12 Questions
when it comes to hoppy beers.
Kiwi women drink much beer back then? No, it was perceived as too gassy or bloating. Bartenders were told to offer women the wine list. When Lion took over Mac’s we did a blonde beer with slightly more fruit and I went on a road show round the country to introduce it to women. These days women are drinking beer by the pints and they’re drinking double IPAs and imperial stouts that are 10 per cent. did you leave
Lion to become the first female head brewer at Speights? I saw it as a challenge. Speights is the pride of the south and I was a 5 foot 4 (1.64m) Englishwomen in Southern Man territory but they had a unique way of fermenting their beer in big open-topped kauri vats which was of interest to me. I never had any problems there. The only time I did was back in Britain in the ’80s where the guys would stand with their hands in their pockets and watch me roll barrels three times heavier than me. are you doing
these days? My husband and I wanted to go back to Nelson with our children so we bought into Tasman Brewing Company and changed the name to Sprig and Fern Brewery. We became full owners four years ago and the Sprig and Fern brand now has 11 taverns around the country. I’m passionate about improving the industry so I also spend a lot of time travelling around judging awards and mentoring brewers. Our children are teenagers now, so it’s a busy life.
just finished judging the New World Beer and Cider Awards. Were the winners immediately clear? It’s often very clear-cut whether or not a beer is a medal winner. I captain a judging table and the bit that can take time is if the table is split over whether it’s a gold, silver or bronze. A beer that gets gold is world-class. Sometimes you can actually sit in silence because you’re just like, “Oh my god this beer is so damn good”. I can’t wait to find out the results later this month because we judge the beers blind so I have no idea who won each category.
the most challenging part of judging? Avoiding palate fatigue. We judge 65 beers a day which gives us about six minutes per beer. It’s really tough because it requires so much concentration. You want to be judging the 30th beer the same as the first. You do have to swallow the beer in order to taste the bitterness of the hops but you’ve already done a lot with smell before you taste. You take regular breaks and there’s lots of water and bread on the table. beers
excite you most in the New Zealand market right now? I love most styles. We’re ahead of the Australians when it comes to craft beer. Our quality’s really up there with the best in the world. I tend to drink for the occasion; on a cold day I’ll have a hearty scotch ale and in summer you want a crisp Pilsner. Sour beers are an acquired taste — you either love them or hate them. Back in the day, if a beer was sour it generally meant it was off but the standards of brewing have come in leaps and bounds. I love judging sours because they can be really intriguing and can actually change while you’re drinking them. the best beer you’ve ever made? Sprig and Fern has New Zealand’s highest awarded Pilsner, winning gold at the Brewers Guild of NZ Awards for four years running. It’s made once a year with fresh hops straight off the vine. I hand select the hops and then rush them back to the brewery where they go in the beer the same day instead of being kiln dried and made into pellets. The difference is pure freshness. latest
industry report shows craft beer continues to take a larger share of the beer market with consumption now at 10 per cent. Is there room for more growth or is it time to consolidate? I do feel there is room to grow. New Zealand has 194 craft breweries producing more than 1600 unique beers. We might find the more established breweries carry on while some of the newer kids come and go a bit more frequently. The winners of the New World Beer and Cider Awards will be announced later this month