WellingTon Bucket List - The Hopfather - Society of Beer Advocates
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AUGUST
HOPPINESS 2019
WellingTon
Buc k et Lis t
Craft beer capital's big
mo nth
The Hopfather
Exclusive extract from
Richard Emerson's biography
Beer - for all the right reasons Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019 1
“Not Available
in audiobook”
Richard Emerson
Editor's Note
Welcome to our special Beervana
Contents
4 | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
edition of Pursuit of Hoppiness.
It’s a first for us because we’ve worked 7| WELLINGTON BUCKET LIST
hard to move this issue forward from a
usual publication date of late August in order
to get this edition out into bars – and into your hands 12 | UNITED IN BEER
– in time for Beervana. I don’t why I didn’t think of this earlier – slow
learner, I guess. This date change will see the next two issues of Pursuit 14 | WHAT'S ON YOUR PLATE
hit the streets in early October and then early December rather than
later in those months.
16 | DOING THE CAN-CAN
We’re also looking at a slight rejig for the publishing dates in 2020 but I
will have more on that in the December issue.
18 | THE HOPFATHER
Beervana remains New Zealand’s premier beer festival and we knew
we wanted to celebrate it properly. So if you’re visiting the capital for
the event I hope you find the Ultimate Bucket List (page 7) a helpful 22 | BEER REVIEWS
guide for non-Caketin venues to visit when you’re in the capital.
We’ve also profiled the three UK breweries coming to Wellington 24 | WHAT THE FROTH
this year – Thornbridge, Tiny Rebel and Fierce (page 12). It’s a stellar
trio and their collaboration brews with three of New Zealand’s most
respected breweries are sure to be drawcards at the festival.
28 | CAPITAL DIARY
I’m also dying to try the can blends that Urbanaut (page 16)
have developed as well as the Harr-os oat snacks beer-matching
29 | WINTER ALES A WINNER
that Harraway’s and Heyday have come up with. It’s the kind of
collaboration and celebration of flavours that Beervana has become 30 | INDEPENDENCE DAZE
known for.
I also think I’ll be putting my money where my mouth is so to speak 33 | RIDING THE WAVE
with Froth Technology’s crowd-funding campaign. I spoke to the
founders of New Zealand’s first commercial yeast lab (page 24) who are
launching in the week of Beervana. After Behemoth’s hugely successful 37 | CAPE CRUSADER
capital raise (congrats to Andrew, Hannah and the team and good luck
with Churly’s), the team at Froth will be praying there’s still plenty of 40 | WINNING COMBINATIONS
cash in beer-lovers’ wallets. All home brewers out there should think
about backing them.
42 | BEER LOOKS LIKE JUICE
Finally, a little bit of self-interest. One of the events sure to draw
crowds at Beervana will be Richard Emerson signing copies of his
biography, The Hopfather, written by yours truly and published on 43 | PRESIDENT'S REPORT
August 6 by Penguin Random House. It’s a story I’ve been longing to
write almost since I first met Richard when we brewed a beer together 47 | REGIONAL ROUND UP
for Beervana around eight years ago.
Richard’s story is inspiring and we have got an exclusive extract from 50 | JOIN SOBA
the book on page 18.
Enjoy Beervana and all the attractions of New Zealand’s best beer city.
Miic
M l
chhaaeel
Michael Donaldson
Editor - Pursuit of Hoppiness
LETTERS
ett
L toers
th e Editor
spon se
Hāpi Festiva l Re
Da ys’ in the
ot the Hāpi- est of
cr iti cis m of th e Hāpi Festiva l (‘N
se to
I wr ite in respon s).
rsuit of Hoppines ct from the outse
t, and
Ju ne ed ition of Pu l wa s an ambit iou s proje larly ou r ow n Ga ra ge
d Fe sti va
mposiu m an and pa rticu
The first Hāpi Sy er yone involved,
e th at to ok a hu ge effor t from ev
on er
Project team. a large event – be
be en in vo lve d in the ru nn in g of er gy an d re so urce
s ru n or of time, en
As an yone who ha ll know they ta ke a va st amou nt th ov er 20
festival, or ot her
wi – especia lly wi
in g ex periences t of fresh beer,
pu ll off , an d th ey ca n be na il bit or di na tin g th e cr itica l air freigh l are risky,
to ies at ten di ng , co e Hā pi Fe sti va
ewer ts lik
inter nationa l br lly weat her! Even mely bu sy team
.
unpred ict able We ou r alrea dy ex tre
and deali ng with ge wo rk loa d for
esented a hu
stressfu l and pr do it?
ask then is, wh y
e log ica l qu es tion ma ny would from a desire fro
m with in
Th
pi Sy mp os iu m and Festiva l ca me na tio na l be er s, and
the Hā ter
The idea behi nd in g a wo rld cla ss selection of in ar ou nd th e Hāpi
us to br n is ba sed
Ga ra ge Project for ewers to New Zeala nd. Ou r vi sio , an d se ve ra l pa rtners to
ly br elv es
most importa nt itment by ou rs h research ,
a lon g-t er m comm indu str ies th roug
Research project, w Ze ala nd ho p, and craf t beer
e Ne
help tra nsfor m th w approa ches. in g
collaboration an
d ne a pla ce for amaz
l & Sy mp os iu m be establi shed as et wi th , lea rn
e Hāpi Festiva an nuall y to me
We wa nt to see th nd the world to go ssionat e beer dr in kers. We
d re se ar chers from arou er s, an d pa
brew er s an craf t br ew fresh ideas,
with New Zeala nd in the globa l craf t beer world for
from and share a pla ce he lp ac hieve that first
nd ca n hold cond to none. To
th in k New Zeala g be er sc en e se en t craf t brewer y
and a th riv in er y independ
tru ly un ique hops the Sy mposiu m wa s offered to ev
t to
goal, a free ticke
in New Zeala nd. velop, and the
th ree years to de excit in g path ahea d
ea tin g Hā pi Re search took over ha ve a lon g an d
The work cr ven years. We stiva l we are
ted to ru n for se ou r first Hāpi Fe
prog ra mme is sla sons and lea rn in gs to come. For fee db ac k – po sit ive and
les d
of us, with ma ny ed an d ar e als o ta ki ng on boar
achiev
proud of what we
negative.
4 Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019
LETTERS
Ou r goal is to br
in g
an nual ly, and we the most excit in g line up of in
feel like we’re off ternat ional beer
benefit s of local to New Zeal and
brewers m in gl in to a good st ar t. We are al read
to helpin g fost er g with internat y seein g the
those connectio ional brewers, an
from them. ns and seein g (a d we look for wa
nd idea lly dr in rd
ki ng) the outcom
We wa nt ed to ho es
st
atmosphere that the festival in a specia l locat ion
wa s un ique and and work to crea
locat ion , we qu memorable. For te an
ite ha mst ru ng al l the un ique as
ha lf to pa ck in in the end with pect s of the
the entire festiv ou r team al lowed a
museu m could al , and remove mere hour and
open agai n the it al l at the end a
the team! next da y – su ffi of the ni ght so th
ce to sa y, it wa s e
a very lon g da y
The locat ion ca for
me with sa cr ifi
ca ll to host the ces, with choice
festival there an of food bein g amon
wi ll cont inue to d we g them. It wa s ou
pu sh and develop ’ve cert ai nl y ta ken some lea r
en su re the beer the Hāpi Sy mpo rn in gs from it.
line-up is absolu siu m and Fest iv We
and the fr ied fis tely world cla ss al and work to
h cr ispy and fres , the la yout smoo
h. th and en joyab
Pete Gi llespie an le
d m yself are in
it wa s a real bu cred ibl y proud
zz bein g able to of the effor t put
got to know and br in g down and in by ou r team
become fr iends share beers from and
who tu rned out with on ou r trav brewer ies we ha
to suppor t the sy els. We’d like to ve
travelled great mposiu m and fes th an k ever yone
di st ances from tiv al , an d es pe
Asia and Au st ra cia lly those wh
lia to attend. Ro o
ll on Hāpi 2020
!
Jos Ru ffell
Co -Fou nder, Ga
ra ge Project
Correction
Correction:
In theAaron
In the June issue a story about Viniquip, JuneO'Keeffe
issue awasstory aboutwhen talking about dissolved oxygen
misquoted
in parts per million. It should have said parts per billion. We apologise for the error made by the writer.
Viniquip talked about dissolved
oxygen in parts per million when we
Editor,
should have said parts per billion. We
apologise for the error.
Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019 5
BUCKET LIST
Ultimate
Wellington
- bucket list -
Steph Coutts from Craft Beer College takes you
on an insider’s journey around Wellington’s finest
breweries, bars and cafes.
eer is so deeply embedded in the capital interesting beers you won’t find outside the brewery. Try
culture you can start your taste journey long one of their freshly brewed IPAs and grab a can of Glen
B before you hit the central city. (Boysenberry Sour) to takeaway. It’s a beautiful looking
beer that needs a glass to be fully appreciated.
Flying to Wellington Bringing the car
If you fly in to Wellington, it’s a short ride for brunch If you’re driving into town on State Highway 1, it’s worth
or lunch at Café Polo on the corner of Rotherham taking a quick detour past Brew Union on Broadway
Terrace and Para Street, Miramar. Have the hash Avenue, Palmerston North. They’ve got one of the best
browns, they are the best. The cafe’s got a tight but regional offerings in beer and gin, and the food is a treat as
solid beer list, largely featuring local breweries. Once well. Try their well-made, lighter-style ales before driving
you’re seated, you can wander around the corner to on to Salt and Wood Collective, the home of North End
the new Double Vision Brewery on Park Road. They’re Brewery on Ngaio Road, Waikanae. You can eat your fill
making a range of hop-forward ales, but the Magic of American-style BBQ while working your way through
Bean Coffee stout is well worth trying. a tasting tray. It should include their classic gose –
As an alternative to Miramar, you can head under Become the Ocean – and an Omahi Street Bitter from the
the airport runway – by car or foot – to Lyall Bay. The handpull. You might want to save a can of Iron Sands Oat
Botantist and Maranui (both on Lyall Bay Parade) are Rye Stout for later. It’s a warming winter drop.
good eating spots. They’re super popular so it pays to From Waikanae, you can head to Tuatara Brewery on
book. But if you miss out, you can also eat American Sheffield Street, Paraparaumu and try a tasting tray.
diner-style at the Parrotdog Brewery around the They’ve just re-branded and revised their beer range but,
corner (on Kingsford Smith Street). It’s a must-visit, thankfully, preserved the multi-award winning Hefe.
with a laid-back working club style and a range of The new Hazy Pale Ale is a tasty drop – a super juicy
Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019 7
BUCKET LIST
Upper Hutt’s Brewtown has become a beer-lovers’ destination.
concoction from head brewer Brayden Rawlinson. Get it German Hopfenweisse is a delight if it’s available and
fresh in a six pack then head across the road to Duncan’s you’re looking for something a bit different.
Brewery, where brewer-owner George Duncan staffs the
When at Brewtown, it’s hard to decide whether to eat BBQ
cellar door. Duncan’s are nailing the New Zealand Pilsner
at Panhead or a burger – that might just be cooked by the
and Pale Ale style at the moment. The Yum Yum Yuzu
brewer Matt Danity – at Boneface. The big flavours on the
lager is also a bit of fun.
Boneface menu compliment their hop-forward beers. Start
Heading into Wellington from the Wairarapa is also a with the Outlaw India Pale Lager and finish with the fresh
treat. Make a detour to Martinborough Brewery on Ohio and resinous The Darkness American Stout.
Street, just off the square. Get the gooey cheese rolls and a
After leaving Paraparaumu, you can drive by Tinker Tailor
glass of their Foxy Red before heading over the Rimutaka
on Ulric Street, Plimmerton, or stop at Baylands Brewery
Hill into Upper Hutt. Your first stop should be Kereru
on Victoria Street, Petone on your way out of the Hutt.
Brewery on Maidstone Terrace. The taproom is bright lime
Petone is also home to OnTrays on Fitzherbert Street
green and fully stocked. It’s hard to go past their Feijoa
if you’re into speciality foods. Another solid suburban
Weisse, though it’s a controversial fruit. If you don’t like
stop is Newtown, which has Moon 1 with three rotating
it, try the Karengose if you’re after something tart. Their
handpulls, and Bebemos – home to an open fire in winter
Rojito Pale Lager is a surprising little gem and the coconut
and a solid tap line-up. Both are on Riddiford Street and a
porters in all their forms are classics. They’ve also got a
short bus ride out of town.
range of big barrel-aged beers to take home.
Wellington on foot
Around the corner from Kereru is Brewtown in the old
South Pacific Industrial Park on Blenheim Street. Panhead Once you’ve finally made it into Wellington central, you
Custom Ales was followed there by Boneface Brewery and might need a coffee. Try Pour and Twist on Garret Street.
Te Aro Brewing, enticed by the generosity and support It’s conveniently located across the road from Rogue
of Upper Hutt Council. You really need to spend the and Vagabond beer bar. This is your place for pizza and
whole day here. Arrive hungry and thirsty, and start with late-night music with a bustling vibe (Hashigo Zake
a Te Aro Razzle Dazzle pilsner. Move on to sample the on Taranaki Street also has a Saturday night band and
taproom-only treats at Panhead. Their Hermann Holeshot requires slightly less energy, so you can sit a sup on a beer
8 Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019
BUCKET LIST
from their “naughty fridge”). Customs on Ghunzee Street on Tory Street comes with great service and a range of
and Leeds Street Bakery also make great coffee if you can Garage Project lagers, as well as Yeastie Boys’ Pot Kettle
get in and get a seat. Try a salted caramel cookie from Black. Grand Century, also on Tory St, is another solid
Leeds Street with your brew. option. Yeastie Boys are no longer a Wellington brand, but
since they’ve moved to Auckland and overseas, their place
Then there’s Husk on Ghunzee; the home of Karaumu
has been filled by no less than nine central city breweries.
coffee and Choice Bros Brewery. They offer one of the best
brunches in town, especially the hot smoked Breweries, brewpubs and even more beer
salmon. Stay a while and sample the beer
Start in the Aro Valley and visit the
range including the fun and spritzy Strung
Garage Project cellar door and bar at
Out On Lasers Raspberry and Lime Gose
and the clever Power of Voodoo White They have 91 Aro Street. The bar has 18 taps and
two handpulls, which have all been
Stout. The Reet Petite is also a classic – you poutine! designed so the serving temperature
never know quite how much ginger you’re
going to get on the aroma or the palate, And a solid can be changed to what’s right for the
beer. If they have a dark beer like their
but the more, the better. line up of delicious Aro Noir on nitro, have it.
Husk has recently been bought by the taps and You should also stop in at their Wild
group that have opened The Hudson on Workshop on Marion Street when it’s
Chews Lane at the bottom of Victoria Street. bottles open in the lead-up to Beervana.
Hudson is a new kid on the beer block at the
After Aro Street, wander down the road
corporate end of town and is a great place for
to Tuatara Third Eye on Arthur Street,
a bottomless brunch on your way to Beervana
and on to Heyday Brewing on Cuba Street.
at Westpac Stadium, or for a refreshing gin or warming
Heyday is a bright and welcoming space which shares its
whisky on your way back. They focus on local, seasonal
floor with Southward Gin Distillery. Heyday head brewer,
and sustainable, have 17 rotating taps, a gin bar and
Sam Whitney, has brewed more than 100 different beers
whisky lounge.
since opening, so you never know what you’re going
Another solid pre or post-festival brunch is Yum Cha. to find on tap – though all of them are influenced by
Wellingtonians will fight for their favourite, but Dragon’s Whitney’s fine palate and hunger for perfection.
Garage Project’s taproom in Aro Valley embraces technology to serve beer at the right carbonation and temperature.
Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019 9
BUCKET LIST
Just across the road from Golding’s, on
the corner of Taranaki and Ghunzee
Street, is Whistling Sisters Brewery.
Its name honours one of the owner’s
daughters who sadly passed away from
cancer. The profit from the brewery will
go to raising money for the Karen Lousia
foundation set up in her name. Their
Rooty Toot Toot with ginger, galangal,
tumeric and carrots is a treat. A gose, it
has a surprisingly rich but tart mouthfeel.
You can then wander over the road to the
Mean Doses tap room on Tory Street for
a takeaway, or on to Fork & Brewer on
Bond Street.
Fork Brewcorp won the Champion
Small New Zealand Brewery in 2018
and head brewer Kelly Ryan is making
excellent beer. There are 40 or so of them
on tap. You might need to ask one of
their knowledgeable bar staff to make a
recommendation to suit your palate. The
I.P.Yay! is hoppy deliciousness.
Not far from Fork & Brewer is Little Beer
Quarter, tucked down a lane on Edward
Street. LBQ has the best selection of New
Zealand beer on offer in Wellington
and is the city’s best beer bar. The tap
Parrotdog’s laid back working club feel is perfect. line-up is always solid and diverse, as
are the clientele. They range from the
usual after-work suits to the hippest of hipsters. You’ll
The gin is also interesting, with their Wave edition having
always find Wellington beer people in the bar – they’re
an unctuous and oily mouthfeel, and spicy, citrusy notes.
also to be found at The Malthouse on Courtney Place. It
Further down Cuba Street, you can stop at Grill Meats is an institution and in no small part is responsible for
Beer. They have poutine! And a solid line up of taps and Wellington’s amazing beer scene. They’ve supported New
bottles. General manager Dustyn Ford knows his stuff Zealand beer for over 20 years and run an impressive tap
and will make a solid recommendation. Across the road line-up. And, they are open late.
from GMB is Black Dog Brewery in its new home, after Also open late is El Culo Del Mondo on Roxburgh Street.
DB gave up the lease on their premise on Blair Street. They Their name, translated, means “arse end of the world”.
brew on-site and at the Monteith’s Brewery in Greymouth. It stems from a joke made by the owner’s Colombian
Fortune Favours Brewery is similar; they have a home in-laws, but it makes it difficult for them to advertise as
base on Leeds Street and contract their packaged stock Facebook thinks it is offensive. Their service can be a bit
at B-Studio in Hawkes Bay. Try a beer and cheese platter erratic, but you have to try their Tamarind Michelada.
while you’re there and ask for the Naturalist. It’s their The rim is reminiscent of BBQ Shapes. It’s a top spot if
unfiltered pale ale. The Malthouse is too crowded. Ditto Basque – also on
Courtney Place – a with a solid tap selection and tapas
From Fortune Favours, take yourself to Golding’s Free
menu. Basque is great fun late night if you’ve got the
Dive. It’s a great dive bar with lots of visual stimulation
youthful stamina!
and tightly curated taps. Ask if the Blue Collar Falconry
Club is open, if it is, put your name on the door for some Or, you could go to bed. If you manage to pack all of this
amazing cellared treats. While there, you can order in in alongside Beervana, you might need the rest!
a DOC (denomination of controlled origin) pizza from
Pomodoro’s or get yourself some Soul Shack chicken – but @craftbeercoll @craftbeercollege
be careful what heat level you choose! It has ruined many
@craftbeercoll craftbeercollege.co.nz
a palate.
10 Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019New Zealand’s Champion Small Brewery 2018 Serious Beer Business at forkbrewcorp.com
UNITED IN BEER
United
in
beer
Denise Garland profiles the three UK breweries
partnering with Kiwi legends for Beervana.
While they will always be known for those enduring beers,
- THORNBRIDGE - and for producing quality traditional beer styles like their
Lukas helles lager, Versa weisse beer and Lord Marples
English bitter, Thornbridge also know how to push the
Thornbridge are world-famous in New Zealand for boat out too. Green Mountain is the best Vermont-style
having had a hand in molding Kelly Ryan, head brewer at hazy pale ale I had the pleasure of drinking in the UK,
Wellington’s Fork Brewing, into the immensely talented their Tart is a fantastic example of a well-hopped sour ale,
brewer he is today. while Coco Cocoa – a coconut and chocolate porter – is
everything you could ask for on a cold winter’s day.
Thornbridge is based in England’s picturesque Peak
District, with the brewery boasting two brewing sites. Collaboration with Fork Brewing: Imperial Kipling
The original Hall brewery, used for smaller batches and Pacific Pale Ale
experimental brews, was established in 2005 and stands on
the 100-acre grounds of the Thornbridge Hall Estate in the
Derbyshire Dales. The second Riverside brewery, where
the majority of Thornbridge’s beer is now brewed, is based - TINY REBEL -
a little way down the road in Bakewell.
Thornbridge is not only known for churning out great
brewers – with BrewDog’s co-founder Martin Dickie also Tiny Rebel are a Welsh brewery known for their creativity
having worked there – but also for producing timeless ales and pushing boundaries.
The 5.9 per cent Jaipur IPA was quite a radical departure Based in the city of Newport, about 20km north of Cardiff,
from what most English breweries were producing in 2005, Tiny Rebel’s home is a flash brew bar adorned with their
packed full of American hops and quite a bit stronger than trademark raggedy bear and signature graffiti style. It
the usual UK-brewed IPA. Fourteen years on, and Jaipur opened in 2017 – five years after launching their first beers
is still considered among the UK’s best, despite the rise in and brewpub – and could compete with the United States’
craft breweries and hop-forward IPAs. best, with their 3500L brew kit on display, a vast range
of their beer pouring from keg and cask as well as a great
Thornbridge were also the first brewery in England to use
food menu.
the Nelson Sauvin hop, brewing Kipling South Pacific Pale
Ale for the first time in the mid-2000s, which continues to Tiny Rebel brews some zany beers, including a
be a popular beer in their range. jam doughnut pale ale, a peaches and cream IPA, a
12 Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019UNITED IN BEER
years, with their mission to pack every beer with a heap
of flavour. Setting up in the same city as the home of
BrewDog is no easy task for a brewery, but Fierce have
managed to build a strong reputation of their own, making
the Scottish city quite the destination for beer lovers.
While Fierce do make a variety of hop-forward beers, it’s
their adjunct-heavy offerings that really sets them apart
from the crowd. Fierce have made waves right across
the UK with their cranachan-inspired pale ale, using
raspberries and oatmeal to mimic the traditional Scottish
dessert cranachan (which is made using raspberries,
honey, toasted oats and cream). They also use raspberries
in their Very Berry sour ale, which, alongside blackberries
and blackcurrants, pack a big, sweet punch of fruit flavour
to counteract the sour base.
Fierce also have a talent for making flavoursome dark ales,
with their Cafe Racer coffee porter, their Moose Mousse
chocolate milk stout and the pimped-up version, Very Big
Moose, always a hit among drinkers.
In fact, in their Very Big Moose (or V.B.M. as they
call it), they add cocoa husks, coconut, lactose, vanilla
and cinnamon, which makes for a smooth, complex
and warming mouthful, masking the 12 per cent ABV
marshmallow porter and a strawberry rye ale. But they're
incredibly well. If you ever see a barrel-aged version of
also known for brewing vast range of delicious pale ales,
V.B.M, I highly recommend buying it – while they’ve
golden ales and IPAs – and they’re one of the few breweries
released a number of versions, every one I’ve tried has
in the UK to brew a hoppy red ale all year round: their
been the definition of decadence.
ever-excellent Cwtch Welsh red ale.
Collaboration with Epic: Imperial Stout.
Though as their name suggests, Tiny Rebel have also got
into a few spots of trouble in recent times. They had to
change the branding of their Cwtch beer last year, with
the Independent Alcohol Complaints Panel finding the
raggedy teddy bear and bright yellow background with
swirling spray-painted colours appealed to under-18s.
And they also removed all images and mentions of their
recently-retired ‘Māori Pale Ale’ The Full Nelson, after
several people complained about the style name and
imagery being offensive to Māori.
But whether it’s a sloe berry-infused pale ale, a sour
raspberry framboise or an all-fuggles IPA, Tiny Rebel
always delivers excellent-quality brews with a punch (or
several punches) of flavour – and with supremely fun and
colourful labels.
Collaboration with Liberty: Hazy Pineapple IPA
- FIERCE -
Fierce are one of the UK’s newer kids on the block,
brewing their first batch of beer in 2016.
Based in Aberdeen, Scotland, Fierce are one of the more
exciting breweries that have started up in the past few
Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019 13ON YOUR PLATE
What's’
on your
plate?
ThethatBeervana festival is part of the wider Visa Wellington On A Plate festival of food and drink
runs throughout August. We’ve looked at the best beer-related offerings:
All Fired up: Macs Brewbar along with Fire, Grill and Cheesemaker vs Brewer: Black Dog teams up with
Co bring you smoked up burger masterpieces; a six-foot some of the country's best independent cheesemakers
long Yakitori grill for those caramelised flavours, and a for an intimate evening of cheeses you'll never see in the
fire-stoked rotisserie. Pitmasters will teach you how to get supermarket.
the best out of flame and coal, how to impart flavour into
Cooking With Smoke: Improve your smoking skills and
flame cooked-food, while the bar serves up Wellington
some Double Vision Brewing beers to wash it all down.
craft beers and local mulled wine.
Wilson Barbecue will be smoking up a feast including
Beer and the Beast: An interactive nose-to-tail dinner brisket, pulled pork, ribs, tomahawk steaks, beef cheeks,
matched with beers poured straight from the North End mac and cheese, bread
Brewery.
Garage Project & Friends: Garage Project bring a rare
Beer No Evil, Pie No Evil: Indulge in pies each with and exclusive selection of beer and natural wines from
unique flavour combinations. Waikanae’s Siggy’s Pies their cronies from around the world at Garage Project’s
brings pie flavour mash-ups, from the classic to the quirky, Wild Workshop.
with locally sourced fresh ingredients, paired with Sprig &
Return of the Dragon: Returning for 2019 Dragon’s
Fern's beers and ciders.
Restaurant is once again collaborating with Garage
Wellington vs The World: Test your taste buds to see if Project to bring you a multi-course, multi-beer, yum cha
you can tell the difference between six Wellington classics experience.
and six international beers.
Grape vs Grain: Grape vs. grain, wine vs. beer, good vs.
Summon Your Senses: Tuatara Brewing serves up a evil? A battle of the senses, presented by winemaker Miles
selection of bespoke brews and dishes using locally from Matahiwi Estate and Whistling Sisters brewer Bede
sourced fresh ingredients. The beers are chosen for their Roe, as they battle it out to win you over. A trophy is on
ability to draw out specific flavours to complement or the line and you’ll be the judge! Sit down to four tasty
contrast the food match. morsels each paired with a beer and wine.
14 Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019ON YOUR PLATE
Kapiti Island Foodie Feast: Waikanae’s Long Beach BBQ Smoking 101 & 102: Back by hot demand. Join
Tavern, North End Brewing and Kāpiti Island Nature chef Ollie Edwards for an afternoon of smoking and
Tours invite you on a long lunch, exploring nature and barbequing. Like all good BBQs, you’ll start with a beer
local cuisine on Kāpiti Island. and tasty smoked snacks, then sit back and learn to
Escape to Nga Manu: Experience the sights and sounds prepare and smoke meat like a pro. In the 102 course,
of Ngā Manu Nature Reserve, whilst feeding the body learn advanced smoking skills with brisket and ribs in
and soul in this four-course lunch to showcase the best of this afternoon of barbequing smoking led by chef Ollie
Kāpiti produce, seafood and artisan products. Edwards. Start with a beer and tasty smoked snacks, then
learn the best ways to cook ribs and the undisputed king of
The Clam Bar with Morgan McGlone: Together with barbeque meat – brisket.
Shepherd and Garage Project, Morgan McGlone of Belles
Hot Chicken fame is back in Wellington and bringing you Be Cultured Fermentation: The centuries-old process can
four courses of Cloudy Bay Clams at their finest. Enjoy prove difficult to master, but this class will teach you tips
clams raw, ceviche, crispy-fried and as a good ol’ family- on how to develop only the good bacteria, how to find the
style clam-bake, accompanied by a line-up of natural right produce and time frames for your fermentations.
wines by Garage Project Crushed. Learn to make a sourdough starter, ginger beer, yoghurt,
kombucha and more.
World Bowl Fried Chicken: Explore the world's
wonderful variations of fried chicken: Japanese, Nashville, Around the World in Eight Negronis: Take a trip around
Buffalo, Korean, Singaporean, Thai and of course Southern the world with a classic Negroni. Join Forresters Lane and
Fried. Burgers, wings and sides are matched with pre- sample different Negroni style drinks, matched with food
bottled cocktails, global beers and crafty local sours. pairing from each country.
Whisky Galore: Panhead Custom Ales and Whisky
Galore welcome you to a night of tales, ales, malts and live Note:
music with a five-course menu fusing elements of New Some of these may have sold out by the time we go to print.
Zealand, Scotland and American low and slow BBQ. For more information visit: https://www.visawoap.com/
SENSES
FEAST YOUR
31 DAYS. 5 WEEKENDS.
This August enjoy the most amazing culinary experiences
the Wellington region has to offer. There’s something for
everyone so get ready to Eat, Drink and be Welly with us!
1-31 AUGUST
VisaWOAP.com
Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019 15DOING THE CAN-CAN
Doing the
Can-Can Michael Donaldson looks at Urbanaut’s
innovative approach to Beervana.
eer mixology is going to a new level at Beervana
with Urbanaut launching a New Zealand-first
B with their blended cans concept.
Blending beer is nothing new – in fact, it’s centuries old
The three launch blends are:
1. Vanilla milkshake cream ale & imperial stout with
– but it has become increasingly popular at festivals, a cacao and coffee. These cans will come with a sachet
trend paved at Beervana by Garage Project, including the of ground coffee beans and chocolate sprinkles to
delectable Flat White a few years back. And previously, scatter on top.
Epic joined forces with 8 Wired to produce I of the
2. Yuzu-lime sour & Szechuan pepper Kolsch.
Zombie, a blend of iStout and Hop Zombie.
3. Horopito, kawakawa gose & smoked chili ale.
But Urbanaut are taking the concept one step further by
producing two-can packs that are designed to be sampled As Turner explains, each beer alone should taste great but
individually and then blended together. combined, they should deliver an eye-opening flavour
experience.
The concept is simple: two cans packaged as one unit,
with two different flavour profiles that create a third when “The beers on their own need to be interesting and unique.
mixed together. If you buy the can-pack you’re essentially getting three
different beers – three beers for the price of one.”
At Beervana, Urbanaut will focus almost entirely on
pouring from cans – a major step away from the standard Turner and has team have done lots of tests with different
practice of draught beer. Their Beervana launch will be flavour combinations and have worked with experts in
married to a nationwide retail launch at Liqourland stores flavour matching.
up and down the country. “It was fun to sit down and pretend you’re the head chef at
Urbanaut founder Bruce Turner admits some trepidation a high-end restaurant,” Turner says. “We worked with one
woman whose job it is to create flavour combinations in
about the concept but hopes the experience wins over
food. It was good to have her guidance as she didn’t know
punters.
what was possible with beer. She’d suggest ingredients
Consumers buying at retail will get what looks like a giant and we’d say, ‘yes we can do that’. One of the matches
single can wrapped in one label. But that package will have she favoured was the yuzu lemon and szechaun pepper
a perforation in the middle that splits open to reveal two because that works well in cooking and we thought how
250ml cans with their own labels. we could incorporate that in beer.”
16 Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019DOING THE CAN-CAN
Turner says part of his inspiration for the project was a
presentation at the recent Hapi symposium hosted by
Garage Project.
“Matt Brynildson from Firestone Walker was talking
about how they don’t see themselves as just a good brewery
– sure they make good beer, but in order to engage
drinkers they see themselves as an experience provider.
He said that while they make great beer if they’re not
engaging with the drinker and not doing things to get
them excited about beer, then they feel like they’re not
doing their job.
“I really took that on board and thought ‘let’s try some
new things’. It may work, it may not, but it should engage
people and get them thinking about new ideas. Having
said that, I’m really nervous about it as well because it
could be a flop – but you have to put yourself on the line
sometimes and try a few things.”
Turner believes the can blending packs are not only
unique to New Zealand, but could be a world-first.
“I did a lot of searching on the internet and I couldn’t find
anyone who’s done it in cans – Moondog in Australia did
release two bottles in a single pack and said try blending
these together, but I haven’t seen anyone else who’s done
it in cans.”
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Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019 17THE HOPFATHER
The Hopfather
This extract from The Hopfather, the biography of
Richard Emerson, focuses on the day Richard Emerson’s
beloved father and mentor George passed away.
n March 2002, just as he turned 67, George Richard also contacted Helen around the time of her
Emerson deteriorated further and was placed birthday and told her, ‘Dad hasn’t got long, you should
I into hospice care. He remained stoic — urging
Richard to keep working at the brewery, to not
let up because of his illness. When he spoke to [daughter]
Helen in London on her thirtieth birthday, he told
come home.’ He also talked his father’s doctor into
ramping up George’s medication to keep him alive and
coherent until Helen could get home.
‘I flew out at short notice,’ Helen said. ‘And he was so
her not to rush home for his sake: ‘He said, “In your
circumstances I wouldn’t be coming back to New Zealand jacked up on steroids, we had three pretty good weeks
to see your dying father either.” I could hear Mum across in the hospice. We were all there every day. Towards the
the room saying, “It’s just the drugs talking.” end, George realised it was borrowed time and asked the
doctors to reduce his medication. At one point he said,
‘But that was Dad. He’d been in similar circumstances “This can’t go on forever, Helen has to go back to London.”
when we were in Edinburgh in 1983. At the time both his And he asked the doctor to stop the steroids.
parents were quite ill, but he stayed the full duration of
his sabbatical. His mother died within days of him getting ‘While he was working hard, Richard would also be there
home and his father just weeks later. We were told his every day. One night, Richard arranged for a slideshow
mother had hung on for him to get home. As soon as he on the wall of the hospice room — slideshows were part
got back to New Zealand she went downhill and died very of our family life growing up, it’s what you did when you
quickly, but he didn’t cut short his trip for her. didn’t have a TV! And I remember Richard and I feeding
Dad teaspoons of beer and whisky.’
‘Dad’s attitude to Richard and the brewery was “Get on
with it”. Dad’s view was that you’re not going to throw this Barely conscious, George didn’t react when Richard
away because of me. Richard would have seen the sense of came into his father’s room and asked to borrow George’s
it but nevertheless found it difficult.’ camera gear. He’d decided to take a trainspotting trip up
18 Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019THE HOPFATHER
the coast with George’s camera as a way to honour him. locomotive Ab663 was going to be steaming back north
George couldn’t respond, but [Richard’s mother] Ingrid to the Christchurch depot, having completed several
told Richard to go, to take the camera, it belonged to him excursions while temporarily based in Dunedin. So, I
now. decided to take the opportunity to take a break, grab
George’s camera and chase the steam engine up the coast
‘It was absolutely the right thing to do, but it meant he
as far as Oamaru.
wasn’t there when Dad died,’ Helen said. ‘Mum and I both
thought it was appropriate he was out doing what Dad Unbelievably, the weather was good and the Ab-class
would have wanted to do on a gorgeous autumn day — steam locomotive was only towing a tank wagon with
using Dad’s equipment to photograph trains.’ its supply of waste oil. Amazingly enough, I felt like I
had my own steam train for the day as there were no
In fact, no one from the Emerson family was in the room
other rail fans around chasing the locomotive — it was
when George passed away. A cleaner had come in, so
awesome. Because it was such a small train itself, I had
Ingrid went into the small kitchen to make a cup of tea
to think how I wanted to take the photo, pretty much
and Helen stepped through the sliding doors into the
what George would have been thinking.
garden. ‘Suddenly I realised I couldn’t hear
him breathing — he had this rattling breath All this thinking helped to cast aside all
at the end. He was gone.’ my problems, the brewery, Dad’s illness
and my emotions for the day. It was
George Emerson died on 24 March 2002. I was glad Dad’s fantastic to be dashing ahead of the
Ingrid, Helen and [Richard’s wife] Marian camera was engine looking for the next photo stop,
all tried to contact Richard. He had a being used as a jumping out, preparing the camera
mobile phone, but had either turned it and composition . . . click, click and
kind of finale, then running back to the car.
off or the battery had died. ‘There was
no way of contacting him,’ Helen said. doing what
At Oamaru, I took the last
‘We just waited for him to come back.’ he loved — photograph of the day: the steam
Richard returned to a room with the photographing engine with the Oamaru town clock
curtains drawn and the doors locked and steam trains in the background, it was a surreal
the news that while he’d been away, his moment as the time shown on the
father had died. clock is immortalised in my image.
It was only when I got back to the
I had been visiting George on a daily basis, hospice later in the day that I realised
finishing work and driving up to the hospice. The Dad had passed away at almost that same moment. It
experience was quite stressful. George always kept telling was a bittersweet moment. I was glad Dad’s camera was
me, ‘Don’t lose focus on the brewery. Keep it going.’ being used as a kind of finale, doing what he loved —
On one hand, I had to keep work going and, on the other photographing steam trains.
hand, I wanted to take time off to be with Dad. It was all The beers Richard and Helen had fed to George at the
very frustrating and it didn’t take much for me to snap hospice included a trial batch Richard had worked on for
when someone asked me a silly question. George was years, trying to perfect it, but always coming up short.
then struggling, he had faded in and out. At one stage, we In that way, it resembled George’s attempts to frame the
thought we had lost him. In fact, he had kind of slipped perfect photo at Tiger Hill. Richard knew he had a good
into a self-induced coma and came out of it after a day beer, but he needed everything to be right — from the
or two. That particular day, I knew the mainline steam flavour, to the name, to the label.
But the beer refused to come fully into
focus. It started life as Winter Warmer — a
lightly spiced dark ale for the cooler months.
It then evolved into 40 Winks — a name
that honoured George to a degree because
he tended to nod off in his chair after a few
drinks.
‘We used the image of character Ted Bovis
from Hi-de-Hi! in a bowler hat and holding
the beer on his belly. It was the only time I
broke away from the established Emerson’s
format — the label was bright yellow and
cartoonish. People didn’t like it. They didn’t
Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019 19THE HOPFATHER
want an arty-farty label, they wanted a good conservative And so Taieri George came to life, a beer dedicated to
label. New Zealand craft brewing wasn’t ready for it, George Emerson. A beer dedicated to trains and the
compared with now when you look at a supermarket shelf railway that George Emerson so loved, and brewed by his
and it’s full of bright, colourful, loud cans.’ son in the brewery George had helped create. The label
carries a picture of a train and its annual release date: 6
As the name and label went through various iterations,
March — George’s birthday. ‘I made it Dad’s birthday
Richard battled with the balance between sweet malt, spice
rather than the day of his death as I wanted it to mark his
and alcohol. Richard had lifted the alcohol to a heady 6.8
life.’
per cent, upped the spice levels of cinnamon and nutmeg,
and added honey.
One night at the hospice, Richard gave his father a sip of
the latest version through a straw. George, unable to speak,
simply raised his hand and gave it the thumbs up. Spot on. Richard Emerson
The chief taster for Emerson’s Brewery had given it his seal
of approval.
– The Hopfather
When George passed, Richard wanted the new winter ale By Michael Donaldson
to honour his father in some way, and his inspiration came
from an unlikely source. Published by Penguin NZ
At the reception following George’s funeral, ‘Tom, one
RRP $45
of our staff members, was reading a framed certificate on
the wall given to Dad by the Dunedin City Council for
work he’d done on the Taieri Gorge Railway. Tom said AVAILABLE AUGUST 6
he’d spotted a typo and he read aloud: “Thank you George
Emerson for your work on the Taieri George Railway.”
Helen and Richard Emerson
20 Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 201916 TAPS C0 2 PURGE D + PRE S S URE AV AILABLE FOR BOOKINGS
-FI L L E D GRO WL E RS + PRIV AT E FU NCT IONS
B LACK DO G BR E W E R Y . C O . NZ C H ASE US 216 CUB A STR E E TBROTHERS MANTECORE DOUBLE VISION / EAGLE
I've been
WHITE IPA 6% BREWING SPREAD EAGLE
Named after the performing white HOPPY BROWN ALE 6%
tiger, famous for its on stage attack of A rare instance of a brown ale
drinking
...
Roy Horn during the Siegfried & Roy appearing on the modern market. A
show. Intensely citrus-driven with style that rides the line between hop
pithy grapefruit and orange bitters and malt-driven character. Orange
over funky Sauvin gooseberry. Starkly zest, milk chocolate and mochaccino
clean and super hoppy, it’s tuned in a up front on the nose with some
very American style (considering the sharper lemon citrus hovering in the
100 per cent NZ hop bill), with distance. The palate is more about
incredible amounts of pine and malt-driven flavours, with bitter
Tim Newman refreshing citrus. The bitterness cooking chocolate and black coffee
is punchy and immediate, but not taking centre stage. The bitterness is
profiles new overbearing. A beautifully clean, fresh extreme, which does keep the sweet
flavours well in check, but may be
releases and snappy IPA that embraces classic
style rather than jumping on the back overpowering for some drinkers.
of the haze train.
TUATARA PRIMEVAL TENDENCY NZ IPA 7% EPIC GIN BOSS JUNIPER IPA 6.2%
A full-strength all-NZ IPA from Tuatara’s jazzed up “Gin is the new IPA”. That’s been the refrain of trendy
new range. The nose leans to herbal, with thyme and cut craft gin for some time now. But this Juniper-infused IPA
grass leading before orange and grapefruit citrus. The from Epic comes at it from the other end. The juniper is
palate is sharp and crisp, with more juicy grapefruit, suitably forward, punching through the hop notes to be
cooling pine and just a little bit of rockmelon. The the dominant aroma. Not that it’s exactly analogous to
malt base doesn’t shy away either, with significant (but gin, but it does carry that cool herbal freshness that one
balanced) crystal character beefing up the body without associates with it. The palate is delicate, with a restrained
ending up sweet. The bitterness is snappy and drying hop character and a lower bitterness which serves to bring
but burns off quickly. Not an IPA that’s out to reinvent the juniper flavours forward. Even then, you have to wait
the wheel, but a solidly-crafted one that should please until the finish before those notes really spread out and
anyone looking for a big NZ IPA that’s on the drier side. blossom. An esoteric drop that needs a bit of searching
to get the most out of. I wonder what an imperial version
with even more juniper might be like?
22 Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019BEER REVIEWS
GARAGE PROJECT / OTHER HALF NO MCLEOD’S BARREL AGED BROWN
DREAMS TIL BROOKLYN OAT CREAM PORTER (VINTAGE 2018) 5.7%
IPA 8.5% Beginning life as McLeod’s Pioneer Brown Porter,
American Citra and Nelson Sauvin fill the hop bill here, this special batch was put into ex-bourbon casks for a
with added lactose boosting the sweetness and body. month. The nose is complex and creamy. Charred oak
Nose-slamming lemon and grapefruit dominate the and vanilla pod layer over the coffee and chocolate
sharp and powerful Citra-driven nose, while the Sauvin aromas of roasted malt, with just a thread of barrel
fills in around the edges with more muffled passionfruit funk in the distance. The palate is contrastingly fresh
and gooseberry. The palate is sweet, but still supremely and light bodied, with thin black coffee, grainy malt
hop driven with bitter citrus peel, ripe tropical fruit and and a mild oak tannin. The bitterness is moderate and
rockmelon. The lactose, while not quite pushing the the hop character is not insignificant. As the vintage
palate into the over-sweet spectrum, does seem slightly at would indicate, this one’s a keeper and should develop
odds with the hop character, weighing down what could well for years to come. Just a little bit too fizzy for its
otherwise be a soaring display of citrus magnificence. own good, so let it settle in the glass for a minute and
don’t drink chilled!
BREW MOON THE 11TH LAUGHING BONES UP YER KILT SCOTCH ALE 6.7%
COMMANDMENT MOSAIC APA 5.5% A malty winter warmer to curl up next to just in time to see out the
This limited seasonal release is a single hop coldest part of the year. Tantalising nose of toffee, roasted malt,
(Mosaic) APA. Supremely fresh and fruity on fresh whole grain bread and just a hint of toasted marshmallow.
the nose, with a surprisingly broad array of The palate is rich, weighty and sumptuously malt-driven. It carries
fleshy fruit flavours (considering the single hop). on smoothly from the nose with more roasted grains and chewy
Ripe peach and blueberry alongside sweet lemon dark caramel along with some gentle milk chocolate and mocha. A
citrus and just a little restraining pine to keep firm bitterness contrasts the sweet flavours, making for a lengthy
things in check. The palate is clean, slightly dry finish. Up Yer Kilt will surely fortify you against any cold
sweet and only mildly bitter, allowing the tutti- drafts.
frutti ensemble to carry on to the finish. A great
review?
lease beer for
APA, but also an excellent reminder of just how
it a ne w re
much breadth of character the Mosaic Belgian
Want to subm gmail.com
at newman.to@
Contact Tim
style IPAs should take a look.
Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019 23WHAT THE FROTH
What
missing part of the New Zealand beer puzzle
is about to fall into place with the launch
A of Froth Technologies – this country’s first
yeast laboratory.
New Zealand’s hops are rightly world famous and our
barley is of the highest quality – and of course there’s the
water. That’s three of the four key ingredients for beer
readily available in Aotearoa. Until now, yeast had to be
sourced from overseas – whether it was dried or liquid. Yes,
some breweries (and homebrewers) will culture their own
strains but there’s never been a commercial yeast lab here.
Froth is the brainchild of Simon Cooke and Ryan Carville
– a pair of brewers with deep connections in the industry.
Carville has brewed at Eagle in Christchurch and is
currently at Garage Project’s Wild Workshop, while Cooke
has a small contract brewery, Kakariki. They both came
from a homebrew background and produced their first all-
grain brew together in the kitchen at Wellington’s LBQ bar.
They started down the yeast journey more than a year ago
when they had an inkling there might be demand for New
Zealand-grown yeast.
“We had to be sure this is what the market wanted or
needed,” Cooke explained, “so we did focus groups and
one-on-one interviews with brewers around the country.
We got an overwhelming response that this was something
people wanted.”
The reasons are simple: freshness, cost, accessibility, choice.
Cost is an important element as the perishable nature
of liquid yeast means it has to come to New Zealand via
refrigerated air-freight. As a result, Cooke notes, a lot of
brewers default to using the US 05 dry yeast “because it
makes life so much easier”.
Once the idea was seeded, the pair knew they had to get
breweries on board – and they have a group of what they
call “foundation” breweries who will use Froth yeasts.
“We wanted to strengthen people’s faith in us – so we
approached a handful of breweries we had relationships
the
with and our foundation breweries are Garage Project,
Eagle, Choice Bros and Funk Estate.”
Some of those breweries will have Froth-fermented beers
available in Wellington around the time of Beervana.
Froth
Froth will be growing fresh liquid yeast cultures from
their lab just off Cuba St in Wellington – in a commercial
kitchen that appropriately used to be a bar, The Big
Kumara.
A PledgeMe crowdfunding campaign goes live on August 1
to raise enough capital to ensure they can service breweries
as well as home brewers across New Zealand.
A core range of six popular industry strains will be initially
MICHAEL DONALDSON released, with an R&D project aiming to release NZ wild
strains.
24 Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019WHAT THE FROTH
Simon Cooke and Ryan Carville are conjuring up yeasty
magic at Froth Technologies. (Photo: Bryson Rooney).
The six strains – all fresh and commercial pitch-ready In doing their market research, Cooke and Carville
liquid yeasts – are: discovered a wide range of practices in New Zealand
breweries,
• American Ale – FT01 Buddy (assumed origin Sierra
Nevada) “There’s a spectrum of practices,” Carville said. “Some
people pitch a commercial batch of dried yeast every time;
• Belgian Wit – FT30 Unicorn (Hoegaarden)
some buy home-brew sized pitches and propagate them
• German Lager – FT50 Krisp (Weihenstaphan) up; others buy commercial sized pitch-ready liquid yeast,
• French Saison – FT40 Paddock (Unknown) re-pitched up to nine generations in some cases.
• English Ale – FT20 Biscuit (Fuller’s) “The challenge many brewers face is the access to fresh
liquid yeast and freight costs for commercial pitches – that
• Hazy IPA – FT02 Vape (Boddington’s) directs them towards dry options. Other problems they
They’ve been able to source the yeasts royalty-free for a have are around the time and resource needed to ensure
variety of reasons. the quality and vitality of the yeast. They might not have
a microscope or a lab set-up – so a lot of what they do is
“These are strains that are everywhere in the world except
educated guess-work but without the precise cell counts or
New Zealand,” Cooke says. “They are not protected by
health checks on the yeast that we can give.”
[Intellectual Property laws]. A lot of these are quite old, so
any IP would have lapsed and in the US you can’t protect At this stage, there’s no homebrew sized pitches available –
micro-organisms with patenting.” but that will come.
By growing the yeasts in New Zealand, Cooke says brewers “We started as homebrewers and we know how important
here will get fresher yeast and therefore better-quality beer. that community is to the wider industry. Initially, we’re
The pair will also provide the necessary ‘human support' just doing the commercial offering – but we hope to
that doesn’t come with an imported packet of yeast. offer all our strains in homebrew sized pitches soon
Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019 25WHAT THE FROTH
enough. That’s where crowd-funding comes in, because this spring, swabbing and sampling fruits and flowers, and
there’s a few technological steps we have to make around seeing which of the strains we collect are up to making
packaging, labelling, distribution – beer.
there’s more work to do there
“Yeast and microbes are essential for a healthy
compared with commercial
eco-system, so for us it is important as part
il l
The pair w
pitches.”
of running a sustainable business that we
e
Homebrewers who invest via also provid protect the environment by contributing to
ary
PledgeMe will get rewards
the necess '
conservation groups and having strategies in
including early access to smaller
‘h u m an support place to help us become zero carbon.”
pitches when they’re ready, e sn ’t
that do Cooke adds: “We have plans for a research
though Cooke warns it might
an
come in a jar rather than a fancy come with and development project
packet
package. imported to isolate commercially-
of y east viable wild New Zealand
They also have an ambitious plan to
strains – there are lots
isolate and grow unique New Zealand
out there and the more
yeasts.
help we can get tracking
Carville explains: “Yeast is everywhere and them down, the more likely
it plays a key role in many iconic beer styles around the it is we can make beer with some of
globe. Hefeweisen from Germany and Lambic from them. So we’re saying to brewers, if
Belgium are the beers they are because of their local you’ve got something special tucked
microflora; their terroir. We want to unlock the flavours away, we’d love to hear from you …
hidden amongst our own wilderness, and use those we’ve already had people call and
flavours to tell stories of Aotearoa. We’ll be out in nature say: “Hey, we’ve got this yeast…”
26 Pursuit of Hoppiness - August 2019CAPITAL DIARY
NEIL McINNES
ay started with the annual Hopstock the Townshend NZ Pale Ale had long gone, so we started
Fresh Hop Festival. I was unable to off with Whistling Sisters IPA. This was an inspired choice
repeat last year’s heroics and try all as it was the dog’s bollocks – soft and light with a robust
M the entries as 32 beers in six days
was just a bit beyond me.
I got to 14. I particularly enjoyed the zesty, piney and
resinous Hop Boxer IPA from Black Dog (made with
hop bitterness. According to the menu it sold out quickly
the last time it was on the handpump at Moon. The drying
Madame Brown from Beer Baroness had burnt and dusty
malt notes. We were joined by legendary local craft beer
Riwaka hops), Behemoth’s fresh and juicy Cheech and punter Tosh Patel and friends and we got stuck into a Lil
Red Rye from Garage Project. This was uber bitter from
Chong Hazy IPA (Taiheke) and the refreshing and bitter
lashings of Simcoe and Amarillo hops and it had one of
Lyall Bay Fresh Hop Sour from Parrotdog (Nelson Sauvin).
those big bitter finishes that caught the back of the throat.
One Friday in mid-May it was Lager Than Life 2019 Next thing I knew Fraser had launched into a dialogue
at the Hudson on Chews Lane. In the week leading with the bar manager about oxygen in the bladders and
up they celebrated the 30th anniversary of legendary how to vent it. I went home in an Uber instead.
Gisborne Gold. This was nostalgia in a glass. While it
Early June is the annual Wellington Jazz Festival and this
was possibly more bitter than I remember, the body was
year I again went on a jazz and beer matching crawl in
firm and the biscuity malt note in the finish was familiar.
the Cuba St quarter. I started at Whistling Sisters with
I was impressed by Emerson’s Lost Button Bock – 7.9
a sophisticated beer cocktail and sultry laid-back piano
per cent with a drying finish and a full, malty flavour.
jazz from Anita Schwabe and friends. The beer cocktail
Danke Schoen Richard. I also liked the flinty Ultra Dry
was called Not Your Nonna’s and had Lighthouse gin,
Champagne Brut Lager from Baylands and Tuatara’s well-
Campari, grapefruit Shrub and IPA. It had good bitterness
made Kapiti Common Steam lager.
with some fruit flavours that softened the edges of a
Beer club was at Black Dog where we had a tasting tray standard negroni. Good start.
of eight from the tap. The crisp Riwaka Pilsener showed
Next up was the Third Eye – Tuatara’s brewery bar in the
good quaffing potential, and the big hop flavour of JED-
city. I had tried to get into Rogue and Vagabond for the
I.P.A. won over a few of us, but again the piney character band doing a full cover of the classic John Coltrane album
of Hop Boxer shone through. The big stir on the night Giant Steps but could not really get in the door let alone to
was, however, caused by the Flutterby Golden Ale made the bar. At the Third Eye Callum Passels led a band from
with Butterfly Pea Tea, which gave the beer a lovely light The Wellington Jazz Collective playing improvised music
purple-pinky colour, but also a challenging tannic finish. for four saxophones. This involve a lot of chaotic tooting
Queen’s Birthday weekend saw the annual Octopump and rambling solos. I matched this to Pina Co-lager which
Handpull Ale Festival at Moon. I rocked up on the Sunday was cloudy, pineappley and lemony, with sour notes. In
with my older brother, Fraser, aka Mr Bar Bodega. By then short, I could not make head nor tail of the band or drink.
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