Croucher Brewing Sells Its Soul...

We are in Auckland today bottling the first Croucher beers coming off the line at Steam Brewing. While we continue to brew furiously in Rotorua, we have taken advantage of Steam's expertise to help us produce some serious volume.

Don't worry, we haven't sold out! Rather, we are taking advantage of an opportunity to help us grow our sales and distribution. Over the past year we have been really up against it trying to produce enough beer to meet demand and also provide enough stock to actively grow our distribution around NZ, and God forbid having enough stock to even consider exporting.

A few months back things changed at the brewery, providing us the perfect opportunity to have a thorough look at what we are trying to do and specifically the best way of doing it. Our main issue was that we never had enough beer! We decided to investigate contract brewing/bottling some of our bottled beer. After some analysis, we decided to work with Steam Brewing (winners of multiple trophies at BrewNZ this year, and also the team that work with Epic Brewing). We went up a month or so back and brewed some big batches of Pilsner and Pale Ale.

In the meantime, our Rotorua-brewed Pilsner won CHAMPION INTERNATIONAL LAGER at BrewNZ, thus setting a very high bar for Shane and the team at Steam to emulate. Well, today we bottled the Pilsner brewed at Steam, and it would be fair to say that we are EXTREMELY happy with it! So if you haven't tried it in a while, make sure you get out there and track it down - it would easily be one of the hoppiest lagers in NZ, and is a fantastic showcase of New Zealand hops - to the point where we are re-badging it as a New Zealand Pilsner. Tomorrow we bottle the Pale Ale. Then we are back home to brew, bottle and keg beer there too - and somehow finding time to sell the beers we have just packaged! Anyone looking for a job??

Another exciting change is that, as of this week, we are introducing 500ml bottles to our range. So we will have 330ml bottles primarily targetted at on-premise, 500ml bottles primarily targetted at off-licence and keg beer for these outlets who enjoy fresh draught craft beer. The 500ml bottles have a lovely new label design, which will roll out to the 330's soon too.

The other thing you'll already be aware of is our regular seasonal brews. The latest release is Croucher PATRIOT, our American Black Ale. It has been sent out around the country. The first keg went on at Hashigo Zake in Wellington, with a fantastic review of PATRIOT having already been blogged by a visiting American. On Thursday evening PATRIOT is the guest beer at House On Hood's beer club in Hamilton.

Our next seasonal is called October Ale, and funnily enough will be released in October. It is a recipe based on the early India Pale Ale's from the mid-18th Century. It has been brewed with English malts and English hops, and is shaping up nicely as the perfect foil for all those hoppy American IPA's that are de rigueur. Keep an eye out in mid-October for Croucher OCTOBER ALE.

We hope you are enjoying our blog/facebook/twitter posts, letting you peek behind the curtain at the goings-on at our craft brewery.

Nigel & Paul

Croucher PATRIOT - American Black Ale

The latest seasonal beer from Croucher Brewing has been shipped.

Croucher PATRIOT is an American Black Ale. Paul succinctly captured its essence, "it is BLACK and it is HOPPY!" Another outstanding literary contribution from Dr Croucher.

This is our first (okay Kieran, it is actually - technically - our second) beer brewed with US grown hops (Amarillo and Simcoe, for you hop boffins), and we have been 'well excited' about brewing it, sampling it, and now (begrudgingly) sharing it.

While PATRIOT is a beautiful black colour, it doesn't have the dark roasty toasty flavours we generally associate with dark beers, so it kind of messes with your brain. It weighs in at a healthy, but not overpowering, 5.5% alc/vol.

You can catch this patriotic drop soon at Galbraith's in Auckland, House in Hamilton, as well as Hashigo Zake and Regional Wines & Spirits in Wellington. And if you are invited, it will be on tap at some dude's* wedding in November. We are hopeful of getting a keg on in Rotorua too - TBA.

As the South will surely rise again, a shipment of kegs has gone to the Southern Isle to our good friend Craig at Beer NZ. A list of southern outlets will hopefully appear shortly.

Please head out and track down a glass of PATRIOT, we think you'll enjoy it.
Cheers,
Nigel & Paul


* Apologies, David, that looks a bit disrespectful - it isn't meant to be, it just sounded hipper to say 'some dude'.**

** Apologies to Mr Neil Miller, the creator of the *'d footnote - I admit to plagiarism of 'Ihimaera proportions'. This blog will NOT be reprinted.

Paul's Parliamentary Pie and Pint

Great day yesterday taking the HEF to Parliament. Was quite a start to the day, it turned out my taxi driver was an ex Khmer Rouge child soldier. Fascinating but quite a conversation killer - what do you talk about? I dropped my bags at the Bolton (which incidently had an excellent selection of NZ craft beers!) and went to observe Question Time in the house. I've figured out how it works. You ask a question that isn't a question so your opponent is totally unprepared for the question you're going to pop out as a supplementary!

As fascinating as this was, I left after about 40 minutes to begin a mini solo pub-crawl. Started at the Malthouse for a Three Boys Oyster Stout on the Handpump. Its an oldie but a goodie and when you come from a beer desert its very much appreciated. Managed an argument with Roger from the bar (a patron) about the merits of the Monk's Habit on Tap. I said "Its delicious!" to which he maligned "But its not Monk's Habit!". Got to love the passion.

I made my way to Hashigo Zake for a Rouge Russian Imperial Stout and for good measure back to the Malthouse for an Hopwired IPA. Suitably fortified I made my way to Parliament for my maiden address to caucus.

I may have overstated the significance of the address. Nonetheless, we were eating Pies and drinking the HEF in the caucus room and I did make a short speech plugging the virtues of Rotorua's great pies, made by the Lam family, and New Zealand craft beer. We had a good turnout of famous new and old MP's. Roger Douglas, the statesman, drinking the HEF. Can't work out what I feel about that! Still wish I'd taken a picture. Simon Bridges, David Bennett, Melissa Lee, Michael Woodhouse, Maurice Williamson ... Maybe we've convinced a few of the lawmakers of the virtues of craft beer.

Next there was the option of listening to the debate over the smacking legislation or going to the Backbencher  to watch the live TV7 pub debate,  "Back Benches". We chose the Pub. A quiet Hoprocker later (is it just me or is that beer getting better and better?) we were back to the Parliamentary Billiard room for more HEF washed down with KFC as a bit of a do for the 2008 Parliamentary inductees. This was a great session where I can't believe how candid the politicians were considering there were two members of the media there. Luke Valentine from Classic Hits and Neil Miller, an occasional visitor to The Malthouse. I particularly enjoyed the nerve of Mr Miller successfully executing a jumpshot on the Parliamentary felt.

Two pieces of KFC, three HEFs, and goodness knows how much gossip later, it was all over and time to go home. Fortunately what goes on tour stays on tour.

I'd like to thank Todd McClay for his hospitality and drive to promote two successful businesses from his electorate. Thanks to all of those who came to try our wares - you helped make a great evening. A big thanks also to Luke Valentine from Classic Hits for driving from Rotorua to cover this event.

As a parting question to the house: There were 100 pies and 120 beers for 50 people. There were three left of each at the end of the night. Who ate all the pies?

Happy New Year!!

Hopefully you have had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. We've been busy at the brewery preparing ourselves for festival season. We had the Tairua Food & Wine festival last weekend, which was held on a beautiful Coromandel summers day.

On Thursday (14th Jan) we are at Blues, Brews & BBQ's at Mount Maunganui. If you are in the area you simply must attend. It is a great day of music, food and obviously fantastic beers. If you are coming along, make sure you come and say hi. We will be serving our Cherry Bock on Thursday. This is our most recent release, and is has been receiving rave reviews.

Our other recent release, the Vicar's Vice is on tap at Galbraith's in Auckland, Hashigo Zake in Wellington, The Underground Bar in Rotorua, as well as one or two locations in the South Island. It is a beautiful drop, so make sure you get to try it.