It’s a semiautobiographical tale of Sal Paradise (based on the author Jack Kerouac) and Dean Moriarty, living an indulgent and dissolute life of abandoned partners and children, wife beating, scams, drugs, and, being pre-rock’n’roll, a dedicated pursuit of the latest jazz.

It’s taken as a snapshot of a moment in time, the beginning of the counter-culture in the US, the formation of the Beat Generation, who ditched the jazz, kept the drugs, and went on to become hippies. Enough said.

As I said, it’s indulgent, both in its plot and in its creation. The original draft was typed on a single 37 metre long scroll, single-spaced, in a single 37m long paragraph1. It’s in a museum now.

Which brings us obviously and directly to the Road to Beervana.

For while On the Road was a chaotic story of men indulging in mind-altering substances, The Road to Beervana is a nuanced tale of brewers and beer fans travelling across the country to meet at Beervana this week.

Beer-related events up and down New Zealand are bringing brewers and beer fans together for tap takeovers, bringing brewers together for collaboration brews, and generally sharing the hop-addled bonhomie that is our contemporary beer scene. Check out https://beervana.co.nz/road-to-beervana for the full list of RtB action.

Our very own Malthouse is of course a part of the action. Importers and all-round good guys Beertique NZ have brought over a fresh range of UK craft beers, and brought the brewers along too for the road trip. So this Wednesday 7 August, Malthouse is hosting Dave Grant (Fierce Beer, Scotland), James Buchanan (Thornbridge Brewery, England), and Gareth Williams (Tiny Rebel Brewing, Wales) with 10 of their beers, in a sneak sampling of their Beervana line-up.

And next month, Friday 20 September, Malthouse will be serving up the fruits of the UK brewers’ collaboration brews, being concocted right now as part of the Road to Beervana.

Here’s Wednesday’s taplist:

Thornbridge – Jaipur IPA, Halcyon IIPA, Florida Weisse Raspberry Sour, Cocoa Wonderland Chocolate Porter.

Fierce Beer – Tropical Tart Passionfruit Sour, Have A Break Pale Ale, Big Moose Barrel Aged Ale.

Tiny Rebel – Clwb Tropicana IPA, Frambuzi Raspberry Sour, Peaches & Cream IPA

And for Beervana itself, Malthouse becomes after-party central with the third Ginhouse/Epic tap takeover for 2019.

You know the feeling, rolling out of Beervana having experienced the weird and wonderful hop-addled bonhomie, ready to either knock back a pint of something big, balanced and neckable, or perhaps sip a fresh gin to cleanse the palate. Well have we go a lineup for you! Take a look:

Epic Beer – Epic Lager, Awakening Pilsner, Thunder Pale Ale, Armageddon IPA, Hop Zombie Imperial IPA, Shotgun XPA, Imp Session IPA, Hop Farmer NZIPA, IPA on a Stick West Coast IPA WINNER, Gin Boss Juniper IPA.

Hidden World Gin – Gin & Juice, Pink Gin & Lemon, Gimlet, Gin & Tonic, Negroni, plus a secret new release.

The Epic/Ginhouse experience runs for both Beervana nights, Friday 9 and Saturday 10 August. If you’re not there you friends will tell you what you missed and mock you mercilessly.

Malthouse Events

Wednesday 7 August – Road to Beervana The Great British Takeover. Featuring Thornbridge (England), Tiny Rebel (Wales) and Fierce Beer Co (Scotland). As the road to Beervana rolls round again, we will be showcasing all things British. Not only will there be special guests there will be 10+ taps pouring some of the outrageous beer being made by some of the best breweries in the UK.

Friday 9 and Saturday 10 August – The palate cleansing return of Ginhouse during Beervana week. The third Ginhouse for 2019 sees a welcome return of Hidden World Gin, once again alongside Epic Beer (and you might be lucky enough to get a taste of IPA on a Stick if you somehow foolishly missed the WCIPA Challenge). Needs more juniper…

Friday 13 September – Yeastie Boys/Urbanaut tap takeover, featuring the return of Cap’n Loud Pants, Sir Stuart McKinlay himself, in person and in the ‘house.

Friday 20 September – NZ/UK brewers collaborations – the fruits of the Road to Beervana collaborations from Tiny Rebel, Thornbridge and Fierce Beer.

1 Its single redeeming feature is that it doesn’t have a single footnote.