Media release: Who will win the coveted Rare Beer Crown?

Unusual brews made with seafood, foraged botanicals and barrel-aged ales are just some of the entries vying to win a new city-wide beer competition.

Eleven Wellington-based brewers will take part in the inaugural Rare Beer Challenge this month to raise awareness of the 300,000 New Zealanders living with a rare disorder for Rare Disease Day 2021.

“Inspired by the great work of Rare Disorders NZ, Fortune Favours has challenged other Wellington brewers to create their own unique brew to showcase less common techniques and flavours,” says Shannon Thorpe, founder of Fortune Favours brewery.

In 2020 Fortune Favours brewery and Rare Disorders NZ (RDNZ) partnered to create a Rare Beer to raise awareness and funds for RDNZ, the connector hub and collective voice of the rare disorder community.

This year they’ve expanded the concept to a city-wide Rare Beer competition. The 11 breweries have been challenged to use weird and wonderful ideas, along with rare ingredients and brewing techniques, to produce their version of a rare beer.

These unique brews will be judged by a prestigious judging panel including Craft Beer College’s Stephanie Coutts, Hannah White from 8 Wired, journalist Patrick Gower and Chair of RDNZ James McGoram.

There are more than 6,000 known rare disorders which collectively affect around 300,000 New Zealanders – more than those diagnosed with diabetes.

“It’s awesome to have the support of these 11 breweries to create a beer that can bring people together, as travelling this journey of rare disorders can be isolating, exhausting and frustrating,” says RDNZ CE Lisa Foster.

“Buy a pint, spare a thought and spread the word that Rare is Everywhere,” says Lisa. “A donation from each beer will go to our organisation to help us continue to improve the wellbeing of people living with a rare disorder and their whanau.”

Rare Disease Day takes place annually on the last day of February, and is a global day of recognition for this community. Worldwide, 300 million people are affected by a rare disease.

All eleven Rare Beers will be available for craft beer fans to enjoy at Fortune Favours on launch day, plus each brewery will have their own unique brew available to sample at their own venues.

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Breweries involved: Whistling Sisters; Choice Bros; Heyday Beer Co; Parrotdog; Baylands Brewery; Graphic Brewing; Mean Doses; Waitoa Beer; Boneface Brewing Co; Abandoned Brewery; Fortune Favours