Tapping into Southern beer market
The Invercargill Brewery opens its bottle store doors on Friday (September 1).
Since moving from the blue shed on Oteramika Road to down-town Invercargill in June the little brewery’s had so many tours Steve and Gerry Nally have barely had time to brew.
Having its own retail outlet meant the brewery was finally able to augment its traditional stubbie bottles with fill-your-own options in a choice of flavours from stout to lager and a choice of sizes from riggers to flagons.
“Because our beer is at the top of the market we wanted a more affordably priced version, especially for locals – it’s really about saving on the packaging, and delivering on the product, which is great for all of us – including the environment,” Mr Steve Nally said.
Each month a guest beer from another boutique New Zealand brewery will also feature on-tap so connoisseurs can travel New Zealand without ever leaving home, or visiting a bottle bank.
After officiating at the bottle store opening on Friday Steve Nally was scheduled to fly to Wellington for the BrewNZ Awards on Sunday where Invercargill Brewery products would once again contend to titillate the taste buds of judges.
The micro-breweries four traditionally brewed labels Pitch Black, Stanley Green, Wasp and Biman each contained only four ingredients – and one of them was water. What distinguished boutique from bulk brew beer was often the way it was stabilized, Mr Steve Nally said.
While other breweries tended to pasteurize beer heating it to temperatures of 70 degrees to kill yeast, that process could also impact on final flavour. Invercargill Brewery instead used a filtration system similar to wine. Inert particles were added to the brew to magnetically attract active yeast which was then filtered out with the particles.
Last year the brewery won silver with its stout Pitch Black, while Wasp took out a bronze medal. At New Zealand’s premier brewing award even a bronze medal is a mark of excellence, Mr Steve Nally said.
“Every year is different; it all depends on the brew on the day.”
This year the awards will be followed by the first ever AGM of the New Zealand Brewers Guild.
“It’ll be exciting to share ideas with other brewers – it’s not like we’re Lion and DB – the more of us there are the more secure our niche. Beer, like wine, is an occasion drink that should be matched to the occasion,” Mr Steve Nally said.
The Nallys have big plans to extend the Invercargill Brewery palette including Belgium style beer, fruit beers and even a smoked beer.
“Some beers will age and change and the effect is quite good. The beers we make, because of their low alcohol content don’t generally age well beyond six months – the flavour starts to drop off – so that’s a challenge.
“It is all about good beer,” Mr Steve Nally said.
For further information contact:
Invercargill Brewery
owner/brewer Steve Nally
8 Wood Street
Invercargill
Ph 03 214 5070
Cell 0274 932 056