BREWERY // A few years ago business partners Hannah & Hamish spent 3 months travelling around the USA contemplating what new project they would undertake. After visiting dozens and dozens of breweries and brewpubs, the answer was obvious. They loved the creativity and community that existed around beer and set to work on Heyday. With Hamish being a builder and project manager and Hannah having a background in design, they were an ideal pair of founders. Their friend Andy joined them as a business partner who also has some handy skills as an electrical engineer. They found a home in what used to be an old car battery garage at the top of Cuba Street which was ripe for reimagining into a brewpub following the wave of inner city Wellington breweries which was kickstarted by Garage Project 9 years ago. Their venue opened in late 2017 as a pastel paradise liberally scattered with flamingoes and it has a modern, international feel. It seems like there is always an event on at Heyday with CubaDupa and Oktoberfest being key dates in the calendar alongside the Sour Fest & Hazy IPA Challenge which bring together brewers from around the country. Despite releasing more than one beer per week, they have been focussed on being an awesome neighbourhood brewpub and very rarely put their beers into cans. Like many other non Wellingtonians, we're hoping the'll start doing so more often...
BEER // There are many moments which could vie for the role of sparking the American craft beer movement but there's a strong argument that it is the moment in the 1970s when Fritz Maytag took a sip of a traditional english Pale Ale in Burton on Trent. The full body and bright, floral hoppiness inspired him to return to his San Francisco berewery, Anchor, and create his own take on the style. Soon other Californians were creating American Pale Ales (most notably sierra Nevada) incorporating US hops such as Cascade and the rest is history. A well make APA is a wonderful thing - balanced, drinkable and packed with flavour. Howler is a classic example of the style with a touch of toffee malt sweetness and decent bitterness. Liberal whirlpool and dry hopping with Mosaic, Centennial & Hallertau Magnum give the beer big floral and citrus aroma and flavour. It's beautifully crafted and may make you remember why you first fell in love with beer.
You can stock up on more Howler HERE.
BREWERY // Heyday
BEER // Howler
STYLE // APA
ORIGIN // Wellington
ABV // 5.5%
TEMPERATURE // Cool. 10-12 C
FOOD MATCH // Honey Garlic Spare Ribs. Vegetable Steamed Dumplings. Cheese on toast with spicy chutney.
VESSEL // IPA Glass