Beer #184 - W/C 3 September 2018
BREWERY // Brewing is in Christopher Barber's blood. His Hawke's Bay brewery, Zeelandt, opened in 2012 around 125 years after his great great grandfather opened a brewery near Christchurch. Christopher honed his skills working at St Austell Brewery in Cornwall before returning to New Zealand to brew at Hallertau. The brewery's name reflects the inspiration taken from classic European styles with a distinctly New Zealand twist. Zeelandt more than doubled capacity last year and we look forward to seeing more of their beers around the country. If you find yourself anywhere near Eskdale, be sure to pay a visit to the taproom.
BEER // Eagle Eagle is an intercontinental trip. The Pale Ale (aka Bitter) style has a history in England stretching back around 300 years where the it is synonymous with Burton-on-Trent and its gypsum rich water. In the 1980's California brewery Sierra Nevada took inspiration from this bitter beer with a relatively earthy, hop forward profile and made an American version. In this modern reinterpretation, the yeast became more neutral, the malt flavours simplified and the hops amplified with US hops packed with citrus and pine notes. Last Summer Christopher was chatting with German tourists visiting his brewery about the emerging craft beer scene in their homeland which got him thinking about new world vs old world flavours and techniques. How would a German brewer interpret this iconically American style? He used all German ingredients including Hallertau Blanc hops, a variety that was released in 2012 as one of the new generation of aromatic hop bred in response to the popularity of those from the new world. Flavours are somewhat unusual with lemongrass, melon and white wine pairing sitting atop the bread-y malt profile. Christopher says the recipe is a mash up of Oktoberfest, Kolsch and American Pale Ale. Prost!
See the video below to see the launch event for Eagle Eagle at Zeelandt brewery:
BREWERY // Zeelandt
BEER // Eagle Eagle
STYLE // Pale Ale
ORIGIN // Hawke's Bay
ABV // 5.6%
TEMPERATURE // Cool. 7 - 11 C
FOOD MATCH // Roast Vegetable Salad. Tortilla Bean Bake. Chicken Torta. Goat cheese.
GLASS // IPA Glass. Stein.