Art of crafts

Mount Brewing Co’s head brewer gets creative with their award-winning craft beer.

WORDS NICKY ADAMS / IMAGES CAM NEATE + UNTITLED STUDIO

Twenty years ago, if you said craft beer, the mental picture would probably involve a huge drinking vessel and a handlebar moustache. Fast-forward to today and the rest of the freethinking beer-drinking world has wised up to the delights of a craft beer.

Pawel, head brewer at Mount Brewing Co, has been brewing beer for more than 10 years, and when he chats about his path, it’s clear he has followed his passion. Polish by birth, growing up he spent time in Belgium, where an appreciation of craft beer is a given.

As a student studying economy and finance, while his friends were spending their money partying, he was chasing beer festivals around Europe. “At this time the craft beer revolution had started in Poland, but it was expensive for a student. To drink good beer, I made my own.”

A student exchange year in northern Mexico fired his passion further. “I met a lot of home brewers. This area is very influenced by the United States, and the US is at the top of the craft industry. That completely opened my mind. They have 7,000 breweries there. They’re pushing the boundaries and that’s a huge inspiration for the rest of the world.”

More travel ultimately led back to Poland to finish his Masters, before heading for Indonesia – “I left there super thirsty and dry” – bound for New Zealand, where he had already secured a job with Mount Brewing Co.

Six years later, and Pawel leads the team of Leonie (who hails from Germany), Tom from the UK and American, Drew. “I’m surrounded by amazing people – my team are quite easy-going guys, and that’s what makes me happy. I want to believe the craft industry is a mix of science, art and a little bit of chaos.” The advantage, Pawel says, of being a small brewery is that “we’re experimenting quite a lot. We have a lot of freedom for creativity. Here we have four brewers with different backgrounds and experiences, so all of us have an individual sense of taste; for me the industry is about people. When I’m drinking, I can pick the personality behind the beer.” His own signature styles? “I like dark beers, hoppy, fruit addition, barrel-aged beers.

“I WANT TO BELIEVE THE CRAFT INDUSTRY IS A MIX OF SCIENCE, ART AND A LITTLE BIT OF CHAOS.”

PAWEL, HEAD BREWER

I combine different ingredients to create a nice balance – and I like to shock with flavours. Leonie mixes herbs and flowers, Tom has a European style, our American brewer likes brown ales.”

With 40 beers on the menu, plus seasonal additions (not forgetting their ciders and gins brewed under sister company MBC), there is constant innovation here at the brewery. The brewery recently won seven medals in the Australian International Beer Awards, with Golden Hour winning gold plus Top 30 at the New World Beer and Cider Awards. And Pawel is excited about the upcoming Brewers Guild of NZ Beer Awards. “It’s an evolving industry, you must learn something every day to be on top of the market. It’s very challenging as well as demanding, but it gives me a lot of satisfaction when I see people enjoying my beer.” So, where to next for Mount Brewing? “We want to push the boundaries. There’s a huge space to explore in rich flavourful beers and expand the barrel-aged beers. Our goal is to be available in any place in New Zealand – supermarkets and bars. We want to be known for good quality beers.”

QUICK FIRE Q&A

If you’re not drinking beer, what else?

Wine. A foresty, berry Shiraz or buttery Chardonnay chased with oysters.

What is something people wouldn’t know

about brewing beer? Ninety percent of the job is basically just cleaning!

Your favourite beer? Golden Hour, Mermaids or Crazy Hazy for a catch up with friends – something dark for dinner. Like a child, I can’t pick a favourite.

Most popular brews? Currently the Hazys (an unprocessed, unfiltered beer), which is a beautiful creation between hops, yeast and malts.

Special memory? My first beer I made here for a coffee festival won a medal on the Brewers Guild Award – Black Beard Coffee Stout.

Inspiration? My travel experiences.

MOUNTBREWINGCO.COM

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