The first craft beer to be brewed at the newly installed Gadoochi Brewery at Tuatara cafe and bar in Invercargill has a special flavour for its owners.
Nicola McGilvray and Chris Ellenden have dedicated the first in-house brew to Ms McGilvray’s brother, who died of cancer two years ago.
The brew, called Johnny Spanners IPA, is a Pilsner with citrus flavours and a touch of grapefruit and passion fruit and is made in a 350-litre gravity-fed system. It was created with the help of brewers Damon Milne and Kelly Robertson.
It is expected to be released at the beginning of next year.
The homage is a personal one for Ms McGilvray.
"He would be very proud. He was a big part of this project and one of our main supporters," she said.
"It is great we were able to make him part of it, even though he is not here."
The new brewery officially opened its doors this month with the hope it would bring more vibrancy to the city.
"It was a long journey, almost three years of planning, but it is finally here and operating," Mr Ellenden said.
Gadoochi Brewery is located at the back of the cafe and includes a tasting area, a stage for live performances and a variety of ciders and beers for all kinds of tastes.
The couple hoped to create a destination for hopheads and wanted to create a collaborative beer with help and input from local brewers, Ms McGilvray said.
"We hope Invercargill people embrace this brewery and they feel pride in it. It is somewhere they can go to gather with their local friends, as well meet some out-of-town people."
While the first local brew was not ready for consumption, customers could try almost 20 types of ciders and beers.
An official launch of the brewery and the Johnny Spanners beer was planned for early in the new year, Ms McGilvray said.
"Everything was so confusing this year with Covid-19 and new systems. But we need to do something; we need to celebrate."
