EPIC Beer - Best Beer in New Zealand - Supreme Champion Winner

Become a fan of Epic Armageddon IPA

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:23:00 +0000

An Epic Tale - Kia Ora, July 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:42:00 +0000

If you don't get a chance to travel this month on Air New Zealand then here is the article from Kia Ora, inflight magazine

[CLICK IMAGE TO GET A BIGGER SIZE TO READ IT]

[VIDEO] Adding Hops to Epic Armageddon IPA 2009 + other important details

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:30:00 +0000

Today Epic Armageddon IPA was brewed again.

The first batch (1000 litres) was brewed at Hallertau BrewBar in 2008 as part of the inaugural West Coast IPA Challenge at The Malthouse.

Epic Armageddon IPA 2009 will be available as a limited release beer both on tap and in 500ml bottles from mid July around New Zealand.

This may well be the hoppiest beer currently (possibly ever) brewed in New Zealand. It is brewed in the American IPA style (style descriptor below)

Launch Parties:
Friday 17th July - The Malthouse, Wellington
Friday 24th July - Brew on Quay, Auckland

More details about the beer and its journey will follow.

Become a fan of Epic Armageddon IPA on Facebook and have your say, share your photos, and read the comments

===========================
81. American-Style India Pale Ale
American-style India pale ales have intense hop bitterness, flavor and aroma with medium-high alcohol content. The style is further characterized by fruity, floral and citrus-like American-variety hop character. Note that “fruity, floral and citrus-like American-variety hop character” is the perceived end, but may be a result of the skillful use of hops of other national origins. The use of water with high mineral content results in a crisp, dry beer. This pale gold to deep copper-colored ale has a full, flowery hop aroma and may have a strong hop flavor (in addition to the hop bitterness). India pale ales possess medium maltiness and body. Fruity-ester flavors and aromas are moderate to very strong. Diacetyl can be absent or may be perceived at very low levels. Chill haze is allowable at cold temperatures.
Original Gravity (ºPlato): 1.060 1.075 (14.7 18.2 ºPlato)
Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (ºPlato): 1.012 1.018 (3 4.5 ºPlato)
Alcohol by Weight (Volume): 5 6% (6.3 7.5%)
Bitterness (IBU): 40 70
Color SRM (EBC): 6 14 (12 28 EBC)

[BREWERY] Epic Pale Ale - Changes and Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Fri, 15 May 2009 03:22:00 +0000

Just some quick feedback for those that have asked, yes the current batch of Epic Pale Ale is slightly different. It was kegged and bottled on the 5th & 6th of May, with kegs now on tap and bottles arriving on shelves over the next couple of weeks.

You can find the code on the shoulder of the 330ml bottles
BB 06.05.10 (BB=Best Before)
B0379 xx.xx (B=batch number)(xx.xx=time)

It seems firstly that we have used some coloured malt that is out of spec and is lighter in colour than what we expected. This has resulted in the colour being lighter.

Secondly we are now using current season US Cascade hops at 7.6% alpha. Prior batches to this had had a blend of current and previous seasons hops (US Cascade 6% alpha).

The double whammy effect of the lighter crystal malts not only means the colour is lighter but the malt sweetness is slightly lower, but also the hop character is greater being fresher and greener from being 100% current season.

Over all there is a noticeable difference but it isn't significantly different.

Ahh, the joys of using agricultural crops which change from season to season.

FUTURE CHANGES
Over the coming batches I will be trialling using English Maris Otter malt (a variety of malt) in varying percentages. The reason for this trial is that the beer I brewed in the UK at Everards Brewery in Leicester for the JD Wetherspoons Real Ale Festival we used Maris Otter.

Reason for this was it was their standard base malt and they had a silo full of it. So we gave it a go and it turned out fantastic, and the extra malt flavour really seemed to improve the beer.

Epic Halcyon at Thornbridge

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:37:00 +0000

Still all go and we’ve just finished an awesome collaboration with Luke Nicholas of Epic Brewing Company over in New Zealand. Luke was over here to launch and promote Epic Pale Ale which he had been invited to brew with Everards Brewery in Leicester as part of the JD Wetherspoons International Real Ale Festival. Luke is a highly awarded New Zealand brewer with a vast amount of experience. He has twice brewed beers that have won the Supreme Champion Beer of New Zealand (including Epic Pale Ale, which won in 2006) as well as scooping Gold and Best in Class awards at the 2008 BrewNZ competition. Coupled with the fact that he has twice judged in the World Beer Cup (Seattle, 2006 and San Diego, 2008) you can see that he’s no stranger to both brewing and judging a beer!

Although we are both from NZ, this was the first time our paths had crossed. You have to remember that everyone knows everyone else in NZ, so this was no mean feat! How can I describe Luke? He is very confident and oozes self-belief and passion. He has an intuitive understanding of the world of craft beer and has literally worked from the bottom up. He told me of how he used to volunteer his weekends at a local Auckland brewpub chain so he could learn how a commercial brewery worked (Luke was a passionate home brewer prior to this) until he was employed and gradually worked his way up in the brewing world. Commitment seeps from his every pore and the intensity with which he talks about beer and brewing is awesome. He is engaging, intelligent and the type of person that us Thornbridgers love to hang out with.

It was a big step to decide to collaborate with someone that we did not know. We hadn’t tasted his Epic beers or met him; however it was an opportunity not to be missed. In hindsight, I would have been gutted had we not brewed together. We had a great day and even got to try some of Luke’s beers, which were fantastic!

I met up with Luke the night before our brewday at the Chesterfield Arms in Chesterfield, where Everards were launching a Meet the Brewer evening and where Luke had a coveted mini-cask of the Epic Pale Ale that had been brewed with Everards. We sat down and had a few pints of the Everards beers and then got a chance to try the cask Epic. This stood head and shoulders above the Everards brews (which were all good pints nonetheless) with a dominant citrus hop character, a little grapefruit with some underlying caramel maltiness. Luke told me that Everards were shocked when he told them how much hops he wanted to put into the beer. I think he should have put in even more!

It was time for the brew and myself, Luke, Dave and Stef were ready for action. The mash in the mash tun and vessels cleaned and ready to go, we began the mammoth task of deciding what hops we were going to use. We worked our way through a load. New Zealand Hallertau, Pioneer, Cluster, Atlas and Liberty didn’t make the cut. Chinook, however with its wonderful resinous and citrus notes and a little pine and the ultra-intense Hallertau Magnum made the grade. We thought these two hops would provide a nice resin-pine-citrus backbone as both early and late additions and allow our other two hop choices to shine through. Centennial with its pungent orange zest and the unique New Zealand Nelson Sauvin (for a touch of home of course) with its mango and pineapple and gooseberry and grapefruit were the obvious pairing to give us a real New World character in what was to be a unique twist on our Halcyon Imperial IPA.

We cracked open a bottle of our Green Hopped Vintage 2008 Halcyon and started discussing bitterness. The bottled version has a touch more dryness and astringency due to a little more attenuation and a humungous amount of wet hops added at maturation, yet we thought the bitterness level (around 85 IBUs) was still well balanced by the residual malt sweetness. With this in mind and knowing that this was to be in the cask form only, we upped the ante. We went for over 100 IBUs (International Bitterness Units) in the hope that the slightly increased perceived sweetness that the less carbonated cask form would have, would then balance out the mouth puckering hops.

Because this had a bit of a New Zealand twist, Luke had the brilliant idea of bringing a little New Zealand water with him. Good Water is from Kauri Springs in Northland, above Auckland and is exactly as its name suggests! Once the brew was finished, Luke added the water to the finished brew. You can see that here!

We were also lucky enough to try a bottle of Luke’s NZ brewed Epic Pale Ale, which was absolutely beautiful. Reminiscent of some American Pale Ale’s I have tries. Quite light on the bitterness, yet retaining a lot of citrus and resin pine character. Nice carbonation and fantastic cold. No longer will I be reaching for an ice cold New Zealand lager after mowing the lawns when I’m back in New Zealand. From now on, it’s definitely going to be an Epic! Just when I thought that Luke’s Pale Ale was all that, then he brought out his Epic Mayhem. At 6.2%, this poured a nice dark orange/amber colour. The nose was amazing. Lots of sweet tropical fruits with a hint of pineapple and a floral and citrus background. I’ve always thought that Jaipur was extremely drinkable at 5.9%. Mayhem is of the same ilk. I polished off my taster quickly and instantly thought of the movie, Interview with the Vampire… I was the young child vampire Claudia after my first meal… “I want some more.” This was a ridiculously drinkable and extremely tasty drop. All I can say is well done!

Once the brew day was over, we all met up at the Coach and Horses in Dronfield for a few beers, a few laughs and some good kai (that’s the Maori word for food). We tasted the various Thornbridge beers (Luke described Kipling as being the best use of Nelson Sauvin on the planet) as well as some Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast, Birrificio Italiano Tipopils (one of my favourite beers ever), Port Brewing Hop-15, HaandBrygeriet Norwegian Wood (courtesy of Phil at BeerMerchants) a couple of HopDaemon beers (Green Daemon Helles and Skrimshander IPA) and my very own improvised lambic-style beer. As usual it was awesome fun and great for us all to talk about the different flavours and aromas we were picking up.

We are beer nerds!

I love my job…

This great blog post by Kelly Ryan at Thornbridge
http://beerevolution.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/epic-halcyon-at-thornbridge/

Luke to pour first pint at International Real Ale Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 03:07:00 +0000

I am heading back to the UK tonight to be in London on Wednesday 15th April 2009 to pull the first pint of Epic Pale Ale for the JD Wetherspoons International Ale Festival.

If you are interested in following my travels and sampling (ticking) check out http://uk.epicbeer.com

If you get a chance to try the UK brewed Epic Pale Ale at the Real Ale Festival make sure you give it a vote http://vote.epicbeer.com (head down to number 42)

Here is the latest video from my March trip. Everards Brewery owner Richard Everard.

Small brewer scores epic festival effort

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 03:02:00 +0000

When it comes to success in the art of beer making, brand recognition can mean everything, so the significance of winning a slot at a British ale festival dubbed "the world's biggest" is not lost on Kiwi brewer Luke Nicholas.

Over the next fortnight, the Poms will be sipping their way through 100,000 pints of multi-award-winning Epic Pale Ale after the 38-year-old was invited to showcase his brew at the International Real Ale Festival.

Epic's founder and head brewer has landed one of only six international taps at the annual event hosted by British pub giant JD Wetherspoon which he says could provide the company with the springboard it needs to maximise its potential.

"The Wetherspoon chain has 720 pubs and my batch will be selling in all of them overnight that's more than twice the number of outlets I can get into here," Mr Nicholas said.

"Of course, it's not just about selling the beer. It's about seeking publicity, pursuing potential avenues, exploiting brand recognition and putting Epic on the map something that's not easy back home."

Full Story

JDW Real Ale Festival - Epic Beer Feature

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 02:44:00 +0000

Epic Beer feature from the JD Wetherspoons International Real Ale Festival booklet (pages 6 & 7)

[VIDEOS] Coverage from Epic Beer in the UK

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:23:00 +0000

Over the last few weeks Epic Beer has produced and had uploaded a significant amount of video. So below is a collection of what has been posted, much of it relating to the recent brewing adventure in the UK when I was there brewing a batch of Epic Pale Ale at the Everards Brewery in Leicester for the JD Wetherspoons International Real Ale Festival.

Say tuned for more of the epic adventure of brewing in the UK. Videos will be first uploaded to the Made From New Zealand YouTube channel and then the EpicBeer channel, so subscribe to both and get notified when there is more to watch.

Epic Beer Adventure Part 6 - Made From New Zealand

Epic Beer Adventure Part 5 - Made From New Zealand

Epic Beer Adventure Part 4 - Made From New Zealand

Epic Beer Adventure Part 3 - Made From New Zealand

Epic Beer Adventure Part 2 - Made From New Zealand

Epic Beer Adventure Part 1 - Made From New Zealand
Hidden as an Easter Egg on the inter-webs somewhere. Can't give away everything for free. You have to earn it. If you can find it you deserve to see it.
======================================================================
OTHER RECENT VIDEO

Wellington Beerfest - Epic Beer - Luke Nicholas, Interviewed by Haydn Green - Public Address

How To Make Beer - Epic Beer Styles - Made From New Zealand

Epic Beer - Think Small - Made From New Zealand

Luke Nicholas - Friday Show Epic Beer Interview - Made From New Zealand

NZ Beer Fest kicks off in Auckland
This video is stored at the 3news.co.nz website
Featured on Sunrise on Friday 13th March, the day before the New Zealand Beer Festival. Head into the 2 minute mark where they taste Epic Pale Ale and Rod Cheeseman says "I love this one alot, actually its one of my favorite beers" as he is pouring a large serve of Epic Pale Ale

[TV3] Campbell Live - Epic Beer's hoppy brew an economic success

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:31:00 +0000

Across the board New Zealand companies are performing badly – shedding jobs in the process.

But not all businesses are performing badly, take Epic Beer for example – sales are up and demand is high.

The beer has been being made since 2006 and is definitely a labour of love.

The process for fermenting this malt-based is very labour-intensive but despite this things are going well – 200 percent growth in the last year.

But making beer has got more expensive, the price of hops has skyrocketed as has packaging and transport costs.

The major breweries are putting up their prices and so are Epic – the six pack is out and the four pack is in.

“The six pack was nearly at $20 which is a psychological barrier for a lot of consumers, so we decided we would keep the product affordable but make it a four pack,” says Epic Beer’s Luke Nicholas.

Things have come a long way since 1835 when New Zealand’s first commercial brewery was established – the major players now spend a fortune wooing their target audience.

Mr Nicholas cannot compete with the big-boys financially but is determined to remain independent.

He does not think the major brewers could afford him anyway.

“Probably not because I think any of the big brewers that would look for acquisition, would look at how much it would cost to make Epic and how much I have to spend on hops to get that flavour and go ‘that’s insane’.”

Full Story

See Video

[F&B Magazine] NICHOLAS HEADS OFF ON AN EPIC TRIP

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 05:06:00 +0000

Food & Beverage Magazine, March 2009

Hot News - Epic Pale Ale - Kia Ora, Air New Zealand in flight magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:48:00 +0000

Mayhem by Geoff Griggs

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:11:00 +0000

Those who think otherwise would be well advised to try a bottle of a Kiwi beer with real flavour, like Epic Mayhem. The latest seasonal release from Auckland brewer Luke Nicholas is a hugely hopped, 6.2 per cent, American-style, IPA (India Pale Ale). Southern Man's favourite brew contains around one hop per bottle; Nicholas estimates there are around 26 in each 500ml bottle of Mayhem! You get the idea?

Mayhem is similar to the brewery's multi award-winning Epic Pale Ale but with the volume turned up! Bursting with US Cascade and New Zealand Riwaka hops, there's a heady aroma of tropical fruit, citrus and pine-like notes over a sweetish, biscuity malty background. The grist, which includes British pale ale, and Munich and crystal malts, provides a luscious rich malt base that balances the beer's challenging bitterness.

With a single 500ml bottle of Mayhem costing about the same as a six-pack of Speight's, aspirant Southern Men are unlikely to be impressed, but those seeking flavour rather than just refreshment from their beer should definitely check it out.

But be warned, Mayhem as the name suggests is definitely NOT for wusses!

Full Story

South Island Mayhem

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:43:00 +0000

Live in the South Island? Want Mayhem?

Go here:

Barkers Lodge - Methven
Riverstone Kitchen - Oamaru
Tonic Bar - Dunedin
Eureka Cafe & Bar - Dunedin
Scotch Wine Bar - Blenheim
New World Blenheim
Fresh Choice Parklands (ChCh)
New World Halswell (ChCh)
The Thirsty Bloke Bottle Store (ChCh)

(for all outlets with Epic Beer see http://map.epicbeer.com)

Metro Magazine - March 2009 - Epic Pale Ale

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:21:00 +0000

An Irishman walks into a bar.....

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:04:00 +0000

[THIS IS AN EMAIL FROM MY BROTHER THAT LIVES IN SAN FRANCISCO]

Hey dude,

I was in the 500 club tonight. And i got into a conversation with an Irish guy. Very interesting. He had to tell me about the greatest beer he has ever had in his whole life. To my surprise he was in NZ last week, and he got to try Epic. I did not say a word (which was difficult), then he went on to tell me about all your other beers and how you were off to the UK to brew 100k pints for whatever pub over there. That was awesome. And yet I still did not say a word. Then Anne came up and laid the whole thing out for the dude. About how I was your brother and the history of this and that (I filled in the gaps). To make a long story short, the guy thought we were full of crap until I gave him your twitter account. That really worked well. You now have another massive fan of Epic in SF. Dude, I gotta tell ya, your shit is going global!!!

AWESOME!!!

Mayhem Unleased on New Zealand

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 04:05:00 +0000

So to answer all of the emails, txts and tweets on where you can buy Mayhem, here is the list of outlets that have it

Alberton
Barabra
Branos
Cellar Room
Centre City Wines & Spirits
Duff & Finn Hastings
Farro Fresh
Hallertau
Hamilton Wine Co
Hillcrest Wines & Spirits
La Vino
Liquorland Albert St
Liquorland Forrest Hill
Liquorland Mt Eden
Liquorland Newmarket
Liquorland Parnell
Liquorland Pt Chevalier
Moore Wilsons
New World Blenheim
New World Hillcrest
New World Island Bay
New World Metro
New World Miramar
New World Rototuna
New World Te Rapa
New World Thorndon
New World Vic Park
New World Wellington City
PakNSave Porirua
Regional Wines & Spirits
The Beer Store (online)
Wine Circle
Wine Vault

(SOUTH ISLAND - I don't have a list of outlet from BeerNZ yet but once I do I will make an update)

So after spending weeks fretting about being able to sell all the Epic Mayhem within 3 months, it looks like it might all be gone after just three weeks on the shelf :-(

The delays on the bottle label pushing the actual street availability date out from 2nd February to the 18th February meant that the stock had been oversubscribed before it was even ready to ship. So there has been some rationing and allocation to the retailers. Some will run out before others.

Sorry if you can't find any in time to try. It will be available at the New Zealand Beer Festival both in Wellington (28th February) and Auckland (14th March).

Once the festival season is complete the small amount remaining (if any) will be shipped to a handful of retailers to top them up. So there maybe Mayhem available till the end of March at best.

An ale of Epic proportions

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 08:38:00 +0000

It's a sad fact that one of this country's most highly awarded beers of recent times, Epic Pale Ale, is available from just 250 outlets. Soon, however, that number is set to quadruple to around 1000; but it won't be Kiwis benefiting.

The next Wetherspoon's International Real Ale Festival is scheduled to begin in mid-April and the good news is a New Zealand beer will be featured. Auckland brewer Luke Nicholas has been invited to travel to England, where he will be brewing a cask-conditioned, real ale version of his multi-award-winning Epic Pale Ale.

Full Story

How Many Hops In My Beer? - Epic Pale Ale

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 08:34:00 +0000

How Many Hops In My Beer? - Epic Pale Ale from Epic Beer on Vimeo.

Kiwi brewer to be ale fest special guest

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 08:24:00 +0000

A Kiwi brewer will mix it with the best as a special guest at the largest ale festival in the world in Britain. Luke Nicholas talks to Newstalk ZB host Larry Williams about his invitation.

Listen to Radio interview (.mp3 file)

Beer O’Clock: EPIC takes on the world!

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 08:10:00 +0000

First, Epic came on stream just for Cock and Bull drinkers. Then it came for beer drinkers and bottle stores across New Zealand. And now, with the invitation to brewer Luke Nicholas for his multi-award winning Epic Pale Ale to be one of six beers included in the International Real Ale Festival in the UK later this year, it’s now heading towards world domination – and deservedly so.

Nicholas will be brewing 100,000 pints just for this festival.

Full Story

Epic to be brewed in England for biggest ale festival

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:16:00 +0000

New Zealand’s top brewer Luke Nicholas will be one of only six international celebrity brewers at the ‘World’s Largest Real Ale Festival’ in Britain later this year. Luke, head brewer at the Epic Brewing Company, has accepted an invitation to fly to Britain and make a special batch of his multi-award winning Epic Pale Ale for the International Real Ale Festival.

The two week festival is run by giant pub company JD Wetherspoons from April 15 to May 4 2009. During this time, their 700 British pubs will sell more than 2.5 million pints of real ale. Over 50 cask ales will be available during the festival but only six will be made by international brewers.

Luke says it is a huge honour and opportunity to be selected to produce 100,000 pints of his hoppy Epic Pale Ale for the festival. “It’s the first time Epic Pale Ale will be served from a traditional cask which is tremendously exciting. It is also fantastic to have the chance to brew at the historic Everard’s Brewery in Leicester. This independent brewery was established in 1849 – just nine years after the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. It will be great to work surrounded by such history,” he says.

The beer will be brewed at Everard’s in mid-March before going on tap in April. Luke says he was invited because his signature Pale Ale is a world-class beer.

“Since launching in May 2006, Epic Pale Ale has won major beer awards and critical acclaim. Most New Zealander’s are only just beginning to discover the flavours I like to pack into my beer. It’s still quite unknown here but is gaining an international reputation as a ‘must-try’ New Zealand beer. International judges and experts that have tried it, hold it in high regard. Maybe brewing for the biggest festival in Britain will create a little profile and help Kiwis realise what they have on their doorstep!”

Luke has amassed a history of top awards for his beers over the last decade including the unique distinction of brewing the Supreme Champion Beer of New Zealand a record three times. He is raring to unleash his beer on unsuspecting British palates. “Another Kiwi brewery sent the Brits a pub. Epic is sending them the brewer. They won’t know what hit them!” Luke laughs.

Epic Brewing Company – www.epicbeer.com
Everard's Brewery - www.everards.co.uk
JD Wetherspoons – www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk

Epic Beer - Profile Video

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 23:12:00 +0000

This is an Epic Beer profile video thanks to the guys at Made From New Zealand

Mayhem to be unleashed on Summer Beer Festivals

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:30:00 +0000

As New Zealand begins a long, hot summer of beer festivals, Epic Brewing Company announces the welcome return of their most famous limited edition festive brew – Epic Mayhem.

This 6.2% hoppy strong ale has been brewed only twice before, once in 2006 (when it won Gold and Best in Class for Festive Brew at the BrewNZ Beer Awards) and again in 2007. It will be on tap for a limited time at selected venues and beer festivals around the country. This year for the first time it will also be available in bottles. The 2009 Mayhem will be sold in the same distinctively tall 500ml bottle which Epic Pale Ale and Epic Lager already use.

Head brewer Luke Nicholas says that Epic Mayhem is a beer that will challenge the senses. “Epic beers are increasingly available at supermarkets, bottle stores and bars. People are starting to discover that beer can be much more than just a cold and fizzy beverage. It can have aroma and flavour too. It should have aroma and flavour! Mayhem takes this up a notch with its hop-fuelled intensity.”

Epic Brewing Company is a brewery which has always loved and celebrated hops. Hops grow on a flowering vine and are used to give beer aroma, flavour and bitterness. Mayhem is packed full of US-grown Cascade and New Zealand-grown Riwaka hops. The bottle label boldly states that there are 26 hops in every bottle of Mayhem. That is outrageous given that most beers sold in this country have the equivalent of a single hop.

“Mayhem simply shouts hops at a time when hops are in short supply globally and prices are at record levels. At Epic, we know there are two ways to respond to these tough times. Brewers could cut back and hope no one notices the lack of flavour. Or brewers could do what we did, ramp up the hops to celebrate everything that we love about them – the punchy aroma, the sweet citrus flavour and the lingering, refreshing finish,” Luke says.

Epic Mayhem will be shaking up the beer reality of Kiwi drinkers at the following beer festivals:

14 February – Kumeu Beer Wine & Food Festival – Kumeu Showgrounds
28 February – New Zealand Beer Festival – Waitangi Park, Wellington
14 March - New Zealand Beer Festival – Ellerslie, Auckland

Epic Beer 2008 Top 10

noreply@blogger.com (Luke Nicholas) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:12:00 +0000

2008 was an Epic year for @epicbeer

1. Epic Armageddon IPA & the West Coast IPA Challenge(alot of dry hopping)

2. World Beer Cup, San Diego (Luke was a judge)

3. California Trip - 10 days, 12 Breweries, 317 beers

4. BrewNZ - Epic Pale Ale wins - Best in Class & Gold (more awards)

5. Launched Epic Lager (gateway?)

6. Launched the new 500ml bottle (lower price for a taste of the good stuff)

7. Epic arrives in the South Island (why does it cost so much to get it there?)

8. Voted Best Beer at the Great Christchurch Beer Festival (these people have good taste)

9. Twitter passed the 500 followers mark (get it as it happens)

10. Facebook passed the 500 friends mark (become a friend today)

I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Thanks to everyone that supported Epic Beer in 2008, and contributed to spreading the word about good beer. 2009 is sure to be even more EPIC ;-)

Keep drinking the good stuff

Cheers
Luke Nicholas