Latest News

Last week the news media reported an overall drop in alcohol consumption in New Zealand for 2009. According to Statistics New Zealand, the total amount of alcohol produced for consumption last year fell by 3.1 per cent to 471 million litres.

An article by Geoff Griggs from The Marlborough Express.

SOBA, New Zealand’s consumer beer advocacy and promotion society, is very disappointed at what it perceives to be a knee-jerk reaction to the supposed problem of public drunkenness. The Wellington City Council yesterday voted overwhelmingly in favour of a city-wide ban on public consumption of alcohol, with a final vote due for late June after public consultation had taken place.

Welcome to the new SOBA website at http://www.soba.org.nz

The new website has some fantastic features -

Online Store - soon we'll be adding some new SOBA goodies
Events Calendar - check out up-coming beer events
Beer Finder - rate the beers and the places you found them
Online Membership Applications - making it easier for people to join SOBA
Twitter Updates - tweet #sobanz about beers you're enjoying to the SOBA website
SOBA Forum - discuss beer with other SOBA members
Pursuit of Hoppiness - the latest PoH edition hot off the press
Blogs - beer rants and musings
Tap News - updates from your favourite brewers and bars

Brewers Guild Chairman David Cryer has sent a thank you letter to SOBA for the support our members gave at the Ellerslie Beer Festival. 

Roosters Dark Ale fan Peter Bratby and ten other Wellingtonians will team up for the Great Lake Relay in Taupo, calling on Regional Wines and Spirits to “Bring back the Rooster”.