New pub to revive old traditions
A new Palmerston North microbrewery and pub is offering an oasis for discerning beer drinkers, inspired by a golden age for the amber liquid.
On Friday, Murray Cleghorn and Jules Grace welcomed the first customers into Brew Union, situated next to the Regent on Broadway.
Cleghorn said they wanted to revive some old traditions from before big breweries took over the taps, with beers from other independent local breweries lining up alongside Brew Union’s product. ‘‘A hundred to 150 years ago, breweries were unique to their town, and if you went a couple of towns over you’d get a completely different beer.’’
In some places there would be a brewery in every neighbourhood, even relatively recently, Cleghorn said.
A friend of his from Bromberg, Germany, used to go with his grandfather to the neighbourhood brewery when he was young. They’d fill four large steins of beer and take them home to drink with the family meals. ‘‘That’s the sort of thing we’re looking to do. We’ll fill [specialised vessels] for people to take home, or to barbecues to share with friends,’’ he said.
Cleghorn and Grace also wanted the bar to be educational for anyone interested in beer.
Cleghorn and the bar staff were always willing to talk about all the different styles of beer and how they’re brewed, he said. They could also help people find something new to try, based on their tastes. ‘‘It’s exciting to see people discover flavours and tastes [in beer], where they might not have thought of them before.’’
Patrons can even see Brew Union’s own microbrewery vats, right by the Broadway Ave entrance. It’s the first commercial brewery based in the city since Shamrock Brewing shut down about six years ago, although some people have used Massey University’s microbrewery in the interim. The brewery, big enough to make 1200-litre batches, will produce its first batch in April.