2007 SOBA National Homebrew Competition
Press Release: Society of Beer Advocates (SOBA) Inc.
26 September 2007
The Society of Beer Advocates (SOBA) are pleased to announce the opening of entries for the 2007 SOBA National Homebrew Championship.
The competition, which will see one lucky homebrewer brewing their recipe commercially at Hallertau Brewbar and Restaurant, is New Zealand's premiere homebrew competition and is proudly sponsored this year by Macs All Malt brewing and BrewCraft homebrew supplies.
Over the coming weeks hundreds of homebrewers around the country will be emptying their emergency supply water bottles and filling them with every style of beer imaginable from crisp, dry and hoppy Bohemian pilseners to rich, malty Russian imperial stouts.
"While it's nice to win one of the big prizes, independent critical feedback is a key component to any brewers development", says Chief Steward Stu McKinlay, fresh from performing the same role at BrewNZ's commercial competition. "Quite a number of New Zealand's most prominent commercial craft brewers started out as homebrewers and, while some of our current homebrewers are making beer every bit as good as what we can buy in stores, this next generation are crying out for a world-class competition that is judged to international standards".
"A little part of every homebrewer is probably looking for bragging rights, or some validation that their beer really is as good as they think", Mr McKinlay says, "and all these beers will be put to the ultimate test, with an experienced and varied judging team lead by Geoff Grigg's - New Zealand's leading beer expert and our most experienced beer judge."
Entry forms and regulations are available at your local homebrew supplier, as well as from the SOBA website - www.soba.org.nz. Entries close on Novermber 30th 2007.
SOBA - the Society of Beer Adovacates - are a not for profit organisation whose main aim is promoting a wider availability and better recognition of great quality beer. SOBA would like to thank Mac's, BrewCraft, Brewers Coop, NZ Hops and Hallertau BrewBar for their support of this competition.
26 September 2007
The Society of Beer Advocates (SOBA) are pleased to announce the opening of entries for the 2007 SOBA National Homebrew Championship.
The competition, which will see one lucky homebrewer brewing their recipe commercially at Hallertau Brewbar and Restaurant, is New Zealand's premiere homebrew competition and is proudly sponsored this year by Macs All Malt brewing and BrewCraft homebrew supplies.
Over the coming weeks hundreds of homebrewers around the country will be emptying their emergency supply water bottles and filling them with every style of beer imaginable from crisp, dry and hoppy Bohemian pilseners to rich, malty Russian imperial stouts.
"While it's nice to win one of the big prizes, independent critical feedback is a key component to any brewers development", says Chief Steward Stu McKinlay, fresh from performing the same role at BrewNZ's commercial competition. "Quite a number of New Zealand's most prominent commercial craft brewers started out as homebrewers and, while some of our current homebrewers are making beer every bit as good as what we can buy in stores, this next generation are crying out for a world-class competition that is judged to international standards".
"A little part of every homebrewer is probably looking for bragging rights, or some validation that their beer really is as good as they think", Mr McKinlay says, "and all these beers will be put to the ultimate test, with an experienced and varied judging team lead by Geoff Grigg's - New Zealand's leading beer expert and our most experienced beer judge."
Entry forms and regulations are available at your local homebrew supplier, as well as from the SOBA website - www.soba.org.nz. Entries close on Novermber 30th 2007.
SOBA - the Society of Beer Adovacates - are a not for profit organisation whose main aim is promoting a wider availability and better recognition of great quality beer. SOBA would like to thank Mac's, BrewCraft, Brewers Coop, NZ Hops and Hallertau BrewBar for their support of this competition.
posted by Stu as "Stu" at 8:40 pm
4 Comments:
Hmmm I'm a little confused.
"SOBA - the Society of Beer Adovacates - are a not for profit organisation whose main aim is promoting a wider availability and better recognition of great quality beer."
If this is truely the aim, why are you pandering to a group of beer anoraks who meddle in their garden sheds, producing something that they believe to be infinately superior to- God Forbid!!!- Mainstream beer?
Anonymous
Read the press release again. It might all click on a second read.
"...better recognition of great quality beer" pretty much sums it up.
Cheers
Stu
Anonymous: I'm sure you're trolling, but I'll bite anyway.
Homebrewing encourages tasting and appreciation of beer. By providing a competition for homebrewers with good critical feedback, that appreciation can be honed. Beer is still beer, even when not produced by large megabrewers, or small craftbrewers. I brew as a hobby, and my brewing has helped me identify flavours and be a better taster. I don't think of myself as an anorak.
Anyway, sorry if it's not for you. SOBA will be hosting many varied beer-related events in the coming years. This is just one of them. What would you like to see? Constructive criticism is always welcomed, but anonymous sniping with no real alternative viewpoint serves nobody except the ego of the poster.
Damn! I think I have just been busted for Brewer Baiting!
My comments were only meant (mainly) in jest, but if SOBA does end up focussing too much on an area such as homebrew, the common preconception is not too far from the 'anorak' image(?).
I'd really like to see broader support in many areas of beer/brewing that currently are overlooked. I think SOBA are the guys (oops and girls) to achieve this. What about SOBA endorsed beers/breweries/bars/restaurants- surely this would be good for both the Society and the businesses involved?
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