Søren Eriksen, a nomadic Danish brewer who finally found permanent ground in New Zealand, discovered his love of beer through travel — not very different from the Shelton Brothers. But it wasn’t until a visit to Little Creatures Brewery in Fremantle, Australia, that he really got the bug. And then came a simple Christmas gift — a homebrew kit — that really got him hooked.

In September 2008, Søren quit his career in Biochemistry (he was studying sea urchins, of all things) to focus on commercial brewing. His brewery, 8 Wired, is currently working through contract brewing (at Renaissance Brewing, among others), but they have big plans to open their own facility soon.

The name “8 Wired” is a reference to No. 8 wire, a ubiquitous staple in New Zealand. It’s used for all sorts of fixer-uppers — one might call it Kiwi duct tape. It’s seen as a symbol of New Zealanders’ ingenuity, and the beer reflects that quality.