BREWERY // Back in 2015 Oli & Julian decided they were sick of their jobs in industrial rope access so pooled their life savings to set up a 100L brewery and workshop. Coming from a background of climbing and mountaineering, they were no strangers to challenges and calculated risk. Before they knew it, they were racking up awards and brewing 18,000L in a year. Which is a lot of brewing on a 100L kit. Their cult following in Wanaka demanded more beer than they could brew so, a couple of years ago Neil (Julian's dad) joined the team as they scaled up their capacity. They bought a brewery kit from Dunedin which had previously belonged to the late, great Terry McCashin and have continued cranking out bold and interesting beers from the Ground Up. Their Wanaka taproom is a great spot to visit and we are delighted to see more of their beers in cans rolling out of the brewery.
BEER // Saison is an almost-impossible-to-define farmhouse ale which was traditionally brewed during the cooler months in the farmhouses of Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium, using locally harvested ingredients before being stored for the farm workers to drink during the summer months. You can bet your bottom dollar those old timey folks weren't using Cashmere cryo hops like Ground Up used in Monk Life because the hop was only released a few years ago. This is a modern take on the style with that Cashmere bringing lemon and lime notes and a little bitterness. Like any great Saison, it is light and refreshing while also being vibrant flavoursome with a crisp dry finish. There's a little zesty spice from the yeast which pairs nicely with soft smelly cheese, relaxing on a haybale and birdsong.
BREWERY // Ground Up
BEER // Monk Life
STYLE // Saison
ORIGIN // Wanaka
ABV // 5%
TEMPERATURE // Cellar temperature. 10-12C
FOOD MATCH // Bouillabaisse. Shawarma. Roast Chicken. Ripe Camembert. Lemon Tart.
VESSEL // Goblet. Wine Glass