Burning through the night sky is this cosmic West Coast IPA. Radiating flavours of the tropics, citrus, and pine with a deliciously dank tail before heading off on its journey into outer space.

The bustling community known as Tarata is home to less than six hundred people, but close to a couple of hundred thousand sheep. Known for its winding roads, wool-shed parties and red-band tan-lines, Tarata is now home to Wayward Hops - a burgeoning Hop Farm established by Tim and Maggie Verry, under the wise tutelage of Kevin Murphy in 2022. Oapui Road Pilsner is a crisp brew, fermented cold, and liberally hopped with freshly picked Riwaka cones grown in the heart of Taranaki's back-country.

A base red ale is brewed and then with a nod to an ancient brewing technique known as 'Stein Bier', the beer is passed through a giant hop back containing rocks, super heated in a hard Manuka wood fire to over 500c. Finally, the beer is given an additional pass through a hop back stuffed full of whole cone Nelson Sauvin. The end result is a beer with rich juicy jam and toffee sweetness from all those caramelised sugars, layered with distinctive lush hop aroma. An old world brewing technique meets new world hops.

A lucky few may have bumped into Snug in a bar, but such sightings have been few and far between. Snug, Garage Project's much loved Irish style stout, now available in a nitro can, meaning you can catch up for a pint* anytime you care to. Just give it a couple of shakes, crack the lid, pour vigorously into a glass and sit back with a grin while a cascade of tiny nitrogen bubbles slowly rises to form a creamy head atop this silky smooth, pitch black stout. Sláinte. *(440mls actually, but who's counting) Brewed and packed in Wellington, NZ. May the wind be always at your back.

Originating from East Coast USA, the New England or Hazy IPA style de-emphasizes hop bitterness and showcases hop flavour and aroma reminiscent of tropical fruit juice. Bach Brewing have brewed their first hazy IPA with a juicy combination of Maris Otter; wheat malts, oats, and a truck load of tropical fruit driven hops from NZ, Australia and USA. 6.2% ABV.

Epic Beer - Kong - 8% Strong Ale.

Bach Brewing have been on the hops again... brewing up their latest batch for the annual NZIPA challenge at Smith's Craft House in Queenstown. As Kiwi as a bungy jump in Budgie smugglers, their all-star all-NZ IPA is jammed with new season Nelson grown Riwaka, Nectaron, Nelson Sauvin and Motueka hops, all nestled on juicy Gladfield malts, harvested from the Canterbury plains. 6.5% ABV.

This year, the Emerson's Brew Crew went to Clayton Hop Farm on an important mission to harvest a bounty of the freshest Nelson Sauvin hops. And when you pick fresh hops, you get Sticky Digits. Resinous, lupulin covered hands, and a rich, smooth, fresh hop hazy IPA, with grapey, gooseberry, limey flavours. They've got sticky, now it's time for you to get stuck in.

Hazy IPA's are huge on the fruity hop aroma and the taste is more sweet and fruity with little bitterness. They are fuller in body. The bitterness is 14 IBU - fruity, hoppy, sweet, full.

Throwing caution to the hot desert wind agave juice has been used in the ferment to dry and temper the malt, so experimental hop NZH-102 can dominate with tropical fruit and blueberry notes. Small additions of mosaic, simcoe and nelson sauvin complement in the production of this big juicy hazy.

Chew Chong of Canton, knew nothing of Saison. What he did know, however, was how to make a buck, specifically with fungus and milk. He initially made his fortune extracting fungus from decaying Taranaki native trees and exporting them back to China as a delicacy. Then, from his dairy factory in Eltham, he was the bright spark who created the famous pound of butter. Shining Peak brewed this Belgian style Saison 'farmhouse ale' in his honour, using traditional Belgian 'fungus' (otherwise known as yeast) while nodding to his Kiwi heritage with a hint of Kawakawa and Horopito.

For the lovers of Double hazy's! Cryo Sabro, Cryo Talus, Citra, and Nelson Sauvin produces a tropical juice bomb with a glorious flavour profile of coconut, mango, peach, citrus, and grape.