About SOBA
SOBA is the Society Of Beer Advocates. Why SOBA, you ask? It lends a nice touch of Kiwi ironic humour, has the scope for us to extend our function over time, and avoids all those over-done plays on NZ which we are sure you’re all just as bored with as we are.
We are serious about beer, but this doesn’t mean we have to be dull about it. If we were being dull, just for a minute, we would define ourselves by saying that we are an independent, non-profit society whose main aim is promoting a wider availability of better quality beer. Our slogan is “Beer for all the right reasons”. We firmly believe that there is far more to beer than a vector for alcohol to enter your system. Some of us would prefer it if making great non-alcoholic beer was possible, just so we could drink more of it. We are advocates of finely crafted, flavourful beers. We like beers which have character and individuality. We want the kind of recognition for our beverage of choice that wine currently enjoys, but we don’t want to be snooty about it – we just want better product, and more of it available in more places. We do not ask for much! We have the following goals:
- To promote awareness of beer in all its flavour and diversity
- To protect and improve consumer rights with regards to beer and associated service
- To promote quality, choice and value for money
- To campaign for greater appreciation of traditional crafted beer
- To seek improvements in all licensed premises and throughout the brewing industry
- To act as an independent resource for both the consumer, the pub trade, and the brewing industry