Outlook for Beer in '25 - let's start with hops

ParkRun #47 Blenheim - 30:29

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Put good in, get good out...

This week has been a tour of the top of the south

Great to visit a hop garden (yes they are called gardens) and walk the bines (yes they are vines, yet you walk the bines) in December.

What will 2025 beers taste like with this hop harvest?

The growers know at this point how the harvest will shape up and the quality and yield of their feb/march harvest. Brent from MacHops invited Nicky and I to have a look at one of their blocks in Moutere.

They have had the hottest weeks in 40 years and the growth has been phenomenal and the important oil content and alpha acid is high - so the flavour and aroma will be intense.

Across the State of Play range the hops contribute the bitterness and also the different fruity aromas - citrus, tropical, grassy. It really is amazing that so much variety in beer can come from two ingredients - hops and malt (barley and wheat mainly).

Our top of the South tour was wrapped around my brother Stephen's 60th held at MacCashins in Stoke last night (also proud stockists of the State of Play range).

Starting in CHCH on Wednesday be were hit with summer - 30 degree days.

Stores restocking and some new listings - like FreshChoice Market City. Also enjoyed a State of Play at No4 in Merivale and Moon Under Water.

The CHCH non-alc selection is very good, and getting better. Here is NW Durham St.

The Drive up the coast

This is the drive we would do every year growing up, around boxing day with the Holden Kingswood pulling the Classic Caravan. Twisted Sister cassette replaying 'we're not going to take it' over and over as we lurched our way up to Nelson. Shell car cricket provided an hour of relief.

This time I don't know why, but every turn on this drive up the coast to Blenheim had an Oh WoW moment. The new road improvements after the damage of the earthquake is epic, the sea is turquoise, the fish and chips at Nins Bins just as tasty, and me tooting the horn of the car through the two tunnels just as annoying.

Should have been a State of Play Anywhere beer shot....

Park Run Blenheim - 400! and Carrot Cake

We organised to stay at Hotel Durvelle in Blenheim so we could tick off another Park Run (since booking Nelson has started a Parkrun chapter too).

Well done to the Parkrun organising team who celebrated their 400th event on Saturday. Plus offered the treat of carrot cake on the finishing line (i'll be honest i was a bit puffed, but still enjoyed it!)

Back to Hotel Durvelle - maybe the most comfortable bed ever! - a classic restored hotel, with a Tiki bar downstairs.

Dinner at Harvest in The Marlborough. Great selection of Non-alc - house made lavender soda and lemonade, mocktails, GP Tiny. Well done! The Lamb with Apricot will live rent free in my taste buds for a long time.

Reaching the Top

A pitstop at the beautiful Havelock and then up and over to Nelson.

Nicky has long harboured a dream to own a hop garden so we did the Moutere/Motueka loop with an ice cream at Mapua Wharf.

This really is a magical part of the world and a real treat to be part of a thriving industry with long tradition mixed with world leading innovation.

If the last few days is anything to go buy it will be a thirsty summer - and with our four beers we hope to be part of as many great beer moments with you as we can.

Get in your online order - get a couple of cases and we will pick up the shipping. Set up a summer subscription so you never run short - emails come to you before processing and you can cancel/change any time - just flick us an email or reply to this newsletter.

Stay thirsty and Play on.

Need it at your local store? flick us an email reply with the store (PNS, New World, 4 Square, freshChoice, Liquorland or independent retailer). Even better flick them an email too and request the beer be added to their range.

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What to do with all those Airpoints?

Our full range is available on the Airpoints Store

So if you have some spare points the store is a good option to get a case of Mix packs or even some NEW Golden lager.

Buying Beer in Australia?

So if you are reading from Australia hop online Shiftlanes.com.au or Freespiritdrinkco.com.au to get your State of Play.

Send through your ANYWHERE beer shots please.

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Here is the link to the review tab for Golden lager

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Here is the link to review Sunbreaker Ale

Here is the link to the review tab for IPA

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TOGETHER WE ARE BREWING A REBELLION!