Bird and beer
A crowd-funded brewery opens up in Lyall Bay
A Wellington brewery with a curious name relocates to Lyall Bay with a fresh offering. ParrotDog beer began in 2011 when three university students – all called Matt (Kristofski, Warner and Stevens) – began brewing beer. It wasn’t long before they became one of the country’s fastest-growing craft brewers. After crowdfunding $2 million last August, the three Matts opened their new brewery and Nice, an off-licence and tasting room. “We wanted to create an environment that feels almost homelike,” says Matt Kristofski. “A comfortable atmosphere that would appeal to a wide variety of people, especially from the Lyall Bay community.” There’s a kind of 1970s Formica thing going on. We focused on what we consider an ‘old mate’ aesthetic – something that fits with our brand’s personality, while focusing on elements you might’ve seen in a classic bottle shop in the 70s and 80s. What do your new shareholders think? Our shareholders have been really supportive throughout the build phase, giving us a lot of positive feedback on the new space. We’re looking forward to launching the new brewery and being able to host our shareholders in the coming months for the first AGM. You don’t muck around, do you? Thanks, we’re glad you think so. We had originally planned to be open before Christmas but were held up with licensing. Can we drink there? Our licence only allows for takeaway but we do offer complimentary tastings. We’re also in the process of getting a coffee brand on board, which we hope will encourage people to linger and enjoy the space a little longer with each visit.