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Craft beer guide gets its kickstart

Although craft beer still makes up only a small proportion of the total beer market here, our craft beer makers are outstripping their traditional counterparts when it comes to segment growth. And the Brewers’ Guild, which represents these makers, reportedly expects them to capture 10 percent domestic market share in the next five to 10 years.

One local venture cashing in on the popular appeal of these drinks, made by the likes of Tuatara, Epic, Parrot Dog, McCashin’s and Moa, is publisher Jules van Cruysen’s Kiwi Craft.

It’s a guide to Kiwi craft brews and brewers and has already beaten its Kickstarter goal of $15,000.

“It will allow avid craft beer lovers to discover new breweries and beers and benchmark them against their favourites,” van Cruysen says on the Kickstarter page. “Secondly, and possibly more importantly, it will encourage emerging drinkers to try craft beer for the first time.”

Van Cruysen is a freelance drinks and food writer based in Wellington. He edits EatMag.co.nz and blogs about food and drink.

“Additional funding will go toward building a better product for a bigger audience for Kiwi Craft, and, in turn, the New Zealand craft beer industry; both locally and internationally,” he says.

The book will feature every craft brewery operating as of August this year, profiling the drops made by each one. It will also have a guide to cellar doors, brew pubs, craft beer bars, specialist craft beer retailers and restaurants with strong craft beer lists, designed for tourists who are craft beer fans to plan visits to various parts of New Zealand.

Van Cruysen also plans to develop a Kiwi Craft Android and iOS app and to publish Kiwi Craft every two years to keep up with industry changes.

From a print run of 750, 500 copies will go to Kickstarter backers. He expects to ship the 120-page book in early 2015.

Image and video: Kickstarter.com

Amanda Sachtleben is an Auckland writer and social media type, who's also Idealog's former tech editor and business journalist.

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