Shunters' Yard: Journal Entry

Dave & Peter of Shunters Yard Brewery just outside Hamilton

From the NZ Craft Beer TV journal entry, 22/2/11:

Hamilton beckons and we head northwards towards Shunters Yard Brewery on the outskirts of the 'Tron. Set up by avid homebrewers, Peter Mckenzie and his mate Dave, this brewery smacks of the type of thing that we love to see. Peter is a mechanical engineer and Dave has spent the majority of his life working in the food/dairy industry so these two are a match made in heaven when it comes to the brewery and the processes. From air conditioning units modified and fitted to heat exchangers to act as cold liquor cooling, through to stainless steel ion exchange chambers modified and used as brewing vessels, they have managed to make an extremely efficient, energy conscious brewery at a minimal cost. They have a couple of old railway carriages outside on a pair of tracks and the quirky bar has a great old-world feel. It's a great mix of country and industrial excellence. Pete and Dave chat away like excited schoolkids. It's so obvious that they love their weekend hobby and the fact that they both hold full-time jobs and are able to produce 600 odd litres of beer a week make it all the more impressive.

We head outside into a stinking hot Waikato day and stand around perhaps the only wedge-wire table I know of. The guys give us a glass of their Number 7 Pilsener. Naturally carbonated, this is the closest to a European style Pilsner we have tried on the trip. The hop is more grassy and tends toward noble character than the NZ Pilsner style brews we have tried. The malt is dominant in the mouth with a hint of breadiness and a big, bold Czech-style bitterness that coats the mouth and brings instant refreshment. The light carbonation helps a lot. This is drinkable and delicious. It quenches perfectly.

Their dark beer, Midnight Special, is up next. It has the same drinkability with dusty, roasted malt characters and a nice dry finish. The mouthfeel maintains smoothness and it's impressive to see these two doing such good things with their beers. We really hope to see more from these two innovative, enthusiastic brewers!