Brewer takes on big boys

They’ve just opened their doors at Raglan and now Hamilton’s top brewery is taking on the big boys with a push into the heart of Auckland. Good George Brewing is embarking on an expansion that will see its name overlooking the Waitemata Harbour at Mission Bay. Co-founder Darrel Hadley, pictured, said it’s part of an aggressive strategy born out of frustration with big brewers. ‘‘We were operating bars under their contracts and got a bit frustrated with the rules and at the end of the day we were essentially building their brands for them so we decided to carve our own path,’’ Hadley said. Good George Craft House Mission Bay was to open yesterday and the team was set to open another in Rotorua on December 14. George’s Beach Club, at Raglan, opened in November. All up, that takes the number of bars – part-owned or under licence to Good George – to 10. ‘‘There were just five bars in the group this time last year so we’re certainly in growth mode.’’