Hop Federation Saved!
Blenheim's DNA Brewing buys Hop Fed brand. Parrotdog go public with share trading. Low carb beer continues to grow. 60/40 Guinness — what is it? Cassels Milk Stout gets rave US review.
Welcome to Friday Night Beers — the good news version! And we’re hitting the streets early this week to maximise the massive news…
Hop Federation lives on!
After the Motueka brewery was shuttered by previous owners Kono just a couple of months ago, Hop Federation will live on after Blenheim’s DNA Brewing stepped in and bought the brand.
It’s a huge win-win for Hop Federation, and their loyal drinkers, as well as DNA, which is building into a big player in the craft scene.
As part of the acquisition, Hop Federation production will move to DNA’s state-of-the-art Blenheim facility — with Hop Federation operating as an independent brand within DNA’s portfolio.
It ensures the brand stays rooted in the top of the South and the retention of founder Simon Nicholas will preserve the brewery’s identity and brewing philosophy.
DNA was founded by Dave Nicholls (ex Tui, Heineken, Moa) and winemaker Ant Moore.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Hop Federation into the DNA family,” Nicholls said. “DNA and Hop Federation complement each other in all the right ways, and having brewed some of their beers between 2021-2023, we’ve gained a real understanding for what makes their brews exceptional.”
Moore added: “Before Dave and I started DNA, I always enjoyed Hop Fed as my go-to local craft beer. It’s awesome that we can now collaborate with Simon and keep the dream alive.”
Nicholas will take the role of head brewer and be the face of the brand. He will also oversee the transition of ownership to ensure the process is seamless and respectful of Hop Federation’s loyal community.
Other Hop Federation employees have found work in adjacent industries.
“This is business as usual for Hop Federation,” Nicholas said. “There are no plans to change anything. The beers customers know, and love will continue exactly as they are.”
Kono said they were pleased with the outcome.
“We’re stoked that Hop Federation’s story continues and that it remains in the Top of the South. The brand has always stood for top-tier, hop-forward brews, and we’re excited to see that legacy live on in the hands of the new owners,” said Marina Hirst Tristram, Kono general manager.
The concept of running multiple brands out of one production facility has been tried (and generally without success) in the past as it’s usually been partnerships rather than ownership, but Nicholls sees this kind of consolidation as an inevitable step in New Zealand’s brewing maturity.
“I can see the market changing like this, with more mergers and acquisitions — consolidation rather than breweries just shutting up shop. I do think there’s too much stainless in the country and this will be a way of making things more efficient for everyone.”
For his part, Nicholas is rapt the brand lives on under its third owner.
He and his wife Nicki started it when they moved to Riwaka from Auckland in 2013 and took over the old Monkey Wizard brewery that is now home to Aliment.
They sold to Kono in 2020.
“As soon as the word got out that Kono were shutting their doors, Dave got hold of me pretty bloody quickly, which is quite neat. Yeah, so I’m happy that the brand lives on as I’m pretty passionate about it.
“Like I said to you before, I was pretty gutted that the brand was potentially going to just finish up after all the hard effort that Nicki and myself did when we first started.
“I didn’t want it to disappear, so to be asked by Dave to come and join them and carry on doing what we’ve been doing, is pretty neat.”
Here’s to beers like Hop Fed Red IPA, Green Limousine and Fields of Green staying alive!
More sale news to come
Just a heads-up that next week there are a couple of big news stories about to break out of Christchurch. Some of you may have heard the rumours but I can’t say anything officially until Monday, so do check the hoppiness.co.nz website or Facebook page on Monday for at least one of these news updates!
Parrotdog go public
In one of the biggest signs that craft beer is now a mature business, you can buy and sell shares in Parrotdog on the open market via a new trading platform called Catalist.
There hasn’t been a publicly listed brewery in New Zealand since Moa’s inglorious NZX foray 13 years ago. DB Breweries delisted from the New Zealand Stock Exchange in 2004.
Catalist is the second licensed stock exchange platform in NZ alongside the NZX. It allows people to buy and sell shares and it’s pitched itself towards small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) as a stepping-stone to the NZX. That doesn’t mean Parrotdog are heading to the NZX, but it might be a feasible option for the future, says managing director Paul Watson.
Most importantly for Parrotdog it allows their 1700 shareholders, who have invested over a three crowd-funding campaigns, to get money back for their shares, and for new shareholders to come on board.
“One of the biggest challenges weʼve faced with our 1700 amazing shareholders over three successful capital raises is the ability to offer liquid trading — the ability to buy and sell shares,” Watson says.
Where Catalist differs from the NZX is that you can’t buy and sell whenever you want, rather investors have to wait for set trading windows.
Parrotdog have just completed their first trading window and are rapt with the outcome.
READ MORE: Parrotdog Go Public | Pursuit of Hoppiness
One of the most revealing aspects of being on a public platform is that Parrotdog’s books are open for all to see, and they make really good reading for the industry.
The business, in its 13th year, has been profitable for the past couple of years. They returned a net profit of $675,000 and $586,000 in each of the past two financial years.
Their memorandum to potential investors on Catalist shows that their flagship Birdseye Hazy IPA brought in more than $5m in revenue in the financial year ending March 2025, and in terms of individual SKUs (stock-keeping units) Birdseye 6-packs are worth more than, in order, Boundary Road Hazy Pale Ale 12-packs, Mac’s Apparition Hazy IPA 12-packs, Mac’s Slim Shady Low Carb Hazy 12-packs, and Panhead Supercharger 6-packs.
In terms of market share in grocery, Garage Project (6.9%), Parrotdog (6.7%) and Mac’s (6.7%) are all neck-and-neck behind the big three Lion (Panhead, Emerson’s), DB (Tuatara, Monteith’s) and Asahi (Boundary Road). There’s a big gap back to the likes of Moa, Behemoth, Cassels and Sawmill.
Staying with Parrotdog a moment…
They’ve just launched their new Dash-hound NZ IPA, which I talked about a few weeks back, a beer brewed specifically for Air New Zealand and designed to be consumed at a cruising altitude of 30,000 feet (10km).
“Lower air pressure and humidity dull our sense of smell, which directly affects taste, meaning we can lose up to 30% of our ability to detect sweetness and saltiness,” said Air NZ’s head of culinary Justin Koen.
“On the other hand, acidity, spice and umami notes tend to hold up better, which is why we lean into those when designing food and beverage menus.”
Air New Zealand teams up with Parrotdog to launch in-flight beer brewed for 30,000 feet - NZ Herald
Beer of the Week No 1
There’s a theme to the beers I’m writing about this week in that they were all gifted to me. And I thought the idea of gifted beers was appropriate as you’re reading this as my wife and I celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary!
First up is a special beer brought back from California by Brent McGlashan of Mac Hops. It was brewed by the legends at Russian River (Pliny The Elder fame) as part of a regular series of beers that honour hop growers.
This IPA was brewed with Rakau, Nelson Sauvin, Riwaka and Nectaron hops and my first impression is that for a “clear” beer it throws a lot of haze, perhaps a character of New Zealand-grown hops. And the next thing I noticed is that Russian River have created a different expression of these hops than we might normally get. This could be the water, the yeast, the kit... I found the hops showed a more pungent and pithy side than we often get here in NZ. The flavours are awesome: over-ripe orange, tart passionfruit, a whiff of diesel and fragrant herbs. And the mouthfeel is next level, with a broad, prickly bitterness that fills your gob with joy. Lively and light.
The rise and rise of low carb beer
I popped up on the wireless the other day, talking to Radio New Zealand about the latest Stats NZ data on “alcohol available for consumption”.
This data, for the period ending September 30, 2025, showed a massive jump in production of beer in the 2.5%-4.3% range, at the expense of higher ABV beer.
The good news out of this release is that the overall volume of beer available in New Zealand hadn’t really changed year-on-year. It was down less than 1% and has been relatively steady for a while now.
This leaves New Zealand in a good position especially compared with United States, Britain and Australia, where declines have been much steeper.
So it seems we’re drinking roughly the same amount of beer but more in that sub-4.3% arena.
What could that be? Low carb and Guinness are my two “culprits”.
About the same time that data came out I got a message from Morgan McCann, chief executive of Super Liquor about the recent surge in low carb beer.
Low Carb beer now accounts for 27.3% of all beer sold at Super Liquor (up from 24.6% a year ago).
And in those stores, mainstream beer is down to 25.4% (from 27.3%) meaning low carb is now bigger than the likes of Speight’s, Double Brown, Lion Red, Tui etc.
Quite remarkable.
And that’s why I say low carb beers, which seem to all land on an ABV of 4.2% and Guinness (also 4.2%) are responsible for the growth in the sub-4.3% band.
Possibly that market share will grow further now that Michelob Ultra, the self-proclaimed “#1 low carb in the world” is now available in NZ.
Tim’s Beer of The Week
Seeking refuge from the sweltering Christchurch heat, I ducked into the unique and beautiful Church pub (it was actually a church once, just like The Free House in Nelson). There I spied a certain green tap badge… Emerson’s 1812 is now over three decades old, and while no longer a packaged release, kegs do show up — and when they do, they’re always a must have pint for me.
The aroma is subtle, with earth and gentle citrus over a quite reclusive maltiness. It’s on the palate where the beer comes alive, with a big grainy crunch and sharp marmalade that carries into the moderately bitter finish. A pale ale poised right on the divide between quenching and substantial, and very much enjoying the best of both sides. As good as it ever was? That I can’t say, this beer was already around for eleven years before I was legally able to drink it. — Tim Newman is chief reviewer for Pursuit of Hoppiness.
Cassels Milk Stout gets rave review in US
Staying in Christchurch, I was perusing American magazine Craft Beer & Brewer noting their writers’ picks of the year when one caught my eye: Cassels Milk Stout!
Already a kind of world-famous beer thanks to its multiple successes in the World Beer Awards, this iconic Christchurch beer caught the eye of visiting writer Joe Stange, who had this to say:
“Cassels Milk Stout (Woolston, Canterbury, New Zealand) When you get the chance to go to New Zealand for hop harvest, you’re immediately seeking all the fresh-hopped ales you can find — and we did. So, I’m pleasantly surprised to look back and realize this was my standout beer of that trip. Drinkable enough at 5.2 percent ABV that pint after pint can slip down my gullet, yet just rich and sweet enough to appease my simpleton inner child who — deep down — really just wants a cold glass of chocolate milk.”
Dusty’s Beer of the Week
Fika (fee-kuh) is Swedish for a coffee break, preferably with a croissant, cake or some snacky treat ... might be an extended break with Canyon Brewing’s iteration a 9% imperial stout.
Pours obsidian black with a dense foam dome, indulgence personified here when luscious Tahitian vanilla meets decadent chocolate all sitting atop of roasty toasty coffee notes, total boujee vibes! Outstanding brew. — Dusty
Wanna save some bucks on Canyon Brews? Apply code: DUSTY15 at checkout.
(Ed’s note: Canyon are pushing some banging brews at the moment and if you get a chance to put your hands the redo of To Central With Love, do it with Dusty’s discount!)
And until 11:59pm tonight, Canyon are having a Green Friday sale which includes:
25% off the entire online store (except our Pint Club subscription)
Free shipping on orders over $50
$2 per $50 across all orders throughout the day donated to plant natives at Bike Glendhu.
Forget splitting the G, split the beer
In sport we’ve got 20/20s (cricket) and 50/22s (rugby) and now in beer we’ve got 60/40.
We’re on a stout run here (and it will continue, which is weird for November, but such is modern life).
This time the stout is Guinness, which always — ALWAYS! — seems to find a way into the news.
This time it’s around the so-called 60/40 pour. This has taken off in Britain and Ireland where you can get Guinness 0.0 on tap alongside regular Guinness.
The blend is 60% of the zero and 40% of the 4.2% original to create a 1.7% beer.
Among the early adopters was Dublin’s Palmerstown House Pub, which announced the new offering on social media with enthusiasm. “Try out new ‘60/40’ in the Palmerstown House,” they wrote. “All of the Guinness character, just a little lighter! Great for when you’re in the mood for a pint but with a little less alcohol!”
Given the flavours of the two versions are very similar, I can see how it works and I reckon it’s driven out St James Gate, where the marketing team are probably tasked with finding the next viral sensation after “splitting the G”.
The blend has attracted critics who describe it as sacrilegeous, and others who say it’s a doomed attempt to re-animate mid-strength Guinness (2.8%) which became a binned experiment circa 2006-08. Nearly 20 years the world is different.
Darah Curran, aka The Guinness Guru on social media had a decent response when he spoke to The Telegraph.
“If you want to go out and have 10 pints and only feel like you’ve had four, fair play. Is it ruining the classic pint of Guinness? Maybe it is, but just don’t order it.”
Maybe don’t order it … should be written in stone every time someone reacts to a beer trend they don’t like!
On that note, an update on Guinness 0.0: Lion are now distributing it in New Zealand and it’s available for customers to order.
Lion say it be widely available in supermarkets, bottle shops and venues and retailers very soon.
Beer of the Week No 2
Emporium owner Paul Finney is a mad golfer, as am I, and we’re as likely to have a conversation about golf (and cricket) as beer.
And the other day Paul sent me a sample of a beer called “Golf is Hard”. It’s designed as a gift, as you can write someone’s name on the can.
The beer is a Vienna Lager and it’s a primo example of the style, with a lovely amber colour, a nice malt character and some subtle spicy hops.
These didn’t quite sell out for Father’s Day so if you know a golfer who’d love this, you can still get them on the Emporium website, and there’s a couple of good deals where you can beer and Emporium-branded golf balls!
Golf is hard, Vienna Lager — Emporium Brewing
Blends and stouts again
Sometimes a theme just rolls out in front of you and this week it revolves around stouts and beer blends … in this case I of the Zombie is back.
Soren Eriksen and Luke Nicholas first created this beer from tap at the Malthouse in 2014, right at the height of the Black IPA craze. It was 2/3 Hop Zombie blended with 1/3 iStout. I tried this blend at The Lumsden and it was sensational!
Now, as part of our Epic 20 Years Tour, they’ve brought it back.
Over the next few weeks, one keg will appear at each tour stop — and that’s all each location gets, so you’ll need to keep an eye out as these will go quickly.
Right now it’s on Smiths Craft Beer House in Queenstown and today it’s pouring The Last Word in Christchurch.
Then it’s:
December 4 — The Malthouse, Wellington
December 5 Neck Of The Woods, Tauranga
December 13 — Epic Taproom, Auckland
Beer of the Week No 3
Some friends who live in Tamahere came for a visit and as they left they stopped in at their local, Bootleg Brewery, to get me some beers. Their Matangi Fruits Hazy IPA, which came in a rigger, was delicious (no photo sorry), and I really loved the RUM-DMC Sweet Stout. It’s got a gorgeous look to it and a great depth of flavour. It’s definitely sweet but the robust malt character ensures everything stays in check and the rum adds a spicy note to further enhance the balance. Very good!
Wow! What a week! Thanks for reading and stayed tuned for more good news next week.
Michael
Stout blends...Decades ago, a home-brewing friend in Denver introduced me to the Stout Float. I suppose it could be called a Spider here. We walked into the Rock Bottom Brewery, asked them to put 2 scoops of their high quality whole vanilla bean ice cream (Kapiti would compare well) into a pint glass (like an actual pint glass!) and then pour stout over the top. Predictably, they refused, but were happy to sell us each servings of ice cream and stout in separate glasses to mix ourselves. It sounds heretical, but trust me - its magic!