BEHEMOTH BREWING
Behemoth Brewing was born out of a passion for hops, malts, and just generally great beer. Their signa-chur beer, Chur (Pale Ale), is named after the common kiwi slang to reflect its base of punch New Zealand hops and tropical fruit notes. But, the fun doesn’t stop there, with another of Behemoth’s creations entitled, ‘Murica, (and entering the scene with a tagline of ‘if you don’t love hops the terrorists win’) you know you’re going to smile as soon as you drink it. Living up to its name, this beer is packed with aggressively American hops that treat your tastebuds to a bouquet of stone fruits and pine. But, this fast-growing company has a few more tricks up its sleeve with being the first company in NZ to release cans with the innovative rip-lid. Perfect for picnics, the beach, and sporting events, this new can design eliminates the need for a glass while still enabling you to enjoy the fresh hoppy scent as you sip. While ‘bigger tasting beers’ is Behemoth’s motto, they also present decedent seasonals, such as their recent Triple Chocolate, which won People’s Choice at Beervana 2016, to please all palates.
8 WIRED BREWING
8 Wired Brewing is inspired by the legendary Kiwi can-do mentality and craft brewers who have challenged the masses and shown us that beer is no longer ‘just beer’.
Since the team began contract brewing at Renaissance in Blenheim in 2009, they have followed the lead of the pioneers of new techniques and flavours to brew beers that are unique, have soul and are packed with flavour. 8 Wired Brewing beers are inspired by and utilise old world traditions, with a modern, new world influence and are also host to what they believe to be the largest barrel ageing brew programme in the Southern Hemisphere.
In 2011, the company received the highest brewing honour awarded in New Zealand when named Champion Brewery at the Brewers Guild Awards and in the past four years have also been featured on the peer reviewed Ratebeer.com list of ‘100 best brewers in the world’, as the only Southern Hemisphere brewery. All of this from the little brewery in Warkworth, north of Auckland, where the team really push the boundaries with beers of all shades and flavours in an effort to keep things fresh, innovative and never, ever boring.
HOP FEDERATION
Creators of bloody good beer. This has always been the focus for Simon Nicholas since the creation of Hop Federation Brewery. Weird and wacky he is not, preferring to make bloody good beer that tastes great for people to enjoy every day. The story behind the creation of Hop Federation is an easy one to relate, moving from the hustle and bustle of the city to the idyllic countryside, turning a long developed passion into a livelihood and having fun along the way. It was a difficult decision for Simon and wife Nicki to make, in 2013 they settled in the idyllic village of Riwaka, just outside Nelson, opened their brewery doors to the world and haven’t regretted a moment since. Producing eight beers for their core range and a few seasonal beers throughout the year, allows them to trial new hop varieties and recipes on their locals before producing on a larger scale. The Red IPA has been their signature beer since the beginning, with tantalising passionfruit aromas giving way to a delightful and unexpected combination of berries, tart ruby grapefruit and a comforting toasty malt on the palate, rounded off with a satisfying, sustained finish. Simply delicious.
PAYNTER’S CIDER
The Paynter’s have been growing apples in New Zealand since 1862 and now run some 700 hectares of fruit trees in Hawkes Bay. In a world of sickly sweet industrial ciders, plied liberally to 18-year-old girls and your mother-in-law, Paynter’s Cider is a refreshing alternative. Every apple they crush is grown by them and no sugar has ever been added to their apple ciders. Paynter’s Cider is authentic craft cider, a true expression of fermented apple juice. Paynter’s Cider has three small plots of bittersweet cider and other heritage apples, with names like Sweet Alford, Broxwood Foxwhelp and Worcester Pearnmain. If your taste buds are disappointed by the mainstream offer, try a Paynter’s Cider.
FORBIDDEN CIDER CO
The team at Forbidden Cider Co is destined to serve tastebuds by bringing traditionally made cider with modern twists to the market. Designed to enrich the senses and delight the palate, the brand prides itself on producing traditionally tasting ciders made from 100 percent New Zealand apples sourced from its own orchard which they press at a sedentary rate to get every last drop of juice from this ancient, most sacred of fruits. The outcome is a cider that is not only tasty and clean but has no added sugars. All cider fermenting and bottling happens in our boutique cidery in Warkworth, Auckland. Special editions are released each season that challenge the traditional boundaries of cider. The current range includes Simply Apple Cider, Lady Pink Cider, Hopzilla, Lucifer’s Revenge (with chilli), Choczilla, and Waggle Dance (a light cider with honey).
