October 22, 2014. For immediate release.

Pacific Beer Expo Details Revealed

With just days left until the 4th Pacific Beer Expo, organisers Hashigo Zake and Beer Without Borders can announce more details about exactly what will be on offer.

According to Festival Director, Dominic Kelly, “we think there is enough going on at this year’s event for us to boast that this is the most adventurous, most concentrated and best value beer festival in New Zealand. Not only is there an extraordinary range of beer on offer, it is a very different list from any previous festival."

Local Beer

A feature of the 2014 festival is the emergence of some very new and very small local breweries making highly adventurous new beers. These include:

•Tiamana, making a beer based on a German Black Forest Cake.

•Wild and Woolly, with an interpretation of an American pumpkin beer

•Choice Bros have made a saison that takes advantage of a complex cocktail of yeasts and primary and secondary fermentations.

•Nine Barnyard Owls have made a strong ale in a Belgian style infused with rum-soaked raisins.

Also represented are the slightly better established local breweries of Baylands, Funk Estate and Behemoth and what now seem like an “old guard” of ParrotDog, Yeastie Boys and Garage Project.

Terroir

New Zealand’s Champion Brewer of 2013, Renaissance, are contributing the result of a remarkable experiment. They have formulated and brewed an American-style IPA using classic American hops, then made it again with the hops replaced by New Zealand grown versions of the same varieties.

The two beers will be served alongside each other. It may be the first time that consumers can taste the effects of terroir on hop flavour in such a stark manner.

Japanese Beer

Not only will the festival serve the beer of legendary Japanese brewery Baird, the brewery’s founder, Bryan Baird, will be present and conduct tastings within the festival.

2014 World Beer Cup Champion Brewer

At the 2014 World Beer Cup, San Diego’s Coronado Brewing were named the champion mid-sized brewery. To celebrate this milestone, the brewery and the Pacific Beer Expo have arranged to have an extra large representation of their beer at the festival. On show will be beers that normally aren’t available outside their own brew pub or tasting room, including a super rare keg of Barrel- Aged Stupid Stout.

666 Swansong

The festival will serve what may be the final beer made by Hamilton’s 666 Brewing. The brewery’s founder, Graeme Mahy, is moving to New South Wales to become the Head Brewer at Murray’s. The beer in question is 666’s Gabrielle “B”, which is normally a pale ale, fermented as a pilsner.

Cook Islands Beer

Cook Island’s Matutu Brewery will be represented with a keg of their Mai Lager being transported specially for the event.

Collaborations

The Pacific Beer Expo will get to serve the fruits of a number of collaborations, many of them “trans-Tasman”:

•Wellington’s ParrotDog and Melbourne’s Two Birds have created a brand new Double Stout

•Sydney’s Young Henry’s and locals Yeastie Boys have created an Agave Stout called My Coffee Is Cactus

•Australia’s Bridge Road and Norway’s Nøgne Ø worked together on Aurora Borealis – a strong Belgian style Tripel that was simulataneously barrel-aged and transported around the world.

•Yeastie Boys (again) collaborated with Australia’s Doctors Orders to come up with a beer they call Tonic, which is designed to be served with gin.

Glassware

The Pacific Beer Expo will become the first commercial venture in New Zealand to launch the world famous Teku beer glass. Every attendee will be given one of these elaborate and elegant pieces of stemware to use during the festival and keep. They can also take the glass home in a festival bag, which doubles as an insulated bottle bag.

Catering

Food will be provided by the great local catering company The Catering Studio.

Venue

The Pacific Beer Expo returns to its original venue of The Boatshed on Wellington’s Waterfront. It is also expanding into the neighbouring Wellington Rowers Club, giving increased capacity and versatility.

Wrap Party

The event comes with its own after party this year, at the festival venue, and staged by Goldings Free Dive.

Dates and Times

The Pacific Beer Expo takes place on Saturday October 25 and Sunday October 26, from 2pm until 7pm. Tickets are on sale at Hashigo Zake and www.cultbeerstore.co.nz.

The Wrap Party starts at 9pm on Sunday the 26th and tickets are on sale at Goldings Free Dive.

ENDS

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