Chugging back grog is not what it used to be.
Fine wine was the height of sophistication for a long time, whereas beer was reserved for the everyman. The three Cs judged a "good" beer: Clear, cold and cheap.
Well, those days are long gone. Now, brewers from up and down the motu are going head to head to perfect the perfect brew.
Over three days, 700 beers were recently judged as part of the New Zealand Beer Awards competition.
Seven Sharp dropped by on the final judging day when it was a brisk -4C in Christchurch. It was 8.30 am, and the team from keg company Konvoy was clad in beanies and puffer jackets, lugging 30kg beer kegs into chillers to warm up to an appropriate drinking temperature.
The New Zealand Beer Awards showcase beers poured from kegs and cans.
The keg team worked in tandem with the stewards in a beer-pouring ballet. Most stewards were volunteers, beer enthusiasts or brewers. To ensure continuity, they poured every beer to the same volume with the same amount of head. The beers were also coded so that the judges could judge anonymously.
Finally, the stewards delivered the beers to the judges. The judges conferred in hushed whispers, swirling and sniffing before they sipped.
According to Beer Awards judge Brian Watson, judging a beer is more than just how it tastes.
"Before you've even tasted it, you've already given it half its marks. The importance of how a beer looks and smells is really, really important," he said.
"We know that by the time it gets to [the judging], it's either going to be really, really good or, 'Uh-oh'."
With that proclamation, a table of judges politely dinged their beer glasses with pens — signalling a beer had won a gold medal.
"New Zealand has some of the best hops in the world. They're sought after around the world," said Watson.
One of the main differences between judging beer and judging wine is that beer judges don’t spit out the beer they taste. Most of our taste buds are positioned in the back of the palate, so by swallowing the beer, judges can discern features such as aftertaste, bitterness, etc.
"The more experienced judges, even after drinking 70 beers in a day, will be well under the limit. You're just tasting a little bit, and you know straight away."
The New Zealand Beer Awards winners will be announced on August 3.
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