The Great Kiwi Beer Festival is one of New Zealand's premier craft beer events, held each January in Christchurch and celebrating the extraordinary growth and quality of New Zealand's craft brewing industry. Bringing together breweries from across the country alongside international guests, it offers a summer afternoon of tasting, discovery and the particular pleasure of exploring great beer in a relaxed, festival atmosphere.
New Zealand's craft beer scene has undergone a remarkable transformation in the past two decades, growing from a handful of pioneering breweries to a vibrant industry of hundreds of producers making beer of world-class quality and diversity. The Great Kiwi Beer Festival reflects this transformation — showcasing the range of styles, ingredients and approaches that New Zealand brewers bring to their craft, from hoppy IPAs using New Zealand's renowned Nelson Sauvin and Motueka hops to lagers, stouts, sours and everything in between.
For beer lovers in Christchurch in January, the Great Kiwi Beer Festival is one of the finest summer afternoons on offer — a chance to taste widely, discover new favourites and celebrate an industry that has become one of New Zealand's most creative and dynamic food and drink sectors. The festival atmosphere, the quality of what is poured and the enthusiasm of the brewers who present their work make it an event well worth attending.