For Beervana 2014, journalists from around the country were challenged to team up with a local brewery to make a special beer using a truly New Zealand ingredient (or two). Over a dozen entries were judged by a panel of experts and a winner was declared. The wining beer was the New Zealand Wild Ale with Horopito which was made by Victoria Wells and Auckland’s Hallertau Brewery.
The level of innovation in the entries was outstanding with the list of ingredients used including sea salt, driftwood, lime zest, a sunset (!), kawakawa, Weet-bix, whisky, lamb bones, mussels, bush honey, strawberries and – believe it not – Fru Ju ice blocks. The Fru Ju beer, Farmhouse de Fru Ju by Brett Atkinson and Wellington’s Fork Brewing, placed second.
One beer attempted to taste of gingernut biscuits but the boldest brewed was Shane Cowlishaw and Michael Forbes who teamed with Monteith’s to make a beer which tasted exactly like the raspberry lamington cake. It was unplaced. As was TheShout’s own Neil Miller who brewed an 11% pilsner flavoured with Weet-bix at Upper Hutt’s Kereru Brewing.
Samoa is getting in on the act with the commercial release of Vailima Natural. Carrying the label “Made of Samoa”, it is brewed from breadfruit and local ingredients. The Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa was involved in the development because the native ingredients are difficult to work with compared with those for standard lagers.
People are taking “drink local” to extreme levels.
For more information see – www.beervana.co.nz
