Grab some beers and join me

ParkRun - Sir Barry Curtis #58 29:12. Camino is TOMORROW

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On Friday I turned off the computer?

Leo was handed the keys to the brewery.

Today I'm heading on a FIFO trip to Nelson/Motueka to see this years hop Harvest.

Tomorrow to the Airport?

Wednesday to Pamplona

Saturday I’ll crawl out of the shell and start crab walking 800kms across Spain on the Camino de Santiago.? It will take 34 days.

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It’s making me thirsty. Mainly because Spain has a huge alc free beer culture - already alc free is 15% of total beer.?

‘una cerveza sin alcohol por favor’

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Can I run the business off my phone? - we will find out.?

Am I prepared for the physical impact - don’t know.?

Will I come out of my shell? Yup, it’s now an Aarn Backpack.?

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Am I scared? I reckon I’ve had too many laps around the sun for that.?

I have a stone that I’m carrying that you drop off near the end of the walk to symbolise discarding your worries and negative thoughts.?

Written on my stone is a note I wrote to myself 5 years ago.?

‘Let go of the fear, and continue to be great’

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Today made me think about March 16, 2020.? It was a Monday. A sunny Spring Amsterdam day.

It was the day I received the email from Heineken HQ saying don't come into the office.? Covid was spreading across Europe - Shut us down.

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We only lived 1 kilometre away from the office, and for the next 18 months I never went back (in fact that was the end of corporate life).? ?Those following 4 months were madness.? Chaos.? Panic.? Unprecedented.?

Remember how hard it was to control any part of your life. It was fight or flight - and flight was not an option for us.??

What became clear very quickly - I would not get another secondment with Heineken.? The beer taps had stopped pouring.? The whole global band of Heineken senior managers would be restructured.? I knew I had a year once the restructure took affect to get back to NZ, and sort my life out.? So that's what I did.? Stopped the booze, started investing in my health, and Grant 2.0. At the end of that year i'd dropped 50kgs and 30 heartbeats per minute, and gained my mojo.

I still have great memories of my time at Heineken HQ.? I'm really looking forward to heading back and seeing my friends and favourite places again (code for Appeltaart) and properly thanking them for the experiences we shared.

That year was a bit like preparing with this Camino.? It was long enough to require significant planning and commitment - and close enough to be constantly motivating.? A year ahead, with 4 x 90 day sprints to eat the elephant.

For the next 6 weeks I'll reflect.? And plot the next adventure.? Listen to others. Experience new things.? Eat Spanish ham.?

For State Of Play brewing we have a massive 12 months ahead.? With growth comes choices, and these require some head scratching time.? As soon as I'm back i'll be tasting our new beer - this will blow minds.

Please grab some beers on-line and keep Leo busy - get a couple of cases on subscription and these are delivered to your door for $15.75 a 6-pack.

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But first, HOPS

I've timed it to squeeze in a day in Motueka today. Fly home tonight to pack

Absolutely love the hop harvest.

There are only four basic ingredients in good beer - hops, yeast, malt and water.?

New Zealand beer is blessed with the world's best HOPS.

We get all our hops from NZ Hops LTD.

Our IPA is full of Motueka, Wai-iti and Nelson Sauvin

Golden Lager has Riwaka

Unfiltered Hazy Pale bursting with Nectaron.

Today I will see, smell and touch the new hops from the breeding program and the innovation - oils, extracts and applications.???

I will miss the 'lunch in the bines' on Tuesday - where they have a long table laid out to chat hops over lunch and a beer.??

It's going to be great to talk hops and beer with the legends of the industry.

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Click HERE to buy BEERS

Please grab some beers on-line and keep Leo busy - get a couple of cases on subscription and these are delivered to your door for $15.75 a 6-pack.

With the change to our new website your old subscription may have been cancelled. Please head to the website and reload your beer request and frequency and add payment and delivery details with one click (Apple Pay, Google Pay) or any of the other 6 payment options.

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What to do with all those Airpoints?

Our full range is available on the Airpoints Store

So if you have some spare points the store is a good option to get a case of Mix packs or even some NEW Golden lager.

Buying Beer in Australia?

So if you are reading from Australia hop online Shiftlanes.com.au or Freespiritdrinkco.com.au to get your State of Play.

Send through your ANYWHERE beer shots please.

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Why reviews matter.? If you have a minute it would be great to hear from you

Here is the link to the review tab for Golden lager

Here is the link to the review tab for? Nectaron Hazy Pale Ale

Here is the link to review Sunbreaker Ale

Here is the link to the review tab for IPA

And if you have a cool photo you can post on one of your favourite social channels and tag @stateofplaybeer? #stateofplaybeer If you want to contact State of Play flick me a note [email protected]

TOGETHER WE ARE BREWING A REBELLION!