Boneface back with hip new look
Beer legend John Harrington dies. Four Square celebrate centenary with Behemoth 'brolab'. Peckham's outstanding results at Aussie cider awards, including stunning 0% apple cider. And a $200 six-pack.
Here we are in November beer family, and we start the month with huge — and slightly sad — news week.
The highlight for me is the rebrand of Boneface after Mike and Anna Neilson (the force behind Panhead) bought the business off former Panhead brewer Matt Dainty.
Matt’s version of the Boneface brand was driven by a graphic, sci-fi, comic book look with characters from the planet Hoptron.
The new Boneface brand, to me, is a cross between American south — think New Orleans voodoo — singing, dancing, skeletons; with a little Mexican Day of the Dead vibe.
I’ll have more on that further down.
It was also the week that one of the legends of the beer scene in this country, Big John Harrington passed away.
Also, Peckham’s delivered some stunning results at both the Australia and New Zealand cider awards, Four Square celebrated their centenary summer with a craft beer collab, Garage Project released their latest iteration of the multi-award-winning Chance Luck & Magic.
Boneface shake out hip new look with reband
Boneface today relaunched with a new look under new owners Mike and Anna Neilson.
I’m impressed with that they’ve created. It’s pared back compared to the former graphic comic art yet it still pops and feels fresh, lively and fun.
While the name and great beer are still the same, the new Boneface aesthetic ushers in new names to go with the new look. Snaggletooth IPA remains, but The Unit Hazy NZ IPA is now Clawhammer (a style of playing the banjo); Hoptron American Pale Ale is now Spinal Hop; and The Wizard Hazy Pale Ale is now Hip Shake (all available in six packs of 330ml cans).
And I can also see that Boneface aim to be competitive on pricing just as Panhead were when they changed the supermarket six-pack game.
The beers on their website are retailing at $24.95 across the line. making the 6% Snaggletooth IPA quite the steal. The 440ml cans are $7.95, also a good price.
The beers are pouring at the Boneface taproom but there are some available in Wellington and Auckland.
In Wellington the love is being shared:
Goldings Free Dive has Snaggletooth IPA
Duke of Wellington pours Spinal Hop APA
LBQ has Hip Shake Hazy Pale Ale
The Malthouse serves Clawhammer Hazy IPA
In Auckland you can get the entire core range at 16 Tun and the Lumsden Freehouse.
And to celebrate the rebrand and return to the shelves, Boneface launches its first new release since changing hands: Slipped Disc Cold IPA, available in 440ml cans from today.
It’s a welcome splash back into the limelight for Boneface and our correspondent JoAnne Carr caught up with Mike and Anna Neilson at Brewtown ahead of the launch.
“There was talk about changing the brewery name and creating a completely new brand,” Mike said. “But in the end, of all the changes to be made, the beer was not one of them. They’re bloody good beers, and the brewery is known for that. That’s why we wanted to keep the name Boneface.”
“We told Matt [Dainty, founder & former owner] we were changing the branding — he was one of the very first to see it,” says Mike.
“I’ve always said to him, we bought the business, but this is your baby. And we want to continue the amazing parts of Boneface that Matt established.”
Boneface Shake Down New Vibe With Hip Rebrand | Pursuit of Hoppiness
Peckham’s near perfect cider
Peckham’s Cidery and Orchard won Best International Cider at the Australian Cider Awards 2024 for a second consecutive year with the top-scoring cider of the show.
Peckham’s Chisel Jersey 2023 was awarded an unprecedented 97 point score from the judges and Best in Class for medium traditional cider, making it the highest scoring cider in the competition out of 190 entries.
In addition, recently launched Apple Zero Non-Alcoholic Cider also won Best in Class with a gold medal and 93 points — the highest scoring entry in the no/low category.
Barrel-fermented Knotted Kernel 2023 was also awarded a gold medal with 92.5 points.
Judges at the event included Max Allen, one of the most revered wine writers and judges in the world.
Brew of the week No 1
Yep. Cider time. And honestly, wow time. Peckham’s co-owner and cidermaker, Jody Scott, perfected the art of a 0% cider when he was cidermaker at Zeffer, which makes some cracking zeroes.
But Peckham’s Apple Zero takes the game to whole other level. This is seriously good stuff, and the reason it’s so good, I reckon, is the use of traditional cider apples. In fact, it’s the first 0% cider made with proper cider apples.
Here the cider is fermented as per usual and the alcohol is removed via a spinning cone, with Peckham’s utilising one at Vintech in Blenheim.
The nose is what gets you on this one — funky, earthy, a hint of silage and bruised apples. The mouthfeel is surprisingly rich and textural and it finishes dry and clean.
One of the best non-alcoholic beverages I’ve tried this year. Possibly the best.
I also had to try the near-perfect Peckham’s Chisel Jersey 2023.
This one has some intensity of flavour — it’s got that funky nose you’d expect and the mouthfeel is slick and oily. The flavour is caramelised apples meets brandy with a tannic bite and a deep earthiness. It’s rich and rewarding, a little bit demanding but incredibly giving in the flavour department. Lovely. And one that would be good somewhere in a Christmas Day celebration.
Beer world loses a legend
One of the true legends of the New Zealand beer scene, John Harrington, has died.
Harrington started Harrington’s in 1991, and the Christchurch brewery grew to be one of the biggest independent breweries in the country in the early part of the 21st century.
Originally from the West Coast, John Harrington had a business selling sausages and fish out of the back of a van around Blackball. He inherited that business from his father, Stan.
As his son Carl Harrington recalled in 2011: “It was his father’s business before him and Dad had done it for about 14 years when he decided to sell up and move over the hill [to Christchurch].”
John came to Christchurch with his wife Val and two sons, Craig and Carl.
“He had the West Melton Tavern for a few years and then moved to the Hillsborough Tavern. Did he know anything about beer? Probably not, but he enjoyed drinking it. But through those pub days he saw what the breweries were doing and he thought, ‘I can sell a jug at a better price,’ and when industry deregulation came in 1989 he said, ‘Right, I’m going to do a brewery’.”
John Harrington prepared for his new trade by home-brewing in his garage, doing 200 litre batches and selling flagons to his mates before setting up for business in the old Ward’s Brewery on Kilmore Street, now the site of Pomeroy’s.
“When he started the brewery he just multiplied the home-brew operation by six and off he went, brewing 1200 litre batches.”
Harrington’s started with the bog-standard three beers – lager, draught and dark – before creating a name for itself with the potent Big John Special Reserve, which was high in alcohol and infused with bourbon.
They quickly outgrew their original home and moved to Ferry Road, and soon opened a second brewery in the area.
At the height of the craft beer boom Harrington’s had two breweries, eight bottle shops and two restaurant bars, and was highly visible around Christchurch.
When Lion’s Christchurch plant was knocked out by the February 2011 earthquake, Harrington’s became the biggest brewer in the city, with production of more than 1.5 million litres annually.
As Carl remembered it, when I spoke to him for my book, Beer Nation — The Art and Heart of Kiwi Beer, Harrington’s success was driven off John’s personality. “Dad’s pub days sowed the seed for John Harrington — he’s loved by bloody everyone and he’s got a great personality.”
Despite the fallout from the earthquakes — their smaller Ferrymead brewery had to be demolished — Harrington’s won Champion New Zealand Brewery in 2012 at the annual Brewers Guild of New Zealand Awards.
There was significant structural damage to the larger Phillipstown brewery and Harrington’s ended up moving to Wigram, buying the Matson’s Brewery and installing a state-of-the-art packaging line in 2014.
In 2018, the family sold the business to Lion, which continues to brew two Harrington’s beers: the Rogue Hop Pilsner at the Pride, and the Yank Dak APA, brewed at Emersons in Dunedin.
Four Square “brollab” with Behemoth
Four Square is celebrating 100 years of trading by showcasing four products this summer under the banner “Brollab” — and one of them is beer.
Alongside a special Birthday Cookie from Cookie Time, the return of the Orange Rush Fruju and a Four Square-branded Wattie’s Tomato Sauce (collector’s item, surely?) there’s also a beer, dubbed Hazy of The Century by Behemoth.
Four Square marketing executive Harriet Shaw said the Behemoth collaboration, complete with Churly and Four Square’s iconic grocer mascot, Cheeky Charlie, arm in arm, grew from the long-term relationship between the brands.
“Before we had decided what we’d do for our 100th birthday, Behemoth had the idea of a partnership with Four Square and this fitted quite nicely.
“They’ve been in Four Square for a while they are a brand that aligns quite well with us — at Four Square we’re a bit cheeky, and a little bit playful with our brand.
“The label is fantastic, they did a great job integrating Churly and Charlie.”
For Behemoth it’s a pretty big honour, to be featured alongside what can only be called iconic New Zealand products and stocked in 200-plus Four Square stores over the summer.
“We’re in pretty exclusive company,” said Behemoth founder Andrew Childs.
The beer is a 4.5% hazy IPA (I know, I know, 4.5% does not an IPA make!) packed with Nelson Sauvin, Motueka and Riwaka hops. It will retail at $22 for a 330ml six-pack.
Childs is a fan of Four Squares for their huge geographical spread and the fact they are largely in regional New Zealand.
For a period, when Behemoth had an exclusive deal with Foodstuffs, Four Square’s parent company, Childs was insistent his beer was sold in Four Squares — “because that’s the way to get craft beer to the people outside of the big cities; it might be the only store they have in a town.”
In other news, Behemoth also converted their flagship Chur from a pale ale to an IPA.
They increased the ABV by a mere 0.1% but Childs said the New Zealand hops that drive that beer suited an IPA style.
“The hops were getting from Clayton Farms deserve an IPA rather than a pale ale because they’re so punchy, and obviously IPA is a more popular style than pale ale.
“We wouldn’t have done it if hadn’t been the quality of New Zealand hops we’re getting.
“We’ve gone from being a brewery that used 65%-70% American hop to brewery that uses 60% NZ hops.”
Childs noted that this year’s Motueka crop “is so much more like Citra than any other New Zealand hop, so punchy, with a sweet naval orange thing.”
Dusty’s Beer of the Week
Next up in the on-going lager series from Heyday Beer Co is North American Lager. Cruising at 4.7% it’s built for spring sessions. Clean, crispy, refreshing with notes of crusty bread, honey, lemony citrus and subtle floral pops, a tasty well-balanced and made brew a great representation of the style. — Dusty
More magic from Garage Project
I talk a lot about New Zealand’s “most awarded” beers. There’s a core set of beers that comes to mind at competition time — beers that show up time and again and pick up medals and trophies.
In a kind of time order they include Epic Armageddon, Three Boys Oyster Stout, Panhead Port Road Pilsner, Sprig & Fern The G.O.A.T, Steinlager (I guess) … but as Denise Garland points out, perhaps the honour of our most decorated beer belongs to a relative newcomer: Garage Project’s Chance Luck & Magic 2020.
While writing about the release of the 2023 vintage Denise noted that that the 2020 (original) version had won two World Beer Cup silver medals, four consecutive gold medals at the NZ Beer Awards, including two trophies for Champion European Ale, and in 2022 it was crowned the Champion Beer.
That’s a lot of success to cram into a short life.
More Magic From Garage Project | Pursuit of Hoppiness
Poll results: some love for Milkshake IPAs
The results of last week’s poll are in, and to be honest I think Milkshake IPA fared quite well in the love-hate vote, with more than a third of you loving them.
Love them: 37%
Hate them: 63%
Beer of the week No 2
The never-ending question of what defines a West Coast IPA takes a new spin with a new release from Auckland’s Small Gods.
In recent years the debate has been around the malt structure, with the modern interpretation eschewing the chewier toffee, toasty malts that defined the style in the early part of the century.
Also gone is the crushing bitterness, replace by more juicy-fruity hops. Adn this has gone on, ever evolving until we arrived at West Coast Pilsner! Only kinda joking!
But what was always accepted was that to make an American-style West Coast IPA you needed American hops, right?
Well, Hoofman, a 7.2% IPA is not technically a West Coast IPA because it’s hopped entirely with New Zealand hops! Southern Cross (much under-rated as a bittering hop) is accompanied by Motueka and Riwaka. Close your eyes. Hear the hooves. Is it a horse or a zebra? Is it a New Zealand IPA or a WCIPA?
Honestly, I don’t care. Tastes freaking great. Oily, resinous, rich toffee malts, over ripe fruit, firm but non-dominant bitterness.
Hollywood stars buy Wrexham Lager to go with Wrexham football club
If you haven’t watched Welcome To Wrexham, the documentary about Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney buying (and trying to turn around) the struggling Welsh football club Wrexham.
Spoiler alert: so far, so good for the two stars.
But now the pair have bought into Wrexham Lager, which already sponsors Wrexham AFC and is said to be the oldest British lager brewery still in existence.
“Wrexham Lager has a 140-year-old recipe and a storied history and we’re excited to help write its next chapter,” said the actors.
Although in the launch video, they said nothing:
Tim’s Beer of the Week
Test Lab Brewery (Christchurch) have been on the rise this year, and given that they’re a brewery I could walk to, I’ve been gravely remiss in taking this long to feature one of their beers. And as my first check-in with their range, it was always going to be the West Coast IPA, as is only proper.
Pale Alien (6.2%) delivers fresh pineapple, grapefruit and juniper notes mixed with a rich malt in the aroma, while the palate delivers ripe citrus and melon that mesh beautifully with the exquisitely juicy and expressive malt base. Long and satisfying, with the abundant flavours, gradually and precisely unfolding to a reserved and brooding bitter finish. This is West Coast IPA in the fundamentally classic style, and one of the most true-to-form NZ-brewed examples I’ve tasted in a long time. — Tim Newman
The things people do for the love of beer …
Glassware plays an important part in our enjoyment of beer (and on that note, I highly recommend the entertaining review of The Peckish Kiwi on Instagram — and his food reviews are good too!).
But one thing I’ve never thought about in the past is whether there is a perfect glass shape for keeping my beer cold.
In fact, it’s the research the world didn’t know it needed (and to be fair, we probably don’t really need it).
Professor calculates optimal glass shape for preserving chill in beer glasses.
Beer of the Week No 3
I spent the long weekend just passed in Taupo, and naturally decided to enjoy the local beers on offer from Lakeman.
In this case the Taupo Thunder was my choice of beer as I took a break from golf to watch the Black Caps put India in a spin in the second test at Pune.
Now this is classic NZIPA — you won’t mistake it for a Westy!
It’s got that diesel-dank aroma followed by a sweet, rich maltiness before the grapefruit and grapes kick in leading to a light bitterness.
It’s as good an interpretation of the New Zealand style as you’re likely to find anywhere.
The $200 six-pack
From well-priced six-packs of Boneface beer to start this missive, I’ll finish with perhaps the most expensive six-pack of lager on the planet — $120. And that’s American dollars, so call it (based on the current exchange rate) a lazy $NZ200.
As outrageous as it seems, when you read the story behind it, you will (if you’re as beer nerdy as me) start to think … maybe it’s worth it.
This six-pack of California beer costs $120. It's worth every penny.
Until next week, when we do it all again, whatever you spend on beer I hope you enjoy!
Michael
RIP - Rogue Hop is a great pilsner.