“This kind of beer you could literally send it to Mars and it would turn up tasting amazing.” Pete Gillespie on the incredible shelf-life and resilience of Chance, Luck & Magic.
This week, we are bringing you an exclusive panel discussion from Beervana 2025 featuring absolute heavyweights of the New Zealand beer scene: Pete Gillespie and Dave Bell from Garage Project, alongside Matt Smith from Hawke’s Bay’s Brave Brewing. Recorded live while pouring some incredibly rare magnums for the audience, the group convenes to celebrate their massive triumphs at the New Zealand Beer Awards. It’s a double feature of excellence, exploring how Garage Project took home the prestigious Champion Beer trophy for their spontaneous blend Chance, Luck and Magic, while Brave Brewing was crowned Champion Brewery.
The conversation kicks off with a fascinating deep dive into the creation of Chance, Luck and Magic. Pete and Dave reveal the origins of their Wellington-based Wild Workshop, heavily inspired by a magical pilgrimage to the legendary Cantillon brewery in Brussels. They pull back the curtain on the grueling, labor-intensive process of spontaneous fermentation, which involves a 14-hour brew day, a five-hour turbid mash, and literally sleeping next to an open coolship with the building’s smoke alarms disabled. Pete also shares the artistic, chaotic magic of blending up to five different yearly vintages, explaining why the best beer requires throwing a few “quirky” barrels into the mix rather than just combining the perfect ones.
In the second half, the spotlight shifts to Matt Smith to discuss the monumental success and cult following of Brave Brewing’s flagship Tiger Milk IPA. With the beer approaching its 10th anniversary, Matt reflects on how it finally clinched a gold medal and trophy after years of silver and bronze finishes. He explains the fascinating evolution of the recipe—morphing from a soft, hazy-inspired profile into a snappier, bright West Coast-style IPA over the last decade—and how their iconic “Tiger Cow” branding turned the brew into an absolute local phenomenon that transcends the typical craft beer crowd. Pour yourself a glass of your favorite award-winner and enjoy this incredible masterclass from three brewing legends!