Hopulist Issue Eight

This is quite a strange editorial for us to write. Firstly, we

need to apologise for being away for so long. It’s been a

hectic year or so for us, and as we make this magazine

with just the goodness of our hearts, it was undeservedly

put on the shelf for a while. Since we’ve been gone, ain’t

too much changed (besides a global pandemic that has

shut all bars and pubs in near enough every country in

the world). It’s crazy, but hopefully this issue will give

you some reading and enlightenment while you’re holed

away in isolation. Before the world went mad, we managed

to visit some awesome brewers in the Peak District and

Florida, and also managed a jaunt around New Zealand’s

craft beer capital Wellington. We also have the regular

dose of new beers, merch and industry news that will

hopefully keep you going.

Speaking of keeping things going, it seems poignant to

say that if you still want your favourite craft brewer to be

around when this finally ends, then it’s best to find out

how you can support them in this tough time. The craft

beer industry is one big family after all, and right now our

brewers and bars need your help more than ever. Support

them if you can, however you can, we hope to see you all

in a pub or bar on the other side.

Cheers,

The Hopulist team

It’s not all bad news

out there on planet

craft

Fresh new beers

to get your

chops round

When craft

brewing met the

Peak District

Crafty merch to

make you feel

warm inside

We visit a creative

brewer in Florida

England’s Trappist

brewer shows

how it’s done

We do the craft

beer circuit in

Wellington

Grab your crafty

garments here

What we’ve been

drinking

(in isolation)

Missed an issue?

Read it here

Craft beer

in the time

of COVID-19

As the craft beer world looked ahead

to 2020, we’re sure plenty of you

out there had your own ideas about

the challenges we might have to face and

overcome to ensure it is another successful

year. We’re not sure many people had in

mind what has ended up happening, this

new reality that we find ourselves in with

a pandemic sweeping the globe. It’s a

bizarre and barely believable situation, but

it is here and besides the obvious issues

it’s created, the pinch is likely to be felt

particularly hard by small independent

brewers and bars. Many of the beers you

know and love are lovingly brewed by very

small teams of hardworking individuals who

never came into this game to make a quick

buck, but to do something that they enjoy

and are passionate about. They need our

help now more than ever, because when

this is all over, we don’t all want to go back

to drinking tasteless macro crap.

But, what can you do? Every craft brewer

is in their own unique situation, with some

not able to brew at full capacity or even

at all. Some are still managing though,

and some are doing their absolute utmost

to continue serving the customer bases

they’ve worked so hard to build up. Many

of these brewers have had to resort to

relying solely on direct sales from their

websites and are working tirelessly to

ensure they can meet that demand. But

they are still selling beer. Get on your

laptop, smartphone or other internetconnected

device and search around,

there’s a good chance your favourite brewer

is selling online. Some of them are naturally

experiencing much higher demand than

usual and also working with a reduced

number of staff in a much slower way due

to extra health and safety precautions, but

you will be able to get your beer. During

the first few weeks of the lockdown we

managed to acquire tipples from several

big names including Duration and Left

Handed Giant. Another option is to try one

of the larger craft beer retailers – the likes

of Honest Brew and Beer Hawk have upped

their game considerably to ensure that

people can still make and receive orders of

their favourite drops.

One thing about adversity is that if often

brings out the best in people, and we all

know craft beer people are some of the

nicest people already, so it’s no surprise to

see some brewers going above and beyond

to help their local communities. Cloudwater

is offering local delivery in Manchester

and even throwing some organic food

and vegetables into the mix for those not

able to get out themselves. Magic Rock is

doing local delivery in Huddersfield and

also running virtual craft beer socials

online to keep people connected. Brewdog

has turned its hand to manufacturing

hand sanitser to fill the void left by panic

buying. The list goes on and on, there’s not

enough space to acknowledge all the great

companies out there doing great things.

The same can be said for many bars and

taprooms.

Our advice it to research those closest

to you and see what they are up to and

how you can get involved. Humankind has

leaned on beer for almost its entirety, so

let’s be sure to give something back to the

companies out there trying to make it in

this storm if we can.

Stay safe, stay happy and stay healthy.

BEER FINDER

There are hundreds of small independent

suppliers of great beer and they are

currently facing a challenge like no other.

With bars, pubs and independent retailers

currently closed, many of these hardworking

providers have set up take-out and delivery

services so you can still enjoy them!

In double quick time the Society of

Independent Brewers (SIBA) and Simply Hops

have created www.beerishere.org to help you

find these services and ensure that small

businesses can continue to sell to those that

love a well-crafted beer. Consumers simply

enter their postcode to find where they can

easily get beer delivered to their homes.

All money will go to the businesses you find

as this is a free service set up to support them

in this difficult time.

PUB IN A BOX

Signature Brew have devised an ingenious way of

filling the void left by Covid-19 pub closures... the

Pub In A Box. As well as a selection of Signature’s

award-winning beers the box includes glassware, snacks,

a music quiz and exclusive playlists curated by music

journalists to accompany the beers. Available throughout

the UK the boxes come in three sizes with either 8, 16 or 24

330ml cans.

Co-Founder Sam MacGregor commented:”We think it’s

best to remain calm, carry on with life, support local and to

support artists however we can, without being alarmist but

with a good eye on what the powers that be, advise us to

do.”

Check out www.signaturebrew.co.uk to see how you can

convert your front room into your local booze. We know it’s

not exactly the same but the positives include no queuing

at the bar, no loud mouth ‘Brexit’ guy and a toilet that isn’t

soaked with someone else’s piss – it’s the little things.

WANT YOUR LATEST BEER LAUNCH FEATURED

WEST COUNTRY MEETS WEST COAST

A 100 per cent pilsner malt bill, dry

hopped solely with wonderful Mosaic.

Left Handed Giant’s West Coast Pils

is inspired by the US West Coast’s

modern take on the traditional

German style. It’s clean, crisp and

juicy with an ABV of 5%.

Release date: Available now

DONE LIKE A KIPA

North Brewing’s recent collab with

Stillwater Artisanal is a 7% Kviek IPA.

Fermented with Kveik Yeast and dryhopped

with El Dorado and Sabro.

Flavours of stone fruits, mango and

pear, developing into a subtle spicy

bitter finish.

Release date: Available now

NEW RELEASES TO

GET US THROUGH

SOCIAL ISOLATION

? CONTACT US AT INFO@HOPULIST.COM

THE SECRET IS OUT

Nelson Sauvin + Vic Secret is a juicy

7% IPA loaded with gooseberry,

pineapple and passionfruit flavours.

Originally brewed as a one-off on tap

but, after great feedback at Brew/LDN,

Tooth & Claw decided to can it.

GOT MILK?

Newcastle based new venture Full

Circle Brew bring to us Breakout

Space, a New England IPA packed

with Citra, Azacca, Ekuanot, Mosaic,

Simcoe and Sabro. Hazy, hoppy, and

soft on the palate.

Release date: Late April

Release date: Spring

A PEAKY

BLINDER

From brewing its first beer in the cold light of a hungover New

Year’s Day to producing more than half a million litres a year,

it’s been quite the journey for Buxton Brewery. We headed to

the Peak District to see what makes this bold beer co tick.

Peak District

• BUXTON

• CHESTERFIELD

• BAKEWELL

Derbyshire

Dales

RIPLEY •

DERBYSHIRE

• ILKESTON

DERBY

By David Guest

Despite it being dark, cold, probably

hungover and generally miserable on

New Year’s Day, it is also a day where we

dare to look forward to the future with hope. It’s a

day for resolutions, for setting new goals and for

painting a picture of success in your head for the

365 days to come. It’s perhaps this rough train of

thought that was swirling around a basic mash tun

in Geoff Quinn’s garage in Buxton, Derbyshire, on

New Year’s Day in 2009 as he brewed what was to

become the start of something very special. Geoff

was brewing what would become known as Buxton

Brewery’s Special Pale Ale (SPA) – a beer still

available in its core range and bars a decade later.

In 2010, after generally positive feedback,

encouragement and a lot of tasting and trial and

error, Geoff packed in his day job and decided to

take brewing to the next level. Fast forward ten

years to 2019, Buxton Brewery has been through

several expansions and the annual production is

now approximately half a million litres, distributing

and selling beer in 15 countries around the world,

mostly in the UK and Europe, but also the USA,

South East Asia and even Australia. What a ride…

Buxton’s Paul Aitken believes that part of the

reason for this sustained growth and success is

down to having a clear and simple ethos, and

sticking to it. He says: “The original ethos is still

standing. It’s a simple one – strive to make the best beer possible,

always with ‘high-drinkability’, no matter what the style, sours,

IPAs, simple bitters or complex imperial stouts. There isn’t much

more to it than that really. Maintaining and staying true to this

ethos is the real trick - never to become complacent, or think that

we’ve mastered any aspect of brewing. There is always something

new to learn, or an improvement in technology or brewing science

to learn about and embrace.”

So, why the Peak District? This hugely popular outdoors

destination was one of the UK’s first National Parks and attracts

people in their thousands each year. Not necessarily the archetypal

craft beer brewing location – but because of that, Buxton has a

unique feel and approach.

Paul continues: “Geoff is an avid climber and one of the original

reasons he chose to move to Buxton in 2003 was to be closer to

the world-class rock climbing and outdoor life style the Peak

District offers. There was no plan to start a micro brewery, (even

though that was a far-off ambition held since 1992), but that’s

what happened. The various climbs, walks and natural landmarks

are the inspiration behind several names of Buxton beers. The

brewery owes a lot to the Peak District and what better way to pay

it homage than name some of its beers after its most awe inspiring

areas?”

Some of Hopulist’s favourite examples of Buxton’s beers inspired

by awesome outdoor spots in the Peak District include punchy

double IPA N’th Cloud and dainty session IPA Grinlow. But these

really are just the tip of the Derbyshire-based iceberg in terms of

what Buxton has to offer as a brewer.

The core range covers all the bases you might expect with

hoppy IPAs, porters, session IPAs, table beers, red ales and double

IPAs all well represented. Buxton has also had a long-standing

collaboration project with Swedish craft beer brewer Omnipollo,

with which it has created many iconic drops such as Yellow Belly,

Birthday Ice Cream Cake and Anniversary Coward. Buxton has

also worked with Lervig, Dugges and Magic Rock.

The original

ethos is still

standing. It’s

a simple one

- strive to

make the best

beer possible,

always

with ‘highdrinkability’,

no matter

what the style.

In 2018,

the site for

the Cellar

Bar became

available. It’s

a beautiful

little space

with loads of

character.

One of the most exciting developments that has occurred at

Buxton in recent years is the introduction of the Buxton Brewery

Tap House and then later the Cellar Bar – both in a prime location

in central Buxton, helping people to more easily enjoy the efforts

of its beer makers.

Paul explains: “The Buxton Brewery Tap House, opened its

doors in September 2013 after undergoing an intense nine-month

renovation. The brewery was doing well, the team had been

brewing and distributing their own beers for three years, and was

gaining a reputation in the UK as well as internationally. The time

seemed right to open a tap room, a dedicated outlet to showcase

the brewery’s beers.

“In 2018, the site for the Cellar Bar became available. It’s a

beautiful little space with loads of character. It’s just two doors

down from the Tap House but a lot smaller in size with a nice

little outdoor space. We modelled the style of the Cellar Bar on a

continental Belgian beer bar & wanted the atmosphere to be just

that as well.

“We also have a tasting room at the brewery, which opened in

2017. We often get a lot of requests from people wanting to visit

the brewery, and as a pretty small workforce of just 10 people, it

was difficult to be able to say yes. So, we thought, what about a

Tasting Room that overlooks the brew-house? It’s ticketed entry

and with each ticket people can get our super fresh beer, see where

the beer comes from and find out how it’s made.”

One question we ask every brewer we feature in Hopulist is what

has its proudest moment been. It’s something that feels important

in an industry full of small, independent and often family-run

companies to record the milestones that have meant to most of the

good people of this industry.

Buxton founder Geoff Quinn says that the answer to this

question used to be ‘overhearing positive feedback in a pub in

Sheffield in the early days when the people drinking the beer didn’t

know I was the brewer’. But nowadays, there are bigger successes

that the Buxton team hold dear to their hearts, as Geoff explains:

“It would be completing our most recent expansion project -

all the team pulled together under really stressful conditions,

continuing to produce really good beers among utter chaos of

builders, electricians, welders all on site together. I’m proud that

Buxton Brewery is about the Peak District and the surrounding

environment, and the people that make the beer, and who serve

and present it in our bars. I feel proud to have these guys in my

organisation, and without them I’d be in the garage still…”

QUICK FIRE Q&A

What is the future vision for both Buxton Brewery and its beers?

To expand our bars as well as the good word of Buxton to many more folk.

What is the thing that excites you most about the future of craft?

That’s a tough question as there are so many things that are exciting

about the future of craft! It’s great to see all the creativity, inclusivity and

ingenuity and we hope this continues.

What is the thing that worries you most about the future of craft?

Competition rather than partnership. Corporation rather than craft.

Are there any exciting plans on the horizon you can tell us about?

Probably – we’ll let you know when we know!

CORE BEERS

HIGH TOR

India Red Ale

440ml ALC. 6.3% VOL

A delicious, refreshing red ale. It brings

together a range of six speciality malts and

new world hops. Creating a characterful

ale with a toffee and dark fruit palate.

AXE^X

Hazy IPA

440ml ALC. 6.8% VOL

Axe raised to the power of X. Where X is

dry hopping increased by 200%. Extra oats

added to the grist for enhanced mouthfeel

and character with IBU’s significantly reduced.

TO SEEK OUT...

GATEKEEPER

Porter

440ml ALC. 4.1% VOL

A deep, dark porter to evoke a sense of

mystery. Big coffee and chocolate flavours

up front with strong finishing and a

roasted malt taste.

JACOB’S LADDER

Table Beer

440ml ALC. 2.8% VOL

A beer with big flavours that isn’t

massive ABV. Light, malty and fruity, this

low alcohol pale ale is a clear expression

of hopping excellence

STICK IT TO ‘EM

Think you’ve seen it all when it comes

to craft beer merch? Think again.

Northern Monk has surpassed its

usual levels of creativity with these

clean and stylish chopsticks. Yum.

DECK YOURSELF OUT

Tempest have a skate ramp in their

brewery and if that’s not hipster

enough they have also created a

collection of skate decks with artwork

from their core beer range!

W A N T Y O U R P R O D U C T F E A T U R E D ? C O

CHOPSTICKS AND

SKATE DECKS, MERCH

HAS GONE MENTAL...

PIMPED UP PINS

Revitalise your old denim jacket,

stylise your rucksack or jazz up your

baseball cap with this slick pin from

Signature Brew. It’s just under 3.5cm

long and 1cm wide.

GOOD BEER FOR ALL

Part memoir, part guide, part call

to action through discovery, This

Ain’t The Beer That You’re Used

To is an honest and approachable

introduction to beer from Dom Cook.

N T A C T U S A T I N F O @ H O P U L I S T . C O M

Home to far more than just Disney World

and alligators, Florida is one of the main

hotbeds of craft beer brewing in the United

States, as Hopulist found out when we took

a trip to Naples.

By David Guest

Cold, wet terror strikes me on

my left cheek just below my

eye. A single drop of rain that

holds the promise of a Biblical deluge

that’s just minutes away. I’m pedalling

fast, weaving my way through a hot

and dusty Floridian business park

desperately searching for a craft beerflavoured

pot of gold at the end of

this rainbow. The sky turns a shade

of black that is normally reserved for

the twilight hours as one of Florida’s

seemingly daily rainstorms is about

to take hold. Cycling the couple of

miles from the villa I’m staying in

to Naples Beach Brewery – one of

Florida’s premiere independent micro

brewers located in the town of the

same name – seemed a great idea at

the time, however panic has now set

in that all I’m going to end up with

on this endeavour is a right, royal

soaking. At last a sign appears – both

metaphorically and literally – a wooden

a-frame directing me to turn left and

be met with the promise of some of

this state’s best locally-brewed craft

beers. After hastily navigating a couple

of speed bumps and abandoning the

bike outside, I make it into the airconditioned

bliss of Naples Beach

Brewery just as the rain started to fall

– and then bounce another foot back in

the air, such is its severity.

The story of this oasis of tranquillity

in the midst of the Floridian humidity

actually started a long way from here –

in the much cooler and temperate

climes of Michigan. The brewer’s

founder, Will Lawson, decided to make

the move south to work as a golf course

superintendent after obtaining his

degree in turfgrass management. This

was in 2003 – and it didn’t take long

for Will to get frustrated that the beer

retailers in Florida didn’t have the same

variety and selection of beers that he

was used to up north. He began to hone

his skills as a home brewer in the spare

time when he wasn’t at the golf course

and eventually became a professional

brewer in 2007 after completing a

diploma course at the Siebel Institute of

Chicago. He decided that Naples needed

a micro brewery and after years of

planning he opened the doors of Naples

Beach Brewery in 2012 – the first micro

brewery of its kind in the city.

Since those early days, it has gone

from strength to strength. It brews a

staggering array of ever-changing beers

on a 15-barrel, three-vessel steam heated

brewhouse, which was actually built in

Will’s homeland of Michigan. Naples

Beach Brewery also has a 132 gallon,

three-vessel pilot system that helps it to

develop recipes for in-house sale and

large production runs in the future.

After hastily

navigating a

couple of speed

bumps and

abandoning the

bike outside, I

make it into the

air-conditioned

bliss of Naples

Beach Brewery

just as the rain

started to fall...

I’m already sweaty as Florida is a hot

and humid place, but after narrowly

avoiding a soaking, I mop a little more

sweat from my brow as I cast my eye

over the beers on offer. The choice is

pretty astounding, so it seems the only

sensible thing to do is to order a flight

and see if this brewery has the walk to

go with its ambitious brew talk. I start

with Blood in the Water, a blood orange

session IPA that really hits the spot and

has so much flavour it feels more like

I’m supping juice with my breakfast

than enjoying a refreshing beer. Then

I step it up and try something really

local – the Key Lime Crusher (well, we

are in Florida after all, and only about

a three-hour drive from the Keys). This

is a key lime coconut cream ale that

has a smooth finish and a really well

balanced mix between the intriguing

flavours it combines. Next, I try Short

and Skirty, a scotch ale that is darker

and brings that wonderful woodiness

that a scotch delivers but in a much less

potent package.

The other beer that really catches my

eye is Purple Grain, a blackberry and

jalapeño American wheat ale… I mean,

what? That is crazy. And it lives up to

that expectation with a fruity nose and

initial taste that gives way to a gradually

building heat. On paper it just shouldn’t

work but it does. I’m stung later in this

trip on a return visit when I decide to

ave a pint of this stuff but am reliably

informed that they had to brew this

latest batch with habanero as they

were out of jalapeños. No worries, the

foolish, macho side of my ego says. Let’s

just say, it was a challenge – both at the

time and later on that evening.

The boldness of Naples Beach to

create beers like this is one thing,

but having the skills, equipment and

talent to pull off beers that are actually

fantastic and not just gimmicks is

quite another. The beers here combine

unusual flavours and styles, but all that

helps towards the friendly and inclusive

atmosphere you’ll find here. There are

young and old, there are families, there

are solo craft beer junkies – everyone

is welcome and there is bound to be

something to meet everyone’s taste. It’s

what craft beer should be all about at its

core.

The other beer

that really

catches my eye

is Purple Grain,

a blackberry

and jalapeño

American wheat

ale… I mean,

what? That is

crazy.

FLORIDA

Naples •

INFO

Naples Beach Brewery

4120 Enterprise Ave

#116, Naples,

FL 34104, USA

É www.naplesbeachbrewery.com

TEN OF THE BEST FLORIDA BREWERS

01 Funky Buddha Brewery | Ft Lauderdale

02 Cigar City Brewing | Tampa

03 Cycle Brewing | St. Petersburg

04 Swamp Head Brewery | Gainesville

05 3 Daughter’s Brewing | St. Petersburg

06 7venth Sun Brewery | Dunedin

07 Tequesta Brewing Company | Tequesta

08 Due South Brewing Company | Boynton Beach

09 Oyster City Brewing Company | Apalachicola

10 Naples Beach Brewery | Naples

FLORIDA BREWERS GUILD

Naples Beach Brewery is a member of the Florida Brewers Guild – a nonprofit

trade association designed to preserve the rights and interests of all craft brewers

throughout the sunshine state. If you see a membership plaque somewhere you’re

drinking in Florida, you know you’re in a reliable watering hole. Not only that but the

Guild aims to promote the principles of advocacy, good education and good brewing

practices among its members. It currently has more than 100 members – so that’s

more than 100 reasons OTHER THAN Disneyland why you need to visit Florida.

Check out www.floridabrewersguild.org/breweries to make sure you’re drinking

proper craft.

florida

“I may not

have gone

where I

intended to

go, but I think

I have ended

up where I

needed to be.”

Douglas Adams

TYNT MEADOW

ENGLISH TRAPPIST ALE

TRAPPIST ALE | ABV: 7.4%

Your eyes do not

deceive you, England

has its first and only

Trappist brewer, and

the monks of Mount

Saint Bernard Abbey

in rural Leicestershire

have delivered a classic

ale with a quirky

British twist.

There is a saying among the

numerous Trappist monks of

Belgium that goes ‘beer should

be liquid bread, not coloured water’. It’s

a simple premise, but one that perhaps

had been lost at some stage in the beer

world not too long ago. Thankfully

the craft beer movement has helped to

restore beers of substance to the world,

as opposed to the reign of terror that

mass-produced largers imposed on

drinkers for so long.

IN THIS SERIES WE

EXAMINE THE BEERS

THAT WE THINK

HAVE TOUCHED

PERFECTION. JUST

HOW DO THEY DO IT?

It is a masterfully brewed beer that uses local ingredients

to their fullest and achieves a taste that is wowing beer

drinkers all around Europe.

In the background of the peaks and troughs

of decent beer, though, has been one constant:

Trappist. The select few officially approved

Trappist beers are brewed by monks in their

own monasteries, seeking to help make a little

money for their church, but also to continue

ancient brewing traditions, making beer from

simple, locally-grown ingredients. And now,

after many years, the UK has its own official,

approved Trappist brewer: Mount Saint

Bernard Abbey.

The monks who live, work and worship

in this abbey in rural Leicestershire have

a simple outlook on life, which is reflected

in the simple, pure quality of the beer they

have produced. Tynt Meadow, is so named

after the original cottage that these monks’

brethren arrived at in the area in the early

1800s, and is a full-bodied dark ale, full of

gently balanced flavours including dark

chocolate, pepper and fig. It has gentle

aromas of the same chocolate and fruits,

but also with a hint of liquorice and leaves

a warm and dry feel after sipping. Tynt

Meadow is brewed with English barley and

hops and also uses an English strain of yeast.

This gives it a distinctly different flavour

to Trappist beers you may have tried from

Belgium. It is unique. Another unique thing

about it is that it ferments twice – once in the

tank and then again in the bottle once stored

in a cool, dark place.

The monks of Mount Saint Bernard say

that work provides balance in their life

and keeps their feet firm on the ground

in the pursuit of spiritual perfection. This

attitude definitely comes across with Tynt

Meadow. It isn’t trying to do anything fancy

or innovative, it is a masterfully brewed beer

that uses local ingredients to their fullest and

achieves a taste that is wowing beer drinkers

all around Europe.

The beer has also recently benefitted from

a newly installed artisanal brewery at the

abbey. This means the brewing process

can continue, but only in small batch. The

monks deliberately want to keep production

small, just enough to meet its expenses and

support its charitable work. In more than

one sense, this beer is old school, and we are

proud to call ourselves big fans.

WELLY

GIVE IT

SOME

WIDELY REGARDED AS THE CRAFT BEER CAPITAL

OF ONE OF THE WORLD'S PIONEERING CRAFT BEER

NATIONS, WELLINGTON IS HEAVEN ON EARTH FOR

THOSE WHO CHERISH A GOOD DROP. HOPULIST

TOOK THE CITY'S BEER TRAIL TO DISCOVER WHY IT

SHOULD BE FIRMLY ON YOUR BUCKET LIST.

By David Guest

To the untrained eye Wellington could be

viewed as a pretty unassuming capital

city. It lacks the iconic Instagramable

monuments or attractions that are ‘must-sees’

for visiting tourists that many other capital cities

boast. There’s no Eifel Tower, no Statue of Liberty,

nor Buckingham Palace. The weather is pretty

crappy most of the time – one of its nicknames

is Windy Wellington owing to its position on the

Cook Strait. It’s not even that easy to get to for a

large portion of the global population – most of

us are looking at a 20+ hour journey via multiple

flights to get there. But what New Zealand’s capital

lacks in the typical, it makes up for tenfold in the

atypical.

Wellington is probably one of the best alternative

capital cities in the world. It’s brimming with

culture, it’s friendly and it’s a place where art and

expression are welcomed with open arms. It is also

home to more than 30 craft beer breweries, which

tells you a lot about its vibe. As you no doubt well

know, by their very nature craft brewers are small

and independent, often family-run businesses that

are run by local people for local people, giving

back to the communities from which they spawn.

Wellington’s brewers are no different. They aren’t

in this game for the money or the fame, they’re

in it for a whole range of far more wholesome

reasons. Within the 171 square miles that make

up the city there’s a bit of everything – a brewer

that was set up in honour of a family’s loved one

sadly lost to breast cancer, a brewer that saved

a classic industrial building from demolition by

moving its brewing kit in, and even a brewer that

is named after and sponsors the conservation

efforts for one of New Zealand’s badass endemic

reptiles that is still hanging around from when

dinosaurs ruled the Earth. In short, Wellington

is an absolute melting pot of passion, quirkiness

and damn-near obsession with craft beer, so when

we got the chance to spend 48 hours within its

boundaries, we made every drop count.

A PERFECT STORM

You might be asking yourself “why Wellington?” – why

does this relatively small and humble capital city have such

an enviable craft brewing scene. Like many of life’s great

questions, the answer isn’t straightforward. A starting point

may well be the outstanding quality and uniqueness of

New Zealand’s hops. The country’s particular geographical

location is like nowhere else on Earth, so subsequently hops

grow here that don’t grow anywhere else. If you can cast your

mind back far enough to Hopulist’s first issue (man, that

feels long ago) you might remember a few of them. Nelson

Sauvin, Kohatu, Motueka, Wai-Iti and Southern Cross have

cemented themselves as some of our favourite flavour and

aroma profiles in craft beer – so already New Zealand is

coming from a special place as a brewing nation.

These magical hops were quickly hoovered up when the

country began to see a huge rise in interest in home brewing.

Kiwis were taking to their garages, sheds and attics to brew

their own beers, which also fitted a more general pattern

in the country that saw beer drinkers focussing on quality

and not quantity. Overall beer volumes consumed by Kiwis

dropped some 10 per cent between 2008 and 2014, which

tells its own story. The craft beer industry was seeing regular

30 per cent annual increases in total value at this point. At

the same time, Wellington, which was already known for

a vibrant independent café and restaurant culture, started

to really take craft beer under its wing. People wanted to

support local businesses, they wanted beer that was big and

bold and not made for drinking by the tens of pints. They

wanted to savour a glass or two of punchy yet refined IPA

while chatting to their mates at the end of a hard day. Craft

beer had found its perfect petri dish (excuse the turn of

phrase, pandemic on the mind). Wellington had always had

great bars, now it had great brewers ready to sell you beer

fresh from the storage tank.

THE COUNTRY'S

PARTICULAR

GEOGRAPHICAL

LOCATION IS LIKE

NOWHERE ELSE

ON EARTH, SO

SUBSEQUENTLY

HOPS GROW

HERE THAT

DON'T GROW

ANYWHERE ELSE.

IT WAS

STARTED

BY THREE

MATES WHO

ADMIT THAT

AT THE VERY

BEGINNING

WHAT THEY

WERE DOING

COULDN'T EVEN

BE CLASSED

AS MICRO

BREWING, IT

WAS NANO

BREWING.

FROM THE GARAGE TO YOUR GROWLER

Perhaps the brewer that best embodies what Wellington is all

about also happened to be the first stop on our beer trail tour of

the city: Garage Project. The company has been around since

2011 and still runs its brewery out of an old derelict petrol station/

automotive garage (hence the name), despite being one of the

real breakout success stories of New Zealand craft brewing. It

was started by three mates who admit that at the very beginning

what they were doing couldn’t even be classed as micro brewing,

it was nano brewing. Because of this they were able to take risks

with styles and flavours and quickly gained a reputation for being

one to watch for unusual beers and bold profiles. The beer began

to flow from the former Jaguar workshop garage and gas station,

which now has a cellar door where you can go to try some of the

best they brew for yourself. Expansion also lead to Garage Project

opening a small bar across the street from where the beer is born,

which was where we began our wander around Wellington. The

atmosphere crashed off the polished white tiles and mirrors that

adorned the walls of the long but narrow bar as we took on a few

of the Garage Project classics including East Coast anthem IPA

Party and Bullshit and triple hazy IPA Turbo Fuzz (featuring some

of that lovely Nelson Sauvin hops we raved about earlier).

From here, it was just a ten-minute walk down the famous Aro

Street to Arthur Street where we spied an old printing company

that had been niftily converted into a craft beer bar that is the

outlet for another of Wellington’s big hitters: Tuatara. Named after

that peculiar reptile we mentioned earlier, Tuatara’s beer can be

found all over New Zealand, but perhaps nowhere fresher than

this bar. It’s called Third Eye, a nod to the Tuatara reptile’s hidden

pineal eye located on top of its tiny head, and it gives you a chance

to open your own proverbial third eye in terms of what craft beer

should be. The Tuatara range isn’t too complex, it keeps things

simple but does them incredibly well – the Red Eye PA, Tuatara

Pilsner and Tuatara Hazy Pale Ale are all particularly fantastic

examples of the types of beer they are.

SISTERS, BROS AND DOGS

The next three brewpubs on our list just so

happened to be so close together you could throw

a craft beer merch t-shirt over them. Okay, perhaps

not that close, but very suitably positioned for

people who were going to have more than three

beers inside their legs. The first stop was Black

Dog Brew Co, another brewer that sprung up

in 2011. In their own words this brewer likes to

do things a little different and smash opposites

together when it’s making its beer. The brewpub

is pretty unassuming, like most of the places here,

with fermenting and storage tanks crammed into

a relatively small bar that has plenty of character

and quite possibly the friendliest bar staff we

encountered on our adventure. The guys here

really took their time to make sure we were getting

beers we’d enjoy and even explained a little of the

thinking that went into each one. It’s also a bar that

heavily promotes the use of growlers, so it stokes

up some regular business for itself that way.

After this, it was on to a bar you might miss

if you were simply searching for those with the

names of brewers. Husk just looks like a regular

bar from the outside, but once inside you quickly

realise this is the home of another famous

Wellington name Choice Bros. Promising

innovative, experimental and occasionally mad

beers, Choice Bros claim to have a knack of

balancing both malts and hops in their beers and

this method has seen them rise to fame within

the city and the country alike. Some of the

highlights on tap when we visited included: I’m

Afraid of Americans, a smack-you-in-the-face

American IPA and the incredible On the Brain

peanut butter and raspberry ale (just trust us on

that one).

After Choice Bros we headed to one of the more

eye-catching of Wellington’s craft beer purveyors

Whistling Sisters. Nestled on the corner of the

wonderfully typical Kiwi named Ghunzee Street

and Taranaki Street, the bar is quite hard to

miss with large posters and branding occupying

billboards on the outer walls. Inside you’ll find a

very comfortable and welcoming venue that has

definitely placed huge emphasis on experience as

well as its brews. It is also a very good venue for

food, with a large kitchen hidden away behind

the mash tuns and fermentation tanks – while we

sampled the delights there was a steady flow of

diners from all walks of life.

FORTUNATE FINDS

We managed to squeeze in a couple of other visits

during our stay in Wellington (on the next day we

might add, our livers are not made of stone). First

up was Fork and Brewer, the bar and restaurant

of Fork Brew Corp. Blink and you might miss this

one as it is basically just a doorway, but it opens

onto a stairway to craft beer heaven. This brewer

has a slightly different business model to most –

it is the production arm of the Fork and Brewer

ale house and in its own words brews ‘outside,

inside and through the box’. A lot of its business

is catering for events and hospitality, giving more

mainstream mass events the chance to have decent

beer available to drink. There was only one choice

of beer for us at this place and that was Hyperlocal,

its New Zealand pale ale that is packed with

Riwaka and Nelson Sauvin hops.

WELLINGTON

HAS SOMETHING

FOR EVERYONE

- CRAFT BEER

FLOWS THROUGH

THE VEINS OF

THIS CITY AND

LONG MAY IT

PROSPER.

01 Garage Project

garageproject.co.nz

02 Heyday Beer Co

heyday beer.com

03 The Third Eye

tuatarabrewing.co.nz

04 Black Dog Brew Co

blackdogbrewery.co.nz

05 Whistling Sisters

whistlingsisters.co.nz

06 Fortune Favours

fortunefavours.beer

07 HUSK

huskbar.co.nz

08 Fork & Brewer

forkandbrewer.co.nz

After our fill of fork, it was on to Fortune Favours, one of the

city’s younger brewers. Started by Shannon Thorpe, who had

grown tired of working for other brewers, Fortune Favours was

set up in an old industrial building and brews beers on site that

are fresh, fun and innovative. This is another bar that’s hard to

miss thanks to the large wooden hand sticking out from the

front of the building overhead as you walk by. Its motto is ‘be

bold, be brave, be lucky’ – a mantra we can all get behind in

these modern times.

Despite our best efforts, we weren’t able to get around all of

the brewpubs in Wellington, as several are a little out of town.

Honourable mentions to the best of the rest include Parrotdog

(we did pick up their beer in a supermarket and it is excellent),

Double Vision Brewing, Heyday and Waitoa Social Club. We

also haven’t mentioned any of the countless excellent bars and

pubs around the city that are not run by brewers but offer a

dazzling range of beer from all over this wonderful country.

Quite simply, you could live in Wellington for a year and not

master its craft beer scene fully, it’s that comprehensive. This

was something we contemplated with wonder as we sat sipping

on a few cans of very varied beers from another Kiwi brewer

Funk Estate. Wellington has something for everyone – whether

you know what you like and stick religiously to it, you like to

experiment wildly, or you’re somewhere in between – craft beer

flows through the veins of this city and long may it prosper.

•

WEBB ST

ARO ST

TARANAKI ST

CUBA ST

WILLIS ST

VICTORIA ST

VIVIAN ST

GHUZNEE ST

CUBA MALL

THE TERRACE TUNNEL

DIXON ST

WELLINGTON

JERVOIS QUAY

LAMBTON QUAY

Queens Wharf

ROADIE ALL-NIGHT

A white, hard-wearing tee with hand

screen-printed, four-colour design

based on Signature Brew’s Roadie

All-Night IPA can art. It fits the name

and the nature of the beer itself very

nicely.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Bristol’s Left Handed Giant has some

of the most eye-catching can designs

in craft beer, but it has kept things

clean and simple with this plain white

tee – we’re big fans. Sizes range from

X small to XX large.

W A N T Y O U R P R O D U C T F E A T U R E D ? C O

IT’S HOTTING UP!

TIME TO TOP UP ON

THE TEES FOR SUMMER

CLOUD FORECAST

Cloudwater’s unisex t-shirts feature

a double-printed logo on the front

(small) and back (large). Available in

black, white or orange these supersoft

single jersey tees are made with

organic ring-spun combed cotton.

WHAT DEYA THINK?

Uncomplicated logo tee from DEYA

but it checks out. Available in a variety

of colours from teal (pictured), arctic

blue, indigo, mustard, coral and sage.

Sizes small to extra large.

N T A C T U S A T I N F O @ H O P U L I S T . C O M

OUR FAVOURITE

CRAFT BEERS OF

THE MOMENT.

SO GOOD WE

ARE DRINKING

THEM AT HOME.

DURATION

BAUBLES OF

VANITY

WEST COAST

PALE ALE

When west coast is

done right you can’t

beat it in our eyes.

A full fruit basket of

aromas – citrus, melon,

strawberry, tangerine

you name it and we

think it’s in there –

dank undertones

and rich mouthfeel

culminating in a

refreshing bitterness.

An easygoing pale ale

true to its style.

ABV: 5.2%

Colour: Orange

Aroma: Malt/citrus

Taste: Tropical

LHG

MAKING

PLANETS

DIPA

If only everything in

life was as reliable

as Bristol titans LHG.

Aromas of mango,

pineapple and other

tropical goodness that

are mirrored in its taste,

leading to a bitter finish.

Soft and juicy its a real

citrus burst direct to

your feels.

ABV: 8%

Colour: Hazy gold

Aroma: Tropical fruit

Taste: Tropical fruit

BREWDOG

FUNK X PUNK

BRETT

FERMENTED IPA

AGED IN FOEDER

Brewdog’s flagship

IPA has been aged in

foeders and then dry

hopped to oblivion.

Perfectly balanced,

funky with complex

flavours. Tropical

fruit aromas, a chewy

mouthfeel with punchy

dry notes and packed

to the rafters with citrus

hop flavour.

ABV: 5.5%

Colour: Gold

Aroma: Citrus

Taste: Sour/Citrus

YOUR MATES

LARRY

PALE ALE

Brewed with the

inspiration of a mild

and relaxed summer

day in Queensland,

Australia, Larry is a

clean and simple pale

ale that offers modest

but interesting flavor.

If ever a beer could be

described as an ‘allrounder’

it might be

this one – it has gentle

tropical notes in both

aroma and taste and

offers a clean and

even mouthfeel and a

pleasing golden orange

colour with just the right

amount of haze. Perfect

for a sunny afternoon.

ABV: 4.7%

Colour: Hazy orange

Aroma: Pineapple/

passionfruit

Taste: Tropical fruits

NORTH BREWING

TRIPLE FRUITED

GOSE – MANGO

SOUR/GOSE

North Brewing have

created a real homage

to the tastiest of all

tropical fruit – the

mango. Showcasing

the stoned fruit in all its

juicy, sweet, soft glory

whilst creating a lovely

balance against the

salty goodness of the

base Gose recipe.

Did we menton the

mango?

ABV: 4.5%

Colour: Hazy yellow

Aroma: Tropical fruits

Taste: Tropical/mango

VOCATION

TWISTED SOUR

SOUR

For the uninitiated

Valencia oranges are

a sweet orange which,

despite their name,

originate in the States.

Gently kettle-soured

to complement and

enhance the citrus

notes of both valenica

and blood oranges

the result is a supercrisp

sour perfect for

summer.

ABV: 4.5%

Colour: Gold

Aroma: Orange

Taste: Tart/citrus

DURATION

BET THE FARM

CONTINENTAL PALE

Our second offering

from Norfolk’s Duration

Brewing is a hoppy,

lightly floral continental

pale which is dry and

elegantly balanced, the

natural accompaniment

to long late spring/

early summer evenings.

Duration have also

promised a rustic barrel

aged version off foeder

which will evolve this

into a farmhouse pale.

ABV: 4.5%

Colour: Yellow/Gold

Aroma: Floral/hops

Taste: Floral/fruit

MISSED AN ISSUE?

Hopulist have been around for a while now and we hace quite the cellar of craft

beer content. Whether you’re new to us or you’ve just missed an issue, we invite

you to come in, take a look around, chances are you’ll find something you like.

ISSUE 1

• Exclusive interview with Beavertown’s Nick Dwyer

• 11 interesting beers from Scandinavia

• Brilliant beer in Bangkok – a city on the up

• A breakfast stout to die for from Founders

• Why New Zealand craft beer is booming

• The story behind UK pioneer Beer Gonzo

CLICK TO READ

ISSUE 2

• Visit Cornwall’s Verdant to see what’s brewing

• Why Trappist brewers are still relevant

• Our guide to getting the most from a growler

• Walk the Bermondsey Beer Mile with us

• The cream of the crop in California

• We gush over Chimay Blue

CLICK TO READ

ISSUE 3

• Pull up a pew and tune in to the Craft Beer Channel

• The story of how Duration Brewing began

• Get glassware tips in our 101 guide

• The finest beers that Yorkshire has to offer

• A Guerrilla movement in Northampton’s bar scene

• The year that was – 2017 in craft beer

PHOTO CREDIT: ROBERT GIGLIOTTI

CLICK TO READ

ISSUE 4

• A Bison on the loose in Brighton is good news for beer

• Tune in to our interview with Signature Brew

• Sour power – our top picks in this genre

• Exclusive interview with To Øl designer Kasper Ledet

• Thornbridge hits the right notes in stouts

• Join us on a craft beer journey through Japan

日本特産品

CLICK TO READ

ISSUE 5

• Uncover a hidden gem of a bar in Sheffield

• Witness the first-ever craft beer world cup

• How homebrewing became a major scene

• A foodie mag’s take on our industry

• Why Jesus is the saviour of beer in New York

• Our guide to matching your snacks

CLICK TO READ

ISSUE 6

• Our guide to the craft beer scene in Birmingham

• Exclusive interview with Unity Brewing’s Jimmy Hatherly

• Inside the mind of Lervig designer Nanna Guldbaek

• Our pick of the best European Imperial Stouts out there

• How top writer Breandán Kearney got into beer

• The beers we are drinking and you might want to try

CLICK TO READ

ISSUE 7

• Take a trip to Singapore with us.

• Exclusive interview with top writer Matthew Curtis

• We prove craft beer on a budget is possible.

• A guide to 2019’s best craft beer events.

• Our picks of what beer is hot right now

• All the freshest beer merch to keep you looking slick

CLICK TO READ

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EDITORIAL: DAVID GUEST

DESIGN: MARK GRAFTON

Hopulist Issue Eight

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