Richard Pettinger this week opened the first batch of his special Dunedin bitter beer, made using last season's hops grown in the garden of St Kilda woman Sue Clifford.
The pair met at an amateur winemakers and brewers club meeting in Dunedin, where they struck up a partnership - Ms Clifford provided the hops and Mr Pettinger brewed the beer.
Their efforts have resulted in six relatively small bottles of the special Dunedin bitter, described by Mr Pettinger, possibly unsurprisingly, as "bitter".
While Ms Clifford declared the beer great, Mr Pettinger, a self-proclaimed perfectionist, said the next batch, with a bit of minor tinkering, should be nearly the perfect brew.
And he should know.
From 150 entrants, he was this month voted the best home-brewer in New Zealand in the Society of Beer Advocates annual home brew competition.
Ms Clifford said hops were hardy and easy to grow in Dunedin, despite people thinking they were a plant for warmer climates.
She was not sure what breed of hop her one plant was, but last year it produced enough cones (the part required for the brewing process) to make at least 10 litres of beer and she expects it to produce much more this year.
Mr Pettinger said he thought brewing a beer from all Dunedin ingredients was a "great idea".
The yeast, developed at Otago University, had been in his family for 30 years.
Brewers usually bought in hops.
He had attempted to grow hops himself, but discovered his plant was a male and could not bear cones.
