Beer Nation: Another Round, written by Michael Donaldson

Beer Nation: Another Round, Written By Michael Donaldson

Project 2016-11-10 08:08:13 +1300

Praise for Beer Nation: The Art and Heart of Kiwi Beer

‘Excellent and highly readable.’

– New Zealand Herald

‘Meticulously researched . . . this book will be a valuable resource for years to come.’

– Cuisine

‘Entertaining, informative . . . Beer Nation is well researched, well written. A must-read for anyone with an interest in the history and development of this country’s beer.’

– Geoff Griggs

‘A valuable resource for anyone with an interest in the New Zealand beer scene – past, present and future.’

– The Malthouse

‘The history of beer in New Zealand is a real rollercoaster, and I can think of no better way to ride than to grab yourself a great Kiwi beer and plonk yourself in a comfy armchair with a copy of this book.’

– Hopful Thinking

‘A rollicking book.’

– NZ Heritage

‘I can’t recommend it enough . . . it made me thirsty.’

– Thirsty Boys

Beer Nation: Another Round

Eleven years ago, I came back to New Zealand after a decade in Australia and was immediately captivated by the beer scene.

I was so determined to share my beer wonder with a wider audience I convinced my editor at the Sunday Star-Times to let me write a weekly beer column that put me on the crest of the building craft wave boom and led to Beer Nation: The Art and Heart of Kiwi Beer.

Driven by a fascination with the way our brewing industry had blossomed from the very barren soil of 1976, when our rich history of beer-making had shriveled during the awful Six O’Clock Swill era to just two breweries, Lion and DB.

Forty years on and with breweries popping up in every nook and cranny of this country, it’s hard to imagine how desolate our drinking experience used to be.

I wrote Beer Nation to figure out what led us to the dubious position of a brewing duopoly, and to tell the stories of the pioneers who led the way out of that desert and towards a beer drinking culture built on flavour and appreciation rather than volume and intoxication.

The book garnered widespread support, even acclaim. It sold out of its first print run, helped me win Beer Writer of the Year in 2013 (Brewers Guild of New Zealand) and was shortlisted for Best Beer Book, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, 2012.

Five years on, it’s time to retrace my steps and look back, not just at the 180 years of brewing, but to focus on the past five years and the enormous changes in that period.

I like to joke that Garage Project merited a single line in the first edition of Beer Nation. At the time they were brewing their 24/24 series and were only just taking shape as a brewery. Now they help shape the industry. Then we’ve got:

·         Moa’s listing on the sharemarket,

·         the sale of Panhead and Emerson’s to Lion;

·         growth of other 2011 upstarts such as ParrotDog and Liberty;

·         trademark battles;

·         the battle against sexism in the industry;

·         the blurring of style boundaries;

·         the rise of faux craft.

There’s so much more to document about this fast-growing industry, which is why I’m about to embark on a second edition, Beer Nation: Another Round. It will keep the best and most relevant parts of the original book as well as adding new stories – and no doubt raising new questions.

Join me in making Beer Nation: Another Round. 

NB. Rewards can be redeemed as a gift certificate for Christmas 2016 (i.e. with the book to be available for the certificate recipient mid-2017).

www.beernation.co.nz

www.facebook.com/beernationnz

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Michael Donaldson is an Auckland-based author, writer and beer judge. A journalist for more than 25 years, he is a former sports editor and deputy editor at the Sunday Star-Times. He was named Beer Writer of the Year by the Brewers Guild of NZ in 2013 and 2016. His previous books include:  

• Beer Nation: The Art and Heart of Kiwi Beer

• The Big Book of Home Brew: A Kiwi Guide 

• Steve Williams: Out of the Rough

• Lydia Ko: Portrait of a Teen Golfing Sensation

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