Toast Magazine May 2016 Edition

Ideas • Advice • Occasions WINTER 2016 — ISSUE 7

GOLDEN YEARS

whisky revival TIME TO ENTERTAIN

drinks to set the mood ON THE WINE TRAIL

best pinot noirs discovering Hawke’s Bay

INDULGENT Dublin Iced Coffee (recipe page 45)

NZ $6.95

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@ CORONA _ NZ CORONA.CO.NZ

Welcome

Looking for Liquorland?

With stor es all over the country, we’r e f ive million times easier to f ind than The Lost City of Atlantis.

www.liquorland.co.nz at e or st l ca lo ur yo nd Fi ryone’s there now days) Or look on Facebook (eve

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CEO John Baker Editorial Manager Morgan McCann Marketing Manager Rita Shields Merchandise Manager Peter Dudfield Marketing Communications Executive Melissa Ellmers Hotfoot General Manager Fiona Kerr Account Director LauraGrace McFarland Advertising Manager Karrin MacLeod Associate Publisher Lisa Morton Content Manager Jane Lyons Sub Editor Nikki Birrell Sales and Editorial Assistant Imogen Braddock Contributors Bryce Carleton, Michael Donaldson, Cameron Douglas, Josh Griggs, Liz Hancock, Anna King Shahab, Delaney Mes, Ann Warnock Cover Photography by Josh Griggs; styling by Fiona Kerr Design Tangible Media

Issue 7 — Winter 2016

Published by Tangible Media ICG Ltd. PO Box 77027, Mt Albert Auckland 1350, New Zealand tangiblemedia.co.nz

Toast is published for Liquorland Ltd DX Box EX11366, Auckland Telephone: 09 621 0875 liquorland.co.nz The contents of Toast are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher.

Opinions expressed in Toast are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editor. Information contained in Toast is correct at the time of printing and while all due care and diligence has been taken in the preparation of this magazine, the publisher is not responsible for any mistakes, omissions, typographical errors or changes to product and service descriptions over time.

Crisp mornings, grey days and stormy nights are now upon us.

But as we settle into these cooler months we can reflect on the comfort that comes with winter.

Crackling fires, rain on the roof, warming slowcooked meals accompanied by a glass of red wine or a rich, dark beer. There is a magic about winter that is felt by all, which is what we’ve set out to celebrate in this issue of Toast.

Within these pages you’ll find ideas for simple winter cocktails to suit any occasion, tips for getting creative in the kitchen with liqueurs (pg 41) and delicious recipes for using alcohol to poach your winter fruits (pg 49). We take a look at what’s making whisky the musttry drink of the moment (pg 30) and the sweeping sun-filled wine region of Hawke’s Bay (pg 52). For our beer-loving readers, the latest news and Chilli Cucumber Margarita trends from the brew (recipe page 27) world are delved into (pg 67) and we take a look at Good George (pg 70), a Hamilton brewery that has craft beer fans in a fizz.

Cheers to you winter, and all your magic.

The Toast Team

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Contents Issue 7 — Winter 2016

First round 7 QUICK SHOTS What’s new in the world of drinks 16 DARK DAYS Our top 10 winter tipples to try

You’ll find all the spirits, liqueurs and wine from these recipes, plus a wide range of mixers, in your local Liquorland store and at liquorland.co.nz

Spirits 20 GOING ROGUE Behind the scenes at Rogue Society Gin 30 A GOLDEN AGE Why whisky is so on trend right now 41 NOW YOU’RE COOKNG Get creative with liqueurs in the kitchen

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Wine 52 IN GRAPE DEMAND Explore the sunshine-filled wine region of Hawke’s Bay 58 A VINE MARRIAGE Meet the couple behind Te Whare Ra winery

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63 FLAVOUR IN FAVOUR Why pinot noir continues to steal the hearts of wine lovers everywhere

Recipes 24 SUGAR & SPICE Fruity and spicy cocktails to liven up the cooler months 44 WINTER RICHES Creamy drinks for wintry indulgence 49 SOAK IT UP Delicious ideas for poaching fruit in alcohol

Beer 67 BEER ESSENTIALS Michael Donaldson delves into the latest from the beer world 77 DOWN TO THE LETTER APA vs IPA: what’s the difference between these popular brews?

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70 HEAVEN SENT Meet Good George, a brewery gaining converts around the country 80 SOMETHING’S BREWING Get to know GABS, the beer extravaganza hitting our shores in June

toastmag.co.nz

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QUICK SHOTS

Quick shots What’s new in the world of drinks

HOME BAR

KEEPI NG I T GLAS SY

Hip ‘n’ cool Beautifully crafted by Tim Grocott on the Te Atatu Peninsula, Taus handmade ceramic flasks are a simple yet stunning take on the traditional hip flask. Made from porcelain with a natural cork stopper, these stunning flasks are available in plain white or hand-decorated in one-off designs. RRP $120 Available from tausceramic.bigcartel.com

A GRAPE IDEA Just when we thought they couldn’t get any cooler, Wellington’s Garage Project have gone ahead and shaken up the beer scene once again with something only they could pull off: Grape Harvest Beers. Created by co-fermenting fresh grape juice from Martinborough vines with Garage Project brews, this is an innovative drop worth sipping. Available in Rose de la Valée RRP $14.99 – a beautiful rosé pilsner with pinot noir juice and skins, or Sauvin Nouveau RRP $13.99 – a white wine pilsner with sauvignon blanc grape juice. These wine and beer fusion brews won’t be around for long, so make sure you get in quick.

UPFRONT: WINTER — 2016

When something looks and feels this beautiful and is just as beautiful to use, you know it’s a gem. And a gem is exactly what these stunning Monmouth glasses are. Lovingly crafted in an Auckland studio, these hand-blown tumblers are perfect for chilled water, gin and tonics and freshly squeezed juices. RRP $50 each. Available from mekka.co.nz

AN ABSOLUT ICON

Since its launch in 1979, the Absolut Vodka bottle has stood out for its shape. To evolve the bottle, Absolut brought together a passionate group of creatives, each adding their mark to the new redesigned bottle. The seal on the reduced glass weight bottle features a portrait of Lars Olsson Smith, founder of Absolut who pioneered the continuous distillation process. The new bottle maintains everything that is Absolut Vodka – bold, original and creative – making it ready to face the future. RRP $44.99 Available from Liquorland. toastmag.co.nz

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QUICK SHOTS

Let it breathe This stylish structure is not only visually stunning but makes it easy for your wine to breath through the “raining” process, which enhances flavour and aeration. RRP $142 Available from store. simonjamesdesign.com

UPFRONT: WINTER — 2016

SPECIAL DRO P

THIS LITTLE PIGGY… Squealing Pig is set to make a big noise.

Rich and generous with sweet, spicy oak and subtle rounded tannins that offer wonderful length to the finish, this wine is the result of many blends covering all prime sub-regions of Central Otago. RRP $21.99 Available from selected Liquorland stores.

CLICK & COLLECT

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ROCK STAR Ice is a beautiful thing. But sometimes you’re after a chilled tipple that remains undisturbed by the melted run-off that ice can bring to the party. Areaware Drink Rocks are the perfect solution to this – and a very stylish one too. Made from natural materials, these rocks are all finished by hand and are ready to be put in the freezer and then admired in your drink. RRP $80 Available from collected.co.nz

SCENT FROM HEAVEN The folks at William & Emerson have produced a beautiful New Zealand made candle with the scent of all scents: whiskey. Made from 100 per cent soy wax with a wooden wick that crackles with cosiness, other candles pale in comparison.

Notes of cognac, rum, smoky wood chips and cocoa make this a heavenly scent to burn in winter.

RRP $26 for small and $57 large Available from collected.co.nz

A SPECIAL DROP Johnnie Walker Platinum Label 18 Year Old was inspired by the tradition of giving private blends to a close circle of family friends. Blended from whiskies that have matured for at least 18 years, it combines contemporary tastes with classic Johnnie Walker flavours. Celebrate a dram this World Whisky Day on 21st May. RRP $154.99 Available from selected Liquorland stores.

Just one click. That’s all it takes to have your wicked weekend cocktail ingredients ready to be collected from your local Liquorland store thanks to Liquorland’s Click and Collect service. Browse a huge range of beer, wine and spirits all at a time and place that suits you.

And all with one click. Visit liquorland.co.nz to get creative and get clicking.

Toast by Liquorland

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QUICK SHOTS

A TRUE C L ASSI C

West Auckland brewery Hallertau have celebrated their 10th birthday in style with the opening of a new beautiful biergarten, designed to keep guests warm and beer cold, year round.

Hallertau Brewery: 1171 Coatesville Riverhead Highway, Riverhead, Auckland.

Open every day from 11am until 10pm. hallertau.co.nz

HAVING A BALL

1986 was the first year the All Blacks ran out with Steinlager behind them.

Today, one thing remains the same – Steinlager’s unconditional support of the team. This year Steinlager celebrates 30 years of sponsorship of the All Blacks and we kick off the 2016 season welcoming Wales for the Steinlager Series in June. Classic 15pack RRP $31.99, Steinlager Mid six-pack RRP $13.99

PL A N N ER

Party professional UPFRONT: WINTER — 2016

No matter the size or occasion – birthday, wedding, anniversary – everyone loves a celebration. But once you’ve made a guest list, sorted the location and locked in your groove-inducing entertainment, the idea of sourcing drinks and party supplies can seem a bit daunting and questions start to whirl – what drinks do I serve? How much will I need? Where do I get glasses from? What about non-alcoholic drinks? This is is where Liquorland’s staff and their magical party planning abilities can step in and ease your pain. With their knowledge you will have your drinks, glassware and party supplies (can’t forget the ice!) sorted in a jiffy.

Their handy online drinks calculator is also a fantastic tool for estimating quantities to avoid over or under catering. All you’ll have to think about is what to wear when you’re zooming around the dancefloor. For more details visit liquorland.co.nz or visit your local Liquorland.

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ONLY A SINGLE SOURCE CAN BE TRULY UNIQUE

41º 38’S 173º57’E

Purity of flavour is found in every glass sourced from a single vineyard in the Waihopai Valley of Marlborough. Much like Cambridge duck, the grapes for our Pinot Noir are grown and harvested from one place at the point of perfection, making these two single sourced products, a great match. arawines.com

YES PEAS

Frozen peas aren’t usually a desired object to be plopped into a gin and tonic. But these Ice Cube Mould Frozen Peas sure are. The gorgeous icy spheres will give your drink a sumptuous look and an endless chill.

Spherical ice melts 80 per cent slower than cube-shaped ice, so these will last the distance in your tipple of choice. RRP $26.00 Available from collected.co.nz

ONE PLACE PURE FLAVOUR

EARTHY DELIGHT Wrap your fingers around a bottle of Mud House Waipara Valley Pinot Noir this autumn, for a cosy dinner with friends. Enjoy the aromas of red cherry, raspberry and vibrant spices with a hint of oak, bold fruit flavours melded perfectly with spicy oak. RRP $17.99 exclusive to Liquorland.

Available from liquorland.co.nz

To find out more join us on facebook.com/arawines Please enjoy these sustainably crafted wines responsibly.

Available at selected Liquorland stores

THE CRISP, DRY WAY TO SAVE THE ENTIRE WORLD.

TOAST PROMOTION

TOAST PICKS

What’s new in the world of drinks

LONG AND LOVELY

A BIG HIT

Galliano Ristretto is not just an espresso liqueur, it’s a piece of Italian craft. It’s no secret the Italians know how to make real espresso, but combine this passion with the knowledge and long history of Galliano and we have the birth of Galliano Ristretto. A meeting of flavours just waiting to happen. With a production process involving five very distinct phases, the process of creating Galliano Ristretto is complex but necessary. It is the only espresso liqueur made using a variety of different coffee beans – a perfect balance between the strong, bitter Robusta beans from Kenya and India, blended together with the creamy chocolate Arabica coffee beans from Brazil and Colombia.

It is this attention to detail that allows the deep and intense flavours of Galliano Ristretto to express themselves so fully. To make a perfect espresso martini you must use Galliano Ristretto. RRP $41.99

HIGH AND DRY

Created to complement food, Asahi Super Dry has refreshing barley flavours and a crisp aftertaste, with an appealing malty scent and a unique note of rice. This makes the world’s first ‘Karakuchi’ (dry) beer perfect for sharing over winter-favourite meals like curries, flavourful spice-rich Creole stews and of course Japanese hot pots. No wonder Asahi Super Dry has become Japan’s most popular beer and won Gold at the World Beer Cup. RRP 633ml $6.49 and 12-pack 330ml RRP $28.99

New Zealand made and loved. Long White Vodka contains much that is good about our lovely little country – it is vodka with naturally flavoured sparkling water, made from locally sourced ingredients, with no added sugar (the sweetness comes from apples from the Hawke’s Bay) and no artificial flavours or colours.

Available in three flavours: lemon and lime, raspberry and passionfruit. Available in 320ml four-pack, RRP $11.99, and 10-pack, RRP $24.99

WILD ABOUT CHARDONNAY

Stoneleigh Wild Valley Chardonnay is the newest addition to this range of wines from Rapaura, which are the ultimate expression of Stoneleigh’s minimal intervention winemaking philosophy. The chardonnay has been crafted using wild fermentation, to deliver lovely peach, citrus and caramel flavours with an oaky complexity, and balanced with a soft, creamy finish. RRP $19.99

STYLE AND SUBSTANCE

These colder days act as the perfect guest to accompany a bottle of Hardys Tintara McLaren Vale Shiraz.

Boasting violets, mulberry spice and dark chocolate, the generous and rich palate follows with blackberry, cherry fruitcake and chocolate flavours, all complemented by a fine soft tannin finish. For the team at Hardys, the vision and passion of winemaking in McLaren Vale has always been about quality; as age-old methods with newage techniques are seamlessly woven together. RRP $22.99

TOAST PROMOTION

A COOL CUSTOMER

RED DELICIOUS

The Taylors Estate Shiraz is a multi-award winning shiraz from the Clare Valley in South Australia. Sourced from the Taylors Estate this shiraz boasts a lively palate of juicy red berry fruits, plum and spice, along with subtle chocolate and savoury characters from oak maturation. Launched in 1969 this wine has won a total of 481 medals in its lifetime. A true Australian shiraz and a sure crowd-pleaser. RRP $18.99

PALE AND INTERESTING

Monteith’s introduces its latest “star” brew crafted for curious pale ale palates. Monteith’s Pointers Pale Ale is a deep golden, slightly cloudy beer, which perfectly balances a unique blend of New Zealand’s finest hops – Green Bullet, Wai-iti, Motueka, Rakau and Kohatu – along with a select combination of Munich, Ale and Wheat malts. Be prepared for an upfront burst of tropical fruit aroma which unearths mandarin and peach notes on the lips. This is one well-rounded, perfectly balanced pale ale – possibly the most drinkable pale ale in the world.

RRP six-pack $16.99, 12-pack $28.99

BREATHTAKING BEAUTY

Wither Hills launches its “Made Beautifully” campaign this month featuring stunning imagery photographed from Wither Hills’ own Taylor River vineyard in Marlborough.

The Wither Hills Pinot Noir RRP $22.99 is a smooth, rich red with a beautifully balanced finish, while the fresh Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc RRP $17.99 provides a vibrant, citrusfilled experience for the tastebuds.

The aromatic Wither Hills Pinot Noir Rosé RRP $17.99 is layered with wild strawberries and fresh raspberries is a gorgeous drop to enjoy all year round.

18EN Shiraz is a smooth, elegant shiraz from the cooler climate Heathcote region in Central Victoria. The Brown Brothers Heathcote Vineyard was developed for its terroir of deep and red Cambrian soil and temperate climate. This inky purple vintage displays fantastic lifted aromas of red and dark berry fruits and the classic pepper notes of Heathcote shiraz. Thirteen months ageing in new (10 per cent) to three-year-old French and American oak barriques has led to excellent concentration and depth of flavour. A stylish shiraz to enjoy now with lamb dishes or cellar for three to five years.

RRP $17.99

ELEVATE

your expectations

THE BIÈRE OF BEERS

Expertly brewed in France, Kronenbourg 1664 combines French style with more than 350 years of brewing expertise to create a truly authentic, premium European lager. The secret to its unique taste is the aromatic Strisselspalt hop, often called “the caviar of hops”. Growing only in the Alsace region of France, the Strisselspalt hop is cultivated specially by Kronenbourg for its complex bittersweet taste and distinct aroma. This unique and refreshing taste makes 1664 the ideal partner for a wide range of foods, pairing particularly well with spicy flavours, or cleansing the palate after salty or smoky tastes.

Having won multiple medals at the International Beer Awards, the crisp, well-balanced flavours make it France’s #1 premium beer. RRP six-pack $14.99, 12-pack $25.99

In 1876, our pioneering founder, Thomas Hardy purchased our Tintara winery in McLaren Vale, in order to expand his already successful winemaking business. His vision and passion for winemaking meant that the Tintara name was soon synonymous with outstanding Australian winemaking, as was the region of McLaren Vale. Today our Tintara wines remain a testament to

Find all of these products instore at Liquorland or online at liquorland.co.nz Prices may be subject to change.

Thomas’ quality winemaking, combining age-old methods with Enjoy Hardy’s wine responsibly.

new-age techniques.

THE TOP TEN DARK DAYS

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Top 10 drinks to try this winter

You’ll find all these products in your local Liquorland store and at liquorland.co.nz

BEAST OF THE SEA Legend has it, hundreds of years ago a ship carrying one of the largest quantities of black spiced rum to be transported from the Caribbean islands disappeared mysteriously. It is rumoured the ship was the victim of the kraken – a fierce and colossal beast of the sea. The Kraken Spiced Rum has been created in homage to the lost liquid treasure. Imported from the Caribbean and made from a special blend of 13 mystery spices.

RRP $59.99 700ml

When the storm clouds gather in the winter sky, it’s time to snuggle up indoors with a glass of something equally dark and moody.

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With a healthy 7.5 per cent alcohol by volume, this is a stout true to its heritage – and the Galbraith’s ethos – of recreating old-world style beers. The Rurik Russian Imperial Stout is the great-great-great grandchild, several times removed, of stouts created in the 19th century in Russia, when there was fierce competition to win the Czar’s favour and create the “king of stouts”. Brewed with flaked and roasted barley, there are hints of espresso, liquorice and dark chocolate to be discovered. RRP $9.99 500ml

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PORT IN A STORM Here at Toast we’re keen to free port from any slightly stuffy oldfashioned associations and bring it into the spotlight as a tipple worthy of attention. Taylor’s Fine Ruby Port is blended from red wines produced in Portugal’s upper Duoro Valley. As a fortified wine, additional alcohol has been added during the winemaking process, and at 20 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV) it’s to be savoured in small quantities. Enjoy alongside a fullbodied cheese – such as a creamy blue – or at the end of a meal with cream-based desserts, nuts or fruit cake. RRP $39.99 750ml 16

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FROM THE HEART Located in the heart of Marlborough’s Wairau Valley, Black Cottage Pinot Noir is made from locally grown grapes. Enjoy on its own, or match to equally succulent, rich flavours such as braises, stews or a luscious berry crumble topped with warm spices. RRP $23.99 750ml

5 THRICE THE FUN A premium coffee liqueur made from Silver Tequila, essence of fine coffee and criollo chocolate from Mexico.

Patrón XO Dark Cafe is a naughty, but very nice indulgence – use as an ingredient in creamy cocktails and desserts or slip a splash or two into an after-dinner espresso and top with softly whipped cream.

RRP $59.99 750ml

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FOOD FRIENDLY Hailing from Dunedin, the South Island’s gothic heartland, London Porter is the oldest commercially produced brew in the Emerson’s range. This is a toasty, dry and mellow porter, with a creamy texture and coffee-note finish. What to match with for a mid-winter feast? The rule of thumb is dark meat with dark beers – beef and game pair well. For dessert?

Why not try a glass alongside a slab of rich dark chocolate cake or chocolate pudding? RRP $8.99 500ml

A DARK PAST For more than 200 years Ardbeg has been made on the remote Scottish Isle of Islay, population 3000. When the distillery was under threat of closure Glenmorangie bought the stock and dramatic sea-facing site, re-awakening a worldwide passion for its distinct flavours.

These days Ardbeg Ten Years Old is revered by many as the peatiest, smokiest, most complex single malt of them all.

RRP $95.99 700ml

THE NEW

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A SOFT TOUCH They know a thing or two about dark and stormy days on the West Coast where Monteith’s Brewer Series Velvet Stout is brewed. This is a smooth stout, with a profile big on toasted malts, oats and chocolate.

Match with strong flavour, hearty and comforting – perhaps a slab of venison from that last hunting excursion into the back-country hills?

RRP $6.49 500ml

BLACK Those of us who require a serious kick-start in the morning are familiar with the power of a double black.

Fans of powerful, peaty malts will be just as pleased with the smouldering spice and smoke notes of Johnnie Walker Double Black. Heavily influenced by the peaty West Coast and Islay Single Malts and matured in heavily charred casks to intensify the flavour. Full-bodied flavours to savour at the end of the day.

RRP $65.99 700ml

DRINKS TIPS KEEP IT UPRIGHT The way you store your beer can have a huge impact on the flavour and texture of your brew. Lying beer horizontally in the fridge might be handy for saving space, but it gives the yeast nowhere to settle. Standing beer upright allows the yeast to fall to the bottom of the bottle and will slow down the oxidation process.

MOVE WITH THE SEASONS Just because the weather has cooled down it doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to your favourite summer cocktails. Try playing around with darker spirits, such as whisky in a fruit punch or brandy in a sangria, to give it a truly wintry feel. For recipe ideas visit toastmag.co.nz

A SHOT IN THE DARK

Full of chocolate and coffee notes, this is a porter that certainly provides a “shot”. For a traditional experience the nice blokes at Tuatara recommend following the example of our British friends and serving it a few degrees warmer than other beer styles.

RRP$7.99 500ml

INBOX INSPIRATION Sign up to the Toast weekly newsletter for ideas and inspiration delivered straight to your inbox. With creative cocktail recipes, industry news and exciting giveaways, this is one email you don’t want to miss. Sign up at toastmag.co.nz toastmag.co.nz

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Why wait longer for the good things in life when you can have them now?

Some things – like whisky, wine and rum – are better with age, the added time bringing out depth and nuances of flavour. But not everything is improved by waiting.

The old adage that good things come to those who wait no longer rings true in today’s sped-up digital age.

The digital era has accelerated the time we are willing to linger over many things.

In the drinks scene, the latest trend is for non-aged whiskies with fresh and light characters created by part-aging the liquor for only three years. In LA, the spa scene has gone fast-paced, with facials, massages and aesthetic treatments being done in 10 and 15 minute sessions. Globally, drones are allowing consumers to receive goods ordered online within the hour.

Picking up on the trend in New Zealand, Fly Buys has responded by offering Top It Up, a smart new feature that allows users to get their rewards faster, by letting them pay by a combination of points and money. Head to flybuys.co.nz to see the full range of over 3,000 rewards.

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Find out all about it at flybuys.co.nz

ROGUE SOCIETY GIN

Rogue Garden Daisy Serves 1 30ml Rogue Society Classic Gin 10ml lemon juice 15ml dessert wine 4 x basil leaves 4 x mint leaves 1 x lemon wheel soda

HOW TO TASTE GIN • Taste it neat • Any glass is fine • As opposed to wine, where you open your mouth to aerate it, with gin you want to keep your mouth closed as you swirl it inside, noting the different flavours as it touches different parts of the mouth • Note the viscosity (a syrupy consistency) of the liquid • Taste three or four at a time to compare botanicals

Add Rogue Society Classic Gin, lemon juice and dessert wine over ice in a tall glass.

Top with soda and garnish with basil, mint and the lemon wheel.

ACCOLADES

Going rogue Toast speaks to Rogue Society co-founder Dan Mclaughlin to get the inside story on one of our country’s most successfully disruptive liquor brands.

THE STORY Gin is on a high, particularly the most premium examples of the spirit. With more people than ever deciding to give this oft-misunderstood spirit a whirl in the liquor cabinet and specialist gin bars sprouting in big cities, the list of boutique gins continues to lengthen.

Not all can survive. But in the face of stiff competition, local gin masters Rogue Society have risen to the top of their game and are thriving in pole position.

Dan Mclaughlin, his brother-in-law Mark Neal and family friend Richard Bourke had long shared a love of good gin and family gatherings would find the trio tasting the many and varied examples of gin they liked to collect. “The premium gin category had really taken off overseas,” recalls Dan, “especially with 20

Toast by Liquorland

the younger set, 28-38ish – driven by cocktail culture.

“But there was a lot that was traditional on the market and nothing that really spoke to who we were.” So the three, with combined backgrounds in the liquor industry and branding, set themselves the task of creating “a super premium gin from the bottom of the world that would turn tradition upside-down”. After three long years of development, they launched their Rogue Society Classic Gin in early 2014, followed by the second member of the family, GoldiLocks, launched last year.

Developing the product saw them working in partnership with South Island master distiller John Fitzpatrick and a 19th century copper pot still to get the formula spot-on. The package design was

inspired by a classic 300-odd-year-old Geneva bottle Daniel found in a London antique store. “Getting the bottle design exactly right set us back about 12 months for our initial launch,” laughs Dan, but the laugh is cosseted in the confidence of knowing they did the right thing: at the San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition in March this year Rogue Society won a gold for their packaging. With its dark glass, solid (precious-plated) recessed metal discs, batch-numbered tamper seal and stylish illustrations, the bottle exudes exactly what the brand wanted it to: a “gritty sophistication”. It’s a balance, explains Daniel, between a crafted, artisan aesthetic and one that speaks of cutting-edge urbanity.

And it’s not just a pretty face. Also in San Fran this year, GoldiLocks won

ROGUE SOCIETY CLASSIC 2014 San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition – Double Gold – Packaging 2014 London International Wine & Spirits Competition – Outstanding Silver – Gin 2014 International Wine & Spirits Competition Hong Kong – Silver – Gin 2015 San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition – Silver – Gin ROGUE SOCIETY GOLDILOCKS 2015 UK International Spirits Competition – Silver – Gin 2015 San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition – Silver – Gin 2016 San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition – Gold – Packaging 2016 San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition – Gold – Gin

gold in tasting, and this year’s wins combined with the rest of the awards since the Classic launched, put Rogue Society – a little business from the bottom of the world – at the top of their game. They’re making inroads in South East Asia and Australia and next up this year will be the UK and Europe. Once established there, they’ll look to the US. They’re experts in picking what’s going to be popular and developing a unique version of it. GoldiLocks was, as with the Classic, born from the trio picking up on a trend overseas and visualising a New Zealand spin on it. “We noticed the popularity of navy strength gins – the term refers to the high alcohol by volume (ABV ) of 57 per cent and derives from the days when sailors would buy gin in port; to test its quality they’d throw some gunpowder on it – if it didn’t ignite, it wasn’t strong enough.”

That high ABV gives the gin a boldness and, explains Dan, “allows the flavours of the botanicals to come through”. Because gin, of course, is very much about the botanicals. The Classic gin is a blend of 12, with a style Dan describes as having “more emphasis

on the citrus – lemon and orange peel – that gives it a modern edge and sets it apart from the traditional juniper-led dry gins”. With GoldiLocks, the citrus takes a further step with the addition of a 13th botanical, tangerine peel.

Rogue Society gins are made in small, crafted batches – 500 at a time for the GoldiLocks and 1000 for the Classic.

The clean, citrus characters make them a good choice for cocktails with a lot of ingredients and complexity as well as simpler drinks, such as the ever-popular G&T. In other words, this disruptive gin, crafted to turn 300 years of tradition on its head, is the perfect addition to any liquor library.

HOW DO THE ROGUES LIKE THEIR GIN? “I think we’d all agree we enjoy gin in different ways depending on the occasion, but Mark is a real Negroni fan, Richard likes his with tonic and a bit of blood orange, and I love a Rogue Garden Daisy.”

Rogue Society Classic Gin is available at all Liquorland stores. RRP $79.99 toastmag.co.nz

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TOAST PROMOTION

FEEL THE HEAT Cocktails aren’t just for summer, get creative this winter with mixes that pair iconic spirits with warming fruits and spices.

Southern Belle

Create the effect of honeyed fruits with a concoction that mixes the sweetened bourbon flavours of Wild Turkey American Honey with warming ginger beer and nutmeg, and a refreshing hit of pineapple and lime.

20ml Wild Turkey American Honey 75ml pineapple juice 75ml Mac’s Ginger Beer 1 lime wedge 1 pinch nutmeg Pour Wild Turkey American Honey into a glass. Fill glass with ice.

Half fill the glass with pineapple juice. Top with Mac’s Ginger Beer.

Garnish with a squeeze of lime and sprinkle grated nutmeg. Serves 1

Winter Pimm’s

Combine the delicious fruity spices of Pimm’s with pudding-like flavours this winter by warming together with sweet and rich port, apple, fig, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon.

30ml Pimm’s 15ml ruby port 200ml cloudy apple juice 1 cinnamon quill 1 semi-dried fig 2 cloves 1 pinch grated nutmeg Pour all ingredients into a small saucepan. Place saucepan on a medium heat and gently warm until just below boiling. Strain through a tea strainer into a pre-warmed glass. Garnish with orange peel and cinnamon quill. Serves 1

SPICY WINTER COCKTAILS

sugar & spice

Pear and Rosemary Collins (recipe page 27)

Defy the elements with herbaceous, fruity and spicy flavours that make staying indoors an enticing prospect.

RECIPES BY DELANEY MES PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSH GRIGGS STYLING BY FIONA KERR

Chilli Cucumber Margarita (recipe page 27)

COOK’S TIP This recipe makes more syrup than required, but it will keep in a jar in the fridge for about a month.

toastmag.co.nz

25

Cranberry Mule

Pear and Rosemary Collins

Makes 1

Makes 2

3–4 leaves fresh mint 45ml Smirnoff Vodka 1 tablespoon frozen cranberries juice of 1 lime, plus a slice to garnish 60ml cranberry juice ginger beer Fill a tall glass with ice. Smack the mint leaves between your palms to release the smell, then tear them gently and place in the glass. Add Smirnoff Vodka, then add the cranberries and the lime juice.

Pour in the cranberry juice, then top with ginger beer. Stir and garnish with a cross-cut slice of lime.

FOR THE SYRUP 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 2 pears, cores removed and chopped into quarters 2 sprigs rosemary

Place water and sugar in a small saucepan. Mix to combine, and add the pear chunks and rosemary.

Gently heat through until all sugar is dissolved. Continue heating until the pears go soft, then remove from heat and allow to cool.

FOR THE COCKTAIL 4 chunks pear (from the syrup) 90ml Beefeater Gin 4 tablespoons pear and rosemary syrup juice of 2 medium lemons soda water

Place the pear chunks in a cocktail shaker and muddle them well. Add all other ingredients. Shake well, then adjust lemon or sugar syrup, to taste.

Strain the drink evenly into two glasses filled with ice and top with a little soda water.

(Picture page 25)

Chilli Cucumber Margarita Makes 4 1 medium cucumber 1 cup el Jimador Tequila 2 tablespoons triple sec juice of 3 limes juice of 1 orange ¼ cup white sugar Rimmed glass lime wedge 2 tablespoons sea salt 2 tablespoons sugar 1½ tablespoons chilli flakes

WANT MORE? Find these delicious recipes and more inspiration and tips at toast.co.nz

Combine all rimmed glass ingredients and place on a saucer. Run a lime wedge around the rim of each glass, then dip glass in the mixture.

Place all margarita ingredients in a blender or food processor and blitz until well combined. Taste and adjust the sweetness and the citrus as necessary.

Pour into rimmed glasses and serve.

(Picture page 24)

Apple Pie Punch

Apple Pie Punch

Mulled White Wine

Makes 1 bowl

Serves 4–6

2 cinnamon sticks 2 teaspooons all-spice 2 cups spiced rum 4 cups apple juice 3 x 330ml Mac’s Cloudy Apple Cider juice of one lemon

1 bottle Stoneleigh Wild Valley Sauvignon Blanc 3 tablespoons vodka 4–5 cloves 3 whole star anise 3–4 long strips orange zest juice of one orange 1 large slice fresh ginger 2 tablespoons brown sugar

In a punch bowl, add the cinnamon sticks and all-spice to the rum and mix well. Add the apple juice, the cider and the lemon juice. Mix well, and adjust to taste, if necessary. Pour into glasses and garnish with apple slices and a cinnamon stick, if desired.

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and gently bring up to a simmer. Mix well to ensure sugar dissolves. Keep at a gentle heat for about 20 minutes, or until ready to serve.

TOAST RECOMMENDS We’ve made it easier to shop through our website – simply select your local branch, place your order and pay, then pick up from the branch at your convenience. liquorland.co.nz

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27

TOAST PROMOTION

SAVOUR THE SEASON As the weather begins to turn, the days get shorter and the cold begins to creep in, it’s time to dust off those delicious winter flavours...

Thyme of the Year

Smirnoff is the perfect base to combine with warming winter elements – nutty madeira wine, sweet apricot jam and fresh thyme all add up to a delicious seasonal medley. You can serve this cocktail warm to heat up cool evenings or it works equally well in a tall glass over ice – preferably in front of the fire.

30ml Smirnoff Vodka 45ml madeira wine 90ml cloudy apple juice 10ml freshly squeezed lemon juice 10ml freshly squeezed orange juice 2 teaspoons apricot jam pinch of flaky sea salt AVAILABLE INSTORE Find all of these products instore at Liquorland or online at liquorland.co.nz

28

Toast by Liquorland

Mulled White Wine (recipe page 27)

TO GARNISH

sprig of thyme orange citrus peel Measure and pour all ingredients (except garnishes) into a small saucepan. Place saucepan over a low to medium heat and gently bring to a warm cup of tea temperature. Stir in the apricot jam to dissolve. When heated, pour into a warm tea cup, garnish with fresh thyme and a flamed orange peel. Serves 1

WHISKY G U I D E TO W HI S KY

A golden age While whisky has been enjoyed for centuries, its audience today is growing in numbers and diversity, as people are coming to appreciate the nuances and variations of this time-honoured spirit. Toast explores the trend and everything you need to know to jump on the bandwagon.

STORY BY ANNA KING SHAHAB / PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRYCE CARLETON

T

raditional, artisanal, crafted, small-batch: products bearing such descriptions are very much in vogue, and in the spirit world, whisky is riding that tide. It’s not as though whisky ever went underground or out of favour, but these days, when we have so much choice in what we consume, there’s so much to love about this spirit with a rich history. Whisky’s current popularity is partly thanks to the millions of new palates discovering and loving it in new markets such as China.

And whereas whisky was, not so long ago, regarded as old-fashioned and un-hip, cool these days isn’t just what’s new and flashy: what we covet is something that has a craft in its make-up; we want to be part of a story.

Whisky offers us a great story – a love story with roots stretching way back, a story that takes time, involving trial and error, quality, scarcity and skill.

In essence, whisky is a spirit distilled from cereal grains such as barley, rye and wheat, in wooden casks, usually oak. Distinguishing characteristics emerge from the type and origin of grain used, the age of the wooden barrels and the length of ageing in them.

There are different ways to divide the whisky category, but the most useful for understanding flavour is to describe them in terms of style as either: • Malt whisky is made from malted barley. There are many kinds of malt whisky, with Scotch being the bestknown example. Scotch must be made in Scotland and have aged at least three years, and the malt has usually been treated with peat smoke. Scotch can be distinguished by age and region which will be labelled, eg 10yo, 12yo, 14yo; Lowland, Highland, Islay. All Scotch is malt whisky but not all malt whiskies are Scotch; a plethora of great malt whiskies are produced elsewhere.

Irish whiskey, made from un-peated malt, is by law made in Ireland, distilled two or three times and aged at least three years. Japanese whisky production dates back to Suntory’s first distillation in 1918 and the best toastmag.co.nz

31

WHISKY COCKTAILS AND WHAT’S ON TREND

Whiskey Sour The lemon in this whisky recipe rounds off the alcohol and gives it an edgy sharpness. Simple and sophisticated.

Serves 1 EQUIPMENT A shaker A strainer Short glass INGREDIENTS 2 parts bourbon 1 part lemon juice ½ part sugar syrup Cubed ice

• At the same time as purist aficionados and their serious whisky clubs are on the rise, so too are specialist whisky bars offering fun and adventurous ways of trying out whiskies. With flavours as complex as whisky offers, the complementary flavours are infinite. And with today’s cocktail culture very much about the provenance of ingredients, people want to know the back story to what they’re drinking, making whisky the bartender’s best friend.

• The classic whisky-based drinks remain popular, as do screeds of variations on them – The Sidecar, Manhattan, Old-fashioned, Whisky Sour, Millionaire, Brain-Duster (invented back in 1898 despite the 1980s-sounding name), Sea Captain’s Special and the quirky but delicious

TO GARNISH 1 cherry and an orange slice

•

•

•

•

bourbon, Coke and peanuts (simply pop some salted peanuts into bourbon and Coke). All are easy to make at home.

House-made syrups make for delicious whisky cocktails as they can mirror the notes of caramel, vanilla, nuts, chocolate, dried and fresh fruit found in whisky.

In hipster Brooklyn, the aperitif du jour is The Pickleback, a shot of whisky chased with a shot of the juice drained from a jar of pickles.

Peaty single malts such as those from Islay aren’t just for sipping neat at the end of the night now – they’re being used more and more in cocktails, where their smokiness opens a whole new world of flavour. Clever bartenders can introduce a real smoke element to match that.

Japanese whiskies have shot to fame, especially since renowned British

whisky writer Jim Murray named Suntory Yamazaki the best whisky in the world. They’re so popular that demand can’t be met and bars are resorting to rationing. The two biggest distilleries, Suntory and Nikka, have run out of certain whiskies and are stockpiling dwindling supplies of others.

• In Canada, where a lot of the blended whisky is quite mellow in flavour, distilleries are discovering the beauty of higher rye content which makes for a bolder, spicier flavour. Rye whiskies in general are becoming better appreciated, in part because their spiciness works so well in cocktails.

• Expect to see more happening around whisky and food matching, whether it’s neat or in cocktails and with a single food type such as cheese or charcuterie (very easy and fun to do at home with a few friends) or whole menus.

HERE ARE A FEW WHISKIES TO GET YOU STARTED ON A TASTE JOURNEY:

Put ice and all of the ingredients into a shaker and shake hard for about 20 seconds to chill the liquid really well Strain the mix into a glass filled with ice and garnish with the cherry and orange slice.

Japanese whiskies are some of the best in the world. They tend to be malt and made in the Scotch style using a little peat (generally less than in Scotch) and popular malt whiskies are also made in Wales, Canada, Sweden, Australia and in New Zealand – our own Thomson Whisky has won gold internationally (including triple gold medals at the recent San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2016). Single malt whiskies are those made from just malted barley and water and distilled in pots in a single location.

• Bourbon was born in the Americas, where corn grew readily, and legally must be distilled in the US with over 51 per cent corn mash, and aged in white oak barrels. Tennessee whiskey, the likes of Jack Daniel’s, is distinguished from other bourbon in that it undergoes an extra filtration through charcoal.

• Rye whiskies are similar to bourbon in 32

Toast by Liquorland

method but use only rye in the mash.

Rye whiskies tend to be spicier and less sweet than bourbons.

• Blended whiskies are what the name says: blends emerging from various grains, distilleries and types of barrels.

Many Irish and Canadian and some Japanese whiskies are blends. One big advantage is accuracy and consistency of flavour.

The opportunity for craftsmanship is ripe throughout the process of making any type of whisky, whether it’s in perfecting a traditional single-grain mash, predicting the nuances that arise from barrel-ageing, or in masterfully blending a range of variables to create delicious harmony.

If you’re new to whisky, the best place to start is invariably to taste, and taste widely, to find what you like. Of course, tasting whisky neat (on its own, without any ice, water or mixers) is the best way to pick up on all the nuances in flavour,

but as with anything in life, trust your instincts and simply enjoy whiskies in the way you find them most delicious.

Experiment with different types, served neat, with ice, with soda, or in cocktails.

You’ll find you like different whiskies in different ways and on different occasions. A smoky aged single malt might be just the thing to sip, neat, by the fire, a spicy rye in a bold cocktail may become your favourite way to whet the appetite at a fancy restaurant, while bourbon and soda could be your inflight go-to.

In matters of flavour, broad observations may pertain to type but within that the nuances are infinite.

Scotch tends to exhibit smoky characteristics, bourbon sweet caramel, rye fruity and spicy, and blends velvet smooth, but there are no boundaries: any type whisky may suggest notes of vanilla, wood or honey, the pleasurable coarseness of cigar box or the bittersweetness of dark chocolate.

Aberlour 12 Year Old Single Malt This Scotch is aged in oak and sherry casks, and is rich and spicy with deliciously fruity Christmas cake notes.

RRP$79.99

Glenlivet Founders Reserve Matured in American oak, ex-Bourbon casks for a creamy smooth finish. Aromas of green apple, pear, honeycomb and vanilla.

RRP$64.99

Follow Toast on Instagram to see behind the scenes and out and about @toastmagnz

Jameson Irish Whiskey This quintessential Irish blended whiskey has aromas of marmalade and fudge with fruit and creamy vanilla flavours.

RRP$48.99

Suntory Whisky Kakubin A Japanese blended whisky in a traditional “kakubin” (square bottle), with biscuit and mild spice flavours and a smoky vanilla aroma.

RRP$42.99

Find all of these products and more instore at Liquorland or online at liquorland.co.nz

Canadian Club Whisky Aromas of cereal grain and toasted almond with flavours of spicy vanilla, cornflakes and a faint nutty note that leads to a long finish.

RRP$39.99

Jack Daniel’s Old #7 This Tennessee whiskey has a flavour mellowed by the extra filtration through sugar maple and charcoal, RRP$54.99

For more news, advice and ideas on all things alcohol, head to toastmag.co.nz toastmag.co.nz

33

MAKE IT PROSECCO

TOAST PROMOTION

Crisp, fresh and bursting with lively notes of apple and pear, Brown Brother’s Prosecco is the perfect addition to any occasion.

Best enjoyed chilled and in the company of great friends. #makeitbrownbrothers

SMOOTH OPERATORS As the popularity of whisky surges globally, we talk to Pernod Ricard Spirits Ambassador Cam Timmins about his favourite new Scottish drams.

If there’s one spirit ideally suited to winter, it’s whisky. Expansive in flavour and warming to the body, this is a liquor that’s designed to be lingered over, perfect for fireside sipping and relaxed gatherings.

With the global move towards craft drinks, it’s no wonder this ancient artisan spirit is in demand.

“Whisky is growing globally as a category,” says Pernod Ricard Spirits and Champagne Ambassador, Cam Timmins. “A lot more women are drinking it now, and it’s growing in popularity in Asia and Africa. There’s a billion more people drinking whisky today than there was 15 years ago.

As a result, we’re seeing newer expressions come to the fore, such as the current trend for non-age statement whiskies.”

Please drink responsibly

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Admitted To The Bar In his role at Pernod Ricard, Timmins is the spokesperson and educator for the premium portfolio of drinks. Originally trained in law and politics, he switched to full-time bartending after leaving university.

After working in the USA and UK, Timmins returned to Auckland and helped to make bars like Mea Culpa, Fukuko and Ostro into some of the city’s mostloved establishments.

Timmins has a passion for the drinks industry, especially when it comes to one of his favourite spirits – whisky. Two of the newest Scotch whiskies exciting him right now both come from Speyside, the northeastern region of Scotland that’s home to more distilleries than any other region of the country.

Extra Special Chivas Regal Extra is the newest release from what is regarded as the world’s first luxury Scotch brand, Chivas Regal, which was founded in the early 1800s in Aberdeen by Royal Warranted grocers James and John Chivas.

A blend of rare and malt whiskies aged in sherry casks from the Oloroso sherry bodegas in Spain, this is a deep amber drop with notes of ripe pears, melon, toffee, chocolate, cinnamon and ginger, flavours of pears, vanilla, caramel, candied cinnamon and almond, with a delectable sweet finish.

While Timmins enjoys savouring Chivas Regal Extra as a neat pour, he adds it’s also great for mixing. His top recommend is a Boulevardier (the cocktail cousin to the Negroni), made by combining Chivas Regal Extra with Campari and sweet vermouth.

Finders Keepers It’s tricky to innovate a spirit that’s been around since the 15th century and is governed by strict ingredient and ageing laws that state it must only be aged in oak casks in Scotland for a minimum of three years.

The Glenlivet, however, has set a benchmark with The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve, a new style of “non-age statement” whisky that’s aged in new American oak casks, giving it a fresh, light fruity aspect and a soft finish.

In addition to The Glenlivet’s characteristic notes of pears, candy and toffee apples, The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve has hits of citrus, fresh cut granny smiths, green bananas, pears and oranges, with a smooth, creamy finish.

While The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve is popular as a neat pour, Timmins says he enjoys it for mixing – his favourite being a simple combination with ginger beer and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

TOAST PROMOTION

POT OF

GOLD

Jameson Irish Whiskey has been providing for lovers of the amber liquid since 1780. The Jameson distillery moved from Dublin to the green surrounds of Midleton, County Cork, in 1975 – a site which houses kilns and pot stills from the 1800s.

It’s not just down to the luck of the Irish that’s made Jameson the No.1selling Irish whiskey both here and around the world. Toast takes a look at the phenomenal growth of the category and an exciting new beer and whiskey collaboration.

O

n every bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey you’ll find the words “Sine Metu”. It means “Without Fear” and is the family motto and guiding principle of founder John Jameson, who established the iconic brand in 1780. Triple-distilled Jameson Irish Whiskey now sells more than five million nine-litre cases worldwide each year, with particular growth in the US. Irish whiskey’s accessibility to a wide range of whiskey drinkers is a large part of what makes it so popular – it can come in the form of grain, malt, single pot still, unsmoked and smoked. Innovations are tapping into an eagerness for Irish whiskey.

GALLIANO

A CRAFTY COLLABORATION

The “without fear” motto remains part of Jameson’s philosophy today with an exciting new collaboration between the beer and whiskey worlds.

The story of the new innovation, Jameson Caskmates, began back in 2013, when Jameson Master Distiller, Brian Nation and Master of Whiskey Science, Dave Quinn, agreed to loan some Jameson casks to Franciscan Well Founder and Head Brewer, Shane Long, to discover their influence on Irish stout. When the barrels were returned to the Midleton Distillery, Dave Quinn refilled them with Jameson Irish Whiskey.

The maturation resulted in a new taste sensation: Jameson Caskmates.

While the smoothness remains, notes of cocoa, coffee and butterscotch confirm the stout influence.

The New Zealand release in July 2016 is set to tap into the existing appetite for craft beer and whiskey, one that is also booming in the US. Our serving suggestion is to simply pour a 30ml serve of Jameson Caskmates over ice (or neat if you prefer) alongside your pint of craft beer.

First take a sip of your whiskey and then a sip of your beer. This allows the flavour of Jameson Caskmates to be fully appreciated both on its own and then as a pairing. Jameson Caskmates is best served with a relatively light stout (white beer or IPA are other options).

LIQUEURS

COOK’S TIP Take some goodquality vanilla ice cream and scoop it into glasses, pour over a hot shot of espresso (or use a strong plunger pot of coffee) and then a shot of your favourite liqueur.

Now you’re cooking Get creative with liqueurs in the kitchen and add a new flavour dimension to sweet and savoury dishes.

WORDS BY DELANEY MES PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRYCE CARLETON STYLING BY FIONA KERR

Research has shown that exposure to light damages beer and affects its flavour.

So to make sure our beer is delivered to you in the very best condition, we have darkened our brown bottle.

This not only gives 30% more protection against harmful light, it ensures you enjoy the true, pure

Mediterranean taste of Estrella Damm every time you open a bottle.

Making Mediterranean beer is an art.

Retaining its quality in a bottle, on the other hand, is a science.

The equation is clear - darker bottle, better beer. Salud!

Official Beer Sponsor of

T

here is more to liqueur than drinking them straight, using them in cocktails, or splashing them in your coffee after a dinner party. Invest in a bottle of liqueur and discover the myriad ways it can be put to use in the kitchen. These bottles sometimes feature slightly obscure ingredients, which you may have thought of as one-hit-wonders. But there is often more to them than meets the eye.

We are all familiar with wine in cooking: coq au vin, beef bourguignon and mussels steamed in white wine. And beer batter is a glorious thing whatever the season.

Even cider gets a good run in cooking – have you tried doing pulled pork in a crisp apple cider lately? It’s fantastic. But don’t forget about liqueurs as these too can add something really special to a meal. Winter is coming and it’s time to get cooking – we have some great ideas to get cooking with liqueurs.

Using a sweet liquor at dessert time is pretty straightforward and a great place to start is in that Italian classic; tiramisu. Strong black coffee is mixed with Tia Maria, before having sponge fingers soaked in the mixture. They are layered with a custard of egg yolks, sugar, mascarpone, and cream, and then dusted with a generous heap of cocoa.

While you’ve got the bottle handy and are feeling your sweet tooth, Tia Maria is great in an espresso martini (which is a perfect option for a liquid dessert, if you’re entertaining) and also in that other Italian dessert classic affogato. Take some goodquality vanilla ice cream and scoop it into glasses, pour over a hot shot of espresso (or use a strong plunger pot of coffee) and then a shot of your favourite liqueur. Tia Maria works well, but so does Frangelico, Galliano, sambuca or amaretto.

Speaking of amaretto, it’s no surprise that this almond-flavoured wonder works well in the kitchen. Try whisking some through a homemade custard to add a glorious almond flavour to serve with cakes. If you fancy serving up cannoli you can buy the pastry shells and fill with a mix of ricotta, icing sugar, amaretto, slivered almonds and chocolate chips. Belissimo.

For something savoury, grab your bottle of Angostura Bitters. Add a tablespoon to half a cup of honey and the juice of a fresh orange to make a fabulous glaze for ham on the bone. Stud some whole cloves in before baking and you have dinner for a crowd covered.

Keeping things retro, marsala (a fortified wine) makes a wonderful addition to creamy mushrooms. Sauté mushrooms in a frying pan in a decent tablespoon of butter. Add some chopped thyme and a crushed garlic clove, if you like, and then a generous splash of marsala. Add a couple of tablespoons of cream and reduce until the mushrooms are coated but not runny. toastmag.co.nz

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TOAST PROMOTION

A PIECE OF

ITALIAN CRAFT

The flavour of Italy is captured in Galliano Ristretto – an espresso liqueur crafted from a complex blend of coffee beans. Enjoy its deep, intense flavours in this unique cocktail.

Ristretto Martini Serves 1

30ml Galliano Ristretto 30ml vodka

Serve over steak for a slightly 1970s feel, or on toast for breakfast if you’re feeling game. It also works well as a sauce for chicken and bacon. Don’t forget to douse it in fresh parsley afterwards and licking the plate is optional.

For a easy no-churn ice cream recipe, you can use either limoncello, Chambord, or experiment with something else.

Simply beat 4 egg yolks with 125 grams of caster sugar until thick and pale, then beat 600ml cream with 125 grams of caster sugar, being careful not to overbeat. Fold them together and add one third of a cup of your favourite liqueur. Freeze overnight and be careful not to eat it all in one go.

Cointreau and Grand Marnier are both good liqueurs to have in your kitchen – adding a splash to fruit often works well: try pan-frying bananas in a little Grand Marnier and brown sugar for the perfectly caramelised topping to porridge, pancakes, ice cream, or coconut yoghurt.

Pineapple or orange slices work well with this liqueur caramelisation treatment.

The classic French dessert of Crêpes Suzette is a comforting dessert for winter and is made even easier by either buying the crêpes premade, or making them well ahead of time. Wow your guests with a bit of retro flair. You could even serve them for brunch instead of dessert.

42

Toast by Liquorland

Crêpes Suzette Sauce

30ml espresso

Makes approximately 10 crêpes

10ml sugar syrup

3 tablespoons caster sugar 250ml juice of 2–3 oranges, freshly squeezed zest of one orange 1 teaspoon lemon juice 2 tablespoon Grand Marnier or Cointreau 50 grams unsalted butter On a low-medium heat, place the caster sugar in a non-stick frying pan. Allow it to melt without stirring until it becomes a dark caramel, being careful not to burn.

As soon as it has caramelised, remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the orange juice. Add the orange zest, lemon juice and liqueur. Return the pan to the heat to melt the liquid into the caramel. Add the butter in small pieces, then increase the heat to allow the sauce to slightly reduce. Pour over the crêpes, either in a serving dish or on individual plates.

Add a dollop of ice cream if you’re feeling decadent.

Fold crêpes into quarters and set aside.

AVAILABLE INSTORE You’ll find all these liqueurs in your local Liquorland store or online at liquorland.co.nz

Place all the ingredients in a shaker. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass.

CREAMY COCKTAILS

Winter Riches

Dublin Iced Coffee Makes 1

Smooth, decadent, delicious – these creamy treats are the ultimate in wintry indulgence.

30ml Canadian Club Whisky 100ml Guinness Stout 100ml cold brew coffee (cold plunger coffee works well) 2 tablespoons sugar syrup 30ml runny cream

RECIPES BY DELANEY MES PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSH GRIGGS STYLING BY FIONA KERR

Fill a short glass with ice. Add the Canadian Club Whisky, Guinness, coffee and sugar syrup. Stir well, then pour over the runny cream.

Hot Dark Chocolate (recipe page 47)

WANT MORE? Find these delicious recipes and more inspiration and tips at toastmag.co.nz

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45

CREAMY COCKTAILS

Boozy Chai Serves 2–3 2 cups boiling water 6 chai tea bags 2 cinnamon sticks 4 whole star anise 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground cloves ¼ cup brown sugar 2 cups milk 1 cup Kraken Black Spiced Rum pinch cinnamon, to garnish In a saucepan, place the water and the tea bags (remove any strings and tags) and allow to brew about 5 minutes on a low heat.

Add all the spices and continue to brew for another 5 or so minutes.

Add the sugar and the milk and increase the heat slightly. Gently simmer for a few minutes, then add the Kraken Black Spiced Rum. Simmer for a few more minutes, then taste and adjust as necessary. Remove tea bags and cinnamon sticks. Serve in mugs, garnished with a pinch of cinnamon.

AVAILABLE INSTORE You’ll find all of the spirits and liqueurs for these recipes plus a wide range of mixers in your local Liquorland store or at liquorland.co.nz

Hot Dark Chocolate Serves 3–4 3 cups whole milk 1 vanilla bean 2 tablespoons sugar 125 grams dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) ½ cup Johnnie Walker Whisky pinch sea salt sweetened whipped cream, to serve

Boozy Chai recipe opposite page

In a medium saucepan heat the milk with the vanilla bean and sugar. Keep at a medium-low heat, and allow to heat through about 6–7 minutes.

Roughly chop the chocolate and add to the milk. Stir constantly until the chocolate melts.

Remove the vanilla bean. Add the Johnnie Walker Whisky and the sea salt.

Stir well, then pour into mugs and serve with whipped cream on top.

CLICK & COLLECT

Pink Flamingo

Pink Flamingo Makes two 3 large scoops vanilla ice cream 3 tablespoons Grenadine ½ cup Baileys Irish Cream Remove ice cream from the freezer 10 minutes before use.

Blend all ingredients in a blender and pour into a glass. Serve with a spoon and a straw. Garnish with an extra drizzle of grenadine. Whipped cream optional.

TOAST RECOMMENDS

For more delicious recipes, inspiration, tips and news about the world of drinks visit liquorland.co.nz

Click and collect we’ve made it easier to shop through our website liquorland.co.nz – simply select your store, select your order and pay – it’s as simple as that! toastmag.co.nz

47

LIQUEURS

Pears in Cointreau

Soak it up Poaching fruit in alcohol is a fabulous way to take flavours up a level. The bonus is you’re left with the poaching liquid afterwards: to imbibe as is, pour over your ice cream, or perhaps drizzle over a pound cake for a moisturefilled taste sensation.

RECIPES BY DELANEY MES PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRYCE CARLETON STYLING BY FIONA KERR

COOK’S TIP Both these poached fruits can be kept in the fridge in sealed containers for up to a week.

Apricots and Figs in Brandy

Pears in Cointreau

Apricots and Figs in Brandy

These pears are excellent on a cheeseboard in place of fruit paste. They can be used to cook in any recipe that calls for pears – for example in a cake – or served warm with the liquid over ice cream. You could also serve with runny or whipped cream for an easy dessert, or for a celebratory breakfast served up with homemade muesli.

These wonderfully infused dried fruits are gorgeous served over a New York-style cheesecake, or a vanilla panna cotta, with ice cream or alongside a chocolate cake with a little whipped cream.

4 pears, cores removed (skin is optional) ½ cup water ½ cup Cointreau 1 cinnamon stick 4–5 cloves 2 tablespoon brown sugar Place all ingredients in a saucepan, and gently increase heat until it’s up to a gentle simmer.

Poach the fruit for about 15 minutes.

Remove the pears with a slotted spoon, and set aside.

Increase the heat of the liquid and allow to reduce – about 15 minutes.

¾ cup brown sugar ¼ cup water ½ cup brandy 1 tablespoon honey 250 grams dried figs and dried apricots Stir sugar, water, brandy and honey together in a saucepan. Add figs and sultanas, and bring to the boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer, and then allow to cool in the syrup. Leave overnight, then serve as desired.

Find these alcohol products instore at Liquorland or online at liquorland.co.nz toastmag.co.nz

49

TOAST PROMOTION

THE LONG POUR Settle into some deliciously flavoursome, soul-satisfying wines this winter.

Rugging up against the winter elements isn’t just something we do externally with jumpers, scarves and blankets. Internally, we switch to luscious comfort foods that warm the belly such as roasts, rich stews and steaming puddings, and full-bodied drinks to match. In a cold climate there’s something evocative about wrapping your hands around a glass of deep damson red wine that’s akin to holding a hot water bottle or a mug of steaming tea.

As the temperature heads into the single digits, key wine styles for winter often have a pleasing weightiness to them, such as full-bodied reds like syrah and pinot noir or the soothing heavy velvetiness of a cabernet sauvignon or merlot. Prevailing red wine flavours of ripe and deep-toned fruits, spices and chocolate, pair wonderfully with thick gravies, dark meats, rich red berries and all the other pleasures of winter’s bounty.

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Angus The Bull 2013 - As you may guess from its name, Angus The Bull isn’t a cabernet sauvignon designed for sitting quietly among the daisies. Created with a robust attentiongrabbing character, this enveloping red is blended to perfectly partner prime beef, with complementary flavours of ripe black fruits, rich dark chocolate, and vanillin smoky oak.

Made from Central Victorian grapes, it’s a medium to full-bodied wine with a no-nonsense finish that complements any dark red meat dish, but why muck about when you can go classic with a good-quality steak accompanied by a pleasing dollop of buttery béarnaise sauce.

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Wither Hills 2013 Single Vineyard Taylor River Pinot Noir - In the vintage of 2013, sunshine and warmth flooded vineyards in Marlborough resulting in fabulous fruit and prime growing conditions. After two weeks of intense harvesting, this fruit was captured and made into beautiful fruity, aromatic wine. Part of the winery’s Single Vineyards range, Wither Hills Taylor River Pinot Noir 2013 is an exceptional wine that reflects this period of magical warmth – fruity, rich and complex, it is generous on the palate with elements of wild berries, white pepper and dried herbs.

Pair with slowroasted lamb and an almond-mint pesto (and don’t forget potatoes roasted in duck fat).

Huntaway Reserve Syrah Hawkes Bay 2013 - Nothing beats a stint of outdoors activity in winter (cue long walks on blustery beaches wrapped in multiple layers with wind-flushed cheeks), followed by cosy firesides and full glasses on return.

Game is a food that speaks to us on such occasions, especially when serving a meat like duck breast, lovingly glazed with dark fruit such as pomegranate or prunes. Enhance the experience with Huntaway’s Reserve Syrah Hawkes Bay 2013, a balanced, rich and smoky wine from this award-winning range. Matured in fine-grained oak barrels, the wine gives an abundance of dark ripe fruits, spices and a toasted oaky finish, though more savoury notes will emerge with cellaring.

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Morton Estate White Label Merlot 2012 When confined to the indoors, winter entertaining is often at its best when it’s unfussy and casual – cue the simple honesty of dishes such as sausages, mash and gravy, or the dependability of a timeless dish like slow cooked spag’ bol’, enriched with the smokiness of bacon and finished with the woody spiciness of fresh-grated nutmeg. Merlot is the perfect wine for such gatherings, with its enjoyable flavours and comforting softness. Morton Estate White Label Merlot (2012) is a delicious wine, created in the Hawke’s Bay region, that offers a mouthful of flavours including dark fruits such as plum and blackcurrant, shot through with appearances of dark chocolate and woods. A wine to share over heaping platefuls.

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Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2012 - Terroir (the natural climate in which grapes are grown), is everything when it comes to wine. Mt Difficulty Bannockburn wines are sourced exclusively from vineyards located on the south side of the Kawarau River at Bannockburn, an area of sweeping majestic hills and dry climatic conditions, once home to numerous gold fields.

The captivating Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Noir (2012) echoes the richness and piercing clarity of its environment.

Black forest fruits push to the fore of this pinot, with a follow through of elegant tannins and a lingering finish.

Would work beautifully alongside the singular flavours of a winter platter combining dark charcuterie meats with hard cheeses, chutney and dried figs and cherries.

FOCUS ON HAWKE’S BAY

W

ith more than 72 wineries and 123 independent grape growers, it’s safe to say that in addition to being the nation’s fruit bowl, Hawke’s Bay is arguably the wine glass of New Zealand – filled with beautiful nectar rich in flavour and in history.

HISTORY IN A GLASS With beginnings in 1851 when Marist missionaries first planted vines on the silty, clay terrain near Napier, Hawke’s Bay is the oldest wine region in New Zealand. By the early 1920s, Mission Estate Winery, Te Mata Estate Winery, Vidal Estate and Glenvale (now Esk Valley) were all established in the region.

Nearly 100 years on, these are wellrespected names in the winemosphere and are continuing to produce wine which pleases tastes worldwide.

KEEPING UP Despite its history with wine, Hawke’s Bay is no dinosaur when it comes to keeping up with the ever-expanding demands for sustainably produced wine. The region’s winemakers have been pioneers with their innovative approach to irrigation management, frost protection, on site treatment of vineyard waste and spray practices.

In 2016 the statistics talk – 94 per cent of Hawke’s Bay’s wine is certified as sustainable and 6.8 per cent is certified as organic.

In grape demand With an average of 2220 annual sunshine hours, Hawke’s Bay is billed as the fruit bowl of New Zealand. But it is one fruit in particular that gives this sun-filled sweeping region a big gold star on the map.

BY JANE LYONS

LAY OF THE LAND Hawke’s Bay hosts three main wine growing areas: coastal areas, hillsides and silty, clay plains. Each area is home to distinctive land qualities that significantly enhance and impact on local viticulture and wine styles in the region.

The gravelly coastal areas of Bay View and Te Awanga enjoy a more pronounced oceanic climate and are celebrated for their beautiful chardonnay and early-

ripening reds – try out the Elephant Hill Le Phant, details over page.

The hillsides around Havelock North and the rural Maraekakaho district south west of Hastings are predominantly planted with red varieties – the north-facing slopes are helpful in reducing the risk of frost.

These zones are famous for their rich, aromatic wines such as the Trinity Hill Pinot Noir.

Criss-crossed with gravel beds, winding rivers and free-draining soils, the silty, clay plains stretching out from Havelock North and Napier to include Taradale, Bridge Pa and Meanee are diverse in both their foundations and their fruit production. These sprawling areas are known to produce some of the best wines the region has to offer.

DISTINCTIVE PERSONALITIES The nature of Hawke’s Bay’s stable climate plays a vital role in its success as a diverse wine region. High sunshine levels and wind protection from surrounding high country allow for a wide spectrum of varieties to be produced, much to the envy of other regions with more variable climates.

In 2015, the Hawke’s Bay vintage produced 36,000 tonnes of wine with three key players making up 54 per cent of the vintage: chardonnay, merlot and syrah.

HAWKE’S BAY CHARDONNAY Chardonnay from the fruit bowl of New Zealand certainly showcases the tastes of its terroir. Rich in texture and laced with strong notes of ripe stone fruit and citrus, Hawke’s Bay-made chardonnay such as the beautifiul Te Awanga Estate Chardonnay is highly regarded on the white wine scene. While oaked Hawke’s Bay chardonnay has dominated the market for years, more recently Hawke’s Bay unoaked or fresh chardonnay is ramping up in popularity.

HAWKE’S BAY SYRAH This variety is perhaps the most celebrated drop from the region. Winelovers across the globe have become infatuated with its rich, plum tones and peppery kick – characteristics which have been likened to wine from the Northern Rhone region in Southern France. Try Crossroads Milestone Syrah, Church Road McDonald Series Syrah and Esk Valley Syrah for a taste of these luxurious regionspecific qualities.

HAWKE’S BAY MERLOT Luscious, fruity and complex, merlot from Hawke’s Bay is adored for its balancing of traditional structure with a pure fruitiness, which other regions struggle to match. Mission Estate Vineyard Selection Merlot is a prime example of the beautiful berry and stone fruit blends which give this rich red its outstanding name.

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FOCUS ON HAWKE’S BAY

MAKE IT MOSCATO

FACT BOX TRINITY HILL Location: State Highway 50, Fernhill, Hastings, Hawke’s Bay Famous for: Beautiful food-friendly wines and innovative wine varieties.

Good drop to try: Trinity Hill Pinot Noir RRP $19.99 Tasting notes: Fresh raspberry, spice, earthy tones.

Enjoy a lighter take on wine with the vibrant sherbert taste of Moscato. Best served chilled, it’s the perfect accompaniment to any occasion.

CROSSROADS Location: Korokipo Road, State Highway 50, Napier Famous for: Lovingly crafted “small parcel” Hawke’s Bay wines.

Good drop to try: Crossroads Milestone Syrah RRP $21.99 Tasting notes: Dark plum, blueberry, mixed spice.

CHURCH ROAD Location: Church Road, Taradale, Hawke’s Bay Famous for: A commitment to traditional winemaking methods that produce “complexity, texture and a sense of place”.

Drop to try: Church Road McDonald Series Syrah RRP $27.99 Tasting notes: Pepper, black plum, cinnamon, delicate florals.

ELEPHANT HILL Location: Clifton Road, Hawkes Bay Famous for: Premium wines crafted in an idyllic coastal setting.

Good drop to try: Elephant Hill Le Phant RRP $23.99 Tasting notes: Succulent texture, plum, blackberry.

A blend of syrah, merlot and cabernet sauvignon.

TE AWANGA ESTATE Location: Parkhill Road, Te Awanga, Hawke’s Bay Famous for: Rich, “long-lived” wines grown by the coast.

Good drop to try: Te Awanga Estate Chardonnay RRP $21.99 Tasting notes: Lemon, clove, peach.

ESK VALLEY Location: Main North Road, Bay View, Hawke’s Bay Famous for: Unique, hand-crafted award-winning wines made in a rustic, picturesque setting.

Good drop to try: Esk Valley Syrah RRP $23.99 Tasting notes: Black pepper, berries, exotic spice.

MISSION ESTATE Location: Church Road, Napier, Hawke’s Bay Famous for: Mixing new technology with old wine-making techniques to produce beautifully crafted wines.

Good drop to try: Mission Estate Vineyard Selection Merlot RRP $17.99 Tasting notes: Dark berry, stone fruit, savoury hints.

AVAILABLE INSTORE You’ll find all these products in your local Liquorland store or at liquorland.co.nz

Please drink responsibly

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TOAST PROMOTION

the finish is just the beginning

F I N I S H E D I N AGED WHISKY BARRELS R I CH ER. D EEP ER. S M O OT H ER.

T H E F I N I S H I S J U S T T H E B EGI N N I N G S H I R A Z A N D CA B ER N E T S AU V I GN O N AVA I L A B L E

Enjoy Jacob’s Creek Responsibly

NOTES FROM THE SOIL At Brancott Estate, the imagination of chief winemaker Patrick Materman concocts artful journeys for the senses.

Once you have the ideal climate and the right geological conditions, what else needs to be added to create truly exceptional wines? The artistry of the winemaker is to combine high-quality ingredients picked at the optimum time, into pleasurable concoctions. But beyond that comes the instinct and innovation to imagine a sensory story that will excite the mouth, nose and mind.

For the creation of Brancott Estate’s specialist Letter Series and Terroir Series, chief winemaker Patrick Materman had the ideal starting point: outstanding vineyards located in specific regions in Marlborough, known for their premium output. But what next?

Just like a novelist sitting down to write a book with the best paper, pens and language, the master winemaker must decide which stories he or she wants to tell.

Of course in order to tell a tale, you must first get your hands into the soil of the narrative, and Materman – who has been with Brancott Estate since 1990 – does this regularly (and literally), attentively studying the vineyards, monitoring each block, tasting, waiting, checking, waiting some more, and analysing to ensure the best harvesting dates.

But what has made these premium wines global awardwinners with local and international accolades, is the intangible element that Materman brings, the ability to cajole superior crops into wines conveying poetic sensory messages.

To The Letter For the Brancott Estate Letter Series, Materman envisioned fine wines that would whisper to the drinker through a harmony of taste, smell, structure and body. Using grapes sourced from the topperforming Marlborough vineyards for this range of hand-crafted wines, Materman has worked them into a collection of individual personalities.

“T” Marlborough Pinot Noir, for example, is an evocation of delicious dark cherry and blueberry, delicately bound with floral tones and then elegantly interrupted

with hints of coffee and chocolate – flavours that work exceptionally well with the salty richness of seared duck or meaty venison. “B” Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc meanwhile, is a luscious, honeyed, herbaceous rendering of the sauvignon grape made from exceptional vintages, which pairs wonderfully with pungent cheeses and sun-ripened fruits.

Land Lover Brancott Estate’s Terroir Series owes much to location. Each of these premium wines has been crafted to tell the story of the exact place (terroir) where the grapes evolved, an artful representation of soil, sky, rain, wind, sun and the passage of time. Grapes used for the Brancott Estate Terroir Series are derived exclusively from two sub-regions of Marlborough, and Materman works hard to ensure the resulting wines speak to their roots.

From the Awatere Valley comes an elegant and juicy pinot noir, a complex and luscious pinot gris, and a rich, vibrant and aromatic sauvignon blanc (perfect paired with mussels cooked in garlic, wine and parsley). From the Southern Valleys comes a textured tropical chardonnay, and a smoky fruity fumé blanc.

Unique wines with tales to tell. brancottestate.co.nz

TE WHARE RA

A vine marriage An Australian and a New Zealand winemaker have pooled their know-how to put Marlborough’s Te Whare Ra on the world wine map.

STORY BY ANN WARNOCK

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A

ustralian-born winemaker and co-owner of Te Whare Ra winery in Marlborough Anna Flowerday says while many businesses want a bronze statue of a founding father in their entrance lobby, she’d like a statue of her nanny.

Without long-term caregiver Kay, “the glue that holds my family together,” Anna says juggling two sets of twin daughters, 11 hectares of organic grapes and the demands of hand-crafting a celebrated stable of wine in collaboration with her Kiwi winemaker husband, Jason, might have tipped her over the edge.

“Every day at Te Whare Ra is fairly crazy and living on site just 30 metres from our winery building is a live-itbreath-it existence but every morning I wake up and think how lucky I am.”

Luck, labour, progressive thinking and perfectionism are key ingredients in the tale of Te Whare Ra Wines.

In the summer of 1999 the transTasman couple crossed paths on the winery floor at Hardys Wines in McLaren

Vale, South Australia.

Anna – a science and oenology graduate from the University of Adelaide was assistant winemaker and Kiwi boy Jason – an experienced wine industry apprentice who’d bottled his first blend in his parents’ garage at the age of 16 – was working the vintage.

Their marriage merged the couple’s hefty winemaking credentials.

Anna is the fifth generation in her family to pursue wine while Jason’s family has been involved in Marlborough wine for more than 20 years.

Anna and Jason’s joint adventure in the world of wine began in Clare Valley where they bought a mature seven-hectare vineyard and pursued organic and biodynamic practices.

“Jason set about farming the grapes as his grandfather would have done – old school – using the moon calendar, replacing fertiliser, pesticides and herbicides with natural compost, seaweed and natural biological controls.”

Within several years they’d turned the

property around and were considering where next when Te Whare Ra came on the radar.

“I’d been in France on wine industry business and Jason collected me from Melbourne Airport with real estate photos of Te Whare Ra. We were attracted by its old vines. Vines are like people – older vines have stories to tell and amazing layers of interest. Jason knew the vineyard. It had a mix of unique varietals and needed loads of work to bring it back to life – a challenge we were up for. We bought Te Whare Ra with huge excitement about its future potential.”

That potential has translated into a knock-your-socks-off success story of a small batch organic boutique winery with big-scale resonance.

Its best moments to date include being named 2014 Winery of the Year by highly respected wine writer Raymond Chan – “humbling and a tremendous accolade,” says Anna; the regular presence of its wine in New Zealand wine master classes around the world; an accolade for its 2014 Pinot Noir in prestigious wine magazine Decanter; the promise of the 2016 vintage – “we are super chuffed so far”; and the runaway success of its ground breaking aromatic blend Toru.

“Toru (three in Māori) is our wine love child and people are absolutely hooked on it. It’s a blend of gewürztraminer, riesling and pinot gris based on a classic Alsatian wine we had tried. We coferment the grapes which produces a

Te Whare Ra Pinot Gris $24.99

Te Whare Ra Toru $23.99

Te Whare Ra Te Whare Ra Gewurztraminer Chardonnay $32.99 $29.99

AT A GLANCE • • • • •

Planted in 1979, Te Whare Ra is home to Marlborough’s oldest vines.

Anna and Jason bought it in 2003.

Seven grape varieties, 12 different wines.

Fully organic certified

by BioGro in 2012 (a four-year process).

All vines are handpicked and sorted.

Te Whare Ra Pinot Noir $39.99

highly complex intriguing wine. We were the first in New Zealand to make it – it’s now our flagship.”

Anna says Te Whare Ra’s organic certification – “our big badge of pride” – and its minimal intervention winemaking brings challenges – meticulous attention to detail, an intense work regime, chemical-free problem-solving (vineyard rows are interplanted with buckwheat to attract beneficial insects) and the need for richly informed decision-making.

She says prior to harvest she and Jason and the girls walk in the vineyard after dinner, tasting the fruit to determine when varieties should be picked.

“Jason is our secret weapon. He’s three generations of experience rolled into one person. He followed his father around vineyards from the age of four. He’s very intuitive about the land.”

Making the land at Te Whare Ra a blissful and balanced environment for their beloved vines and bottling “the authentic taste of place” is Anna and Jason’s objective.

“Ninety per cent of our winemaking happens out in the vineyard and we go into extreme detail about what comes into the winery – it’s instrumental to our delivery of x-factor wines.

“One of the most awesome moments for us is at the cellar door when a visitor sips and says ‘wow’.”

Find all of these products instore at Liquorland or online at liquorland.co.nz

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PINOT NOIR

y ll a r u t a N

we’ve made the perfect mix.

Flavour in favour Pinot noir has lured many with its complexity yet delicious, easy drinkability.

Cameron Douglas MS takes a closer look at what is at the heart of its intrigue and how to get the most out of the variety.

STORY BY CAMERON DOUGLAS MS

T VODKA WITH NATURALLY FLAVOURED SPARKLING WATER AVAILABLE AT LIQUORLAND

he next time you’re poised to make a selection from your local Liquorland store, or perusing the wine list at a restaurant don’t be surprised by the amount of space dedicated to New Zealand pinot noir – there are a lot to choose from.

Pinot noir has been cultivated and enjoyed in nearly every country that can grow grapes for wine, but its first home (some would say spiritual home) is Burgundy, France, where it has been cultivated for over 2000 years and where the modern story begins. It gets its name from the French word for “pine cone”, as it resembles that shape as a cluster of grapes; and “noir” meaning black.

If you speak with a local winemaker or grape grower about the variety, they’ll undoubtedly mention its good qualities, such as its adaptability to soils and environment, but in the same breath you’ll also probably hear about how it often won’t grow evenly and how it sometimes it even mutates, sometimes into pinot gris. Occasionally vines and even particular bunches can revert to growing red and green grapes simultaneously. These challenges appear to increase a grape grower’s passion to unlock its secrets, nurture the variety and make something worthy of their efforts and your attention. Such is the pull to winemakers in New Zealand that

all regions produce pinot noir – though the most notable examples (not in any particular order – opinions vary widely on this) are Central Otago, Martinborough, Canterbury, Nelson and Marlborough.

Early on in New Zealand’s wine history, Jean Féraud, a French settler to the Otago region, established a vineyard and wine business (circa 1865).

Of the wines he released to the market (around 1870), one was called red “Burgundy Wine” (as noted in the Otago Witness newspaper of the time). It could well be that Féraud was New Zealand’s first commercial pinot noir producer – where he procured the vines is unknown.

Further north, in the Wairarapa, the Beetham family also established a family vineyard in the late 1890s. At a recent tasting of a historic 1903 red wine at the Beetham family homestead, it was revealed it was highly likely the blend contained pinot noir grapes.

By the early 1980s, the love affair and commercial production had begun in earnest, thanks to a few modern pioneers, many of whom were actually advised not to pursue the variety in the beginning.

Fortunately, these determined pinot noir fans persevered – and the variety is now our second largest success story, after sauvignon blanc.

The aromas and flavours to expect from pinot noir wines are quite varied and winemakers like to tease out the ones that highlight their particular vineyard, terroir (the combination of factors, including soil, climate and environment, that gives a wine its distinctive character) and style. The matrix of combinations can become the signature of a particular producer and build their reputation in the market. You’ll note that pinot noir can be quite a complex wine to unravel for the taster – which is part of what makes it addictive to many. The described ripe red fruits alone may include red cherry, raspberry, cranberry, wild strawberry or black cherry. Floral tones can be purple and red flowers, violets and lilacs. Some herbal or spice qualities can have a quiet yet obvious voice: tea leaf, dried herbs, fennel, anise and clove. Other aromas and flavours include game, earth, minerality and limestone.

Oak is a natural and well-used component of pinot noir, adding layers and depth, including French oak – with toast, vanilla bean, smoke, baking spices and roasted nut. toastmag.co.nz

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PINOT NOIR

TASTING NOTES

Tohu Pinot Noir $24.99 A deep ruby colour in the glass, with aromatics of cherry, plum and bright floral notes with hints of wild thyme.

The palate has rich flavours of ripe red and dark fruit, spice and integrated French oak.

Peregrine Pinot Noir $41.99 Pinot noir containing chocolate and spice notes with ripe cherry, blackberry and violet aromas.

Richly layered, concentrated berry flavours with elegance and purity. Great with duck, salmon, venison and beef.

Pinot noir is nearly always a dry wine, with medium weight (body), fine to elevated tannins (that dusty chalky texture) and elevated acidity in the finer examples.

Key areas of production do include the southern Hawke’s Bay – try Mission Estate’s Vineyard Selection – then feature in every wine growing area southward through to Otago.

The best approach to take when selecting or preparing food to pair with pinot is to keep things simple – pinot doesn’t like heat spices such as chilli, or foods over-seasoned with black pepper; or too much salt such as found in soy sauce or capers – a little can be just fine.

Pinot can be quite complex in its finest forms, so dishes that have simple earthy flavours can find harmony with the wine quite easily – for example a risotto with

Durvillea by Astrolabe Marlborough Pinot Noir $19.99 Bright garnet in colour, this silky textured pinot noir has an aroma of black and red cherries, forest fruits, strawberry conserve and spice, and an intriguing earthy complexity.

Mud House Waipara Valley Pinot Noir $17.99 Aromas of red cherry, raspberry and vibrant spice with a hint of oak. Bold fruit flavours fill the front palate and meld perfectly with the spicy oak. Fine acid gives the wine lovely structure.

fresh herbs, dried mushroom, leek and perhaps pumpkin served with a simple protein such as chicken breast or white fish can be delicious. Try this with the Peregrine Pinot Noir Central Otago and you’ll discover what I mean.

Other dishes that pair well can appear a lot bolder in nature but are classic, such as beef or chicken stew, and as such, are delicious partners with pinot noir – try the Tohu from the Marlborough region.

Lean meats are better partners than rich fatty flesh.

Duck with its natural slightly gamey flavour and moist texture can be the perfect partner for pinot noir. Try the Mud House wines from Waipara with this bird. Venison, lamb and wild game would complement the beautiful Astrolabe Pinot Noir (Marlborough).

Mission Estate Vineyard Selection Pinot Noir $17.99 Bright in colour with a sweet floral bouquet of red cherries, forest floor and wild berries.

The palate is quite full bodied and carries an abundance of sweet fruit and ripe, silky tannins.

Ara Single Estate Pinot Noir $23.99 A classical expression of Marlborough with added complexity and texture. Dark raspberry and boysenberry fruit flavours emerge from a soft and savoury wine rounded out with elegant but firm tannins.

Menu and pinot noir matches at restaurants can be challenging at times, especially if the wine list has a dozen or more to choose from. The best food and wine matches come from dishes with bold yet simple flavours such as salmon (hot smoked), lean medium-rare venison or carpaccio of red meat. Try some of the wines from the Ara portfolio, with their toasted barrel notes, with these dishes.

Pinot noir has become the red wine of choice for many, with even habitual white wine drinkers happy to enjoy a tasty glass.

The future for New Zealand pinot noir, in its many incarnations, is bright.

Find all of these products instore at Liquorland or online at liquorland.co.nz

WINTER. A JOYOUS SEASON WHEN TEMPERATURES DROP TO NEAR PERFECT CONDITIONS .

Around this beautiful little country of ours right now, many a craft beer devotee will be rubbing their hands together. Not from the cold, but from excitement. For now is the time of year when temperatures naturally become ideal for serving their beloved Tuatara. Not so cold that their tongue freezes to the glass.

Cold

4-6 DEGREES LIGHTER MALT & CLASSIC EUROPEAN STYLES Tuatara Pilsner Tuatara Helles Lager Tuatara Hefe Tuatara Tripel Tuatara Ardennes

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tuatarabrewing.co.nz

Nor so warm they need to blow on their beer.

Of course, temperatures can vary in Winter.

Which is why our wide range of distinctive craft beers vary in ideal serving temperature too. So wherever you are, and whatever it’s like outside, you’re all set to raise a glass to Winter.

Chilly

5-8 DEGREES PALE ALE & AROMATIC STYLES Tuatara NZAPA Tuatara USAPA Tuatara Sauvinova Tuatara Double Trouble Tuatara Copperhead

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cool

8-12 DEGREES ROBUST, RICH & FULL BODIED STYLES Tuatara Stout Tuatara Porter Tuatara Dubbel

@TuataraBrew

FOR THE LOVE OF BEER The Emerson’s team; (right) Jason Bathgate and Milton Mewett of McLeod’s Brewery in Waipu.

Beer essentials Michael Donaldson delves into the latest from the beer world…

IN SESSION

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.STEINLAGER.COM

FULL FLAVOUR MID STRENGTH

Session beer – the term is all the rage as brewers recognise a growing demand for lower alcohol products.

There’s no doubt there’s more lower alcohol beer on the market – in fact, the growth areas in the beer industry, according to Statistics New Zealand’s annual chart of “alcohol available for consumption”, showed volume growth in both beer more than five per cent and under 2.5 per cent.

But what is a session beer? In fact, what is a session? Is it even a responsible term?

Some people will take a session to mean an afternoon at the pub and therefore a session beer is one you can drink without making a fool of yourself and falling asleep in the toilet. Or does it mean a beer that allows you to have a couple of pints and still be fit to drive?

Either way there’s a subjectivity to it and at the moment it’s an ill-defined marketing term to replace “lite” or “low alcohol”.

And what should the alcohol band be for a beer to call itself “sessionable”?

Certainly those in the 2.5 to 4 per cent fit the bill but other products marketed as sessionable are up around 4.5 to 4.9 per cent alcohol which could be problematic for the unwary consumer.

Sessionable to me means more than just low alcohol, it has to be about flavour – a beer you could quite happily drink two or three pints of because it tastes great regardless of the alcohol level.

Tuatara Iti (3.3 per cent) is a good example of a modern session beer with a great body and lovely hop character while Emerson’s Bookbinder at 3.7 per cent is probably the original sessionable craft beer and it’s tasting as good now as it ever has.

Speaking of Emerson’s, the brewery has completed its move to its new premises in Anzac Ave in Dunedin.

The site opens officially on July 4 and will allow the iconic southern brewery to increase production. But there’s also room to do smaller and experimental brews on a truly “micro” brewery located in the brewpub.

AN EPIC WIN

The trophies keep piling up for Epic Beer’s Armageddon IPA, which nabbed its fourth major crown in less than a year when it was named best in class at the New World Beer and Cider Awards.

Armageddon had previously taken out trophies at the Australian International Beer Awards, The New Zealand Brewers Guild Awards and the

Stockholm Beer and Whiskey Festival.

Epic owner and brewer Luke Nicholas, not one to be lost for words, was dumbfounded by the success.

“When it won its third trophy, in Stockholm, it was described as “the stuff of fantasy” – well I think we’ve exhausted the adjectives now, it’s beyond my wildest dreams,” Nicholas says. “The IPA category is one of the most fiercely contested in any beer competition and to come out on top in four consecutive competitions is mind-boggling.”

Nicholas was equally delighted Epic Pale Ale retained the title it won last year against stiff competition.

Coincidentally, this trophy came almost 10 years to the day Epic Pale Ale burst to prominence when named supreme champion at the New Zealand International Beer Awards in April 2006. “When it was released it was revolutionary – a big hoppy pale ale of the sort New Zealand hadn’t seen before. And despite the huge growth in the pale ale category, 10 years later it still stands above the rest,” he says.

FRESH START

Dave Kurth of Hot Water Brewing in the Coromandel had a lot of his fans shaking their heads in disbelief toastmag.co.nz

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FOR THE LOVE OF BEER

beer. As a result, Auro will be hitting the shelves this winter. It’s a light-bodied beer made with sorghum and rice syrup and is completely gluten-free.

The new version will be dry-hopped to create more aroma than the original.

Brewer Chris Mills is rapt to be producing something for gluten-intolerant beer fans and hopes it’s now here to stay.

recently when he announced he was quitting brewing to make hamburgers.

Kurth, who built his reputation at the West Coast Brewery in Westport, is leaving the beer business to join his wife, Keren, in running a food truck specialising in hamburgers.

Kurth jokes he’s “way better at making burgers than beer” but he will be sadly missed in the industry.

Just as Kurth left his brewery, Jason Bathgate was making a brave return to work. Bathgate was severely burnt in an accident at 8 Wired Brewing in Warkworth last year and after a long, hard rehab process has decided not to go back to 8 Wired. Instead he has taken on the role as head brewer at McLeod’s in Waipu, which is about two hours north of Auckland.

Bathgate, a trained chef who started as a homebrewer in Nelson, worked at Renaissance in Blenheim before joining former Renaissance brewer Soren Eriksen at his 8 Wired operation in Warkworth.

Bathgate, along with Behemoth’s Andrew Childs, was badly burned 68

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when a pressure build-up in a kettle sent hot wort over the pair. They spent numerous weeks in the burns unit at Middlemore Hospital.

Bathgate struggled both physically and psychologically following the accident and admitted it would have been hard to go back to work at 8 Wired. We wish him the best in his new job.

BY POPULAR DEMAND

Crowdfunding is becoming quite a thing in beer circles. We’ve seen Yeastie Boys and Renaissance raise capital through Pledge Me and Snowball Effect, while writer Jules van Cruysen successfully funded his book Brewed through public pledges.

The latest success story – and not everyone succeeds – belongs to Upper Hutt’s Kereru Brewing Company.

They had previously brewed a gluten-free beer, Auro, but stopped making it because of lack of demand.

To test the market they started a campaign through Pledge Me where people could basically pre-order the

Speaking of public funds, Moa’s share price has clawed its way up from what now appears to be a rock-bottom of 27 cents at the end of August last year.

In April, two years after listing on the stock exchange, Moa was trading at around 65 cents – well down from the launch price of $1.25 – but a marked improvement nonetheless.

In March, it was revealed Moa Group chief executive Geoff Ross and executive director David Poole increased their holdings via shares purchased in lieu of salaries. Those purchases coincided with a surge in Moa’s share price, with Ross adding 168,000 shares at a cost of $84,555 to bring his holding to 516,200 shares, while Poole now has a total of 132,000 shares, having earned 42,000 shares valued at $21,138.

The price of the shares – at around 50 cents – is calculated by volumeweight average price (V-WAP). Ross says the buy-up, which started when shares were around 30c and continued for about six months, “may have” helped lift the price but said other factors were also in play.

Find all of these products instore at Liquorland or online at liquorland.co.nz

* Disclaimer: This writer is a shareholder in Yeastie Boys.

TAKING STOCK

GOOD GEORGE BREWING

HEAVEN SENT

The origins of Good George Brewing were in a church building – it seems only right they are now gaining passionate craft beer converts around the country.

BY MICHAEL DONALDSON

S

ince its inception in 2011, set up by a group of mates working in hospitality and the beer industry, Good George Brewing has cast a spell over beer lovers nationwide with its innovation, determination and love of the brew. As a brand it’s also known for its its cheeky sense of humour – the brewery is no stranger to poking a bit of fun at its hometown of Hamilton (the team is currently running a tongue-in-cheek competition with the prize being a trip to their home town).

Despite this wicked sense of humour, Good George takes one thing very, very seriously: good beer. Beer that strikes the perfect balance of being simple but not boring, and exciting but not intimidating.

Looking at their extensive range of ales, ciders and iconic Good George squealers, it’s clear to see this balance has been well and truly struck.

Good George took its name from an old church – the dilapidated St George’s Church in Frankton, Hamilton – where it set up shop in 2011, bringing life, fun and fizz to what was a crumbling structure by fitting it out with their brewery and dining hall.

After making its mark on Hamilton, with a growing number of followers enjoying their flavoursome ales, Good George has been expanding its network by working in partnership with bar owners in the Waikato region. Good George helps to finance a new outfit or renovation of the bars, which includes having their range on tap. The bar then pours the brewery’s beer for a set period until the sales are deemed to have paid for the financing of the fit-out.

Clever thinking, indeed.

For a relatively new and smallish brewery, to boldly grow their market in this way shows why it’s one of the fastest 70

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“[The brewery] has grown into a force of its own.”

— Darrel Hadley (above)

growing businesses in the region.

Managing director Darrel Hadley says the move has been driven by the craft beer boom. “We’re getting more into working with operators who want to get into craft,” Hadley says. “We’ve done two or three recently in Waikato that are heavily Good George-branded and we will help them with design and fit-out and help them develop their own concept where Good George will feature heavily.”

Good George also offers advice to those who might feel their head spinning by what’s on offer in the craft world. Hadley speaks from experience on this front – he’s a veteran of the hospitality trade with Hamilton’s Phoenix Group but when he wanted to get into craft he had to seek out local beer guru Greig McGill for some tips.

“For someone who’s come from a mainstream background, craft can be ‘well, where do you start?’. And that was us – when we got our first craft beer bar in Hamilton, House Bar, I found Greig McGill and asked him to tell me about craft beer and got him to select our first tap line-up.”

From that small introduction to craft beer, Hadley and his colleagues at Phoenix Group decided they wanted to get into brewing and were mulling their options when beer judge and consultant Brian Watson walked through the door at House Bar and, as Hadley recalls, said: “’How’d you like to run hospitality for a brewery I want set up?’

“And we said ‘how’d you like to help run the brewery we want to set up?’.”

That was the start of Good George, in that old church, a brewpub of sorts.

“It used to rankle me that we got called a brewpub,” Hadley says, “because we always wanted to be a brewery but we had that hospitality focus and that was what drove our early growth.

“The hospitality supported the brewery side for the first 12 months until the brewery started coming into its own and it’s now grown into a force of its own.”

The brewery started out making around 100,000 litres a year. That doubled within a year and has since risen to 750,000 litres annually. Their retail demand is going from strength to strength too – Liquorland stores in the upper North Island have had Good George stock flying from the shelves and are currently expanding distribution around the rest of New Zealand.

With new tanks coming in July they will be soon be brewing around one million litres a year, a volume, Hadley says “that will allow us to get through next summer without upsetting people by running out of stock, which has always been a problem for us”.

The flagship beer remains its debut Sparkling Ale, a 4.5 per cent brew that’s a perfect sessionable drop, but it’s been eclipsed in volume by the IPA, which is the biggest seller by a considerable margin.

A new pilsner introduced last summer has also been a success while the brewery also does an amber ale and an APA. It’s also renowned for its ciders – the Doris Plum and Drop Hop (a hopped cider) – which have been consistent medal winners at the Brewers Guild of NZ Awards.

AVAILABLE INSTORE Find Good George squealers at your local Liquorland store

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GOOD GEORGE BREWING

But the style Hadley is most excited about is sour beer – particularly the little-known salted variety known as gose (pronounced go-suh).

Last year Good George won the Brewer’s Guild trophy for best flavoured or aged beer with their Blueberry Gose and Hadley says there are more experiments coming up – including looking at ways to get the Blueberry Gose into bottles (a technically challenging task with a fruit beer).

“Certainly sour beers have been really kind to us and been well received – the Blueberry Gose was an amazing success – and we’ve got more in the pipeline.

“I’ve seen first-hand what’s happening with sour beers in the United States – it’s a style we can have a lot of fun with – and you can bring them in at the 2.5 per cent range which has appeal to it as well.”

Where Good George has really made its mark in the last year or so is with its 946ml squealers, beautifully designed miniflagons that look stunning on shelves.

“We trialled them in a couple of retailers

around Hamilton and we liked the way they were different and stood out in a market that’s so much more crowded than ever before. They have been fantastic for us getting our beer out there. When we pull out that innovative packaging they are immediately receptive and the beer does the talking from there.

“We’ve grown to really love them. They are synonymous with our brand.”

So much so, the brewery is pulling away from selling beer in four-packs of 330ml

bottles to concentrate on their squealers, which have been redesigned to feature an embossed logo and a ridged chevron reminiscent, they say, of the shape at front of the VW Kombi Van the brewery owns.

It’s this quirky sense of humour and knack for innovation that is continuing to grow Good George fans around the country and, in the near future, overseas as well.

“We want to be exporting by the middle of next year at the latest and for that we need our packaging to be spot on.”

TOAST PROMOTION

WARM YOUR COCKLES As the mercury drops, raise the temperature with some heart-warming beer and food matches.

It’s hard to get blue about the arrival of winter when you picture a roaring fire, tucking into the rib-sticking goodness of comfort foods and sipping on perfectly matched warming beers.

This time of the year is all about full-bodied flavours, bringing to mind slow-cooking stews, unctuous pies, braised dark meats, and spices paired with the bitter richness of dark chocolate. It’s also a time for complex beers such as porters and deep ales, which seduce the palate with their abundant flavour profiles, shot through with enveloping notes like rich fruit, spices, chocolate and coffee.

Beer brewers produce the dense flavour profiles of traditional winter beers by using a rich blend of malts, for example caramelised malts and those that have been kilned at higher temperatures to give a roasted character. Perfect when combined with hearty meals, there are plenty of winter-friendly brews that deliver pleasing hits of spice and sweet bitterness, ideal for fireside sipping.

1

Black Mac - Winter is a time to revel in strong flavours that warm the cockles and excite the mouth in a cold climate. Made to savour, Black Mac is a smooth porter beer that features a complexity of five different malts shot through with hits of liquorice, caramel and chocolate, and topped with the herbal, woody aroma of Fuggle hops.

Make this deliciously dark ale even more pleasurable by pairing with tender steak combined with oysters or a strong blue cheese.

2

Emerson’s London Porter - Taking depth of flavour and giving it an edge, Emerson’s London Porter is a creamy ale that pays off with a dry finish and a palatestimulating bitterness.

Sweet and earthy, this porter is firm bodied but won’t weigh you down, balancing roasted malt notes with an edge of coffee.

Born in Dunedin with a craft beer style, Emerson’s London Porter would be an ideal dinner date for a slowcooked leg of venison.

3

Leffe Brun - In winter we are drawn to darkness in all its comforting forms – candlelit rooms, thick beef stews, deep red winter berries cooked so their juices flow and dark ales that make for perfect afterdinner sippers. Able to trace its roots back to 11th century southern Belgium, Leffe Brun is a full-bodied abbey beer that’s brewed with roasted malts, balancing a delicious bitterness with a hint of gorgeous melting caramel.

Pair the complex spice, vanilla and toffee flavours of Leffe Brun with a beef stew (see recipe opposite) or steaming bowls of oozing chilli chocolate pudding.

Beef in Brown Ale

1 kilogram stewing beef, such as rump or chuck 150ml red wine vinegar 100 grams molasses 2 bay leaves ½ tsp black peppercorns ¼ cup fresh thyme and/or rosemary 2 onions, quartered 3 carrots, cut into chunks 600ml dark ale Wash and pat dry the beef and place into a large, lidded casserole dish.

Mix the wine vinegar, molasses, bay leaves, peppercorns and herbs, and pour over the brisket. Leave in the fridge overnight to marinate (8 hours minimum).

Remove from the fridge and add the onions, carrots and dark ale. Place into a preheated 170°C oven for three hours. If desired, thicken the sauce once cooked with gravy granules before serving.

Mac’s Sassy Red - Evoking a fireside glow, Mac’s Sassy Red is an amber ale that weaves together five contrasting but complementing malts to give a diverse mouthful of spices and aromas. Combining seemingly opposing flavours really works during the colder months when the palate is primed for full-flavour experiences, such as the salty richness of slow-cooked meats beautifully offset by the sharp beauty of fruits or the addition of chocolate to rich stews.

The caramelised and toffee flavours of Mac’s Sassy Red work decadently with the fatty luxury of lamb shanks braised with cinnamon and dried fruits.

4

IPA VS APA

IPA vs APA: down to the letter If you’ve ever wondered what the difference is between IPA versus APA, the answer is more complicated, and more fascinating, than you might imagine.

WORDS BY MICHAEL DONALDSON

I

t’s a question I get asked all the time at beer tastings and events: what’s the difference between IPA and APA? The short answer is that IPAs are hop-and-alcohol-heavy pale ales, originally created to last lengthy shipping times, while APAs have a balance of malts and hops, with a lighter character and citrusy punch to them. The long answer, however, is a bit like pulling apart Queen Elizabeth’s royal family tree and trying to remember how the Stuarts, Hanovers and Windsors are all inter-related.

Family is at the heart of the matter – and in the case of these ales, it’s the story of a family who sent various generations of descendants to far-flung places such as India, America and New Zealand.

In the 18th century, the pale ale family was being born into the kingdom of beer.

Pale ale was created off the back of the development of coke, a clean-burning form of coal which allowed maltsters to create a lighter-coloured malt than the charred, dark, smoky version that meant every beer before 1700 was dark and roasty.

So pale ale was only “relatively” pale and today we’d regard original pale ale as dark. Nevertheless, its creation changed the beer world.

Throughout the 18th century this newfangled beer was being shipped to India and elsewhere in casks.

But unlike darker porters and stouts (which lend themselves to ageing) pale

ale didn’t always survive the long journey to the warmer climate in the best state.

Without delving too far into the complexities (as that’s another story in itself), a hoppier, more alcohol-heavy beer evolved to handle the journey to India without degrading too badly and thus India pale ale was born. Or as we know it now: IPA. Both pale ale and IPA remained much the same for around two centuries until the 1980s microbrewery revolution in the United States.

These emerging brewers didn’t set out to change the world – in fact, pioneering San Francisco brewer Anchor actually went back in history by making a classic British Pale Ale but using vibrant citruspine American hops. Brewer Fritz Maytag also resurrected the almost forgotten art of dry-hopping – the adding of hops to the beer post-fermentation. His Anchor Liberty Ale set a new American benchmark for what a pale ale could taste like.

Others like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale followed suit and soon everyone in America was making their own interpretation of a pale ale, a style that came to be known, eventually, as American pale ale (APA) and separated toastmag.co.nz

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DID YOU KNOW? Historically, pale ale was only “relatively” pale and today we’d regard original pale ale as dark. Nevertheless, its creation changed the beer world.

AVAILABLE INSTORE Find all of these products instore at Liquorland or online at liquorland.co.nz

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from its British family tree by the use of American hops.

A good APA maintains a balance between malt and hops – it’s just that the hops are more assertively pungent and floral than their British cousins.

To further complicate things, in the race between emerging microbreweries to get noticed, these APAs gradually became hoppier and higher in alcohol and thus the American-style IPA was born. Where a British-style IPA is malty, even buttery, with fruity esters and a hop character that delivered herbal and blackcurrant notes, the American-style IPA had a cleaner, leaner malt base and used the brash citrus and pine characters of native hops to create a more hopforward drinking experience.

Bizarrely, the difference between British and American IPA is much clearer than the difference between APA and American-style IPA. Mike Nielsen of Panhead, whose Supercharger APA is one of the most popular beers in New Zealand, says the

difference between APA and IPA is on a “sliding scale”.

“An APA at around five per cent is very well balanced between malt and hops. In an IPA the malt is a bit more subdued – it’s there to let the hops shine. You shouldn’t finish an IPA saying ‘that was a wellbalanced beer’ you should finish saying ‘those hops were delicious’.”

His Supercharger, at 5.7 per cent is hoppy enough and high enough in alcohol to be called an IPA. “It’s definitely an APA but of the strong variety – to some people it could feel like an IPA because it’s more hop focused than a traditional pale ale but it’s definitely got that balance between malt and hops.”

Nielsen says a good tasting experience would be to put his Supercharger up next to Epic’s Pale Ale. The latter has a big caramel malt base and traditional American Cascade hops notes of citrus and Turkish delight, while Supercharger is slightly leaner on the malt with Simcoe, Citra and Centennial hops, which tend towards stonefruit flavours such as peach and lychee.

Another good tasting comparison could be to get your hands on a range of Tuatara beers. They have an IPA which is done in the British style, and two APAs (American, with a mainly white label, and Aotearoa, with a blue label). Their IPA is maltier and the hop character more restrained than what we’ve come to expect from brash American IPAs, but there’s a subtle fruitiness to it. The American Pale Ale is a bit more like Epic’s Pale Ale with a caramel malt character offsetting the citrussy American hops, while the Aotearoa Pale Ale is built on a pilsner malt base which is there primarily to showcase the wonderful passionfruit and tropical aromas of New Zealand hops.

As more brewers play with styles, the lines between pale ale, APA and IPA continue to blur.

In fact, New Zealand-style pale ales made with our delectable hops are widely recognised overseas by the abbreviation NZPA, while we’re also seeing more “Pacific”-style pale ales and IPAs which tip their caps to America, New Zealand, Australia and Japan. It may be an often confusing category, but one thing that Liberty Brewing’s limited release TPPA (Trans-Pacific Pale Ale) demonstrates, it’s certainly a fun one.

GABS

18

Something’s brewing…

JUNE 2016

GABS will be held on Saturday 18th June at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds.

For tickets see gabsfestival.com

Toast has a chat with Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular co-founder Steve Jeffares about bringing his crafty festival across the ditch for a one-day Auckland extravaganza of beer, cider, food, performance and fun.

How did GABS first get started?

Guy Greenstone, my business partner, and I started The Local Taphouse specialist beer bars in Melbourne and Sydney more than eight years ago and run dozens of beer-related events each year.

In the summer of 2011, we thought it would be a lot of fun to have a bunch of breweries all release one of their small batch beers at the same time and place so we ran the very first GABS (then known as the Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular) at both venues. The response was phenomenal and the catalyst to supersize the event and make it a threeday affair first in Melbourne, followed by Sydney last year.

Why bring GABS to New Zealand?

The cream of New Zealand craft breweries have participated at GABS since 2012. It was always an idea that Auckland might one day host a GABS. How will the Auckland festival differ from Sydney/Melbourne?

We have designed the Auckland version with a prominent focus on New Zealand craft beer and cider. Other than that, we're trying to replicate the whole GABS experience in Auckland.

Who came up with the idea of circus performers? And had they had a few beers?

All decisions are best made after a few beers right? The carnival element came about as we looked to develop GABS into a more complete entertainment experience. Rather than have a live music stage, roaming performers and musicians bring some of the entertainment to the seating areas in a way that isn't overly distracting.

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What are some of the highlights?

While we expect to showcase about 250 craft beers, more than 60 are made exclusively for GABS. The Liquorland Marketplace will feature dozens of brewery and cider exhibitors. There are two education areas – the Craft College, a series of free educational panel discussions, and the GABS “Food & Drink Experience”.

Who will be there?

The aim of GABS Auckland is to showcase the best Kiwi craft beers and ciders so we were thrilled to have so many of the best and innovative craft breweries support our inaugural event. These include Garage Project, Yeastie Boys, Bach, Tuatara, Panhead, ParrotDog, Epic, Funk Estate, Moa and Renaissance.

INSTORE EXCLUSIVE Limited stocks of the GABS 2016 Festival Beer Variety 6 Pack available at Liquorland stores following the event.

Available in 6x330mL & 12x330mL Bottles