Shigeo Takagi: A new brewer on the block

SHIGEO TAKAGI is turning his passion for world cuisine into 8000 litres of craft beer every month. Seven years in Bangkok and a stint in Wellington’s Kazu Restaurant have given Takagi a sense for flavour that he and business partners Dylan Shearer and Jordan Evison applied to their ParrotDog-inspired local homebrew start-up Funk Estate.

‘‘Having cooking as an origin, I thought I could make my own beer. I like to have a contrast of flavours, so we always try to follow traditional methods and then tweak it,’’ Takagi says.

With names like ‘‘Super Afrodisiac’’ and ‘‘Funk’nstein’’, Funk Estate describe their beers as ‘‘silly, but seriously silly’’. Two new brews will debut exclusively at Beervana – ‘‘Funk Duck’’, a tangerine-tinted Belgian beer and ‘‘Leader of the Hopposition’’, a pale ale brewed by Labour leader Andrew Little.

They’ll be fighting for the attention of over 10,000 beer brewers and enthusiasts this weekend with big-name exhibitors like Yeastie Boys, Tuatara Brewery and Garage Project.

Takagi says Funk Estate focuses on making exciting boutique brews that beer drinkers will love. Three months after it first launched in 2012, Funk Estate won multiple Beervana People’s Choice awards.

The brewer found a passion for craft beer while working at cult beer bar Hashigo Zake.

‘‘I was interested in good drinks, like wine and cocktails, but I didn’t know much about beer. I thought Monteith’s was the best beer there was,’’ he says.

‘‘I was curious about brewing.

Shigeo Takagi, a craft brewer, of Funk Estate. I was spending all my money on homebrewing and that’s when I realised I was really into it.’’

He was already writing up plans for a homebrew shop when he met partners Shearer and Evison through a Homebrewing committee.

They started up Funk Estate, and three years later the little outfit continues to grow. Funk Estate has no employees or brewery.

Though they’re gaining critic’s attention with their innovative lineup, Takagi says his team just like good beer. Where do you go to feel inspired? Quite often ideas for new beers come while out enjoying a few beers with Jordan and Dylan, my partners at Funk Estate. I also spend a lot of time on the Internet browsing interesting new beers from around the world. What art/artist/performer has best captured your sense of Wellington? I am a fan of Rachel Neser and Bridie MacInnes. Rachel is an art student who’s versatile in a number of styles. We’ve just asked her to design three new beer labels, because we all love her work. Bridie is a photography student and has a series called Taming The Brew, which captures Wellington Craft Beer scenes. Where do you go for night out with your partner or a friend? I’ll visit several craft beer bars with a mate such as Hashigo Zake, Rogue and Vagabond and The Third Eye. I have to say Hashigo Zake and The Third Eye On Saturday, we go to the Newtown vegetable market to stock up the fridge. Sometimes we’ll go out for dinner, but we really love cooking at home. We cook authentic Japanese food with our own homemade Miso and soy sauce, paired with homebrewed beer. Sunday, I catch up with friends and sometimes go out for lunch or movie at the Lighthouse cinema in Wigan St. What’s your favourite neighbourhood haunt? On a weekday, I like going to Tatsushi restaurant in Victoria St for lunch and have some chat with my friends working in the kitchen. They cook most of the things from scratch, so it’s really fresh and following the basics how they are supposed to in the traditional Japanese way. What’s your favourite shop? Ninja Flower in Dixon St. Scott and Esther give great service and offer a great selection of jewellery. They know a lot about piercing and they talk you I don’t go for walks much, but I go for cycling often, especially when the weather is nice I’ll jump on my road bike and go around the bays. I enjoy how the views are different every time. I also like Mt Victoria with a couple of friends and a few cans of craft beer – not all the way up at the lookout, because it’s a liquor-ban area, but a way down there’s a tree and a little open area where you can see views of Wellington. I used to go up there with a bottle of wine but now it’s all craft beer! Where do you take out of towners when they’re visiting? Cuba St to show them some good cafes, shops and Te Papa if they haven’t been before.