Find Hashigo Zake’s news for this week  here: http://rungsontheladder.blogspot.co.nz/2012/02/february-16-2012.html

I joined SOBA and became a committee member on the same day, as I was keen to see what I could do to help increase the wider appreciation of good beer in my adopted country.

I’ve been on the committee for three years where I’ve mostly performed the press secretary role, taking some of the burden of Greig who was performing that task at the time and who, as you all know, is such a shy and retiring type anyway.

Before migrating to New Zealand in 1995 I was an active member of Britain’s Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) for 18 years, including 12 years as chairman of CAMRA’s Mid Chilterns branch. In that time I organised and judged at local beer festivals and competitions and worked at CAMRA’s national ‘Great British Beer Festival’. I retain a life membership of CAMRA.

Soon after arriving in New Zealand I began presenting beer tasting and discussion evenings on behalf of Wellington’s specialist independent beer retailer, Regional Wines & Spirits. These tastings have continued uninterrupted for the last 16 years. In that time I have also conducted dozens of presentations for corporate clients and hosted numerous staff training sessions for beer-related businesses.

In 1996 I became the first beer columnist for Capital Times (Wellington’s leading arts and tourist newspaper) and since then I have also written on the subject for Cuisine, Kia Ora (Air New Zealand’s inflight magazine) and Essentially Food magazines as well as a range of trade publications including Food & Beverage, Hospitality, Retail Today, Grill, FMCG Liquor and BWS. Today I write a weekly column about beer in The Marlborough Express and The Manawatu Standard.

Having been credited by ‘Beer Hunter’ Michael Jackson in several of his books, I was rapt to be invited by Michael to contribute the New Zealand chapter in what turned out to be his final publication, The Eyewitness Companion Guide to Beer. In that book Michael referred to me as, “a tireless and fastidious reporter of the New Zealand brewing scene” – what an honour! Since then I have contributed to two more world beer guides, “The Beer Book” (DK books, 2009), and “1001 Beers you must try before you die” (Penguin books, 2010).

Over the years I have been invited to judge at several international beer competitions. These  include:

- World Beer Cup 2008 (San Diego), 2010 (Chicago), 2012 (San Diego)

- BrewNZ Beer Awards (Wellington) 2002-2009.

- NZ International Beer Awards (Nelson) 1999, 2000, 2002-2008.

A founding member and former executive committee member of the Brewers Guild of New Zealand (BGNZ), I am proud to be an executive committee member and former president of the Society of Beer Advocates (SOBA).

I am well known as a person who gets things done and have been on the SOBA committee since 2007 acting in the role of Treasurer from 2008 through to 2011. I started the National Homebrew Championship – running the competition for the first two years, I also started the Matariki Winter Ale festival and have organised it for the last two years and have developed and maintain the SOBA website. I am dedicated to seeing SOBA grow as an organisation and increase the public’s awareness of the fantastic flavours of craft beer.

My goals as President are to improve the systems we use for managing memberships to ensure that members receive their SOBA card and the benefits of that in a timely manner. I want to improve general beer education by developing a simple beer style guide and providing beer education sessions and information about beer on the new SOBA website. I want SOBA to continue to improve the benefits for members and also increase the number and quality of events that members can attend.

It’s been a great ride, watching SOBA grow from our little meeting of around ten keen beer lovers at the old Malthouse in Willis Street, Wellington, into an influential and respected voice in the beer world with over 500 members nationally. It’s not been without growing pains, primarily in how we communicate with and coordinate members. I’m fiercely proud of what I’ve helped to build, and it’s been great to work with people such as Geoff Griggs, Rob Owen, Kieran Haslett-Moore (another of our little Malthouse cabal), and all those on the SOBA committee since 2006 who have put in a ton of effort for just the love of beer and beer people in our little country.

In my time on the SOBA committee, I’ve tried to always bring a balanced view to the meeting table (or Skype call, in our case), attempting to put my often very strong personal views aside in favour of what is best for beer and for SOBA. I think I mostly succeed! I’ve also previously served as Press Officer, which was espcially exciting around the beginning of the “Radler Incident”. Luckily for me, Martin Bulmer took over this role just as the issue heated up!

In my life outside SOBA, I work as a Linux/UNIX and networking specialist at IT Partners in Hamilton, as well as being the brewing half of Brewaucracy Ltd. Guess which one I enjoy more? I am a keen traveller/beer-tourist, having sampled some of the finest Belgium, Germany, the UK, Australia, and the USA have to offer, and I look forward to more of this as life progresses and income allows. I’m married to Alexandra, who loves beer as much as I do, and also shares my desire not to have children, lest they eat into precious drinking time! I’m a dedicated libertarian (or classical liberal, to avoid association with those weird tea party people in the USA), and can often be found arguing for both your civil AND your financial liberties, whether you want me to or not! I like to remind people that a government can not give anything it hasn’t first taken from someone else. It’s a fun topic to discuss over beer!

My favourite beer destinations vary, and I enjoy getting to Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland (brew pub capital of New Zealand), Dunedin, Nelson, and Blenheim whenever I can. My great shame is that I’ve never been to Invercargill. At home in Hamilton, I can usually be found bending my arm (and the ears of anyone who still puts up with me) at the Ruakura Club or House on Hood.

My guilty secret is a deep and abiding love for single malt Whisky.

Did you know about the new membership benefits offered by Little Beer Quarter – 10% discount, BruHaus and  Tap Haus – 25% discount on tap beer.

Even more reasons to renew your SOBA membership.

25% discount on all tap beer for SOBA members.

25% discount on all tap beers for SOBA members.