An urgent excursion to her hoppy homeland shows Alice Neville why brewers and beer drinkers the world over seek out Nelson’s pungent bounty. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, trainloads of working-class London families would temporarily migrate to Kent to work in the hop fields during harvest time. It was the closest thing many … Read more
In the near decade since Sawmill Brewery’s new owners came on board, they’ve made some of the best beers in the country, won awards and watched their brewery burn down. And their former landlords at the Leigh Sawmill Cafe accuse them of acting unethically. Alice Neville reports from Matakana. Every Monday, when the Sawmill Brewery’s … Read more
From a rural shed to a multimillion-dollar acquisition by DB, with a few legal battles thrown in for good measure, Tuatara’s two decades in the business have been a wild ride. Now, after revamping the beers, its talented head brewer has called it quits. Alice Neville checks in. For a while there, Tuatara Brewing seemed … Read more
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand, with the interview available as both audio and a transcribed excerpt. This week he talks to Andrew Childs, founder of Behemoth Brewing. You’ll … Read more
Following on from inappropriate use of Māori-inspired imagery to promote New Zealand-hopped beers, several British craft breweries appear to think ‘Māori pale ale’ is a beer style. The United Kingdom might be half a world away from New Zealand, but it hasn’t stopped at least three British breweries from using the term ‘Māori’ to describe … Read more
Five women talk about challenging stereotypes in New Zealand’s ever-evolving beer scene. When Nicola Kay started her first brewing job, there were no women’s toilets. There had never been the need. It was the early 2000s, and Kay was working for Lion in Sydney. She’d been running the tasting panels at Lion New Zealand, then … Read more
Six weeks ago, through a haze of blood, sweat, tears and citrus, a grapefruit IPA was born. This week, it’s finally time to introduce the concoction to the beer-loving public. You’d be forgiven for thinking that a craft beer-focused jaunt to Wellington would be all fun and games. But I’m a professional, and when I … Read more
Did you know that all kinds of weird and wonderful shit floats about in the night sky, and you can make beer with it? If you’re into wine, you’ll probably be familiar with the idea of terroir — the way a Central Otago pinot noir tastes different to a Martinborough one, for example. It’s all … Read more
From the alleyways of Běijīng to the Tibetan highlands, independent brewing is on the rise in the world’s most populous nation. When we think of China, chances are we don’t think of craft beer. You might put that down to the legacy of popular beers like Tsingtao, Harbin or Snow. Tsingtao, of the seaside city … Read more
Next in a week-long series chatting to Wellingtonians about what they’re up to in the windy city, Alex Casey talks to Choice Bros head brewer Kerry Gray about the Wellington brewer scene, stag semen and why his bar will be a haven from Trump. “Kiwi drinking culture got fucked up because everyone wanted to get fucked up,” says … Read more