Mad Props to Yeastie Boys!

[Kempicus]

I just wanted to throw out some praise to the Yeastie Boys. Since they’ve hit the scene I’ve been nothing but impressed with what they’ve done in quite a few areas

First of all I applaude the innovation to contract brew at Invercargill using beervana as a springboard to launch the brand….minimum risk and maximum exposure, great stuff!

The beer:
It’s great, it’s interesting, well thought out, well brewed with good ingredients and damn tasty!

The Attitude:
Openness to share recipes….what’s that about? Whatever it is it’s a great thing to do! Stu’s openness to share knowledge and answer questions, everybody wins!
Lack of compromise on flavour…speaks for itself, the beers are full of flavour and I continue to be impressed.

And my final mad prop….information thank god we finally get constant updates on where beer can be bought, drunk or bathed in!

My only gripe is why can’t we just get all this great beer all the time? I’m eagerly awaiting March for the next instalment!

[nzbrewer]

Guess I will need to try a bit harder with Epic. Be really keen to hear how I can improve things.

[JoKing]

Thats a bit random Luke, about 90% of the members pages list Epic as one of their favourite beers. That only leaves room for 10% improvement...

[Stu McKinlay]

I'd like to see Epic available on tap in more outlets Luke. There's one suggestion. ;-)

[nzbrewer]

Suggestions on where?

[Stu McKinlay]

Everywhere! or, at least, most places. I'd definitely drink it ahead of everything else in every Monteiths Bar.

[nzbrewer]

"Most places" of which at least 80% are on contract with one of the large breweries.

and the 20% that aren't (we are applying the 80/20 rule of course) what beer is going to come off tap for Epic?

[Stu McKinlay]

Yeh, I'm only pulling your leg Luke. I know how hard it is to get in places.
Lots of those others are tied to someone else too - in one way or another. For example, the Chch bars that have all the Emerson's beers on - top beers but still tied.

[JoKing]

You could sell it in Rosie O'Gradies in New Plymouth - or Peggy Gordons.

I have had "New Munster Pale Ale" at Rosies (Brewed in Hastings... very nice) and Peggies has "Bass", "Newcastle Brown" amongst other Beer Force Kegs... I'd drink Epic over that stuff.

It sort of indicates an open tap for other beer... Stu - you can try these places too please.

[Ally Mcg]

Couple of things - love to see more epic on tap - hit up Pomeroys if you can and get them to take off a Harringtons and replace it with the Epic Pale Ale. That or any bar in Chch and I'd surely become a patron

Secondly, totally agree with the big ups to the Yeastie Boys. The PKB got me into homebrewing, thinking 'how can i replicate that beer' and the Golden Boy inspired my last beer and I'm proud to say i drank the last of in Chch on tap (I think). Eagerly awaiting the Kid Chocolate.

Moral of this post? With good beer everyone wins. Here's to seeing more Yeastie Boys and Epic on taps in the South Island

[Kempicus]

Moral to this post? credit where credit is due i say, these guys are brewing beer of quality with integrity why not celebrate that?

[Stu McKinlay]

The PKB got me into homebrewing, thinking 'how can i replicate that beer'

Wow, Ally, that's the best complement we can get. That's really awesome. Hopefully we'll see you at the Twisted Hop late on Thursday afternoon.


Thanks Kempicus. We're not in it for the money, just for the love, so any "mad props" is about as good as it gets.


A little bit about Yeastie Boys. We're not planning on getting much bigger in this incarnation. We like it this way, it's fun, and we're a moving target (hence we can drop hints about the recipes - we don't give everything away but we do tell you all the ingredients). The bars that we're working with seem to like it this way too. A couple of kegs generate some short-term bursts of interest beyond the standard range. It helps create new customers or to revive some of the regulars. It might educate the odd person about what beer can be, or where styles come from. Some people just like drinking it.

People always ask me why we don't brew closer to home. We're open to working with other breweries (and do have a couple in mind) but, simply, I think Steve Nally has proven himself to be the best experimental brewer over the last couple of years (for me he's alongside Emerson and O'Leary in that department now). He's totally open minded and he constantly questions and scrutinises the homebrewed beers I've given him over the years. He's also a great guy. He makes a little money off us brewing there, which is nice (though it probably only equates to about $5/hr!!!).

I guess for me it is a chance to get my "homebrew" out well beyond the few people that ever get to drink it. I always have people asking if they can be in my 'test team' (if they're not asking me if I can brew a clone of Carlton Blonde) and I never had enough beer to give to all of them... now it's their choice whether or not to buy it. Best of all, it keeps me experimenting with the homebrew...

Kid Chocolate is locked in for Friday. Should be out by the end of February (will definitely be on handpump at the Wellington beer fest - though I'll be home with a 2 day old baby).

We've got interesting plans beyond there (including a bottled beer or two) and I've got some other ideas to share with Sam on this trip down south... we'll see where they take us.


Moral to this post: There isn't one...but... anyone can do this.

[Kempicus]

dammit i was gonna see if you fancied a beer on friday ah well get yea down t' invercargill lad and brew us a mild! i have a flat cap on standby and can probably borrow a whippet off someone....