Brave Brewing Tigermilk

What I really like about Brave Brewing Co (and their beer) is that they keep things simple.  Their range features seven styles which easily cover the beer spectrum offering an option for all avid beer drinkers. Tigermilk IPA follows that mantra: its simple, packed full of flavour and the best part is … it’s bitter! The first sign that you are onto something great is when you pour from the bottle and greeted with a bright, light caramel coloured liquid that’s super-clean and yes … not hazy! Brave use a mixture of old and new school American hops which I believe is the secret to their success.  The new school hops add wonderful citrus and stone fruit flavours which are blended beautifully with some older US hop varieties giving the beer a nice balanced bitterness (something that’s missing in many of the beers you see on the shelves today).  The mouthfeel is light but slightly creamy which just adds more positivity to the drinking experience. Tigermilk is true to style and ticks all the boxes when it comes to a clean, simple IPA.  Earthy notes, low malts, med-strong aromas and plenty of well-balanced bitterness. I give this beer a solid 9/10 sitting firmly at the top of Crafty’s top 5 for 2021.  It’s re-ignited my love for old school IPAs, so stay tuned as I navigate my way through a few more cans in the coming months and share my experiences with you.

The Beer Project — Aliment Brewing

This was always the dream for Jason Bathgate and Monica Mead. Living in paradise, brewing their own beers. Tasman was where Jason and Monica lived when they first moved to New Zealand in 2009 before brewing jobs took them to Renaissance in Blenheim, 8 Wired in...

The Hoptimist — Boom Town Brewing

Sunshine, scenery, and a cold beer—Marlborough knows how to show off. But when that beer is a Boom Town APA and your interviewee colleague is Clive Macfarlane, the man behind the brews and the banter, you’re not just having a good Sunday—you’re starting a great story....

The Man Behind The Cans

If you’re prone to a tipple of craft beer, chances are you’re more than familiar with the work of Wellington creative, art director and artist, Anton Hart. For more than 20 years, he’s been the force behind the aesthetics of multiple, high-profile Kiwi craft...

Fermented Culture — Elysian Fields

Kieran Haslett-Moore dreams of the beers he might drink in paradise “Sitting at rustic tables in rural pub gardens in Hertfordshire on long, warm, sunny summer evenings, talking with friends, clouds of cow parsley nodding over the car park wall and martins high above...

The Start Up Series — Twofold

This is the final part in a series dedicated to breweries that have opened up since the Covid-19 pandemic. The past five years have been tough for those in the brewing industry. The data is there: higher costs, lower consumer spend, alternative drinks. All are eating...

The Start Up Series — BS Brewing

This is the fifth part in a series dedicated to breweries that have opened up since the Covid-19 pandemic. The past five years have been tough for those in the brewing industry. The data is there: higher costs, lower consumer spend, alternative drinks. All are eating...