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A NEW BREW for the NEW YEAR
Every year Neil likes to develop a new beer. “It’s fun, often
challenging,” says Neil, “and when it arrives, it’s like a new baby.
Just in time for Christmas, The Pour House will introduce a Brut
IPA (India Pale Ale) also known as ‘Hop Champagne’. It is the west
coast (of America’s) answer to the New England-style IPAs.”
Neil launches into a description of his forthcoming brew: “Brut
IPA is light-bodied, but highly hopped. Virtually all the hops are
non-bittering, yet very aromatic. We use a plant enzyme to break
down the unfermentable sugars, giving a light-bodied, extra light,
very low carbohydrate beer. Characteristically
refreshing, it’s the perfect beer for our
beautiful Coromandel Summers, and and a
great way to celebrate Christmas holidays at
the beach or to compliment a dinner on The
Pour House deck!”
As yet without a name, Neil and Karen are
open to suggestions for a fun handle for the
new beer, and “there may even be a prize
in it for someone!” Email your ideas to neil@
or text to
021 035 1338.
A BIT OF BACKGROUND...
India pale ale (IPA) is a ‘hopped-up’ version of pale ale with a
higher alcohol content. Created in England, the name is a result
of its popularity with British troops stationed in India in the 19th
century, when the subcontinent was still a British colony.
A new IPA substyle born in California just over a year ago is now
spreading from brewery to brewery like wildfire – the Brut IPA. It
borrows its name from the champagne world, brut meaning very
dry. So too with the Brut IPA.
It’s pale, it’s bone dry, it’s highly effervescent. Think of a sparkling
glass of dry Champagne but with fruit-forward hop aromas. In short,
it’s as close to champagne as an IPA can get. And it’s nothing
like the fruity, hazy, creamy IPAs that now dominate taps across
America and England.
Hurry up with that new beer Neil – we’re all keen to try it!
the Pour House Beer Garden
The design of the carved wooden pole incorporates everything
that Neil and Karen had envisioned and is reminiscent of a Maori
pou whenua. It includes a mother and baby dolphins, shells, hop
flowers, a Maori tiki motif, and a ruru (morepork) perched on top! It
took Francis nearly three weeks to finish it, and the end result is a
magnificent sight. “It’s just perfect for our garden!” said Neil.
THE POLE IS BLESSED
“Just a week after Francis left the country,” Karen shares, “a lovely
Maori gentleman belonging to local iwi, came to us and offered to
bless the carving. We were stoked – how perfect was that!”
At sunrise the following morning the blessing was performed in
front of about 15 tourists. “It was a beautiful summer Coromandel
day. No one had ever experienced anything like it before, and one
of the women was even brought to tears – it was all pretty moving
actually.”
Karen adds, “So if you feel like it, pick up a lonely traveller because
you never know who you might meet! A good deed can bring great
reward!”