Four Square’s Behemoth ‘Brollab’

Four Square is celebrating 100 years of trading by showcasing four products this summer under the banner “Brollab” — and one of them is beer.

Alongside a special Birthday Cookie from Cookie Time, the return of the Orange Rush Fruju and a Four Square-branded Wattie’s Tomato Sauce (collector’s item, surely?) there’s also a beer, dubbed Hazy of The Century by Behemoth.

Four Square marketing executive Harriet Shaw said the Behemoth collaboration, complete with Churly and Four Square’s iconic grocer mascot, Cheeky Charlie, arm in arm, grew from the long-term relationship between the brands.

“Before we had decided what we’d do for our 100^th birthday, Behemoth had the idea of a partnership with Four Square and this fitted quite nicely.

“They’ve been in Four Square for a while they are a brand that aligns quite well with us — at Four Square we’re a bit cheeky, and a little bit playful with our brand.

“The label is fantastic, they did a great job integrating Churly and Charlie.”

For Behemoth it’s a pretty big honour, to be featured alongside what can only be called iconic New Zealand products and stocked in 200-plus Four Square stores over the summer.

“We’re in pretty exclusive company,” said Behemoth founder Andrew Childs.

The beer is a 4.5% hazy IPA loaded with Nelson Sauvin, Nectaron, Motueka and Riwaka hops. It will retail at $22 for a 330ml six-pack.

Childs is a fan of Four Squares for their huge geographical spread and the fact they are largely in regional New Zealand.

For a period, when Behemoth had an exclusive deal with Foodstuffs, Four Square’s parent company, Childs was insistent his beer was sold in Four Squares — “because that’s the way to get craft beer to the people outside of the big cities; it might be the only store they have in a town.”

In other news, Behemoth also converted their flagship Chur from a pale ale to an IPA.

They increased the ABV by a mere 0.1% but Childs said the New Zealand hops that drive that beer suited an IPA style.

“The hops were getting from Clayton Farms deserve an IPA rather than a pale ale because they’re so punchy, and obviously IPA is a more popular style than pale ale.

“We wouldn’t have done it if hadn’t been the quality of New Zealand hops we’re getting.

“We’ve gone from being a brewery that used 65%-70% American hop to brewery that uses 60% NZ hops.”

Childs noted that this year’s Motueka crop “is so much more like Citra than any other New Zealand hop, so punchy, with a sweet naval orange thing.”