Next step, figure out your margin. Then, can I afford to match it or not? Is it worthwhile matching or bettering it for some products and not others? Do my promos stack up with theirs? Throw all that into the pot, and what you come out with is hopefully a sound strategy where you compete on some things but not on others – but this often leads to a spiral into which you can’t get yourself out of and which you probably can’t make any money from. This approach neglects one crucial aspect: quite simply, does price matter more to a shopper in traditional liquor than it does in grocery? And if it does, where does it matter most, i.e. what categories should I focus on?

With 20 years’ worth of experience in NZ FMCG, Andrew has worked in a wide variety of sales and insights roles with the likes of Red Bull, Gordon & Gotch and Energizer. During his career he has led sales and insights teams to develop insight-led strategies that drive both retailer and category growth.

Andrew Arnold, NZ Country Manager, Shopper Intelligence

Andrew Arnold, NZ Country Manager, Shopper Intelligence,

The answer may surprise you. Price is not more important in traditional liquor than it is for alcoholic beverages in grocery, nor is it less important – it is exactly the same. What implications does this have? You don’t need to try to be cheaper than grocery for a start, and when you start going deeper into the individual categories you can be very selective on what you do from a price perspective. Just because the supermarket down the road has a hot deal on a 24 pack of mainstream beer, doesn’t mean you suddenly need to match it or beat it. Your shoppers don’t expect you to be cheaper, and value means different things to them than a cheap price or a hot deal. And here’s the clincher – shoppers in traditional liquor are more satisfied on price than shoppers of alcoholic beverages in grocery are. If it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it.

to be loyal to a grocery store. How do you keep them loyal? Well, you meet their expectations – more on that next.

TAKEOUT #2 – IT’S IS KEY TO USE THE NATURAL INBUILT ADVANTAGES THE TRADITIONAL

DIFFERENT CHANNELS, DIFFERENT PRIORITIES

Traditional liquor is different to grocery. There are some obvious differences –grocery stores are bigger, have more staff, sell food, more parking probably, better “buying power” – but there are others which make a difference for shoppers. Six in particular are worthy of mention because these are all significantly more important for shoppers in traditional liquor than they are for shoppers of alcoholic beverages in grocery.

The first three are more about the products themselves, how they are messaged in store and how they are communicated pre store – premium, authenticity and healthy options.

IT’S A QUESTION OF LOYALTY

Another factor that doesn’t get thought about explicitly but matters a huge amount is one of shopper loyalty. There are numerous studies you can find on the internet showing how much more valuable a loyal shopper is than one who flits around from store to store, but often an assumption is made that if a big box grocery retailer is close by then they will get the lion’s share of that shopper because of convenience, price and so on.

Time for another myth to be busted! We have a metric at Shopper Intelligence called Retailer Does Well (Loyalty), this is a measure that asks shoppers how likely they are to be loyal to a specific retailer if they do a good job in the category the shopper bought. When this gets rolled up to a total store level and you compare alcoholic beverages in grocery with the traditional liquor channel, you get a result that isn’t even close.

A net 17% of respondents say they are likely to be loyal to a grocery store, but that number climbs to a net 38% of respondents in traditional liquor. Like I said, it’s not even close.

If you are in the traditional liquor channel, you have a shopper that wants to be loyal to you far more than they want

Traditional liquor shoppers want to see more premium options, it’s not just all

about a race to the bottom. They want to see authentic brands with authentic stories behind them, not brands they don’t know or care about. They also are far more likely to want to see low-alcohol, low-carb and low-sugar options. Their expectations in these areas are significantly higher than those seen in grocery.

The second group of three is more about the instore experience itself – innovation, range and availability. Shoppers expect to see new things in traditional liquor, the tried-and -true is what they expect to see in grocery. Range is absolutely crucial. Grocery is limited in what they can sell, so naturally shoppers will come to traditional liquor for RTDs and spirits, but this expectation also holds true in wine and beer. Anybody can buy a $10 bottle of wine, but the niche products? That’s where traditional liquor can stand out. And availability is significantly more important in traditional liquor: shoppers care more if they can’t find their favourite in a traditional liquor outlet, so don’t disappoint them if you can avoid it. The best way to sum all this up? Excite, delight, entertain and inform. That’s something that grocery just can’t match.

#3 – SHOPPERS IN TRADITIONAL LIQUOR HAVE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES TO THOSE WHO SHOP FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES IN GROCERY.

The key message here is traditional liquor is not grocery, so why try to compete with them when you don’t actually need to? Shoppers go to traditional liquor because they want and need different things, so build on those. Leave deep cuts to the grocery boys and focus on what you are good at –delighting shoppers with range, authentic brands and interesting experiences. ■

SHOPPER INTELLIGENCE NZ

Shopper Intelligence interviews over 45,000 shoppers in New Zealand across the Supermarket, P&C and Traditional Liquor channels to drive strategic shopper-led commercial decisions at retailer, category, segment and brand levels. If you want to understand your shoppers better, contact Andrew Arnold, Country Manager at Shopper Intelligence New Zealand at andrew.arnold@shopperintelligence.co.nz

LIQUOR CHANNEL HAS TO NURTURE AND GROW CUSTOMER LOYALTY.

TAKEOUT

TAKEOUT #1 – PRICE IS NO MORE IMPORTANT TO SHOPPERS IN EITHER TRADITIONAL LIQUOR OR GROCERY, SO DON’T WORRY IF YOU ARE SLIGHTLY MORE EXPENSIVE.

AIMING HIGH

everyone is pretty sick of hearing about the shocker that was 2020-2022, but one positive thing that came out of the pandemic was the global rise of premium spirits. Defined in the simplest terms as a spirit that has been made with high-quality ingredients and care, premium spirits include all categories from gin to rum, Tequila and whisky.

According to global spirits analysts, IWSR, growth within the premium spirits category has arisen mainly from people spending more money on better quality beverages, less often, and high-end alcoholic beverages saw remarkable resilience during COVID-19, despite wider spending concerns across FMCG.

While the growth was relatively broadbased across most categories, premium agave-based spirits saw growth of +16% in the first half of 2022 vs 2021, with much of this driven by the tequila category.

In New Zealand, the volume of spirits (including spirit-based drinks) rose 3.2% to 103 million litres in 2022, according to Statistics NZ.

WHAT DEFINES PREMIUM(+)?

• Quality: They must be made from quality ingredients.

• Flavour: They must have a full-bodied, unique flavour.

• Age: Typically aged longer than the minimum maturation age for each liquor type.

While premium spirits are not necessarily extremely expensive, their super-premium counterparts hold a much higher price tag.

According to the US’s Taster’s Club, super-premium spirits cost 150-200% more than the category average and their qualities include:

• Rarity

• Craftsmanship: The look and feel of the bottle.

Reefton Distilling Co.'s Jason Clark

Data shows that the first half of 2022 saw spirits in premium+ prices bands gain +6% in volume from the first half of 2021.

While historically, premium spirits were made by smaller distilleries, ‘premium’ has now become a generic term to define high-quality spirits. New Zealand doesn’t have specific definitions of the premiumisation of spirits categories, but according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) premium spirits share the following characteristics:

• Sippability: Premium spirits must be sippable.

• Quality of the liquor: Ingredients and aging process all determine whether or not alcohol is premium.

• Age: For certain spirits, age determines the quality of the alcohol.

With consumer tastes and expectations evolving, so is the production of premium spirits, writes The Shout NZ Editor, Charlotte Cowan.

PREMIUM SPIRITS IN NEW ZEALAND

In New Zealand, the number of premium spirits on the market is almost too many to count, according to Richard Wilson, owner of Sandymount Distillery and Chairperson of Distilled Spirits Aotearoa.

“At 165 craft distilleries in New Zealand, each with an average of four or five products – some with as many as a dozen – it’s hard to keep track of how many individual premium products we have,” he says.

According to Wilson, New Zealand distillers are “somewhat forced” to create a premium product due to costs.

“On average, each bottle has an excise component of $17.50, then add sourcing materials to New Zealand at the end of a long supply chain, and typically low volumes (most distilleries in New Zealand produce less than 10,000 units per year, some as low as 2,000 units per year), this means the cost to produce an average bottle of spirits in New Zealand is around $40,” he says. “Then wholesale customers expect a margin of 25%, then add on freight costs. This is why we see shelf prices for domestic products at $75+.”

Wilson says at that RRP, producers can be making as low as $1.20 per bottle, so they are driven to make products as highquality as possible and they simply can’t afford to sell cheaper spirits.

Wilson tells The Shout NZ that ‘premium’ in New Zealand is defined as hand-made using local resources where possible (such as fruits and grains), made in small batches with attention to detail. “This creates a demand for the rare product,” he says.

However, Wilson says these details do not automatically make the product better than something mass produced.

“Each distiller still needs to be experienced, qualified, dedicated and skilled,” he says. “Making a product the

hard way (in small batches) does not equal quality. But fortunately, we have some very talented distillers in New Zealand who do things the hard way, and the right way.”

Luckily for Kiwi spirits producers, New Zealanders like to adopt the “buy local” culture, which allows for distilleries to continue to operate.

“The consumer clearly wants something local, something unique, and something handmade, which in most minds is synonymous with quality,” says Wilson. “The majority of our distillers supply their local area only, and full national distribution is rare, least of all

export,” says Wilson. “Marketing and brand development are expensive and often beyond the reach of small garage distillers.”

Currently the most produced premium spirit in the New Zealand market is gin but Wilson says Kiwi whisky is hot on its tails. “It’s coming, and in a big way.”

PREMIUM RTDS

According to IWSR, it’s not just straight premium spirits that are taking off. The projectory of premium alcoholic RTDs is also rising (albeit more slowly), with the US – which holds more than 40% share of global RTD volumes – experiencing a general shift to more premium products.

Data shows that spirits-based RTDs lead the shift in premium+ RTD growth and the number of spirit-based SKUs on the market in the US has risen by approximately +70% between 2020 and 2022. Data also shows that consumer demand for premium RTDs will drive the category forward, with value growth outpacing volume at 8% vs 5% CAGR 2022-26.

Large beverage producers are capitalising on premium RTD products, producing tried and true classics such as gin & tonic or bourbon/whisky & coke. In 2022, for example, Beam Suntory –producers of RTDs such as Canadian Club & Dry and Jim Beam RTDs (in various

Bombay Sapphire RTD

“AT 165 CRAFT DISTILLERIES IN NEW ZEALAND, EACH WITH AN AVERAGE OF FOUR OR FIVE PRODUCTS – SOME WITH AS MANY AS A DOZEN –IT’S HARD TO KEEP TRACK OF HOW MANY INDIVIDUAL PREMIUM PRODUCTS WE HAVE.”

Richard Wilson

premium spirits

flavour combinations) – revealed that its sales of RTDs grew by 16%, driven by performance in Japan, Australia and the US.

According to Forbes, as premiumisation in the RTD category expands, new releases are less about experimentation and more about trusting classic recipes.

“Premium brands are setting the benchmark and enhancing the category by providing drinkers with a quality cocktail experience in a convenient format,” said Natasha Curtin, Global Vice President of Bombay Sapphire, which produces G&T RTDs.

Brandy Rand, Chief Strategy Officer at IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, says with the RTD category firmly established and competition at an all-time high, brand owners continue to focus on innovative products and brand extensions or partnerships to drive greater awareness and distribution. “The RTD innovation which IWSR is tracking year-on-year clearly shows a rapid pace of product transformation to meet consumer demand. There is no single dominant type of RTD globally, which makes the category uniquely positioned to capitalise on local tastes and trends.”

WHAT’S NEXT?

With gin a clear leader in the premium spirits category both locally and globally, what’s next for producers in terms of innovation and experimentation?

According to IWSR, alternative agavebased spirits are set to be the next big thing with the category expected to grow at 7% volume CAGR, 2021-2026. And Straits Research predicts that the global mezcal market is projected to grow at 22.6% CAGR between 2023 and 2031.

IWSR says brand owners are tapping into the growing demand for agave spirits in a number of ways, such as by producing spirits using agave plants grown outside Mexico; by importing Mexican agave and distilling elsewhere; or even by investing in traditional Mexican agave spirits that are not tequila or mezcal.

One such brand is B & R Beverages, a Kiwi start-up that has launched Amigos Aotearoa Mezcal – a new Mexican spirit developed specifically for the Kiwi palate.

The brainchild of Kiwi Hayden Bigelow and Mexican Adrian Martinez-Ruiz, who met in a bar in Mexico in 2018, Amigos Aotearoa Mezcal is made in Mexico using the Espadin agave from the Oaxaca region. The piña is cooked and the juices are then fermented and distilled, resulting in a unique, smoky, earthy flavour profile

with notes of banana, raisin, caramel and dried herbs.

“Amigos Aotearoa Mezcal is a fusion of two cultures, two journeys, in one bottle,” say Bigelow and Martinez-Ruiz. “It’s a smoother, more approachable, more mixable spirit compared to other mezcals. An ideal starting point for the virgin mezcal drinker.

The pair say that expectations are high for the global mezcal market in the coming years, with increasing consumption worldwide. “We believe the timing is perfect to launch in New Zealand and will continue to develop other agave-based beverages such as 100% Agave Tequila and RTDs [in the future].”

IWSR’s Brandy Rand says as agave spirits continue to gain traction, the beverage alcohol industry can expect to see more innovation pushing the traditional boundaries and definition of this category.

“An industrialisation of alternative agave plants to produce spirit of a recognised quality could erode the dominance of tequila in the agave spirit space in the longer term,” she says. “After all, only 20 years ago consumers worldwide would turn to Scotch or Bourbon when thinking about whisky, but now the choice has expanded widely.” ■

Amigos Aotearoa Mezcal

ACCORDING TO IWSR, AGAVE-BASED SPIRITS ARE SET TO BE THE NEXT BIG THING.

CHEMISTRY GIN

A vegan gin, packaged in 100% post-consumer glass, Chemistry Gin is a modern London-Dry style infused with Sichuan [Szechuan] peppercorns, sage and seaweed. One of the newest Kiwi gins on the market, it won a silver medal at the 2023 IWSC competition and $2 from every bottle sold is donated to women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

$94.99 (44% ABV) www.chemistrygin.com

EXPORT ULTRA LOW CARB LAGER

This new brew from DB is a crisp and refreshing lager that is 99% carb-free, 99% sugar free and contains only 26 calories per 100ml. Made for Kiwi beer drinkers who appreciate easy-drinking, low bitterness lagers, Export Ultra Low Carb Lager is perfectly balanced with an exceptionally crisp and refreshing finish.

From $19.99 (4.2% ABV)

www.db.co.nz

Show

GOOD COCKTAIL CO. DAIQUIRI

The newest non-alcoholic cocktail mixer from Good Cocktail Co. combines the sweet flavour of real strawberries with the ‘zestiness’ of fashionable Asian citrus, Yuzu, in a Daiquiri. The mixer can be enjoyed with or without alcohol and is made using just five natural ingredients, including botanical extracts, fruit juices, and New Zealand artesian water.

From $12.99 www.goodcocktailco.co.nz

AULD DISTILLERY USQUEBAUGH

Usquebaugh (pronounced ‘oosh-ke-bah’) is a forgotten single malt elixir that has been carefully revived and reimagined by Auld Distillery from an ancient 300-yearold recipe. This rich single malt-based liqueur has been designed for sipping as a digestif or as a flavour-filled additive in classic cocktails.

Available in limited quantities for $145 (200ml, 44% ABV)

www.lostelixer.co.nz

ZEELANDT BREWERY BACK ON THE HORSE IPA

Back on the Horse is a New Zealand IPA inspired by a small wooden horse that remained standing at Zeelandt Brewery after Cyclone Gabrielle destroyed the property in February. All funds raised from the sale of the beer will go towards Bay View Volunteer Fire Brigade, Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter, and Bay View Community Charitable Trust.

RRP $9.99 (6.6% ABV)

www.zeelandt.co.nz

ONThis month’s must-try classics and new releases.

AUCKLAND: SLY

A proper prohibition-style speakeasy, Sly is influenced by the bars of New Orleans and Chicago and the work of film director David Lynch. With décor comprised of personal artwork and photographs, a solid mahogany bar and a stunning crystal chandelier, the atmosphere is a mix of grunge and glam. With a strong drinks menu and second-to-none service, the staff doesn’t take any of their customers for granted.

Signature cocktail: The Rhubarb Sour is their baby.

Number one food & drink pairing: They don’t do that – go eat what you want and drink what you want!

The Shout NZ is dedicated to supporting Kiwi locals and this month we’re exploring some of the coolest hidden or underground bars around the country.

SPOTLIGHT

ONNZ LOCALS:

hidden hotspots

WELLINGTON: HASHIGO ZAKE

Hashigo Zake on Wellington’s Courtney Place aspires to be a haven from the Wellington weather, from the chaos of the street, and from bad beer. At sea level in the basement of a century-old building, the atmospheric underground location hosts superb music, comedy and a selection of fine beer, keeping the big, corporate brewers out.

Signature drink: Whatever is fresh, hoppy and on tap. Number one food & drink pairing: Imperial Stout with a brisket, bock and blue cheese pie.

CHRISTCHURCH: AUSTIN CLUB

A late-night speakeasy cocktail bar in the basement of a building in Christchurch’s CBD, Austin Club is a hideaway for Cantabrians where the spirits run high and drinks never run dry. Themed from the post-war 1946 period, this small space transports you to a place of celebration with sensational cocktails, experienced staff, live comedy and jazz.

Signature cocktail: The ‘Romance of Film’, a collection of 10 house cocktails inspired by 10 films of the 1950’s – including Alice in Wonderland (earl grey gin, dry curacao, lemon, honey, angostura bitters) and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (vodka, lime, blueberry, citrus zest).

AUCKLAND: THE WINE CELLAR

An underground bar and music venue in the basement of St Kevin’s Arcade on Auckland’s Karangahape Road, The Wine Cellar is shabby, eclectic and intimate. Not too concerned with appearances, the team at The Wine Cellar is committed the creative community and offers an independent music experience like nowhere else.

Signature drink: Drinkable house wines and fine ales.

Number one food & drink pairing: Not so much a pairing, but a trip to The White Lady on the way home after the show is always a goer!

Hashigo Zake image by Jed Soane of The Beer Project. Sly image by Lisa McMillan.

clear

Ever-changing and yet a consistent spirits staple, vodka still has a hold on consumers, writes Tash McGill.

Tash McGill is a spirits and hospitality writer who regularly hosts tastings and education classes for those wanting to know more about spirits and their uses – from cocktails to culinary food matches. She has been in the spirits and cocktail industry for more than 10 years, writing, tasting and judging competitions.

the way

vodka is almost an invisible spirit, if not for its undeniable consistent presence in the market and its growth. Ask retailers or on-premise staff and the response is almost the same. When I ask the question ‘what’s new and interesting with vodka?’, people shrug their shoulders and sometimes even change the subject. But month-on-month and year-on-year, vodka remains the irrepressible stalwart. And if we take Instagram as any kind of measure of consumer engagement, iconic vodka brand Smirnoff saw a 29% increase in consumer engagement and following on the social media channel in 2022 – giving some evidence that vodka is still a hot commodity, despite its relative quiet success.

NOT SWEET AS

Maybe it’s that vodka producers are continuing to tap into the health-conscious demand for lower-ABV drinks, revisiting flavoured variants and borrowing tactics from gin. The vodka category has shaken off overly sweet confectionery flavours like ‘birthday cake’ and is moving towards lighter serves and lower-alcohol offerings. A necessity in the face of competing categories such as gin. Saccharin-sweet peach has become earthier and more complex. The nod to botanicals as a key component of building flavoured vodkas is strong.

Internationally, distillers are embracing provenance in the vodka category too and are seeking to attract ‘mindful’ consumers with ‘healthier’ alcohol alternatives –whether competing to reduce sugar or dialling up the emphasis on process as a way of delivering ‘purity’.

It’s exciting to see consumers tapping into core ingredients as a way of

understanding and choosing their vodka by preference, something exciting for craft distillers who can put a large emphasis on provenance into their brand stories. But in large, it’s the RTD sector that we have to thank for vodka’s ongoing strength here in New Zealand.

THE RTD BOOM

According to a recent Allied Market Research report, the global vodka seltzer market was valued at US$472.3 million in 2021, and is estimated to grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.8% to US$2 billion across 10 years, by 2031.

It’s not hard to understand why –vodka’s versatility and neutral flavour make it an ideal ingredient for ready-todrink (RTD) beverages, whether low-sugar, low-carb or packing a fruity punch.

With the growing demand for convenient and portable alcoholic beverages, RTDs have become increasingly popular among consumers and breaking some of the traditional demographic assumptions about the category. Ten years ago, the idea that 10-packs of pastel-coloured cans would be flying out the door and replacing the ubiquitous bottle of Sauvignon Blanc you took to a BBQ would have flown in the face of consumer trends – but the data is in.

Vodka RTDs are no longer the sole purview of younger drinkers with a sweet tooth. Its consumers in the 25-45year old bracket that are choosing RTDs that sit in the mid-range to premium price point, usually vodka, combined with all-natural flavours and light carbonation that delivers on the promise of ‘healthier’ lower-carb, lower-sugar beverage options.

But are they really any healthier than a traditional cocktail? Traditionally vodka has been viewed as a low-calorie beverage,

making it a popular choice for healthconscious consumers. But while a single shot of vodka contains around 97 calories, which is slightly lower than other alcoholic beverages such as beer or wine, where a standard pour might sit at 120-150 calories, vodka contains about the same number of calories as other spirits.

It’s vodka’s smooth taste profile and ability to blend well with other flavours that we might argue makes it an easier ingredients to work with in RTDs than other spirits which might require more sweetness to balance flavour profiles.

Some of this growth and popularity of vodka as a base spirit for RTDs comes manufacturers constantly creating new RTDs with different flavour profiles and ingredients to cater to changing consumer preferences and trends. Vodka’s neutral profile also makes it easy to pair with different flavours, such as fruit, herbs, and spices, giving manufacturers and flavour architects a lot of creative freedom when creating RTDs. But, here in New Zealand, the quality of the vodka still comes into play.

“IT’S EXCITING TO SEE CONSUMERS TAPPING INTO CORE INGREDIENTS AS A WAY OF UNDERSTANDING AND CHOOSING THEIR VODKA BY PREFERENCE.”

vodka

WHAT MAKES A HIGHQUALITY VODKA?

Traditionally, the more you distill a vodka, the purer it becomes. We assess vodka on flavour (despite the knowledge the spirit is neutral, it can still contain characteristics of the raw material – whether bison grass, potatoes, grain or whey). It’s the focus and attention on distillation that we ought to pay attention to when it comes to premium bottlings.

The difference between the $19.99 four-pack and the $24.99 four-pack is not always going to be the quality of the vodka. Scapegrace goes to lengths to point out its vodka RTDs are made with ‘real’ vodka – but what does that even mean?

Ethanol made from whey can be considered vodka, but it typically needs to be redistilled or purified first to meet the legal definition of vodka. In most countries, including the United States and European Union, vodka must be distilled to at least 95% alcohol by volume (ABV) and then diluted with water to a final ABV of between 37.5% and 50%. This process helps to remove any impurities and create a neutral, smooth-tasting spirit.

Ethanol made from whey through the fermentation process typically has an ABV of around 10-15%, which is much lower than the legal requirement for vodka. Therefore, it would need to be redistilled to increase the ABV and create a higherquality, more refined spirit.

This additional distillation process helps to remove any impurities or residual flavours from the fermented wash and

create a cleaner, more neutral taste. There are high-quality neutral spirit products on the market made from whey-based ethanol, but the emphasis still should be on the processing and additional care taken to work with the base spirit to produce the highest quality outcome.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Vodka has always been at the lowest end of cost when it comes to spirits manufacturing – and each step you add to the process increases that base cost, whether it’s the choice of flavours and components you add or the base spirit you choose to work with. Each additional

distillation post-supply adds cost to your manufacturing and production costs.

So pay attention to what you can learn about the process of your favourite RTD and your favourite vodka. Look for the stories of provenance and quality assurance you can provide to consumers. There are upcoming manufacturing costs increases beginning to roll out across some manufacturers, so expect to see your RRPs start to increase. At the same time, when economic crunch hits –historical data suggests consumers tend to buy at a lower price point and drink more at home. Hence, vodka is likely to stay strong in both consumer markets. ■

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE $19.99 FOUR-PACK AND THE $24.99 FOUR-PACK IS NOT ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE QUALITY OF THE VODKA.

TABLE SERVICE

Craft beer drinkers may be interested to hear about the latest Hazy, but the Pinot Noir drinker may not. Having the ability to filter your communications through a customer database creates more valuable engagement with your audience.

4 LIFTING SALES: Two components you’ll see for lifting sales is having a well presented visual menu as well as faster order times between rounds. A visual menu in front of thirsty customers means they shop with how they feel, not just by what they read. Want to upsell a new cocktail? Present a beautiful image of a Bikini Martini and the customer’s desires will do the rest.

on-premise.

technology continues to progress the way bars, pubs, breweries and wineries engage with their customers. With COVID-19 accelerating the adoption rate of digital technologies, it’s becoming increasingly more important for businesses to keep pace with technology to remain competitive. So what’s available to your business and how do you capitalise on the modern day, digital savvy consumer? Here we look at a few key aspects of a QR table order system specific to the New Zealand on-premise.

1 BETTER BUSINESS RESILIENCE: When operating with reduced staff, intentionally or not, orders and payments are never impacted if shortages or staff illnesses occur. In some cases, we’ve seen this particular factor reduce wage costs by up to 13% for multi-site operators.

2 LESS PRESSURE ON FRONT OF HOUSE STAFF: Reducing or removing the order taking function has meant front of house staff can focus on better hosting, rather than stressing about getting orders correct. A good host can still greet and seat patrons, explain the venue’s service and potentially take first drink orders to offer quick service. A positive effect to this has seen staff feeling better about their jobs, thus benefiting the business environment as a whole. A caution to this is a QR code table order system is not a replacement for good hosting, so a thorough adoption strategy is needed when working with both your staff and the technology provider.

SO HOW DOES IT WORK?

A QR code table order system allows customers to order food and drinks using their smartphones by scanning a QR code on their table. Here’s how it typically works:

• The venue generates a unique QR code for each table, which is printed and displayed on the table.

• Customers use their smartphone camera to scan the QR code, which takes them to a web page or app where they can view the menu and place their order.

• Once the customer has made their selection, the order is sent directly to the kitchen or bar, where it is prepared.

• When the order is ready, the staff brings it directly to the table, or notifies the customer through their smartphone that the order is ready for pickup at the designated area.

If you’re thinking about how a new system might work for your business, a hybrid format may be a good place to start. Rather than moving the whole dine-in format into QR code table ordering, having the system established and in place gives you a great capability in the background. During the quiet periods, staff can still provide table service, however as the venue gets busier, the QR table order system gives customers full control of their dining experience, their drinks served and your sales flowing.

Wesley Moir is the Managing Director of Host (www.goodhost.co.nz), a New Zealand digital order and payment platform that provides self-service products for hospitality businesses.

3 GENERATING A CUSTOMER DATABASE FOR RELEVANT COMMUNICATIONS: When customers sign up to your marketing, understanding their buying behaviour helps you filter and send relevant communications.

Viewed from a modern customer perspective, if they have a choice to either queue and wait at the bar, or stay seated with friends and order directly from their table, the preferred choice is certainly always the latter option. ■

Host’s Wesley Moir explains the benefits of QR code table ordering at your

Seeing red

PINOT NOIR

notoriously finicky and difficult to cultivate, the Pinot Noir grape has found a welcoming home in New Zealand’s cooler, southern regions, where it produces wines with distinct character and elegance.

New Zealand Pinot Noirs are renowned for their vibrant fruit flavours, silky texture, and well-balanced acidity. They are typically medium-bodied, with flavours of cherry, raspberry, and blackcurrant, often accompanied by subtle earthy undertones, spice, and a hint of oak.

The different regions of New Zealand produce distinctive styles of Pinot Noir, with Central Otago being the most well-known producer. Wines from this region feature rich, dark fruit flavours, and a full-bodied structure. Marlborough Pinot Noirs are more elegant and refined, with bright red fruit flavours and a lively acidity. While other regions – such as Martinborough, Canterbury, and Nelson –also produce high-quality examples with their unique expression of terroir.

A distinctive and exceptional wine, New Zealand Pinot Noir is reflective of our terroir, skilled winemaking, and commitment to sustainability.

Deep Ruby in colour, this Pinot Noir has ripe raspberries, blackcurrant and struck flint on the nose. The palate derives of black plum and ripened black cherry, with notes of wet leaves, charred wood and smoky mushroom. Chalky tannin accompanied by lively minerality lengthens the wines savoury characteristics throughout the finish. This exceptional terroir offers a great Pinot Noir expression, as a reflection of the dramatically beautiful mountains surrounding the Akarua estate.

RRP $45.00

Distributor: Hancocks

Phone: (03) 445 0897

www.akarua.com

www.hancocks.co.nz

A complex bouquet with a core savoury dried herb complexity, aromas of fresh and dried berries from raspberry to plum then cherry. Additional scents of black tea, mushroom and Asian spices layer in curiosity and complexity. On the palate, an equally complex wine with flavours of fruits and savoury spices, tea and toasty barrel complexities. Firm and dry, balanced, well made and still developing into its harmonious conclusion. Firm tannins and medium+ acid line, savoury and lengthy. Best drinking from 2024 through 2034.

RRP $88.00

Distributor: Crown Range Cellar

Phone: (021) 174 2955

www.crownrangecellar.com

Sourced from the Cable Station Road vineyard in the Awatere sub-region of Marlborough, this delicious Pinot Noir is expressive and vibrant. A low-yielding year gave small, concentrated grapes, bursting with abundance of juicy cherry and red berry fruit characters, complex savoury notes with a little herb character. This wine is beautifully balanced with delicate cedar and a soft texture.

RRP $22.00

Distributor: Mission Estate Winery

Phone: (06) 845 9350

www.missionestate.co.nz

1 AKARUA CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR

2 CROWN RANGE CELLAR ‘CHINA GIRL’ CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2018

3 GAIA PROJECT MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR

4 HUNTER’S OFFSHOOT MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2021

An excellent example of a fruit-forward Marlborough Pinot Noir, this wine shows characters of ripe plum and wild berry. The palate has a rich texture with fruity notes that flow seemingly to a supple finish. Soft tannins compliment blackcurrant notes on the palate that extends on the finish. Best drinking from 2023 to 2028.

RRP $34.90

Distributor: EuroVintage Phone: (0800) 338 766 www.hunters.co.nz

5 JULES TAYLOR MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2020

Pinot Noir is the rising star of Marlborough and winemaker Jules Taylor loves how this variety expresses the nuances of each season. The 2020 vintage of the classic Pinot Noir, grown in clay soils on the Southern Hills, is a refined drop – a subtle, nuanced palate of red plums, raspberries and cherries, a hint of cinnamon and some earthy spicy oak. Juicy acidity gives the wine a classy structure and length, supported by fine, polished, savoury tannins.

RRP $29.00

Distributor: Hancocks

Phone: (0800) 699 463 www.julestaylor.com

6 JULES TAYLOR ON THE QUIET SINGLE VINEYARD MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2020

This OTQ Pinot Noir is a carefully-crafted single vineyard wine made in tiny quantities from the organically certified Wrekin Vineyard in the Southern Valleys of Marlborough. Generous and spicy on the palate, it has an elegant structure, embracing a beautiful balance of berries and violets, poached plums and a hint of blackberry compote. A concentrated and textural Marlborough Pinot Noir.

RRP $45.00

Distributor: Hancocks

Phone: (0800) 699 463 www.julestaylor.com

7 LEEFIELD STATION MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2021

Opening with complex aromas of black cherries and wild mushrooms laced with a trace of gunpowder, the palate is opulent and layered, supported by chalky tannins and juicy acidity, intertwined with generous fruit sweetness and nuances of spicy French oak to elongate the finish.

RRP $27.99

Distributor: Marisco Vineyards

Phone: (09) 522 9684

www.marisco.co.nz

8 MATAHIWI ESTATE HOLLY WAIRARAPA PINOT NOIR 2020

A complex and youthful bouquet led by aromas of soil and a sense of place, then soft brown barrel spices and red berry fruits. Flavours on the palate include dark plum and red cherry, some raspberry and Keri-berry. Oak flavours of cinnamon and vanilla, with a whisper of cedar follow. Tannins and abundant with a chalk and dusty chalk quality, acidity adds crunch and freshness. There’s a nice old world feel about this wine, but it comes back to its Wairarapa home with each new sip. Well made, youthful and needs some cellar time. Best drinking from 2023 through 2033+.

RRP $39.99

Distributor: Matahiwi Estate

Phone: (027) 488 8100

www.matahiwi.co.nz4

www.marisco.co.nz

9 QUARTZ REEF BENDIGO CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2021

Fantastic bouquet with a sense of place and time, aromas of forest berries and bracken, mineral and wood spices, fresh dark cherries, plums, wild black currant and porcini mushroom. Completely delicious on the palate, texture driven and youthful, flavours of pinosity and sense of place with flavours of soil and spice, core of red fruits and fine toasty barrel qualities. Firm tannins and medium+ acid line, a long finish with charm and elegance. Great drinking from late 2023 through 2030+

RRP $59.00

Distributor: Vintners NZ

Phone: (03) 445 3084

www.quartzreef.co.nz

NEW ZEALAND PINOT NOIRS ARE RENOWNED FOR THEIR VIBRANT FRUIT FLAVOURS, SILKY TEXTURE, AND WELLBALANCED ACIDITY.

10 QUARTZ REEF ROYAL SERIES BILLIE JEAN CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2019

Aromas and flavours of dark cherry and dried raspberry, a spiced plum flesh and spices of the forest and barrel. There’s a fine savoury quality and core earth and mineral statement. The texture on the palate is coarse silk tannins and a saline refreshing acid line, barrel spice and earth smoke layer in complexity. A delicious and engaging example with a core pinosity and loud heartbeat for the variety. A voice of Bendigo and Otago captured. Best drinking from late 2024 through 2030+.

RRP $130.00

Distributor: Vintners NZ

Phone: (03) 445 3084

www.quartzreef.co.nz

11 QUARTZ REEF SINGLE FERMENT CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2020

Certified organic and biodynamic, this wine is a single ferment personally selected by Rudi Bauer as it best expresses Bendigo Estate vineyard in Central Otago. Hand-harvested, it is matured in French oak casks, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. The very generous vintage is arguably the best yet. Five stars from Michael Cooper.

RRP $90.00

Distributor: Vintners NZ

Phone: (03) 445 3084

www.quartzreef.co.nz

12 THE KING’S WRATH MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2021

Black Doris plum and cassis aromas are laced with savoury layers of forest floor and spiced oak. The full-bodied palate showcases a fine-grained tannin structure with underlying flavours of crushed blackberry, mocha and white pepper. The wine finishes intensely, carrying the array of lively Marlborough fruit flavours. Highly versatile, this wine matches well to gamey meats, mushrooms as well as rich fish.

RRP $28.99

Distributor: Marisco Vineyards

Phone: (09) 522 9684

www.marisco.co.nz

13 THE NED MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2021

Delicious aromas of wild strawberry, raspberry liquorice, and dried oregano with a fragrant allspice lift. The fleshy, sweet-fruited palate boasts opulent tannins, notes of smoky French oak and a long juicy finish. This concentrated fruit driven style of Pinot Noir will be the perfect accompaniment to your favourite white meat dishes.

RRP $25.99

Distributor: Marisco Vineyards

Phone: (09) 522 9684

www.marisco.co.nz

14 WOOING TREE CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2019

Ripe hand-picked fruit, gentle winemaking and maturation in French oak have resulted in a complex and powerful wine. It has a perfumed nose of darks fruits, violets and liquorice with a hint of spice. Ripe berry, plum, cherry and chocolate show on the palate with a long sweet fruit finish. A great example of one of the best Central Otago Pinot Noirs. Drinking fantastically well now and will develop and cellar for several years.

RRP $50.00

Distributor: Wooing Tree

Phone: (03) 445 4142

www.wooingtree.co.nz

tasting notes

SINGLE VARIETAL REDS

single varietal wines focus is on showcasing the characteristics of a single grape variety. Different grape varieties have their own unique characteristics, such as flavour profile, acidity level, tannin structure, and aroma. By making wine from a single grape variety, winemakers are able to showcase the unique characteristics of that grape.

All the red grapes you can think of can be vinified into single variety bottlings, with Shiraz/Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon in particular showcasing the uniqueness of single varietal offerings.

New Zealand’s cool maritime climate in particular ¬– with long, sunny days and cool nights – provides ideal conditions for growing these grapes, with their vibrant fruit flavours, crisp acidity, and a distinctive mineral edge. Syrah is gaining increasing attention for its spicy, dark fruit flavours, and velvety tannins with examples from the Hawke’s Bay often compared to its Rhone Valley counterparts. Northland, Gisborne and Marlborough also produce excellent Syrahs.

Australia is known for its exceptional Shiraz where the warm and dry climate helps to develop its signature dark fruit flavours and spicy notes.

1 BROWN BROTHERS ORIGINS SERIES

HEATHCOTE SHIRAZ 2020

A smooth, elegant and medium-bodied Shiraz sourced from Brown Brothers’ Heathcote vineyard. This wine has lifted aromas of red and dark berry fruits and classic pepper notes of Heathcote Shiraz. These aromas follow through to the palate which has generous juicy fruit and a fine tannin structure. This supple Shiraz drinks well now but cellaring for four to six years from vintage will add complexity. Vegan-friendly.

RRP $18.99

Distributor: Taylor Brown Phone: (09) 447 3801 www.brownbrothers.com.au

2 CASARENA 505 ARGENTINA MALBEC

Deep red in colour, the nose presents a great aromatic expression influenced by notes of black fruit and spices. In the mouth, its round tannin is highlighted and it is perceived as very fruity. Combining lovely fruit ripeness with spicy complexity, the wine shows dark plum, smoky bacon, olive and hazelnut characters on the nose. It is a wine of medium intensity, fresh and balanced, ideal to pair with cheeses, pastas and meats

RRP $24.99

Distributor: Vintners NZ Limited Phone: (09) 621 0210 www.vintners.nz www.casarena.com

3 DUNE BLEWITT SPRINGS SHIRAZ

2021

The Blewitt Springs subregion of the McLaren Vale is known for deep sandy soils on yellow clays. Shiraz typically ripens later here than other parts of McLaren Vale and displays different characteristics. Dark yet glossy fruits,

sweet herbs, demerara sugar and stained cherry juice. Medium bodied and savoury textured, plush fruited palate, fine and long, nice density of tannin, unfurling layers of flavour, mulberry and cherry juice, dark spice, smoky incense, cured meat and a little gravelly texture to finish.

RRP $29.99

Distributor: Vintners NZ Limited

Phone: (09) 621 0210

www.vintners.nz

www.dunewine.com

4 DUNE MINGSHA SHAN MCLAREN VALE SHIRAZ 2021

Mingsha Shan shows the lighter side of McLaren Vale Shiraz and 2021 will be remembered as one of the great vintages in the region. The 2021 Mingsha Shan has aromas of black pepper, blackberry, cinnamon and rose. The palate has a brightness and lift with raspberry, red cherry and sour plum characters. The tannins are fine and feathery showing a more delicate palate with cherry pip and violet characters on the finish.

RRP $29.99

Distributor: Vintners NZ Limited

Phone: (09) 621 0210

www.vintners.nz

www.dunewine.com

5 GAIA PROJECT HAWKE’S BAY SYRAH

Organically grown on the Gimblett Gravels, these vines are naturally low yielding. Tiny berries with intense flavour make these delicious Syrah expressive and vibrant. Soft and rich with excellent structure and a soft texture. This wine is beautifully balanced with dark berry notes, fresh cracked pepper, with spice and a little wild herb on the palate.

RRP $22.00

Distributor: Mission Estate Winery

Phone: (06) 845 9350

www.missionestate.co.nz

HOW TO CREATE THE PERFECT WINE LIST

New Zealand Sommelier of the Year 2021/2022, Andrea Martinisi, shares 10 tips for how to choose a popular a balanced wine list for your on-premise.

a

well-crafted wine list can make or break a bar’s reputation. A good wine list should complement the venue’s cuisine, style, it should also appeal to a diverse range of customers, and showcase the expertise of the staff. Here are tips I use to create the perfect on-premise wine list…

1KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Before creating a wine list, it’s important to understand the demographics and preferences of your customers. Consider the age range, income bracket, and cultural background of your customers to curate a wine list that will appeal to them.

2

OFFER A RANGE OF PRICES

Include wines at different price points to cater to customers with different budgets. While high-end wines can add prestige to your wine list, it’s important to offer affordable options as well.

Hailing from Perugia, Italy, Andrea Martinisi was named New Zealand Sommelier of the Year in 2021 and 2022 and placed second in the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale Best Sommelier of Asia and Oceania 2022. He is currently Group Beverage Director for The Grove and Baduzzi in Auckland.

3

FOCUS ON QUALITY

Choose wines that are high in quality, and avoid adding low-quality wines to your list. Quality wines will not only satisfy your customers, but also reflect well on the reputation of your restaurant.

4

INCLUDE LOCAL WINES

Feature wines that are locally produced or have a strong connection to the region where your restaurant is located. Local wines can create a sense of place and add to the authenticity of your wine list.

5

KEEP THE LIST UPDATED

Regularly update your wine list to remove out-of-stock wines, include new vintages, and seasonal offerings. This will keep your wine list fresh and interesting for regular customers and attract new customers as well. Also, having an updated and well-maintained list, will show professionalism and care. It’s very disappointing to order your favourite wine and find out that is not available!

6

FEATURE UNIQUE WINES

Include rare or hard-to-find wines that will attract wine connoisseurs and adventurous drinkers. This can set your wine list apart from others and create a buzz among wine enthusiasts.

7

OFFER A VARIETY OF STYLES

Offer a diverse selection of wines including sparkling, white, red, rosé, and dessert wines. This will appeal to a wider range of customers and provide options for different occasions.

8 HIGHLIGHT DIFFERENT REGIONS

Showcase wines from different regions, including Old World and New World wines. This will provide customers with a sense of exploration and introduce them to new and interesting wines.

9 MAKE IT FUN AND EASY

A good wine list should always be very accessible and easy to read, it should be tidy, and clear. If you have a large list, a table of content is a good idea, to help

the guests navigate the list. It should be divided by categories, and sectioned according to the size of the selection and style of the establishment.

10

TRAIN YOUR STAFF

Perhaps the most important of all. Regardless which type of venue you work or own, you want your customers to have the best experience possible. Sometimes wine labels and can be daunting. And choosing the right wine it’s not always easy. A well-trained staff will be able to guide your customer to choose the best bottle that matches their tastes and preferences. This will enhance the customer experience and increase the chances of repeat business. ■

“BEFORE CREATING A WINE LIST, IT’S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE DEMOGRAPHICS AND PREFERENCES OF YOUR CUSTOMERS.”

staysafeINTHERE

crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) is based on the idea that crime results partly from the opportunities presented by the physical environment. The greater the opportunity to offend and get away with it, the more offending will occur. The fundamental idea of CPTED is that good design and use of the built environment can reduce crime and the fear of crime.

THE THREE CPTED APPROACHES

CPTED has three approaches to managing the physical environment in ways that will reduce the opportunity for crime.

Natural

This involves crime prevention as part of the design of a built environment. Natural approaches affect the behaviour of staff, customers and the public so that crime is less likely to occur. For example, if staff can see what is happening throughout the premises from behind the counter, then they are able to intervene if problems occur.

Organised

Organised approaches involve things such as security guards, community patrols, or Police who can act as guardians of a business or a public space.

Alcohol.org.nz shares tips on how to safeguard your liquor store through environmental design.

NATURAL APPROACHES

1. Improve visibility to increase safety Robbers prefer to work unobserved. Improving the visibility into the store from outside reduces the risk for robbery.

• Enable people walking past to see as much of the inside of the store as possible. There should be clear lines of sight into and out of the store from surrounding areas.

Mechanical Mechanical approaches include the use of items such as closed circuit television (CCTV), counter barriers, roller doors, fog cannons and alarms – things that many people associate with crime prevention.

CPTED FOR BOTTLE STORES

CPTED works best to prevent crime when you use a combination of measures. Use natural approaches first, if you can, so that crime prevention is integrated into design and becomes part of the built environment.

• Reduce the number of advertising signs on windows and keep windows clear of shelving and displays to increase visibility. While you may get paid to have advertising on your windows, you must balance this with the need to keep your store safe. There is little point in installing a range of mechanical security devices instore if your windows are covered from floor to ceiling with advertising and there is no visibility in or out.

• Trim any external trees and plants so they don’t impede visibility into and out of the store.

Some bottle store owners express concern that increasing visibility allows potential offenders to see into their store and encourages crime. The opposite is true – robbers prefer to work unobserved. Improving the visibility into the premises from outside reduces your risk of robbery.

2. Ensure your layout supports safety

The way you lay your shop out can have a big impact on safety.

• Position the cash register and staff to ensure good control over the premises. The counter and cash register are best positioned near the entrance to allow staff to monitor who is entering and leaving the premises.

• Position the cash register so that potential offenders cannot see the amount of cash in the drawer.

• Raise the platform behind the service counter to give staff a better view of the interior of the premises and shelving/ displays, as well as the exterior of the premises and the street outside.

• Locate any safes on the premises out of public view.

• Make stock displays no higher than 1.3m so the cashier can always see customers in the store. Position shelving in one direction so you have a clear view down each aisle.

• Ensure cold stores have clear glass frontage and low displays to give clear visibility of potential shoplifting.

• Check that your store interior does not provide any hiding places for potential offenders.

• Where blind spots exist, use carefully positioned mirrors and/or CCTV.

• Display smaller merchandise closer to the cash register counter, not at the back of the shop.

ORGANISED APPROACHES

1. Staff

Good management and staff practices can support good design and promote safety. These include:

• Having enough staff on duty to be able to properly serve customers and monitor the store.

• Ensuring customers (and potential offenders) can see staff as soon as they enter the store. Having staff greet customers as they enter the store advises any potential offenders that they have been seen and are being watched

• Using a door buzzer to alert staff to someone entering or leaving the store, particularly if staff are not at the checkout.

• Having two or more staff on after dark to keep your staff safer.

• Waiting until the end of the day to cash up, when all customers are gone – close and lock all doors and entrances and then start to cash up. Offenders tend to target venues with poor practices that start to cash up when the premises is still open to the public.

2. Community patrols

Community patrols are organised and operated by their local communities. They are volunteers who work closely with Police as extra ‘eyes and ears’ to assist Police and other agencies to build safer communities. Community patrols are independent from the Police but receive regular Police guidance, training and tasking. Find out if you have community patrols in your area at the Community Patrols of New Zealand website cpnz.org.nz.

3. Māori Wardens

Māori Wardens volunteer their services throughout New Zealand, providing support, security, traffic and crowd control, first aid, and other services to the community. Māori Wardens create safer communities, encourage and assist rangatahi, and support whānau.

Māori Wardens are not police, but they have specific powers under the Maori Community Development Act 1962 to limit unruly behaviour on licensed premises. Find out about Māori Wardens at tpk.govt. nz/en/whakamahia/maori-wardens.

4. Police

Actively build relationships with Police so that you can share information with one another about what is happening in your area.

MECHANICAL APPROACHES

1. Lighting

Good lighting outside your shop and at your entrance ensures customers can see and be seen when entering and leaving the premises. When deciding on lighting outside your premises, think about who should (and shouldn’t) be using the area and when. Offenders usually like to commit crime without being seen. The aim of security lighting is to stop offenders being able to operate unobserved. However, if an area cannot be monitored at night, then lighting will only help an offender see what they are doing, rather than deter them. In this case, other security measures will be required such as CCTV or monitoring by security staff.

• Install bright lighting inside to assist with being seen from outside on the street as well as improving visibility of customers in the store.

• Provide good lighting to enable staff to monitor for the signs of intoxication and check IDs.

• Ensure external areas such as car parks, rear loading areas, etc. are well lit when in use. Good quality lighting discourages people who may engage in conflict, disorderly behaviour and criminal offending.

• Ensure that street lighting outside the premises is working properly.

2. Security – physical protections and barriers

Physical barriers and protections slow down offenders and reduce their chances of success. It is important to know that slowing down offenders does not make them become more aggressive or likely to injure staff. Rather they are more likely to leave the scene.

• Make desired items more difficult to access and remove, for example by bolting tills to the counter, and using lockable cabinets or vending machines for tobacco.

THE FUNDAMENTAL IDEA OF CPTED IS THAT GOOD DESIGN AND USE OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT CAN REDUCE CRIME AND THE FEAR OF CRIME.

• Use external physical barriers to prevent access to the premises when you are closed.

• Reinforce vulnerable doors and windows with interior screens, security glass or anti-shatter film.

• Place bollards in front of vulnerable windows or doors to provide protection from cars being used in ram raids. Your local council may place restrictions on the use of bollards or other external security features. Talk to them and find out what is allowed.

• Avoid external roller doors. They don’t make places look attractive and they attract graffiti.

• Ensure that all entry and exit points have door latch guards to make them jimmy proof.

3. Entry controls

Night pay and controlled entry systems can provide extra protection for staff, particularly during high risk times (such as after dark). Controlled entry systems allow staff to control who can enter the store. Night pay systems mean that staff do not need to allow any entry to the store. They allow the staff to remain separated from customers and potential offenders. Delaying the entry of offenders reduces crime and the chances of staff injury. Using these controls slows down offenders and reduces their chances of success. Slowing down offenders does not make them become more aggressive or likely to injure staff. Rather they are more likely to leave the scene.

4.

Alarms

An intruder alarm with a silent panic button can immediately alert the alarm monitoring centre of an aggravated robbery. A panic button positioned in the cold store is also good practice in case an offender restrains an employee there. Integrating the intruder alarm with premises lighting, so that the lights come on automatically when the alarm activates, can have the effect of driving the offenders out, as well as improving the quality of CCTV images captured.

5. Fog cannons

Fog cannons are security devices that fill a room with dense fog in a matter of seconds. They are activated by an emergency button. Fog cannons are an effective deterrent because they create a no-go area for offenders. Offenders are unable to see anything inside the shop and cannot locate high value items. It also allows employees to retreat to a safe place and lessens the risk of being a target of violence.

6. Safe rooms

Consider making a safe room in your premises where staff can go if there is a crime in progress. By physically separating themselves from offenders, staff are less likely to be assaulted or injured.

7. CCTV

CCTV is particularly useful for observing areas that cannot be easily or naturally seen by staff, customers or the public within and around licensed premises. In this case CCTV can act as a deterrent to misbehaviour, particularly where the public is aware that they are monitored and action may be taken for deviance disclosed via this medium.

8. Keeping safe during a crime

If a crime occurs at your premises, keeping yourself, your staff and your customers safe must be your priority. Remember that the offender is there to get things (cash, tobacco, alcohol), so it is safer to let them take what they want rather than putting yourself at risk of harm.

• Don’t confront the offender or put yourself in harm’s way.

• Don’t use weapons or encourage your staff to use weapons.

• Don’t try to restrain the offender.

• Don’t chase the offender. ■

For more on Safer Bottle Stores: A guide to Crime Prevention through Environmental Design, visit resources.alcohol.org.nz

HOW TO GET SUPPORT TO INSTALL FOG CANNONS

Small retail businesses can currently apply for a $4000 subsidy to have fog cannons installed. You can apply for the subsidy if you have:

• no more than two retail outlets, and;

• five or fewer paid employees, and;

• a street frontage (outlets in indoor malls where security is already provided will not be eligible).

The subsidy is only for fog cannons and it can’t be used for other crime prevention measures.

• The subsidy is for each outlet. So, if you are eligible for the subsidy and have two outlets, you can get the $4,000 subsidy for each outlet.

• You can purchase as many fog cannons as you need, but the maximum subsidy for each outlet is $4,000.

• You and the fog cannon provider negotiate the final price and organise installation.

You do not need to have been a victim of a ram raid or aggravated robbery to apply but if you have been a victim of a ram raid or aggravated robbery since November 2021, you could be eligible for other help from Police’s Retail Crime Prevention Programme (police.govt.nz).

To apply for more information, visit www.business.govt.nz

Companies such as Foggyyou (foggyyou.com/nz/) can help with installing fog cannons.

FRESH feeling

Beer writer Tim Newman shares insights into the once-a-year fresh hop flavour bombs produced by brewers around the country.

during March, the New Zealand hop harvest takes place. The bines are pulled down and the fresh green cones are collected to be sent away for processing. But a few have an altogether different destiny.

A tiny fraction of unprocessed hops are allocated and quickly spirited away to breweries across the country, where brewers have a single opportunity to capture this fleeting snapshot of the season and produce a truly vintage beer, never to be completely repeated.

I’ve described fresh hop beer as “lightning in a bottle” and that’s still my go-to descriptor. Though these beers can span a range of styles, they all (at their best) capture a spectrum of impossible flavours and aromas that live only in this one fleeting slice of the year.

June, these releases will one-by-one begin to trickle onto the market. Taking over taps and populating craft beer shelves across the nation, and ideally they will disappear just as quickly. Just as time is critical in the brewing of these beers, it’s important that they are sold and consumed swiftly, before their special flavours begin to fall away. This makes proper promotion of these releases crucial, as any cans remaining into August will likely be past their best.

SEASONALLY EFFECTIVE

Tim Newman is a beer writer, advocate, judge and a Wines And Spirits Education Trust graduate. On a perpetual journey to taste and document the expanding frontier of New Zealand craft beverages, he has been steeping in the world of craft brewing, viticulture and distilling for almost a decade.

It’s a time for brewers to experiment, and for drinkers to explore. Style guidelines and batch consistency taking a back seat as producers and consumers alike embrace the unpredictability of these intrinsically seasonal beers.

Over the course of April through to

With the price of craft beer already very high (and set to increase further), core ranges are suffering from a growing attrition of consumer interest. With the asking price for a single 440ml can now frequently exceeding $10, customers are increasingly unwilling to shell out for anything they’ve experienced before. This makes seasonal releases crucial in holding drinkers’ transient attention, as the hunt for something new ever more drives buying habits.

It may only get a fourth of the year to do it, but fresh hop beers shine here

fresh hop beer

by harnessing their own inherently transient nature.

They can be essentially the same beer as the previous year. They can (and often do) utilise the same packaging, but because of their innately seasonal effect, fresh hops always carry the allure of the new when they appear on shelves.

They deliver too, as shifting climatic conditions, harvest dates and hop selection guarantee a beer will always display a new facet, even if brewed to exactly the same spec as before.

As hazy is often described as a “gateway” for non-beer (or non-craft) drinkers to onboard onto the craft scene. For those already there, fresh hop beer is a gateway into the world of seasonal releases. With the season focused on a single part of the year, and with people increasingly aware of its timelimited nature, it serves as an impetus to shake consumers free of habitual buying safe-zones and get exploring.

A FRONTIER OF NEW BREWING APPROACHES

There remains no one “best” codified method of producing fresh hop beer, which leaves brewers free to explore a tantalisingly experimental frontier of new approaches. The majority of releases are first conventionally brewed, with the fresh portion of hops being applied either very late in the boil or (increasingly) solely in the dry hopping phase. This captures the uniquely volatile fresh hop oils while letting more robust processed pellets handle the bittering and early additions.

While this approach is now fairly normalised, particularly across packaged releases, over the years I’ve seen everything from daring 100% fresh hop brews to a parcel of fresh cones crammed directly into kegs before serving.

RISING DEMAND

One of the biggest champions of fresh hop beers has been the Foodstuffs group through its New World brand. I caught up with North Island Category Manager for Beer, Will Ward, to find out if New World’s continuing investment in customer awareness was yielding increased demand at its storefronts.

“New World first ranged fresh hop beers in 2018, and the number of releases each year has grown hand-in-hand with our customers’ interest in them,” says Ward. “Since then, we’ve put the call out every year to our local craft brewery suppliers for interest in ranging their fresh hop beers in New World stores and every year that call is answered in larger and larger numbers.”

For example, Ward says in 2020 there were just six breweries involved, and in 2023, there are 25 taking part, offering 35 different beers for participating New World stores in the North Island to choose from.

TIM’S FRESH HOP PICK

“The way we approach the supply chain, ranging and marketing has evolved from year-to-year, but the trend of growth in fresh hop releases remains constant,” he says. “Format also plays a role. It wasn’t long ago fresh hop beers were only really available from local tap-rooms and brew pubs, but the industry-wide move to canning has really helped open the way to supermarket shelves. With that accessibility, comes the increased awareness and more opportunities for customers to discover them.”

THE GROWING SIDE…

For perspective on the growing side, I asked Freestyle Hops Managing Director, Dave Dunbar, whether he’d seen a significant jump in demand for his hops to be delivered fresh. “We’ve seen a strong increase in fresh hop orders from brewers over the last few years and an increased use of varietals and harvest timings that weren’t commonly used in the past,” he says. “I think this has been driven by the close relationships that we have with brewers and the better understanding this has given them of different varietals and harvest timings.”

Freestyle Hops works with Garage Project on its One Day in March fresh hop release, and the discoveries made during that beer’s continued development have served to expand the brewing and growing knowhow of both Garage Project and Freestyle Hops respectively.

This collaboration between brewers and growers continues to drive greater understanding of our New Zealand hop varietals, both new and old.

EVOLVING STYLES

Over the last few years, fresh hop releases have (along with the entire craft beer industry) been swept up in the hazy

Ever since making its way into cans, Hop Federation’s Green Limousine IPA 6% ABV has been amongst my top fresh hop picks every year. Chief brewer Simon Nicholas describes his process behind this stunning IPA.

“I’m always keen to do something different – with this year’s Green Limousine, we’ve used only 2023 harvested hops, from the kettle additions, right through to dry hopping,” he says. “With the help from Kerry and Lawrence at Plant and Food in Brooklyn, we managed to have the Nelson Sauvin, Taiheke and Southern Cross hops picked, dried, pelletised and into the whirlpool within 24 hours, keeping them as fresh as possible and meaning all the aromas and flavours will stay intact throughout the entire brew. Plus, we had the fresh Nelson Sauvin hops from bine to brew in as quick as thirty minutes, so it should be a great batch.”

A great batch it is too, with a superbly fresh and herbaceous aroma bursting with cut grass, dandelion and gooseberry, while Nelson Sauvin’s signature passionfruit and white grape punctuate the palate. But it’s what tasting notes can’t describe that makes this beer and its peers truly special. The vivid sense of tasting something so profoundly vital and alive really has to be experienced first-hand.

Will Ward, New World North Island Category Manager for Beer

phenomena. The staggering popularity of the style has all but dictated that fresh hop releases follow suit and be presented as hazy beers. But myself, and the overwhelming majority of brewers I’ve spoken to, have found the style to be an inconsistent vehicle for fresh hop treatment.

On paper, these beers should be perfect – already typified by ripe and juicy characters just waiting for a fresh supercharge. But in practice, the more subtle fresh hop characters are too often overwhelmed by the more overt flavour and aroma of hazy beer.

Though fresh hop hazys are unlikely to be going anywhere soon, it’s the emerging Cold IPA style that I see showing particular promise as the ultimate beer to capture the fresh magic. It has the weighty %ABV needed to display a good concentration of hop character and bitterness, while the cold ferment and ultra-clean malt base provide a starkly bare canvas on which to display these often delicate and fragile flavours.

BREAKING INTO THE MAINSTREAM?

Fresh hop beer has been making tentative steps towards the mainstream for the

fresh hop beer

better part of a decade now, but only in the last few years has it seen a genuine increase in pace. The Foodstuffs group now runs a promotion during the season that has served to boost consumer awareness and ensures packaged releases in the New World supply chain get a spotlight. Fresh hop festivals are springing up in most major centres, and across the bar I see more consumers actively seeking these releases during the season.

While these beers remain exclusively within the domain of craft brewing for now, as demand and excitement continues to increase, I anticipate one of the big breweries taking on the challenge in the coming years. It wouldn’t be unprecedented, with the Mac’s label occasionally producing Brewjolais (a fresh hopped IPA) in past years.

DRAWING A CROWD

While discussing the rising popularity of fresh hops with Boneface Brewery Manager Kelly Ryan, he made the perfect comparison. “The rise has built slowly over the last decade, though now it’s almost like Bluff oyster season for beer lovers,” he says.

Now, not everyone is into Bluff oysters, but those who are don’t need to be advertised to – they’ll show up every year. Fresh hop season has exactly the same potential, drawing out the craft beer crowd en masse and engaging the curiosity of more ordinary drinkers along the way who come to see what all the fuss is about.

No other beer has the ability to truly leverage a season and catch consumer attention all at once. As interest continues to grow, and as its fleeting nature is increasingly embraced and celebrated, fresh hop beer is on the precipice of becoming a true phenomenon. ■

“THOUGH THESE BEERS CAN SPAN A RANGE OF STYLES, THEY ALL (AT THEIR BEST) CAPTURE A SPECTRUM OF IMPOSSIBLE FLAVOURS AND AROMAS THAT LIVE ONLY IN THIS ONE FLEETING SLICE OF THE YEAR.”

Fresh hops entering the tank at Two Thumb Brewing Co

WHEN A REVIEW TURNS

bad

reviews are never front of mind until we’re alerted to a negative one, and customers seldom feel compelled to write a review until they have a bad experience And here’s another thing, bad reviews are inevitable – rage reviews, constructive criticisms or outright scams; no matter where they fall on the scale, they are near impossible to dodge.

WHAT ARE GOOGLE REVIEWS, AND WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT?

Google reviews are online reviews that have been left about a business on Google. These reviews impact your Google ‘My Business’ rating, where scores are rated on a scale from one to five stars – with five being the highest rating. When a customer searches for your business on Google, this is one of the few pieces of information presented to them.

HOW TO REMOVE A GOOGLE REVIEW

There are two ways to delete a Google review – you’ll either report it to Google as inappropriate or request the customer (reviewer) to remove it.

How to flag an inappropriate review to Google

To report a review to Google, you have to “flag the review as inappropriate.”  This alerts Google that the review does not comply with its policies, including reviews that are offensive, fake, misinformed etc.

There are 6-steps to report a Google review:

Locate your business on Google Maps;

• click the Google reviews hyperlink and find the inappropriate review;

• click the three vertical dots (top right of the review);

• select ‘report review’;

• choose the reason why the review is inappropriate;

• select ‘send report’.

REACHING OUT TO A CUSTOMER WHO HAS LEFT A BAD REVIEW

You can also contact the customer to request that they delete or edit the review. While this approach sounds daunting, it does work at times. The first step is recognising the type of review that was left. Both positive and negative reviews fall into one of these four categories:

• Rave: Emotional, raving reviews from your most loyal customers.

• Affirmative: These reviews affirm what you are doing well and what you should keep up.

• Rage: Also known as ‘revenge reviews’, these are passionate reviews derived from negative experiences.

• Constructive: These reviews point out specific areas of improvement.

Negative but constructive reviews

Customers who left constructive negative reviews will be more inclined to edit or delete their reviews if you can express that the feedback is appreciated and demonstrate that it’s been taken onboard. For example, if a customer left the following review: “Two stars. Soon after arriving, I realised that the bathrooms were not accessible, and I had to leave to find another bar.” This is clearly a utilitarian review. If you can explain to the customer what led to that situation, apologise for the inconvenience, and assure them that it’s been taken care of, you may be able to convince them to revisit the review by either deleting or editing it.

HOW TO RESPOND TO A BAD GOOGLE REVIEW

The one thing you should never do to a bad review is to ignore it. A ReviewTrackers report from 2022 shows that 53% of customers expect businesses to respond to bad reviews within a week. Aside from never ignoring bad Google reviews, there are six golden rules for managing bad reviews.

1. Thank the customer for their business.

2. Highlight something good from the review.

3. Apologise for what went wrong.

4. Explain why the error happened and what you’re doing to ensure it isn’t repeated.

5. Move the situation offline.

6. Invite them back.

These response tactics will show potential customers that your business takes customer feedback seriously, increasing the chances of potential customers choosing to visit again. ■

Negative reviews for your business can be disheartening but Katie Nelson from Lightspeed shares tips on how to deal with them in a positive way.

Katie Nelson is a Growth Content Specialist at point-of-sale and e-commerce software provider for retail and hospitality, Lightspeed (www.lightspeedhq.com.au)

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4 WORLD CUPS LIVE

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Contact our friendly Sky Business Team on 0800 759 333 to get connected or visit us at www.skybusiness.co.nz for more details. Your customers will thank you for it!