Taking it to new heights: Heineken 0.0 opens Southland’s most remote taproom

AUCKLAND, Today: Most backcountry huts offer spectacular views and somewhere to rest your legs. Heineken has gone a little further, adding a beer tap 1,130 metres above sea level in Southland.

Welcome Rock’s Slate Hut has been transformed into the Heineken® Hut, an unlikely taproom serving ice-cold Heineken® 0.0 to hikers and mountain bikers exploring the Slate Range.

The mountain-top activation marks a much bigger milestone for the brand, with Heineken® 0.0 rolling out on tap to more than 100 establishments nationwide from November, following a successful Auckland pilot.

It’s being billed as New Zealand’s largest distribution of alcohol-free beer, with Heineken hoping to make zero-alcohol options a more familiar part of the Kiwi social experience.

DB Breweries Marketing Director Fraser Shrimpton says the campaign takes the brand’s ambition to make alcohol-free beer available everywhere rather literally.

The Heineken Hut is a fun way to demonstrate just how far we’re willing to go to make 0.0 available everywhere.” – Fraser Shrimpton, Marketing Director, DB Breweries

“Following the success of our Auckland pilot, we’re excited to be rolling out Heineken® 0.0 on tap nationwide, giving more Kiwis the option to enjoy a freshly poured beer without the alcohol.

“Heineken® has always been about bringing people together, and we believe choosing zero alcohol shouldn’t mean missing out on the social experience.

“The Heineken Hut is a fun way to demonstrate just how far we’re willing to go to make 0.0 available everywhere.

“While the hut might be the most remote place to enjoy a Heineken® 0.0, this summer we’re making it easier than ever to find a tap closer to home,” says Shrimpton.

Special PR Head of PR and Influence Natasha Benét says the idea turns a major product rollout into something far more interesting than a conventional announcement.

Turning a remote backcountry hut into a taproom gave us a brilliant way to bring that message to life, creating a story that connects the brand’s ambition with something uniquely Kiwi.” – Natasha Benét, Head of PR and Influence, Special PR

“Making Heineken® 0.0 available on tap across New Zealand is a big moment for the brand, but rather than simply announce the roll-out, this execution demonstrates what ‘available everywhere’ could really look like in a creative way.

“Turning a remote backcountry hut into a taproom gave us a brilliant way to bring that message to life, creating a story that connects the brand’s ambition with something uniquely Kiwi.”

The activation runs from 7 November until January 2027, with complimentary Heineken® 0.0 available to hikers and mountain bikers aged 18 and over who book an overnight stay.

Created with Welcome Rock, the family-run high-country destination on Blackmore Station, the activation also marks a first for Slate Hut, which has welcomed adventurers for generations but never had a beer tap.

The O’Brien family has owned Blackmore Station since 1911, making the arrival of Heineken® 0.0 another chapter in the property’s long history.

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