H OPPINESS
Your Craft Brewing and Pub Newsletter
WINTER 2012
The Pursuit of
24/24 Retrospective Beer Adventures: Nelson & Urenui Style Guide: Barleywine
‘Beer for all the right reasons’
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The Pursuit of Hoppiness - Winter 2012
Contents Bar and Pub News.......................................................................................................................... 4 Events............................................................................................................................................. 7 Marchfest........................................................................................................................................ 8 Adventures at mike’s Organic Brewery....................................................................................... 10 Top of the South Tour................................................................................................................... 12 Beerly Legal: Got Radler in Your Growler?.................................................................................. 14 24/24 Retrospective.................................................................................................................... 16 Matter of Style: Barleywine.......................................................................................................... 18 Recipe: Slow-cooked Beer Belly.................................................................................................. 22 Book Review: World’s Best Beers............................................................................................... 27 On the Cover................................................................................................................................. 29 How to Join SOBA......................................................................................................................... 30 Advertising Information............................................................................................................... 30 Back Page Montage..................................................................................................................... 31
From the Editor Hello and welcome to another issue of Pursuit of Hoppiness. I don’t set out to have a theme for each issue, but one tends to develop as each issue comes together. This issue has a focus on beer adventures, with Nick Sette’s article on visiting mike’s Brewery in Taranaki and Martin Bennett’s account of a tour of the top of the South Island. There’s also plans and dreams of future adventures, with the new events page and Brian Jordan’s review of World’s Best Beers. Speaking of events, the biggest one on New Zealand’s beer calendar is drawing closer - Choice Beer Week. Previously known by various names, Choice Beer Week encompasses the Brewers Guild of New Zealand Awards and Beervana. It’ll also be when the SOBA AGM is held, which I would strongly encourage everyone to come along to. The AGM is a chance to discuss important developments both within SOBA and the New Zealand beer scene. It’s also when we elect our President and Executive Committee for another year, so if you’d like the committee to represent your views be sure to come along and vote (or send in your vote via email). Plans for the AGM are still under development, but it is looking likely that it will take place on the Saturday morning, in a location conveniently close to Wespac Stadium (and thus Beervana).
SOBA Newsletter
There’s many more events before then though, big and small, close and far away. Whatever your plans, drink good beer and have fun! Kate Jordan kateljordan@gmail.com
Photo: Maree Shaw
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Bar and Pub News Auckland
Brewers & Liars Festival Last month three members of the Auckland Guild of Winemakers and Brewers attended the Brewers & Liars festival, presented by the Ngongotaha Lions. The Guild supported this event since it began in 2007 and all proceeds go to local charities. We supply beer brewed by our club members and also help with the judging of the beer and wine competition that is part of the festival. This was the Guild’s first away fixture for the newly refurbished mini bar. We usually try and catch up with Paul Croucher whilst we are in Rotorua, as Paul is an ex member of the Guild. We met him at his excellent bar ‘Brew’, had a good chat and several of his superb beers. Looking forward to next year’s gig. John Golics Auckland Hop On April 21, over fifty beer-lovers gathered in Auckland to take part in the Auckland Bar Hop.
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The day started off at Galbraith’s Ale House, where the ‘Hoppers’ gathered and then headed into town where they could make their way around Auckland’s best craft beers spots at their leisure. Highlights along the way included Ben Middlemiss showing people around the brewery at the Shakespeare Tavern and Epic’s Luke Nicholas talking to participants at Corner Bar. At the end of the night, everyone met up again at the Brewery Britomart, for more delicious brews and a feed. The event will likely happen again in 2013. Hopscotch Auckland now has a dedicated fill-your-own offlicense, with Hugh Grierson opening up Hopscotch on Shaddock Street in Eden Terrace. Hopscotch has nine excellent craft beers on tap, from New Zealand and around the world. It’s a massive leap forward to Auckland, with people now able to take a range of beers home.
The Pursuit of Hoppiness - Winter 2012
Bar and Pub News Wanganui
New SOBA Branch Wanganui now has its own SOBA branch, who have now held three monthly meetings and one beer tasting at a member’s house. Two new SOBA members have resulted, with more waiting to sign up. Most of the attendees are home brewers and it is planned to have a series of set brews followed by group tastings. The next brew is a Russian Imperial Stout. Meetings are on the first Tuesday of every month at the ‘The Rutland Arms’, which has an everchanging range of three New Zealand craft beers on tap and the owner has arranged a discount card for SOBA members. Peter Northway
Wellington
Funk Estate Wellington is certainly catching up in the beer making (rather than drinking) department, with another brewing company coming into being.
Funk Estate is four men, with varying levels of beardiness, braided together with the soul purpose of bringing the FUNK. Not the sour kind (that’s coming later), but the groovy, delicious, wet variety. This month, the taste explosion will be unleashed from the Estate beginning with a swinging launch at Hashigo Zake. Shiggy, Jordan, Dylan and Dan look forward to seeing you there! X-Ale Festival Wellington was again treated to a Hashigo Zakeorganised beer festival, this time with the focus on the fruitiest, riskiest, biggest, bitterest, sourest and strangest beers that had been made available to the bar over the past year. Limited tickets were sold to the event, which was held in the (currently under development) ParrotDog Brewery. The line-up included Kiwi beers such as Hallertau Funkonnay, a sour ale aged in chardonnay barrels, and foreign giants like Mikkeller 1000 IBU Light, an intensely hopped pale ale.
Handcrafted ales, stout, lager and cider available direct from the brewery in flagons and 750ml glass bottles, and from selected local outlets. Order online from our new website:
www.monkeywizard.co.nz SOBA Newsletter
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Bus Shelter Brews Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 June, with the judges including Martin Bosley, Stephen Fleming, Shaun Clouston, Tim Brown, Luke and Sam from the Phoenix Foundation, the mighty Beastwars, and Hadyn Green. After that the four winners will be announced, and the pro brewers will get on with helping them turn their creation into a professional craft beer that will be bottled and sold in craft beer outlets across the city on or around Friday 27 July. The winners will also get their own ‘brewery logo’ designed by Clemenger BBDO. And all this leads up nicely to Beervana on 17-18 August.
Christchurch
The yellow in that sign - that’s beer brewing. Wellington in a Pint An unusual and interesting home brew competition is currently underway in Wellington. ‘Wellington in a Pint’, organised by Clemenger BBDO, is the search for the taste of Wellington in a beer. In Round One Clemengers gathered ideas. The people of the capital were asked, via Facebook and beermats at local craft beer outlets, to think up the name and description of a Wellington-flavoured brew. Answers flowed in in their hundreds, with ideas as left-field as ‘Coffee Snob Stout’, and Clemenger’s personal favourite ‘Bohemian Armpit – a hint of patchouli and cumin’. Hmmm. Might actually be pretty tasty. Or not. The Round Two began on Monday 2 April. This is the brewing bit, where home brewers can enter a brew and it might get turned into a professional craft beer by Garage Project, Yeastie Boys, ParrotDog or Tuatara. The ideas and themes from Round One were distilled down into a Brewing Brief for aspiring brewers to work to in Round Two. You can enter the competition and download the brief at wellingtoninapint.org Other than that, there’s a bunch of craft beer events happening around the city, including an ongoing trivia quiz on Facebook. Check out the events calendar on wellingtoninapint.org Judging for the competition takes place on
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New Shop: Twisted Hop The Twisted Hop are now offering cellar door sales from the Brewery Shop on Parkhouse Road, Wigram. They’re offering their cask ales in barrels, firkins, bag in a box, riggers and bottles - they’re even renting out handpumps, for a true cask ale experience. www. thetwistedhop.co.nz New Contract Brewer A new contract brewery out of Christchurch, Resolute Brewing, has recently released their first beer, the Zaragoza Stout. Founded by Nathan Crabbe, formerly of Golden Ticket Brewing and Harrington’s Breweries, Resolute will be introducing a unique range of flavoursome beers to the New Zealand market. www.resolutebrewing.com
Events
June City of Ales 23 June 2012, Auckland For the first time ever, all of Auckland’s craft breweries under one roof, with a new festival aiming to celebrate craft beer in our largest city. To be held at Q Loft from 2pm-7pm on 23rd June 2012. July SOBA Winter Beer Festival 14 July 2012, Wellington SOBA’s Winter Beer Festival (previously known as
The Pursuit of Hoppiness - Winter 2012
Matariki) will return to the Boatshed again this year, with another great line-up of Kiwi beers. SOBA will be looking for volunteers for this event. August Choice Beer Week 13-18 August, Wellington The rebranded ‘BrewNZ’ event, Choice Beer Week encompasses various events in Wellington, including the Brewers Guild of New Zealand Awards on 16 August and the brewers’ Mashing In night.
Beervana 17-18 August 2012, Wellington Beervana returns to the Westpac Stadium, with the organisers planning to have even more beers and breweries. www.beervana.co.nz October Nelson Region SOBA Weekend 19-21 October, Nelson Region SOBA Nelson is organising a tour of the Nelson region’s beery spots, including hop farms, breweries and historic pubs. Email nelson@soba.org.nz for more information. Pacific Beer Expo 20-21 October, Wellington The Pacific Beer Fesitval is quite possibly the best chance New Zealanders will have to sample the best beer from the Pacific Rim in a single venue at one time. www.hashigozake.co.nz mike’s Octoberfest 27 October 2012, Taranaki mike’s Octoberfest takes place at their beautiful brewery just north of New Plymouth at Urenui. Buses to and from the brewery from New Plymouth will be available and many great beers on offer. www.facebook.com/mikesOrganicBeer
SOBA Newsletter
Winter Evening Companions The long winter evenings are coming, so why not try Emerson’s beers with a whisky. Put yourself in good spirits and try these wonderful matches: Pilsner with Glenkinchie 12 yr or Glengoyne 12 yr Bookbinder with Drumguish or Glendronach 12 yr 1812 Pale Ale with Auchentoshan or Glenmorangie Sonnalta London Porter and Talisker – what an amazing match! Brewer’s Reserve The current Brewer’s Reserve is Oreti Red – returned by popular demand. Our Red IPA has NZ pale ale malt, along with Munich, CaraRed and CaraMunich forming the malt base. A high alpha NZ hop and US Centennial hops are used in large quantities in a series of warm and cold dry hopping. We upped the malts to give a ‘fatter’ malt base to better harmonise with the high alpha hop resins, and the result is an alcohol content of 6%. Available from the brewery shop, Regionals in Wellington and selected bars around the country. JP 2012 JP is a special label for us, it honours Jean Pierre Dufour. It enables us to brew a different Belgian style each year. The 2012 vintage is a Belgian Strong Ale. The beer has an attractive complex aroma, subtle sweetness from a distinctive yeast strain, finishing with a subtle spicy bitterness. Bottle conditioned, 8.3% abv. Release is scheduled for early June. Cheers from the team at Emerson’s.
The Emerson Brewing Company Ltd 14 Wickliffe St / P O Box 6514 Dunedin Ph 03 477 1812 Fax 03 477 1806 www.emersons.co.nz
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Marchfest 2012 Grey skies and a good soaking didn’t stop 2,300 craft beer fans from descending on Nelson’s Founder’s Park for MarchFest 2012. Little wonder given that 11 bespoke brews and two ciders were on tap plus a roster of world-class bands and nosh up to our eyeballs. Keeping to a changeable theme, ‘Special Ingredient’ was the edict for this year’s brews, leaving punters guessing at the unique element in each. Some adjuncts were clever but clear (kumara in the Kumar Batata from Stoke by the McCashin Family; green-lipped mussels in the lusty Muscle Stout from Moa Brewing), while others were real stumpers. Mugwort in the Soma Ale from Monkey Wizard Brewery, for example, proved elusive to tasters, but leave it to crafty brewer/owner Mat Elmhirst (Mr. Ambergris himself) to employ an ‘olde worlde’ brewing herb also prized for shielding ‘the wayfarer from fatigue, sunstroke, wild beasts and evil spirits.’ Och!
Freehouse’s Eelco Boswijk and Loren Heapy. Photo: David Letsche, www.dlphoto.co.nz Three prizes were up for grabs to tasters correctly guessing the most secret ingredients, with first place yielding 72/500 ml bottles of the winner’s fave brew. Nelsonian Ryan O’Byrne took the honour, choosing the English breakfast beer, Paddington Bear (marmalade on toast), from The Mussel Inn. In second place, SOBA Nelson member John Mahon snagged a coveted double pass to Beervana 2012. In fact, SOBA Nelson represented all of us well, with Nelson member Matt Downer the maestro behind the mesmerising, hi-fi, nifty AV backdrop to our lo-fi stand. SOBA committee member Geoff
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Griggs, still flush with the success of February’s inaugural Summer Beerfest in Marlborough, trekked along and, alongside regional and visiting Wellington members alike (we can play nice, thank you!), manned the stand, drummed up new members and sold some t-shirts. Organiser Mic Dover admits to one niggling aspect of this year’s fest, aside from being wet: log jams in the beer hall. ‘The rain,’ he says, ‘was actually a blessing in disguise, otherwise we would have run out of beer and the queues would have been even worse’. Mic, who orchestrates the annual shindig with business partner and Freehouse coowner Eelco Boswijk, says foul weather left ticket holders awaiting a cloud break. It never came, of course, so they showed in droves late in the day. It’s something they’ll consider for 2013, he says, when they ‘plan for 3,000 attendees and make sure that bars are aplenty’. That means apart from the main beer rotunda, satellite bars will pepper the grounds along with a dedicated bar for the Brew Zone. Just as in years past, the Brew Zone was a big draw. Ever popular Brew Talks throughout the day (moderated by our fave beer-writing duo, Maria Grau and Fritz Kuckuck) gave brewers Søren Eriksen of 8 Wired, Andy Deuchars from Renaissance, and Mat Elmhirst of Monkey Wizard a chance to chat about craft brewing and sample beers with the crowd. MarchFest also means great music, so fans sloshed and slogged through the mud, revelling in a line-up that included spin doctor extraordinaire DJ Grant Smithies and Auckland’s Drab Doo Riffs followed by legendary punk poet, John Cooper Clarke. Brixton’s Alabama 3 Acoustic & Unplugged, whose moody fusion of gospel, rock, blues and dub served as backdrop to the opening credits of TV’s Sopranos, headlined and buoyed the crowd until closing. And, yes, fellow beer lovers, all that glorious elixir was served as it has been five years running: without incident and in bespoke glasses (bureaucrats and molly-coddlers take note). ‘All in all we thought every single music act played at the top of their game,’ says Mic, ‘and the beers were all totally drinkable despite the mystery ingredients!’ Fans, of course, agree. Monica Mead
The Pursuit of Hoppiness - Winter 2012
Adventures at mike’s Another cold, grey winter in Wellington. Blasts of wind rush up the hillside and smash into the house like freight trains. The windows rattle, the floor rumbles, and the chimney howls for endless hours. This is Stout weather, Porter weather, Dopplebock and Scotch Ale weather. This is ‘batten-down-thehatches’ weather. This is not ‘good-night-of-sleep’ weather. Southerly winds are the worst – they bring with them restless nights filled with tossing, turning, and patchy, chaotic dreams about Arctic landscapes, gale force winds, penguins, and tauntauns. But on those rare occasions when the fickle weather gods of the South Pacific send calmer winter weather our way, sleep is a bit more relaxed and my dreams drift to the north and back to summer.
The dream lately is always the same – I’m walking up State Highway 3, somewhere in North Taranaki, a blazing hot December sun beats down relentlessly. This is Pilsner weather, Weissbier weather, and crisp, Pale Ale weather. I’m so thirsty. I’ve never been so thirsty in my entire life! I head off the road down a gravel drive and climb the steps to the front porch of a big white house, surrounded by emerald-green lawns and tui-filled trees. No gales here, just a gentle breeze that carries a hint of the Tasman Sea not far off in the distance. I’m at a beer garden, and all of my friends are waiting for me! Someone hands me a tall, chilled Pilsner glass emblazoned with a red letter “M”. I sit on a stool at a high wooden bench and quench my thirst with an expertly poured Pilsner, and my friends and I all enjoy the perfect summer weather. I finish my beer
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and head inside with orders for the next round – two ales, another Pilsner, and an IPA for me. A giant plate of potato wedges arrives at our table and we slowly work our way through the entire range of beers on tap. A lot of laughs, a few more delicious beers, and the dream slowly fades into the warm, fuzzy buzz of a perfect brewery visit. I visited mike’s Organic Brewery (along with my girlfriend Amy, her brother James, and his partner Vicki) one afternoon late last December and, while it seems like a lifetime away from the grey, drab winter of Wellington, the experience lingers on in my dreams. The summer weather that day was spot-on and the fresh beers on tap were truly memorable. Ron Trigg and the staff at mike’s Brewery gave us a friendly welcome and made us feel right at home. Ron’s a very tall guy whose physical stature is matched only by his knowledge and love of beer, and he has a genuine ability to share that enthusiasm with others. From Ron we learned about some of the secrets that make mike’s ‘Whisky Porter’ and ‘Coffee Porter’ so damned delicious, and why James and Vicki sometimes have a hard time finding mike’s beers all the way down in Dunedin (something we all agreed needs to be remedied!) We even heard whispers from Ron about development of an experimental “Paua Porter” (although, that might just be something I imagined in one of my dreams…) We also made friends with brewery dog Arrow, who seemed more interested in having a kip in the sun than discussing the virtues of brewing certified organic beer with us. mike’s Brewery sits just off State Highway 3 in Taranaki, just outside Urenui, about a twenty-five minute drive north of New Plymouth. Whether or not you’re the type to dream about beer, I’d highly recommend a visit to the beer garden if you’re up that way. Summer is a few long months away, but mike’s annual Oktoberfest, held for one day each year in October on their Whitecliffs Estate, is definitely something worth checking out. While I can’t guarantee you’ll get the same great weather we enjoyed last December (and occasionally in my dreams) the atmosphere and the staff are sure to be warm and friendly, and the beers are sure to be fresh and flowing. Words and photos by Nick Sette
The Pursuit of Hoppiness - Winter 2012
Top of the South Tour Middle of the day flights are always the cheap ones, hence we arrived late morning, it was the day after the floods and slips, the main road from the airport to Nelson was closed, and the whole place was in gridlock - but our taxi driver found a back road over the cliff tops - ooh errr. So after a preparatory afternoon kip at the B&B we found ourselves amongst new faces, that were to get to know over the next few days. The venue for the introductory bevy session was, of course, the Free House, who had a fine range of local and less-local craft beers. My favourite was Townshends ESB, and believe me you needed a few to help you cope with Andy’s shirt and the curry from over the road. Andy ordered twice the curry we as a couple ordered so that he was well catered for breakfast over the next few days! The next morning the tour really began. We took the back road to Stoke and visited the McCashins Brewery. A coffee in their trendy retro cafe was first, followed by a tour of the brewery. No photos allowed apparently – what are they trying to hide, I wondered? Could it be those three firkins, each of a different design next to the pilot plant? Could McCashins be thinking of dabbling in cask beer - surely not, there’s no money in that! Or could it be their state of the art bottling machine which can process how many million bottles an hour? It was fascinating anyway. The brewery was built in the 1980s and sold to Lion Nathan in 1999. I was surprised at just how big it had got before they sold it to the ‘Big Boys’. Though big, it has a nice traditional feel to it, especially the first floor wooden malt store, and the old concrete conditioning tanks. The McCashins have it back now and are producing a comprehensive range of all styles, which we tasted at high speed after our tour. We were always running late – a sign of a good tour. Then we were off to the Kentishman Hop Field in Upper Moutere, where Guy Coddington gave us a detailed and amusing account of the year in the
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hop-growing business. At 20 acres, this is one of the smallest hop fields in the area, and it is difficult to make a profit when producing on such a small scale. The gratifying thing was that they are keen to know of the unusual varieties that the craft brewers are after. Guy showed us his hop separating machine that reminded me of the Victorian mills of northern England. Apparently it was bought quite recently! So then it was lunchtime, and when in Moutere where else do you go, but the Inn. We managed to squeeze in a couple of pints over a plate of good fare before we took off again with Peter at the wheel. What a great guy, imagine being the designated sober driver on a SOBA bus tour! Now Monkey Wizard has been around for a while, and I have driven past it on several occasions but have never found it open. But today was different – not only was it open, but we had the undivided attention of owner and brewer Matt ‘the alchemist’ Elmhirst. Independent, quirky, enthusiastic, noncommercial and made up as he goes along, with unusual ingredients (such as whale saliva in his steampunk ale). Nice to see people doing for all the right reasons. The next stop was over the hill at the Mussel Inn, where it happened to be their 19th birthday that night - but we never made it. The road to Collingwood was blocked just beyond Takaka due to a mud slide. So it was back over that damned hill again – to prepare ourselves for the bends we stopped off at Takaka for a pint of Sprig & Fern beer at the funky new Roots Bar, with cosy outside fire place and great bar snacks. Due to our flight back to Christchurch being another of those cheap mid-day ones, Bill kindly dropped us at the airport while the other remained to continue sampling Jim’s fine offerings. A hearfelt thank you to Peter for organising such a varied and enjoyable tour of the top of the south. Martin Bennett
The Pursuit of Hoppiness - Winter 2012
SOBA Newsletter
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Beerly Legal: Got Radler in your Growler? The issue of trade mark registration is one that often comes up for discussion in SOBA circles. The topic is usually raised by way of an expression of bewilderment and frustration that IPONZ (Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand, the body responsible for registering trade marks) can allow registration of known terms as trade marks; most famously DB Breweries’ Radler®. As most Pursuit readers will know, in 2009 SOBA applied to revoke DB’s registration of Radler. ‘Radler’ is of course a German name for a drink most Kiwis would describe as a shandy. In July 2011, IPONZ decided that the Radler should remain a registered trade mark. The Radler decision has prompted Hancocks Wines & Spirits to apply to register ‘growler’ as a trade mark for bottles, beer and other alcoholic beverages. Many readers will recognise a growler as a fill-you-own container (also known as a rigger, pubpet or flagon). Hancocks has claimed that its intentions are honourable, however, SOBA does not support its application and has asked Hancocks to withdraw the trade mark application. Hancocks refuses to do so. This article discusses some key aspects of trade mark law and is intended to inform the SOBA discussions that will no doubt follow the growler application through the formal processes. What is a trade mark? Trade marks are basically brand names. Legally, they are an indicator used to identify and distinguish
the products or services of a particular business from those of other businesses. Trade marks may be registered but there is no requirement to do so. In New Zealand, the Trade Marks Act 2002 governs the registration of trade marks. Registration must be in relation to specified goods and services on which the owner uses or intends to use the trade mark. The benefit of registration is that it gives the registered owner the sole right to use that trade mark for its specified goods and services. It is therefore easier (at least in theory) to prevent another business using your registered trade mark than to prevent another using your unregistered trade mark. Even if a trade mark has been registered, it is possible to apply to have that registration revoked on the basis that it should never have been registered in the first place. This was the basis of SOBA’s claim in the Radler case. How did Radler meet the requirements for registering a trade mark in New Zealand? Under the Trade Marks Act, not all words can be registered as trade marks. Put simply, a trade mark is allowed to be registered only if it is actually capable of distinguishing the goods and services of one person from another in New Zealand. Generally, this means that descriptive or generic terms are not able to be registered. So what happened in the Radler case? SOBA’s argument was that ‘Radler’ was a generic or
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Present your SOBA card for: " 10% discount off bottlestore sales including FYO “ happy hour prices all the time “ free brewery tours 11am and 2pm, six days a week
The Pursuit of Hoppiness - Winter 2012
descriptive term for beer mixed with soda. A key point is that SOBA had to demonstrate that this was the case when DB first registered Radler in 2003 (not at the time that SOBA challenged the registration). This argument was unsuccessful because although SOBA had evidence that ‘Radler’ is a common term used overseas to refer to beer mixed with soda, there was insufficient evidence to establish that this meaning was generally known in New Zealand back in 2003. At that time the vast majority of Kiwis had never heard the word Radler except as a DB brand. Is the Growler trade mark application likely to be successful? This depends on whether IPONZ believes that, as at the date Hancocks applied for registration (21 October 2011), ‘growler’ was capable of distinguishing in New Zealand the goods of one business from another (regardless of the position overseas). If IPONZ takes the view that in New Zealand ‘growler’ means a type of beer bottle, then registration will be unlikely. This is a decision purely for IPONZ although it may consult a dictionary, or conduct internet searches, or take into account information received from other parties. However, there is no right for anyone else’s views to be considered. If IPONZ decides that ‘growler’ is able to be registered, then there will be a period during which others can formally oppose the application for registration. This process involves each side putting forward evidence either supporting or in opposition to registration. If SOBA, or anyone else, chooses to oppose the ‘growler’ application, it will be important for them to ensure that their evidence of ‘growler’ being a descriptive term in New Zealand is solid. Please note that the above is necessarily a brief and generalised description of trade mark law and is no substitute for proper legal advice. Authored by Paul Johns, a SOBA member and solicitor at Minter Ellison Rudd Watts specialising in consumer law including trade mark and other intellectual property issues. Paul can contacted at paul.johns@minterellison.com.
SOBA Newsletter
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24/24
Last year Wellington was treated to nano-brewery Garage Project’s 24/24 series. Each week (or so) Garage Project released a tiny (50 litre) batch of beer at Hashigo Zake. The small batch size allowed them to experiment, resulted in such oddities as Munuka Dark, made with hand-smoked malt, and Day of the Dead Chilli Chocolate Black Lager. Here brewer Pete Gillespie gives us an inside look on the Garage Project 24/24 series. The whole Garage Project story probably goes back further, but a defining moment came at the beginning of last year when Jos and I sat in the corner of Hashigo Zake to try to work out how we might go about starting a craft brewery in Wellington. It would have to be something different, something remarkable. What would be the point in just opening another craft brewery? But how? I’d just chucked in my job after five years brewing for the Malt Shovel Brewery in Sydney. This had not been a snap decision so much as a slow motion table flip, but the adage ‘don’t give up your day job’ seemed suddenly poignant. Neither Jos nor I were eccentric millionaires. We might have had the first trait nailed, but that second one seemed to have eluded us. The idea of going around, cap in hand, to scrape up the funds necessary to start a brewery somehow just seemed wrong. We needed something different, something maybe a bit daring, something that might set the tone for the brewery we imagined. That’s when we decided to strike out on a tiny pilot brewing kit. Funds dictated that it would have to be small, but the best we could get with the money we had, and it would have be something that would stay with us, even when we were able to grow. But there was more to this decision than just economic necessity. Back then I wrote, ‘bigger
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isn’t necessarily better. What we lack in size we will more than make up for in agility and the ability to experiment. When you’re brewing on such a small scale you can afford to take risks. You can try things on a 50 litre brew kit that you wouldn’t dream of attempting on a 50 or even five hectolitre brew kit. That suits us. We’re here to try something new’. It was true. After brewing professionally for nine years in large breweries I was ready for something a bit different. So, inspired by Hemingway’s advice to always do sober what you said you’d do drunk - on the grounds that it will teach you to keep your mouth shut - we embarked on brewing 24 beers in 24 weeks. 24 different beers in 24 weeks, what an awesome idea… until you wake up and think about what’s really involved! If I’d wanted an antidote to the routine of commercial craft beer production I certainly got it. A beer launch a week for six months; part excitement, part terror - especially as our frugal supply of beer meant that there was often barely enough for me to have even had a sip before the kegs went to the bar. The spirit of the 24 was to experiment openly. There would be no tinkering away perfecting the beers that we launched, people were trying our raw results. Imperfect, yes, but we hope always interesting. We promised to try and push some boundaries, and we hope we lived up to this
The Pursuit of Hoppiness - Winter 2012
24/24 promise. It was quite a trip. Along the way we collaborated with artists, coffee roasters, ice cream makers, a band and even brewing legend Kjetil Jikiun, cofounder and brewmaster of the Norwegian brewery Nøgne, for our Summer Sommer Rye and Pohutakawa honey ale. All the way through the 24 we asked people to tell us what they thought of the beers and rate them on our Garage Project coasters, which we collected in our little black box on the wall of Hashigo Zake. This coaster feedback made for a fascinating read, particularly, in some cases, how different people’s reactions could be to the same beer. And which beer came out on top? The number one spot belonged to Day of the Dead, our chilli chocolate black lager, launched on November 1 to coincide with El Día de los Muertos - Mexico’s Day of the Dead (we’ve since then brewed a special, high strength Double Day of the Dead for the Great Australian Beer Spectapular (not a typo) to be held in Melbourne in May). Coming in neck and neck in second place were Pernicious Weed and Trip Hop, two of the hoppiest offerings in the 24. Other big favourites were the Dr Grordbort’s inspired Venusian Pale Ale (VPA) and Lord Cockswain’s Courage Porter, our hoppy stout Aro Noir (brewed on the dark side of the street), and the first of our coffee collaborations with People’s Coffee, the No. 1 Coffee Bock. And then, there is the inevitable question, which beer came in last? It was a beer that polarized drinkers more than any other, the infamous Green Coffee Saison. Not to everyone’s taste certainly, but still a beer we’re proud to have tried. Experimentation was what Garage Project promised and we think we delivered. And, as of today, we now have not just the little pilot plant that saw us through the 24, but a 10 barrel brewery. Some might think that this is a huge leap from our 50 litre kit and the 24/24, but I don’t think all that much has changed. Today we also received delivery of two 140 litre fermenters that we’ve bought off Joe Wood from Liberty Brewing. Due to Joe’s deserved success he’s growing and no longer needs these smaller tanks, but they’re perfect for us. They’ll allow Garage Project more room to experiment - to play on our pilot plant – to keep that spirit of the 24. We already have 24 more planned, and that’s just the beginning. Pete Gillespie
SOBA Newsletter
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A Matter of Style There are many myths about the history of the beer styles we enjoy today. Until recently there has been a relative lack of serious academic interest in the subject and, as a result, beer writers have tended to pass on the same fables reinforcing often totally false ideas about the history of many beer styles. The recent work of beer historians such as Martyn Cornell and Ron Pattinson has done much to shine light on the mists of time. In this issue, I will cover a style that at times has been so misunderstood that authorities have tried to ban its name. This style covers a relatively broad range of beers, had its heyday in the jubilant extravagances that followed wartime austerity, and, most importantly, makes the ultimate accompaniment to a slice of stilton, an open fire and winter’s night. This issue I look at Barley Wine. Origins The idea of Barley Wine as a style of beer is a relatively recent development dating from the late Victorian / Early Edwardian period. Up until then, English beers in a range of styles were brewed to high gravities and were often referred to as Stock Ale, a reference to these strong beers being kept ‘in stock’ to mature and ripen before being sold. Pale, Burton, and brown ale were all produced in a range of strengths with the lower strength versions sold ‘mild’ or young and the stronger ones sold ‘stale’ or old, as stock ale. Burton Ale, which the Burton brewers were famous for before India Pale Ale took the nation and colonies by storm, was a strong, dark copper to amber type of draught beer that was usually hopped enthusiastically, while also brewed to be sweet and malty. It has all but vanished from today’s beer drinker consciousness. Examples still exist today but are branded Barley Wine, old ale, or strong ale. At the start of the twentieth century the term Barely Wine starts to creep into brewery advertising, describing strong beers in every style on the pale side of stout and porter. Previously, the term Barley Wine does appear but only to describe beer in general, rather than to describe strong beer. In 1870 the British Medical Journal referred to Bass Barley Wine. Martyn Cornell believes this to be a reference to Bass No 1 Burton Ale, the strongest Burton Ale that the large Burton brewer regularly produced. By the mid 1900s, the brewer was advertising No 1 as a Barley Wine. Bass was not alone; the other Burton brewers also started to promote their strongest Burtons as Barley Wine. Brewers in other parts of the country also started to brand their strongest products as Barley Wine. Despite the challenges posed by the First World War, most English brewers in the 1920s and 1930s
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still produced one or two strong beers. But, when the Second World War again brought taxes and raw ingredient shortages, strong beer production was impossible. This wartime austerity, however, made for what Martyn Cornell has argued was the golden age of Barley Wine. The post war period saw a proliferation of pale, strong, malt-accented beers that were marketed under the Barley Wine label. At this period there was a general move towards paler beers. Golden lager was taking Europe by storm and in England dark mild was giving way to pale ale and brewers obviously saw strong, rich pale ale as having potential. A survey in 1956 found nearly seventy different Barley Wines and strong ales being brewed in Britain. One of the new breed of pale Barley Wine to come from this period was Gold Label Sparkling Barley Wine from Tennants in Sheffield. In 1961 Tennants was acquired by the national brewer Whitbread, and Gold Label became a national brand with the marketing slogan of ‘as strong as a double scotch and ½ the price! – something which might cause more than a little controversy today! (I await the next Moa press release with interest!) Gold Label is still available today, although it has a reputation as a bus stop beer, and has suffered from the constant reorganisation of Britain’s national breweries by the global brewing corporations. It is the pale Barley Wines from this period that have most influenced our contemporary understanding of the style, with many of the dark ones being categorised as Old Ale, another ‘catch all’ style that includes beers from a range of historic traditions which I will look at in a future issue. From the late 1960s on, the number of Barely Wines started to decline as brewery mergers and buyouts resulted in consolidation and an increasing focus on core mass market products. Incidentally this
The Pursuit of Hoppiness - Winter 2012
A Matter of Style period of decline coincided with the advent of Eldridge Pope Thomas Hardy’s Ale, for me the absolute classic of the style. By the 1970s, when Michael Jackson started to document the beer styles of the world, there were a handful of examples left from regional brewers and national brands, such as Bass No 1 and Whitbread Gold Label. The 1980s brought the micro brewing revolution, but British micro brewers were slow to take to the style, concentrating on lower strength draught beers. This was no doubt partly due to their lack of bottling lines, but also a result of strong beer in Britain firmly being a niche product by this time. English Barley Wine Today, Barley Wine is still a niche product in the UK. This is in part due to Britain’s drinking culture that still favours drinking draught beer in licensed premises rather than drinking bottled beer at home. It is also due to a taxation system that, like New Zealand’s, progressively penalises strong beers encouraging brewers and punters alike to favour moderately alcoholic beers over strong ones. That said, England is still home to the majority of the world’s classic Barley Wines. Britain has just increased excise tax on beers over 7.5% ABV and has reduced excise on beers under 2.8% ABV – what this will do to the British Barley Wines is yet to be seen.
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English Barley Wines tend to be richly malty, full bodied, with earthy hop character playing a supportive role to complex fruity, vinous, warming fermentation characters and complex caramel and toffee edged malt flavours. For me, the classic example is Thomas Hardy’s Ale. Originally brewed by Dorset brewer Eldridge Pope in 1968 to commemorate the anniversary of the writer Thomas Hardy’s life and the refurbishment of one of the brewery’s flagship pubs, the beer was regularly brewed until Eldridge Pope ended production in 1999. Four years later, after a series of disastrous business decisions, the brewery left the brewing industry to concentrate on its pub business. By this time Thomas Hardy’s Ale had a cult following in the US, and American beer importer, Phoenix Imports, purchased the rights to the recipe and name and contracted Devonbased micro brewery, O’Hanlon’s, to produce the beer. O’Hanlon’s Thomas Hardy’s Ale was then produced from 2003 until 2008 when the global economic crises caused O’Hanlon’s to give up the contract in the interests of the company’s survival. Hardy’s Ale is an incredibly complex and rich example of the style with a huge potential for aging in the cellar. I was lucky enough to sample a 1979 bottle on my 30th birthday. When young, the beer has an almost meaty, creamy, mature cheddar-like maltiness to it, with an assertive fruity
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orange hop character and a smoky edge. As it ages the beer becomes leaner, with all sorts of Madeira and sherry notes, pineapple, raisins, prune-like characters and a nutty Bovril note. I raided the cellar for this article and tasted every vintage from 1999 to 2008, never let it be said that I don’t suffer for my readers! Another classic English Barley Wine producer is London brewer Fullers. Fullers produce two impressive takes on the style, the pale filtered Golden Pride, and a bottle conditioned version Vintage Ale. Golden Pride is very much in the tradition of the Barley Wines of the 50s and 60s, pale, fruity and relatively hoppy. At 8.5% it’s perhaps at the lower end of the spectrum for the style, but it makes up for it with plenty of rich pale malt, the Fuller’s signature marmalade and ginger loaf yeast character and a tangy hop finish. Vintage Ale is brewed to the Golden Pride recipe but uses single origin ingredients that are deemed to be the best of that year’s harvest by the brewing team. Vintage Ale is bottle conditioned rather than filtered, allowing it to be cellared.
American Barley Wine America started its love affair with Barley Wine on the same trip that saw Anchor Brewery owner Fritz Maytag discover Pale Ale brewing. Fritz tasted English Barley Wines on his seminal tour of Europe in the early 1970s. In 1975 Anchor released Old Foghorn, a beer that took its lead from the malty fruity beers he had encountered in England. Just as he was doing with the Pale Ale style, Fritz added fruity piny American hops to the beer and, unlike the English versions that had inspired him, he added them to maturation as well creating a much more hop accented type of Barley Wine. A problem arose when it came time for Anchor to get permission from authorities to sell the beer. American authorities decided that for a product to bear the word wine it would have to have grapes in it. Maytag responded by naming the beer Old Foghorn Barley Wine style ale. The term has stuck and while in the rest of the English speaking world we call the style ‘Barleywine’, in America it is ‘Barley Wine style’t. The style took off, albeit as a niche. Sierra Nevada soon followed with their even hoppier Bigfoot and there are now hundreds of Barley Wines produced in America. Unlike Britain and New Zealand, America taxes beer at a flat rate regardless of alcohol. American Barley Wines tend to be fermented with more neutral yeast cultures than English Barley Wines leaving more room for assertive hop aromas and flavours to stand out. New Zealand Barley Wine Barley Wine hasn’t been a common style in New Zealand, but as our craft brewing industry ages, more and more are appearing. Shakespeare King Lear Old Ale was the first strong ale brewed in New Zealand in the modern period and vaguely fits into the Burton Ale descended dark Barley Wine style. The first really striking pale Barley Wine came from the now defunct Limburg brewery in Hastings. Brewer Chris ‘Father’ O’Leary was inspired by Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, although the resulting beer seemed to be more English in style. He set about creating a New Zealand equivalent and in 2004 brewed a 10.5% ABV Barley Wine heavily hopped with New Zealand-grown Styrian Goldings. The resulting beer was called Oude Reserve and
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The Pursuit of Hoppiness - Winter 2012
was so massive that it was undrinkable for the first three months of conditioning. In the end it received a full 40 weeks maturation on lees before being released at the 2005 BrewNZ week. Many of us still remember cupping brandy samplers of it straight from the 1C tap at Shed 5 which served as its brand HQ that year. Oude Reserve was bottled and still lives on in a select number of cellars around the country. I was lucky enough to sample one recently and I can tell you it’s still going strong with rich toffee accented malt, a deep savoury note, ripe orange fruit, and a firm long lasting finish. It’s pretty clear to me that Oude Reserve will be going strong on its 10th birthday! More recently, The Twisted Hop brewpub in Christchurch started to produce a Barley Wine under the name of Epiphany until it was discovered that New Zealand’s other real ale brewpub, Galbraith’s Ale House in Auckland, had produced a beer under that name. The Twisted Hop changed their name to Enigma. The Twisted Hop took the wine part of Barley Wine one step further than most, by aging Enigma in a pinot noir barrels giving the beer a big tannic woody fruity finish that brought grippy shiraz to mind. A subsequent batch was aging in stainless when the February earthquake hit and was left stranded in the Red Zone for months. The beer never had the barrel aging treatment and the prolonged conditioning resulted in a fantastically smooth rich fruity beer with notes of leather, apricot, rich malt and a long warming finish. At the start of last year Renaissance Brewing in Blenheim brewed a massive 10.8% ABV Barley Wine under the name Tribute. The beer was aged
SOBA Newsletter
extensively before being released and revealed a Vogel’s bread-like maltiness and marmalade note when young. As the beer has aged it has developed dark dried fruit notes and a liqueurlike spirity character. It has a lot of aging potential and is definitely one for the cellar. Interestingly Renaissance had to battle some of the same bureaucratic issues that Anchor did more than 35 years before, after a public servant objected to the use of the word wine without grapes. Luckily the dispute was worked out amicably and the beer carries its correct style written the correct way. Finally, Liberty Brewing in Taranaki has developed two Barley Wines already in its short history. There is eccentrically-named MMMMoMMftCHv3, a black Barley Wine which is sort of a new fusion style of Imperial Porter and American Barley Wine, and the Debilitated Defender, a chest-thumping 11% ABV monster of an American style Barley Wine. Conclusion At its essence, the Barley Wine style is a relatively modern catch all style or family of styles that, along with Old Ale, take in the range of strong English-style beers that aren’t stout or porter. That said it is definitely a family of beers that are deserving of recognition and protection from both the overzealous attentions of labelling officials and the threat posed by excise increases. After all there are few better accompaniments to a slice of stilton, an open fire and a winter’s night! Next issue I will look at stout and porter. Keiran Haslett-Moore
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Recipe - Slow-cooked Beer Belly This issue’s recipe comes from Amy Johns, a SOBA member who’s a magician in the kitchen. The pork belly is twice-cooked, so really lock in the flavour. Amy recommends eating it accompanied by the other five Tuatara Ardennes from the box, a West Coast Pale Ale, Yeastie Boys Hud-a-wa or something else fragrant and fruity. 1kg pork belly fresh green herbs (bay leaf, oregano, thyme) 3 cloves of garlic 1t whole peppercorns 1 star anise (optional)
3-5 cloves (optional) 1 330ml bottle of Tuatara Ardennes salt and pepper to taste a little oil for the pan)
1. Heat oven to 160 degrees 2. In an ovenproof dish slightly larger than the piece of pork, lay down the green herbs, garlic (slightly smashed with skin on) and pepper/cloves/star anise, roughly crushed. Place pork over the top and pour over as much of the beer as will fit in the dish. 3. Place foil over the pork and pop in the oven for 2 hours. 4. At this point you have two choices, either cool the pork overnight making for a flash easy meal on night two or cool enough to handle without burning yourself. 5. Heat oven to 200. Place a cast iron (or other stove top to oven dish) on the stove top to heat. 6. Cut the pork into four generous pieces. 7. Place skin down into pan on stove until the skin crackles and is golden (careful for fat splats from the pan). 8. Turn so pork skin is facing up and pop in the oven for 15-25 minutes to heat through (depending on how cool your pork was when you started step 5). 9. Serve with your usual pork trimmings, apple sauce and some greens.
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The Pursuit of Hoppiness - Winter 2012
D4, The Home of Irish Rugby in Wellington The CBD’s finest Free House now has 22 Beers on Tap including 2 Guest Taps & Tuatara Porter on Hand Pump D4OnFeatherston
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Level 1, 143 Featherston St Wellington (04)910 8216
www.d4.co.nz
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Nestled amongst the rolling farmland of Riverhead, just 20 minutes from Central Auckland, Hallertau Brewbar & Restaurant is an oasis of culinary persuasion that you won’t find anywhere else in the world. We’re a micro brewery, winery and restaurant in one, specialising in our own distinctive, unpasturised and unfiltered beers. Experience our variety of sensational brews, award winning fruit wines and fantastic food in this unique location bordering Auckland’s spectacular West Coast. Open 7 days a week 11am to midnight 1171 Coatesville-Riverhead Highway, West Auckland phone. 09 412 5555 email. hoppy@hallertau.co.nz web. www.hallertau.co.nz
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The editor reserves the right to amend or shorten contributions for publication. Copyright ©SOBA Incorporated 2011. The views expressed in articles are those of individual contributors, and are not necessarily the views of SOBA Incorporated. SOBA Incorporated accepts no liability in relation to the accuracy of the advertisements and reader must rely on their own enquiries.
The Pursuit of Hoppiness - Winter 2012
Get Real
340+ beers from 55+ breweries since 2009, including real ales on real hand pumps from a dedicated chiller for cask-conditioned ales.
Best Pub in Nelson Lonely Planet 2011-12 SOBA Newsletter
Best Large Pub New Zealand Beer & Brewer Awards 2011-12 25
Book Review: World’s Best Beers When I told my wife that I was going to review World’s Best Beers, she commented that I wouldn’t need it in front of me, as I had read it so many times, that surely I must know it by heart. Looking at my copy, there certainly is evidence that it has been on and off the bookshelf a few times. And for good reason: this is one of my favourite books. Whether I am looking for ideas on beer and food matching, recommendations on correct glassware for a particular beer, or just dreaming about what I would drink on a visit to a particular country, WBB has it all. In many ways, it is a primer on the subject of beer, with the introduction covering beer history, hop types, the importance of malt, yeast, and water, and a short description on how beer is produced. The ‘basics’ section covers beer storage, tasting, glassware, followed by eighteen pages on beer styles - with large colour photos of examples of each style. Then it is on to the 190 pages of ‘A World of Beer’, listing the best beer from 42 countries, ranging from England to Ethiopia. The Dancing Camel Brewery range from Tel Aviv looks worth making a
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stopover in Israel worthwhile, on the next trip to Europe. So what does it say about New Zealand? Ten breweries are listed with a brew from each, although Emerson’s get two mentions with their Pilsner and London Porter being reviewed. I particularly like the spread at the start of the section on SE Asia and Australia, showing a map of the whole region, but with a photo of a beach scene with a bottle of Epic Pale Ale in the sand. Each listing states the brewery name, town and region and website address. The beer ABV is stated, and each beer is shown with a symbol to indicate particular characteristics of the beer such as session sip, style exemplar, good with food, and ‘one is enough’ (indicating beer strength, not a dislike of the brew). This is followed by a few sentences about the brewery and the beer’s characteristics. The final thirty pages are devoted to beer and food matching, a glossary, and directory. The food matching section has general advice and specific pairings, such as Bacon and Cheese Burger with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and Jerk Chicken with Mongozo Coconut Beer (that might be a difficult beer to find - or even find an alternative for). WBB is not a detailed beer dictionary or brewing guide, but I challenge you to sit down with a beer and resist the urge to pick up and browse ‘the world’s best beer’. It is a must for your next Christmas wish list or, if you don’t want to wait that long, there’s always birthdays and anniversaries. The author, Ben McFarland, is an award winning UK journalist, who writes for The Guardian and Independent on Sunday, and judges at the Great British Beer Festival. Brian Jordan
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The Pursuit of Hoppiness - Winter 2012 26/04/12 9:13 AM
On the Cover
This issue’s cover photo was created by Brian Jordan who happens to be my Dad. I’m not going to lie; when Dad volunteered to take the cover photo, I was a little nervous. Dad’s a good photographer with a great camera, but he’s not a professional, like the previous two photographers. But a few phone calls and a couple of concept shots later, I can proudly say, my Dad conceptionalised and brought this cover to life. It’s a simple study of a head of beer - sometimes a contentious topic amoung beer drinkers. How much is too much foam? Or too little? How long should it last? Is a the perfect head the result of the beer or of the pourer’s technique? All are questions to mull over the foam of your next beer.
Pursuit of Hoppiness Advertising Rates $400 - Full page portrait - 134 x 180 $200 - Half page portrait - 63 x 180 $200 - Half page landscape - 134 x 90 $120 - Quarter page portrait - 63 x 90 $120 - Quarter page landscape - 134 x 45 All popular file formats for artwork accepted. Advertising booking deadline for next edition: 10 July 2012 Contact: Eric Rose at kiwieric@gmail.com SOBA Newsletter
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Join SOBA! So, you love beer, and you’d like to help advocate for a quality pint everywhere you go? Join SOBA today! What does SOBA do? - Fights legal battles to ensure the public remains aware that beer style names should not be the property of any one organisation - Runs successful beer festivals, exposing more people to great craft beer - Works at the highly successful Beervana festival, ensuring the public are served by people with great beer knowledge - Runs the annual National Homebrew Competition, promoting the production of flavourful beer at home and encouraging the rock star craft brewers of tomorrow - Educates bar staff in beer presentation and quality - Works with the Brewers Guild to further goals which SOBA shares with them, like regulatory reform - Maintains a strong national network of enthusiastic beer lovers What’ll it cost me? Just $30 a year. The price of four pints! What a bargain. How do I join? Visit http://www.soba.org.nz/member/signup/index
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The Pursuit of Hoppiness - Winter 2012
Back Page Montage
This issue’s Back Page Montage is from Maree Shaw, of photos taken during the Auckland Hop: (clockwise from top left) Hoppers at SkySport Grill; Ben Middlemiss’ Dogberry Pale Ale; Renaissance Perfection Pale Ale; Hoppers at O’Carroll’s Freehouse; Bitter & Twisted at Galbraith’s Ale House; Epic Zythos and Coffee Fig Stout at Corner Bar.
Auckland Martin Bridges martin@soba.org.nz Fridays from 5pm Hamilton Greig McGill greig@hamiltron.net Thursday evenings Wanganui Peter Northway pilgrim@inspire.net.nz
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Local Meetings Around the Country First Tuesday of the month, 7pm at The Rutland Arms. Wellington Rob Owen robert.owen@equator.co.nz First Tuesday of the month Nelson Bill Fennell soba.nelson@gmail.com Christchurch James Pinamonti
xsumo@clear.net.nz Thursday evenings at Pomeroy’s Dunedin Richard Pettinger, pettal@clear.net.nz 13 June, 7.30pm, Duke of Wellington 14 July, 3pm, Starfish 8 August, 7.30pm, Albar
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Premium beer and quality food are literally made for each so we created the Fork & Brewer as an ideal venue to showcase both. With forty beer taps, a top-flight kitchen crew, friendly staff and a brewery being built on the premises, our mission is to take Wellington’s already awesome beer culture to an entire other level. We will also be bringing local beer back to the heart of the Capital. You can find us upstairs at
14 Bond Street in central Wellington