It all started with a home brew kit back in 1987 when he was just 16 years old.

A tin of Munton's mild ale malt, a dark sweet yet subtle beer brewed to ‘quench the thirst and satisfy the hunger' according to the blurb.

That was a special brew, a special moment. But now amongst all the mash tuns, hopbacks and fermenters there's something special missing.

Brewer Fitzy, aka Craig Fitzpatrick, and wife Catherine. Photo: Supplied.

'After three years of trying I haven't got one yet,” says this son of Munton, brewer Fitzy, aka Craig Fitzpatrick. 'And I desperately want one.”

A gold medal, the pinnacle at the Brewers Guild of New Zealand Beer Awards; a supreme award. 'I would dearly, dearly love a gold,” says Craig wistfully.

Fitzy of the eponymous Fitzpatrick Brewing Company has pitched two of his finest drops for this year's award, at Auckland's Langham Hotel on October 8.

'They are what I wanted these beers to be. Yes, I am quite proud of them.”

An American-style pale ale with a fair amount of American-style hops on an English malt backbone. 'Biscuity, caramelly with a good swaff of citrus, grapefruit.”

And an Indian Pale Ale, strictly to the West Coast USA-style.

'It's 6.3 per cent. Very big and bold with grapefruit and passionfruit coming through from one of the hops. But I'm still playing around the fine tuning.” And to think that once upon a time we would simply crack a coldie before cracking another and yet another.

The small-ish Pyes Pa family enterprise became a licensed venture in 2012 and today is one of five of the region's breweries up for honours at the Guild Awards. Craig joins the Mount Brewing Company, Aotearoa Breweries (Kawerau), Rocky Knob Brewing Company out of the Mount and the Hot Water Brewing Company from Whenuakite.

There will be 950 beers from 98 breweries at the awards and all will be rated for their aroma, colour, bitterness, flavour and presentation. Even the Germans, Australians and Americans are coming. And it's no longer about getting a skin full; it's science, it's appreciation and quality.

'The strong domestic and international sales of New Zealand beer is underpinned by more variety in taste, quality and originality of the brews produced,” says Brewers Guild chairman Jonathan Alve.

'And we are expecting this year's beers to be the best ever submitted.”

Some statistics tell us beer is a $2.2 billion sector of the NZ economy. It is the most popular alcoholic drink accounting for 63 per cent of all alcohol sales and that each of us consumes about 65 litres a year, which ranks us 27th in world beer consumption per capital.

But still alcohol consumption is in decline, at an 18-year low.

'That's right,” says Fitzy. 'We don't want more, we want better; quality over quantity.”

Craig brewing up a brew.Photo: Supplied.

Craig runs the brewery with his wife Catherine – the object being to serve the immediate local market with fresh flavoursome beer. 'We are open Friday for fill your own flagon. 'People come for a nosey and talk beer.” But he still has a day job. 'One job funding the dream but it should reach a point when the passion becomes the day job too.” The passion is the beer.

One of the biggest challenges for a niche brewery is getting their product in front of people, because most of the taps are controlled by the two big breweries.

'So there are only a few bars around town that have open taps and we can supply them.” There's a permanent Fitzpatrick tap at Rising Tide, also at Vaudeville and now and again at Brew Craft Beer Pub and The Hop House.

It's been a long painful journey from the days of the sodden carpets and six o'clock swill to 2016, when microbreweries are being invited by the corporates to hold tastings, matching food with flavours and chatting what works and what doesn't work.

Craig says Tauranga has been a bit slow on the uptake of craft beer. 'Changing quite rapidly now, but Tauranga is probably 10 years behind Wellington with its culinary exploits.”

Come Saturday week, and the Guild Awards, we will know whether the local brewers themselves are up with the play.