Toast to home brewing as recession bites

BOOMING BUSINESS: Home brew shop owner Alan O’Connor says business has been booming since the recession began.

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There are many ways to save money during tough times - with home brewing one popular option in Whangarei.

Alcohol prices have risen during the past year with DB Breweries the latest to raise the price of a pint, putting the price of packaged beer up by 5 percent from March 1 this year.

This and the recession are pushing people towards do-it-yourself drinking options. Local home brewing supplies store Brewers World Hop Shop is booming as a result.

Owner Alan O’Connor, who has been running the store for more than 10 years, has seen a huge rise in sales over the past five months of about 30 to 35 percent.

He says sales have been rising since the recession began early last year but from September it has really taken off.

The New Zealand economy slumped into recession in the June quarter of last year. A recession is technically defined as two consecutive quarters of a shrinking economy. It is the first time the country has been in recession since March 1998.

Mr O’Connor has been talking to others throughout the country in the same industry who have been noticing an increase.

"It is increasing nationwide but no where like here," says Mr O’Connor.

He says this is probably due to the large amount of advertising he does.

Mr O’Connor says home brewing can save a customer up to 80 percent.

A bottle of bourbon can be produced for as little as $8 and it only takes a week-and-a-half to make.

He says the average customer is aged 45-plus. "There are very few young people, which is surprising," says Mr O’Connor.

He says people from every social group brew their own. "We have the very poor to the rich."

- © Fairfax NZ News