NOTE - This beer is lively! Ideally it has sat still and upright in your fridge for a couple of days. If yours hasn't, be sure to pour quickly into a glass over your sink. The beer is absolutely fine but the tiny particles of fruit create nucleation points for the CO2 which means it's likely to fizz over a moment after opening.
BREWERY // Back in 2011 we were in the aftermath of the last Global Financial Crisis which meant Chris Mills and his wife, Natasha Dahlberg, weren't getting much work for their movie visual effects business. Fortunately for us, Chris was able to crank up his home-brewing hobby and start supplying a local Lower Hutt market with beer he brewed in a tiny 50L kit in their rumpus room. He figured that, while the demand for pixel polishers may fluctuate, the thirst for beer would ride out any recession. Demand for Kereru beer quickly grew and they custom-built a brewery in a former linoleum factory where you can now visit for a tour and try beer fresh from the tank at the cellar door.
BEER // You may have noticed that we love a good creative collaboration at Beer Jerk. We're very glad that Chris partnered with his mate Will Thompson at Tommo's Low & Slow BBQ who cool-smoked a load of nectarines over pohutukawa wood for this unique beer. Kererú started with a refreshing unfiltered Golden Ale and added sweet, smoky ancho poblano chilies and those smoked nectarines. The layers of smoke are complex but not overpowering. There's just a tingle of chilli heat and a touch of sweetness from the fruit rounds it out beautifully. It's no mean feat to juggle that range of flavours into such a well rounded beer and we reckon they nailed it. Tommancho is a truly unique ale.
BREWERY // Kererú
BEER // Tommancho
STYLE // Golden Ale
ORIGIN // Brewtown, Upper Hutt
ABV // 5.9%
TEMPERATURE // Cool- 7-9C
FOOD MATCH // Kimchi. Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni. Lamb Kebab. Havarti
VESSEL // Goblet