Dunedin is undergoing a craft beer boom, or a ''golden age'' as one brewer described it, with boutique vendors expanding their production to keep up with increasing demand for quality niche beers.
As of January 2016, the Dunedin City Council had three craft breweries registered, but brewers say there are many more on the verge of setting up, or operating on a smaller scale.
Paul Kelly and Karen Gazzard, of Steamer Basin brewery, relocated from Australia in 2012 seeking a better lifestyle.
The professional couple are keen to move away from the ''blokey'' stigma that can surround beer, and are looking to draw customers seeking a complex and flavour-filled beverage - and getting more women on the beer bandwagon.
''We're a nanobrewery, making small-batch, seasonal beer for sale at our door and the Otago Farmers Market,'' Mr Kelly said. ''We have 17 beers in production or development. Some of these are seasonal ... and we use Otago oats, Ranfurly honey, Nelson hops and Canterbury malt, wheat, rye and spelt.''
Local musician Paul McLennan-Kissel has been brewing for Plato restaurant's Birch Street Brewery for just over a year now and has doubled brewing capacity in the past week due to increased demand.
''Variety and rarity are very important to us, as is quality and expression of interesting flavours and aromas,'' Mr McLennan- Kissel said.
''My preference in beer tends towards the expression of hop aromas ... so for me the holy grail of brewing is to make beers whose flavour equals or surpasses the expectations of the nose. I also like to use unconventional ingredients, and the response to beers I've brewed with things like passionfruit and elderflower has been very enthusiastic.''
Formerly known as ''mushroom man'' for his popular mushroom stall at the Dunedin Farmers Market, Bart Acres has been brewing Stacpoole's (formerly Velvet Worm) for a couple of years.
Mr Acres, who works part time at the Malt House and has also worked at Emerson's, says the biggest challenge in Dunedin is not competing with beer giants such as Speight's and Heineken, but with local brewing success story Emerson's.
''I think the bigger challenge, particularly in Dunedin, is brands like Emerson's, who are so well established now, and the pubs get a lot of their beers because that's what people want and ask for, '' Mr Acres said.
''That's fair enough, it's a great beer, but it would be nice to see people broaden their horizons a bit as well.''
In the next few months, a new microbrewery will open its doors, says Ian McKinley of Asia Pacific Hoperations.
''Dunedin has a very rich beer history and I'd like to think we're entering another golden age,'' Mr McKinley said.
''There seems to be a trend to drink less and truly enjoy maybe just one or two, which craft beer is great for.''
- Eleanor Ainge Roy
