The Wellington-based squad, Garage Project, together with four heavyweight American craft breweries, Trillium, Firestone Walker, Other Half, and Three Weavers, embarked on a collective pursuit of Hāpiness to rediscover the hidden secrets of the highly coveted New Zealand hop varieties.
FROM ARO WITH LOVE
What once started out in a garage in Aro Valley, Wellington by Pete Gillespie, Jos Ruffell, and Ian Gillespie in 2011, Garage Project is now one of the most sought-after craft breweries not just in Australia and New Zealand, but also around the world. In 2015, the brewery took the top spot in the Fast 50 Index of Deloitte thanks to its 664 percent annual growth. Not just that. In 2017, Garage Project was hailed the best brewery by the Brewers Guild of New Zealand. The brewery also claimed 19 spots in the 2018 Great American Beer Festival (GABS) Hottest 100 Kiwi Craft Beers poll with their iconic beers: Death From Above (2nd) Pernicious Weed (3rd), and Party & Bullshit (5th) among others.
THE PURSUIT OF HĀPINESS
Garage Project took things a notch higher in 2019 by rolling out the red carpet and inviting the international craft beer community to Wellington for the first Hāpi Festival & Symposium. The objective of the festival was to showcase international hop-forward beers from fellow craft breweries across the globe. Some of the participating breweries include Hill Farmstead Brewery, Cloudwater Brew Co., Trillium Brewing Company, Stone Brewing, and Monkish Brewing Co. among others. The proceeds of the event were used to fund the Hāpi Hop Research Centre.
HĀPI SESSIONS
The global gathering also paved the way for Hāpi Sessions– a four-volume, hop-centric collaboration with Trillium, Firestone Walker, Other Half, and Three Weavers. Each volume is a creative interpretation of a style that best represents the partnering brewery, while at the same time, features the salient characteristics of at least one harvest fresh New Zealand hop variety.
With this collaboration, we, together with fellow craft beer enthusiasts outside of New Zealand, were given a chance to partake in this pursuit of hāpiness. Now, it is time to get up close and personal with the four special beers of the Hāpi Sessions!
Hāpi Sessions Vol. 1 Trillium x Garage Project “Aro Street” (7.2% ABV)
Trillium Brewing Company is one of the evangelists of the “Haze Craze” gospel on the East Coast. In fact, the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) cites the brewery’s Congress Street as one of the commercial examples in the New England IPA category. Therefore, it was no surprise that a NEIPA would be the style of choice for this collaboration, particularly one brewed with Mosaic (US) and Motueka (NZ) hops.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Specialty IPA: New England IPA (21B) in the context of the provisional guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) for the said beer style. The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
At a glance, the hazy orange-yellow appearance of Aro Street suggests that this is indeed a NEIPA. The aroma blends fresh tangerines with piney hops, a pinch of floral and spice-like notes. This NEIPA also conforms to style with its medium body. A pine-like flavor is evident, melded further by green tea, grapefruit, and lychees. Interestingly, green tea and white chocolates put on a show as the finish.
THE VERDICT
Superbly juicy and tasty, Aro Street is an instant classic.
Hāpi Sessions Vol. 2 Firestone Walker x Garage Project “Riwaka Express” (5.3% ABV)
Firestone Walker Brewing Company– founded by Adam Firestone and David Walker in 1996– is a cornerstone in America’s craft brewing scene. The California-based brewery has curated a diverse portfolio of beers that range from iconic pilsners like the Pivo Pilsner to vintage barrel-aged beers that include the Parabola Imperial Stout and the Sucaba Barrel-Aged Barley Wine.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a New Zealand Pilsner (X5) in the context of the provisional guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) for the said beer style. The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
The collaboration pilsner pours a clear gold color with a creamy white head. The nose evoked grapefruit, passion fruit, and lemon with a backdrop of sweet corn and wheat. Interestingly, a member of our tasting panel also picked up notes of pine, white chocolate, and redwood tea. Riwaka Express is perceived as a beverage with a crisp and light body with prominent notes of pine and peach, and with light maltiness surfacing.
THE VERDICT
Riwaka Express is a masterfully-crafted and refreshing New Zealand Pilsner that really highlights the unique characteristics of Riwaka.
Hāpi Sessions Vol. 3 Other Half x Garage Project “No Dreams Til Brooklyn” (8.5% ABV)
Other Half Brewing Co. was established by Sam Richardson, Matt Monahan, and Andrew Burman in 2014. This New York-based brewery has a simple mission– to create beers that they want to drink from a company that they want to be a part of. Drinking an Other Half beer is like taking a masterclass in aromatic, juicy, and hop-loaded beers such as the All Green Everything, a “Triple IPA” with a whopping 10.5% ABV and is packed with Motueka, Amarillo, Citra, and Mosaic hops. No Dreams Til Brooklyn is a hazy “Oat Cream” IPA brewed with lactose, Citra, and Nelson Sauvin hops.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as an Experimental Beer (34C) with the Specialty IPA: New England IPA (21B) as the base style in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). Note that the Specialty IPA: New England is a provisional style as of this writing, with its working definition published on the BJCP website. The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website. The lactose addition in this New England IPA is noticeable.
TASTING NOTES
No Dreams Til Brooklyn is cloudy and orange. Orange citrus and marmalade dominate the aroma composition. The beer is medium-bodied, with a flavor profile characterized by tangerine, cinnamon, and oats. A slight hop burn was also noted. Notes akin to strawberry, chocolate, cream, and some spice make a quick round after the sip.
THE VERDICT
Overall, No Dreams Til Brooklyn is a fragrant and delicious beer exploding with diverse flavors.
Hāpi Sessions Vol. 4 Three Weavers x Garage Project “Zeppelin Bend” (8% ABV)
Established in 2013, Three Weavers is one of the largest craft breweries in Los Angeles county. In contrast to its East Coast counterparts, Other Half and Trillium, Three Weavers keeps the spirit of the West Coast to heart as evident in their popular beers that include Expatriate IPA and the Knotty Double IPA. Zeppelin Bend is a contemporary take on the classic “West Coast” IPA featuring fresh Rakau (NZ) and Nelson Sauvin (NZ) hops.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Double IPA (22A) in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Zeppelin Bend pours an amber-orange color beverage with a white head. This Double IPA smells like grass, dried dark tea leaves, and some hints of white chocolate. A light-medium bodied Double IPA, Zeppelin Bend also unveils light piney hop bitterness supported by a toasted caramel and biscuit-like malt backbone. A similar profile surfaces after a sip.
THE VERDICT
A tasty and malty Double IPA, the Zeppelin Bend is a refreshing alternative to the hop-driven West Coast classics.
Facebook:
Garage Project
Trillium
Firestone Walker
Other Half
Three Weavers
Instagram:
Garage Project
Trillium
Firestone Walker
Other Half
Three Weavers
*Based on Brewers Association 2020 Beer Style Guidelines with changes. Used with permission of Brewers Association.
