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Couple brews a better life at Riwaka brewery

A craft brewery near Motueka is getting a fresh lease of life thanks to its enthusiastic new owners, Simon and Nicki Nicholas, who’ve turned their backs on the city in search of a better work-life balance.

Monkey Wizard Brewery, situated on the way to the Abel Tasman National Park in idyllic Riwaka, is being reinvented as a sophisticated yet laid-back establishment called Hop Federation brewery. The aim is to create a meeting place and tasting room where local families and tourists can enjoy a distinctive, refreshing brew in the sun.

Avid brewer Simon has amassed 20 years of liquor industry experience, including a long stint at Auckland based liquor retailer Glengarry Wines, where he worked his way up to merchandising manager, and most recently, two years as assistant brewer at renowned brewery Hallertau.

A passion for the liquor industry and drive to be at the helm of his own brand had always tugged at his imagination, so when Monkey Wizard came up for sale, he and Nicki jumped at the chance to ditch their hectic Auckland lifestyle for a business that allowed them to spend more time with their bubbly two-year-old daughter Lily.

“A lot of people have tried the beers that I’ve been doing for the past two years and although they weren’t my recipes, I was brewing them and getting that consistency and that good flavour coming through,” Simon says.

“I can’t wait to show off what I can do with different styles of beer. I love experimenting and I love how you can adjust and change the grain build or the hops, and get fantastic flavours. My first beer will be a golden ale made solely with Motueka hops, which will showcase the region.”

The couple’s plans to reinvigorate Hop Federation are well underway – they expect to have four new beers available by Christmas.

An off-licence for beer sales plus a family-friendly tasting room for a maximum of 30 people to try Simon’s brews are nearing completion, and will see Hop Federation become a major drawcard in the area.

Simon and Nicki have their hearts set on prominence in the national craft beer market too.

“We want the neighbours to come in and sit down with the kids and have a beer, but we also want the rest of the country to know what Hop Federation is all about,” Nicki says.

ENDS

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