Liberty diversify

Hopwired is a special beer for me, and an important one for New Zealand craft brewing, being one of the early pioneers of the modern full-strength NZ-hopped IPA.  This special edition swaps the Nelson Sauvin hops for a co-developed variety called Pacific Sunrise, recently rediscovered and commercially planted by Hop Revolution.  Bold, pithy, orange citrus comes first on the nose, with apricot and boysenberry along with rich toffee and biscuity malt.  More orange and berries on the palate, with tart marmalade and an almost fruitcake quality as the chewy malt backbone kicks in.  Compared with the original Hopwired the difference here is remarkable, with the sharp passionfruit lift of the Nelson Sauvin entirely gone, the flavour takes on a much deeper, more brooding character, somewhat closer to an English style IPA.  A deliciously divergent take on an NZIPA super-classic that shows just what a difference hop selection can make. 

Liberty Diversify Into Burgers & Gin

Liberty Brewing are diversifying at speed, today launching their gin range under the banner Liberty Distilling. And last month they opened an American-style burger joint next to their taproom in Helensville. There’s a sad backstory to the burger joint — previously it...

Powerhouse Collab Launches Swifty

A new beer is not usually enough to justify a story but when you’re talking powerhouse brand names Nadia Lim and Garage Project, a beer called Swifty might be in a different league. I was wondering only recently when New Zealand might see a celebrity-driven beer that...

Brothers Beer Back In Business

Brothers Beer are back in business and aim to pay off all their creditors by the end of 2024 says new general manager Frans Bos. They’ve had a management restructure, just hired Dylan Adams as head brewer after he lost his job when Deep Creek went into liquidation...

Police Defend Dunedin Festival

Police are happy with behaviour at the Dunedin Craft Beer & Food Festival earlier this month despite the event generating international headlines after two assaults — one inside the venue, one outside. Festival director Jason Schroeder felt the bad publicity...

Free Glass Flagon Scheme Launches Nationwide

Dozens of high-profile breweries around the country, including Garage Project, Parrotdog and Emerson's, are today launching a scheme that provides customers with free, returnable, 1-litre glass flagons for takeaway beer purchased at taprooms and filleries. Backed by...

Hop Federation Hold The Line NZIPA

It was already shaping up to be a pretty good year for New Zealand IPAs — and Hop Federation have nudged it a little closer to a great one with this new limited release, Hold The Line.  Powered by Southern Cross, Taiheke and Nectaron, all of which should be found...