New Bay craft brewery picks up award

Award-winning brewer Matt Searle's limited fresh hops IPA ale got the number one nod, and has just sold out.

For Napier Brewing Company head brewer Matt Searle it was a challenge making a limited and unique fresh hops brew on a commercial scale but he received really positive feedback from people who gave it a taste.

Great feedback was always important, given it was the first time he had brewed a variety on that scale, but getting a winning accolade after votes were cast in a competition was even better.

"I'm blown away," Mr Searle said when the results of the second annual Top of the Fresh Hops competition, staged by the Society of Beer Advocates (SOBA) Hawke's Bay, were announced and his FreshHopper NZ IPA got the No 1 nod.

"The award is the icing on the cake," he said.

Beating several more well-known rivals from around the country's craft beer scene was pretty special, he said.

"I'd have been happy to make the top three but getting No 1 was really humbling."
Crafting the FreshHopper line came down to using hops straight from harvesting, which are only available in that form once a year, for immediate freshness, to create a distinctive hoppy taste and aroma.

Mr Searle trialled several recipes over the past year and when the fresh hops became available he gave that version a shot - and it hit the mark so well it has sold out.

"But we'll definitely be doing it again next year," he said, adding he was also producing a similar version IPA that was close to the taste of the fresh hops brew,
"It'll be ready in a about a week-and-a-half," he said.

A newcomer to the region's craft beer scene, Napier Brewing is based at the Westshore Beach Inn and started as a joint venture between the inn and the Indigo Indian restaurant just over a year ago, with Mr Searle, who was on the bar staff and had a history of home brewing as well as a stint with the Tuatara Brewery, taking on the head brewing role.

Although the scale of brewing was comparatively small, Napier Brewing's beers were being served alongside some of the country's leading brewers - such as Epic, Garage Project and Renaissance.

Mr Searle was working on creating another unique ale, which he hoped might grab similar tasting attention.

"But that's under wraps," was all he would say.

The Society of Beer Advocates is a nationwide group that promotes awareness and appreciation of quality craft beers and the Hawke's Bay group was a fast-growing branch of the organisation.