There’s a rumour that somewhere out there exists a t‑shirt emblazoned with “Dean Moses” in full 1980s neon arcade, sci‑fi, vaporwave glory — perfectly aligned with the aesthetic branding of Wellington’s Mean Doses Brewery and taproom.
There’s another rumour linking this same Dean Moses to the bloke who stayed home watching a re‑run of the ’90s sci‑fi series Roswell while his small brewery (staff of one: Dean) went and won the Golden Gumboot at the 2025 West Coast IPA Challenge.
Tracking down either the t‑shirt, or Dean himself for public engagements, may prove one of the New Zealand craft beer sector’s great tests as we head into the latter half of 2026.
What is beyond dispute is that Mean Doses is a play on Dean’s name — and it took him nearly a year of stubborn humility to admit it was, frankly, a bloody good name. Since launching in 2018, the brand has built a strong baseline for success: a memorable Beervana “laser” stand, strong merch sales across Wellington’s festival season, and standout hospitality marketing at the Tory Street taproom.
Dean admits he was never cut from a corporate cloth. After homebrewing from 2013 as a side project with mates, a series of honest conversations with partner Kerry Consedine led to a leap of faith. He took an assistant brewer role at Petone’s Baylands Brewery, briefly detoured back into government work to build cash, and then — in June 2018 — he and Kerry opened Mean Doses.
The original site was ideal: the former home of Te Aro Brewing before their move to Brewtown, complete with existing gas infrastructure. Kerry took charge of the books (yes, her business card reads “The Boss”), the lease was signed, and kit was sourced from China — much of it still in service. Today the operation runs on three 600‑litre and two 1200‑litre fermenters and has cycled through phases: off‑licence frontage, contract brewing, and a short-lived but educational canning foray.
The real breakthrough arrived in 2023, exactly five years to the day after the brewery opened, with the long‑planned Mean Doses taproom a few hundred metres away on Tory Street, in the former Wellington Lone Star restaurant site.
Managed by Dave Wood (one half of the Winter Ales Festival duo, alongside Denise Garland), the taproom leans unapologetically into a, to quote Dean, “retro-futuristic bar‑cade” identity. Pinball, arcade games and a packed calendar pull in inner-city apartment dwellers looking for a genuine lounge feel, alongside students drawn to the near‑famous 4% 750ml MD Draught. Eight taps and a hand pull rotate regularly, with room for Dean’s fresh experiments alongside reliable APA, hazy and pils options.
Sales are driven primarily through the taproom, but keg deliveries keep the Mean Doses van busy around Wellington, with freighted orders also moving into select bars across the country.
In keeping with the collegial spirit of the craft beer scene, Dean speaks highly of collaborations around the motu — with nods to Heyday, Beer Engine and Waitoa Brewing. Waitoa even houses its grain mill at the Tory Street brewery, a neat bit of floor‑space diplomacy. The community extends to home base too: Dean’s two original homebrew mates remain in the orbit — one writing beer notes, the other designing tap badges — and both inevitably get drafted onto the Beervana stand each year.
And then there’s Scale of Mean, the 7.5% ABV WCIPA that took out the 2025 Malthouse West Coast IPA Challenge — the Golden Gumboot trophy now sitting proudly front and centre in the taproom.
The origin story is classic Mean Doses. After hosting a “beat the brewer” night with a local homebrew club, Dean offered the prize — a chance to contribute to a brew — even though no one managed better than second place versus Dean. Home brew front runner James Watson was then promptly told, “Let’s have a crack at a WCIPA entry.” Dave recalls knowing it was something special from the first test pour. The judges agreed. History followed.
The past 18 months have delivered a tidy run of accolades:
- 1st, 2025 WCIPA Challenge – not bad for a ‘small player’ at only its third attempt.
- 1st, 2025 Otto’s ExBEERimental Challenge (Negroni Beer)
- 2nd, 2026 Rare Beer Challenge — Low‑Carb Lager with Lactose, Earl Grey & Matcha.
Yes — low‑carb with lactose – what the actual!! That paradox came to life via the taproom’s Tuesday night quiz, where Dave had contestants roll dice, flip coins and spin wheels to decide the beer’s recipe fate: lager → modern lager → low‑carb modern lager → add lactose (sure) → add tea. Naturally.
By now, you get the picture. Innovation is alive and well at Mean Doses — equal parts fun, pragmatism, passion and a competitive streak. To quote Dean, “I just love the craft of making.”
Now, seriously… has anyone seen that neon “Dean Moses” t‑shirt?
Follow Brendan Holland’s bid to visit every brewery taproom in New Zealand @theh0ptimist on Instagram