localbusiness
December 17, 2014
Mahurangi Matters
39
Champion craft brewery starts up in Glenmore Drive One of the most renowned names in craft beer is establishing their first brewery in Warkworth, which is set to become one of the largest craft breweries in the country. 8 Wired is one of the most awarded labels in NZ and has got international attention for its prolific and adventurous craft beer. Head brewer Soren Eriksen is the only brewer in the southern hemisphere to feature in the top 100 brewers list, on international beer website ratebeer.com. The label also won top prize at the Brewers Guild Awards in 2011 being awarded Champion Brewery and, this year, picked up eight medals including three golds and three silvers. Warkworth will be the first time 8 Wired has had a permanent home, since starting up five years ago. Soren found his calling after making his first batch of homebrew in 2005. After three years of honing his skills, he started working for Renaissance Brewing in Blenheim, which won champion small brewery at the Australian International Beer Awards in 2013 and 2014, and Champion NZ Brewery last year. 8 Wired started in 2009 using Renaissance’s equipment and later, at Steam Brewing Company, in Auckland. But last year Soren moved to Warkworth with his wife Monique, who takes care of the administration of the company. “We have just had two children and moved up here for the lifestyle. We love the beaches and the regional parks,” Monique says. Assistant brewer Jason Bathgate has also relocated from Blenheim to work at the new brewery. Soren says a permanent brewery will allow him to become more adventurous and expand production. “Things move so slowly when you don’t have your own equipment and it takes a lot more planning. I hope to experiment more and get things moving faster.”
Soren and Monique Erikson have finally found a home for 8 Wired Brewing, in Glenmore Drive, Warkworth.
The plan is to nearly double production at the Glenmore Drive brewery in the first year and to eventually make it one of the largest craft breweries in the country. “We currently produce about 300,000 litres a year. We want to boost that to 500,000 litres in our first year, then the sky is the limit. At capacity, we would produce about two million litres a year.” About half of the beer produced is exported, mainly to Australia and the US, but they are focusing on growing the local market. “Most beers aren’t made to be exported. They’re best when fresh.” Each year, the label produces about 20 different beers, ranging from the flagship pale ale Hop Wired and the Flat White Coffee Milk Stout to a new range of sour-beer, aged in oak wine barrels.
In October, the company shipped around 230 barrels of beer in four 40-foot containers. “I think we’ve got the largest collection of barrelaged beers in the Southern Hemisphere.” The results will form part of the 2015 range, taking the brewery down a new path. The beers are fermented from wild yeast and bacteria, which develop unique citrus flavours. Many of the barrels also have a fruit addition including feijoa, strawberries, cherries and dates. “We want barrel-aged beers to be our point of difference, but we’ve always been about producing big flavours.” Soren hopes to produce his first Warkworth brew before Christmas, but won’t be bottling beer until March when further equipment arrives. They hope to start door-sales from next year.
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Our award winning range of beers, soon to be brewed locally in Mahurangi
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