In an effort to tackle food waste, they’ve created a brew — Jam Sandwich — using recycled bread.
KiwiHarvest Queenstown branch manager Gary Hough says bread is the main item the food rescue charity collects from supermarkets and bakeries, "and we end up with more than we can handle".
"We wanted a new way to utilise the bread that wasn’t just composting or it ending up in landfill, so we approached the guys at Altitude."
Altitude Brewing Co head brewer Eliott Menzies says Altitude has their own recycling programme, so joining forces with KiwiHarvest is an exciting opportunity.
Menzies researched how to use all of the bread, not just parts of it, and found kvass.
"It’s an old drink from the middle-ages, where leftover bread was steeped and fermented with whatever flavouring they could find.
"It was big in Eastern Europe, near Poland, Russia and Georgia."
As a trial, Menzies took 90 loaves of rescued bread and combined it with a rescued strawberry puree.
The beverage, which is not actually a beer, is light, fruity and only contains 2% alcohol.
Menzies says Jam Sandwich, being launched at Sugar Lane’s Altitude tonight, is the first kvass brewed in Queenstown, and possibly in New Zealand.
"I really like the flavour of it, and I can see a great future for the recycled bread concept."
Depending on how well-received it is, it may become a regular — Hough says that could create another income source for his charity, which is reliant on grant funding.
Tickets for tonight’s launch, part of Sustainable Queenstown’s Green Drinks series, cost $5, via Humanitix.
Proceeds from ticket sales go to Sustainable Queenstown, while all profits from Jam Sandwich sales tonight go to KiwiHarvest.
