The country that gave Australia Russell Crowe, Keith Urban and Quade Cooper is offering up another export, except this time it’s a bit more palatable – New Zealand’s finest craft beer, Moa.

Award-winning Moa Beer is hand-crafted in Marlborough using locally produced hops and traditional brewing techniques and is now available in Australia*.

Spearheading Moa’s Australian invasion are Justin Bade and Devon Tong. Bearing the proud name of Aussie Moa Hunters, the pair are no strangers to selling booze in foreign lands – Justin and Devon previously managed the UK market for 42 Below Vodka.

“When it comes to drinking habits with age comes wisdom, so it’s a natural progression to make the move into the premium beer category,” Devon says.

Devon, who has been Moa Hunting in Australia for the past five months, has been impressed by the response to date.

“Every day I’ve been meeting with beer enthusiasts who really know their stuff and to have them express their utmost respect for our beers after tasting them is a real buzz.

“I’m also relishing the ground swell of interest there seems to be growing around the craft beer category as a whole. And of course it’s a bonus to drink a little beer as part of the job,” he says.

Justin has more recently made the move to Australia and says he’s been pleasantly surprised by the “Aussie thirst for Kiwi hops”, which seems to turn its back on the traditional trans-Tasman rivalry.

“These knowledgeable Aussie drinkers just want to embrace the fine brews that are coming out of New Zealand and Moa is right up there on their radar,” he says.

Moa Beer General Manager Gareth Hughes is thrilled to have Justin and Devon to take care of the Moa Australian invasion.

“Australia is a key market for Moa’s growth and expansion, so it’s important we have experienced guys on the ground to present the full Moa Beer experience we all know and enjoy in New Zealand.

“No one knows more about selling Kiwi liquor around the world than Justin and Devon – we’re loving what they’re already achieving.

“We are aiming to be the first brewery to sell beer in Australia – without a stubbie holder.”

Natural ingredients, traditional brewing techniques and sustainable shipping practices have seen Moa Beer secure impressive deals with some of America’s top retail chains.

Moa has secured nationwide beer distribution at Whole Foods Market, America’s largest natural and organic supermarket chain, with more than 300 stores, of which 250 are licenced.

As a result of two US market visits by Moa General Manager Gareth Hughes in 2011 and early 2012, Moa has also won a high-value deal at the Yard House chain of restaurants and bars. The deal has been enabled in part by the company’s use of environmentally friendly recyclable “key kegs”.

The craft beer is also heading to Vegas – it will soon be served in some of Las Vegas’s top casinos.

Pure Advantage trustee and Moa Executive Chairman Geoff Ross says the brewer’s craft credentials attracted the suppliers – but its green credentials make it possible.

“Moa is a natural beer, with no chemicals or preservatives, which sits well with discerning Americans. The fact Moa is bottle-conditioned and fermented – just like beer used to be – means it travels well too.

“And the very fact it’s from New Zealand appeals to American consumers. They see New Zealand as a pure place which is ideal for brewing a natural beer.”

“While we do have challenges of distance in creating international business, we have advantages in our purity credentials – a ‘Pure Advantage’ most other countries don’t have. It gives us a competitive advantage – there is no way we could have secured these deals without it.

“The use of innovative new technology is also helping us conquer the challenges of distance, such as the environmentally-friendly key kegs,” Geoff says. “Moa is the first New Zealand brewery to export using these kegs and the benefits to our business will be huge, both in driving top line and reducing costs.”

WHOLE FOODS WITH WHOLE BEER

Premium natural and organic supermarket chain Whole Foods Market has committed to launching Moa Breakfast Beer in all 250 licenced stores across the US.

Moa Methode, Moa Pale Ale, Moa Blanc Evolution, Moa Imperial Stout and Moa St Josephs will also be available in selected stores alongside some of the most famous beers in the world.

“Whole Foods receives thousands of submissions from brands wanting to be ranged there – very few make it through,” Gareth Hughes says. “Moa is the first Australasian beer to be ranged in Whole Foods.”

Whole Foods Market National Beer Buyers  Doug Bell and Geof Ryan say the company has been big fans of Moa for a while now. “We’re very excited to be doing our first-ever national beer programme with this quality craft brewery from New Zealand. We know our customers are going to love it.”

KEY KEGS AT THE YARD HOUSE

Moa is also lining up alongside some of the world’s finest craft beers in the Yard House chain of restaurants and bars.

Each Yard House location features a centre-island bar and fleets of tap handles which will now feature the specially designed Moa “fist” tap. The glass-enclosed keg rooms, housing as much as 5,000 gallons (almost 19,000L) of beer, will be home to the Moa key kegs.

Key kegs are lightweight disposable kegs developed specially for beer. The cardboard outers and plastic inners are completely recyclable. That means there are significant cost savings and a substantial reduction in environmental impact because the kegs don’t need to be returned to Moa as traditional metal containers would. 

VEGAS BABY– MOA ON THE STRIP

Topping off the US invasion, Moa will now be served in some of the most prestigious venues in Las Vegas, including the Wynn, Aria, Caesars Palace, Venetian and Palazzo casinos, thanks to a new distribution deal with Nevada’s Southern Wines and Spirits.

Ex-pat Kiwi Clyde Burney (Vice President) heads up the beer division for Southern Wines and Spirits and has helped drive the Moa distribution deals in Nevada.

“I call Moa ‘the Chimay of the South Pacific’ – our team loves this beer and we believe it stacks up alongside the best that the Belgium trappists have to offer,” Clyde says.

Gareth Hughes adds, “Vegas is a non-stop party town and Bloody Marys or Champagne breakfasts are the norm. Now our Moa Breakfast beer will be on the same menus. It is a great opener for us.”

Moa sends its order of seven containers to the US this month.

News articles:
Scoop
Voxy
Foodworks
Idealog
Stoppress

Let’s be honest Australia, as a country you’re doing OK. And us Kiwis are smart enough to know that we’d do OK if we’re over here with you guys, who to be fair, were actually doing OK without us.

We love Melbourne, we love Perth, we love Sydney and there’s so many of us up in Brisbane the state slogan is now  “Queensland, beautiful one day, over run with Kiwis the next”. In fact the only place we don’t really like is Canberra, which is probably why your government there spent three million dollars on New Zealand television asking “Where the bloody hell are ya?” Which we never got to see as we were already living in Bondi.

Luckily, becoming Australian is not that difficult for us either. We all grew up with Scott and Charlene, we know the correct procedure for eating a Tim Tam, most of us can tell you who the original singer for Acca Dacca was and everyone over the age of 30 knows the answer to the question ”David Boon. Sydney to London. How many?” Our Prime Ministers pretend to like each other too, which is nice, and best of all we can get on the dole straight away.

Sure, there’s some parts of Australian culture we can’t quite get our heads around. Burt Newton is a complete mystery to us, we can’t tell who’s a Skip and who isn’t, and have a suspicion that Kath and Kim is actually a documentary series. But generally we’re happy to be here, and generally most of you accept us, even though the line “Welcome to Australia, we’re glad you’re here and so are the sheep back in New Zealand” does wear a bit thin after a while.

There are some things from home we miss though and unsurprisingly decent beer is one of them.

Thankfully one of our most famous exports is Moa Beer.

Moa Beer is to us what Vegemite is to you guys – except you’re not allowed to give it to kids – and most Kiwis have a few bottles of it hidden somewhere. We enter it in all the beer competitions around the world and it keeps winning medals (so other beer companies get a bit dark whenever Moa is mentioned) but best of all it’s now available over here in Australia.

Well, actually it’s been here for a while but we’ve only just got around to telling you because sometimes us Kiwis aren’t very good at getting our act together. Something you’ll notice every time there’s an Olympic Games.

MOA TAP TAKEOVER
THE LOCAL TAPHOUSE

 ST KILDA (184 Carlisle St)
20 MARCH, 7PM

DARLINGHURST (122 Flinders St)
21 MARCH, 7PM

News articles:
Kiwis in OZ

We are pleased to announce the arrival of MOA GROWLERS.

These refillable 2 litre vessels will soon be available in selected locations in New Zealand and Australia. Once you have purchased a Moa Growler it is yours to keep and you can return to the quality establishment from whence you purchased it (or another equally awesome location) and refill it with whichever delectable Moa Beer they currently have on tap (if you are extra fortunate it may even be a Moa Limited Edition Special Brew). This will not only save you money but it will also reduce the environmental impact of drinking Moa Beer. Win, win, win, high fives all round.

One thing you must remember to do is clean your growler thoroughly after use. Growler sanitization is important and will help you avoid your growler cultivating any funky bacteria. No one likes a dirty growler and if you take care of it, then it’ll keep tasting great.

Now, of course we want to give you the opportunity get your hands on a growler, so here’s your chance…

GROWL FOR A GROWLER

Simply email us (sunil@moabeer.co.nz) a photo of you growling for a growler by Friday 9 March 2012 and you could win one of six Moa Growlers.

Enjoy.

Terms and Conditions: The promoter of the GROWL FOR A GROWLER competition (“Competition”) is Moa Brewing Company Limited (“Moa”).  The Competition commences 28 February 2012 and closes 09 March 2012 (“Competition Period”).  The Competition is open to any New Zealand resident 18 years of age who completes the entry during the Competition Period.  Moa and its employees and their immediate families are ineligible to win a prize.  Moa reserves the right to verify the validity of entries and to exclude any entries that fail to meet the entry criteria.  Moa also reserves the right to disqualify any person for tampering with the entry process.  Moa is not responsible or liable for any late, lost or misdirected entries or for any problems which may result in delay or failure to enter the draw.  Prize winners will win a Moa Growler.  6 x Moa Growlers are up for grabs.  Winners will be drawn on Monday 12 March 2012.  Winners will be contacted via email on Monday 12 March and must accept the prize by Friday 30 March 2012 otherwise their prize will be forfeited and another winner will be drawn.  The prize is not transferable or exchangeable and are not redeemable for cash.  The decisions of Moa on all matters relating to this Competition are final and no correspondence will be entered into.  Moa is entitled, in its absolute discretion, to change these terms and conditions without notice (including without limitation substituting any of the prize offered with a prize that it believes is of similar value or benefit) or to cancel the Competition at any time without prior notification.  No claim may be made against Moa or any of its agents, contractors, employees or other representatives in connection with such change or cancellation.  To the extent permitted by law, Moa excludes any liability or loss arising directly or indirectly with the Competition.  By entering the Competition, you consent to Moa publishing your entry and name for promotional and media purposes without any further reference, payment or other compensation.  You also consent to receiving information about Moa Beer and any special offers or promotions run by Moa.  Entry into the Competition is deemed acceptance of these terms and conditions.

*Article updated on Wednesday 11 January 2012

What exactly is craft beer?

If you are unsure what defines a craft beer, you are not alone. It is difficult enough to articulate for those who do understand and there is confusion within the industry itself, let alone for those just trying to enjoy the stuff. The confusion is compounded by the big multi-national players who are attempting to highjack the rapid growth of the genuine craft beer market in New Zealand, claiming their mass-produced beers are ‘craft’.

In November we announced that Moa Beer had become New Zealand’s first craft beer to be sold in duty free stores now that it is now stocked in JR Duty Free. The next day, a large brewery released a release statement claiming they were actually the first ‘craft beer’ to be sold in duty free. There is no disputing that beer has been available in Duty Free before us, but is it craft? It might just seem like a bit of PR tit-for-tat, but it has struck a chord with Kiwi drinkers, many of whom have been taken aback by claims that mass produced beers are ‘craft’.

Kiwi drinkers are being hoodwinked into paying premium prices for beers they’re led to believe are, for example, are hand-crafted in out of the way locations when actually they are being brewed en masse in South Auckland. Much like ‘organic’ labels on products need to be certified, is it time for the liquor industry to introduce a benchmark for ‘craft’ credentials.

This is how we define craft beer:

REMAIN TRUE TO IDEOLOGIES. [*Amended from: IT HAS A TRUE BRICKS AND MORTAR HOME.]

Craft breweries must have real roots and stay true to their birthplace and ideologies.

[*The following has been retracted: The following A craft brewery does not contract brew at different breweries around the country or allow its beer to be brewed under licence overseas. The most important and influential ingredient in beer is water and you cannot accurately replicate your water supply in a different location.]

CHALLENGING THE MASSES.

Creativity, artistry and innovation are at the heart of craft brewing and craft brewers like to push the boundaries with their beers. They experiment with crazy mash ups, high alcohol content, big malt and hop structures and interesting fermentation techniques, to give consumers a range of unique and distinctive flavours that can in fact be polarising. Mainstream beers are made to have mass appeal and although they may be made flawlessly, they are designed to taste as close to water as possible. These are plain Jane beers that are quaffable to the masses, not too malty and not too hoppy.

FINALLY, THE BREWERY MUST HAVE A PERSONALITY OR TANGIBLE FIGUREHEAD.

Made by lots of men and not many machines as opposed to lots of machines and not many men, craft brewing has a human touch.  These human brewers are an eclectic and sometimes eccentric bunch. Their personalities are not only projected through their brands but are also present in their beers. These are the passionate individuals behind craft beer and they will chew the ear off anyone willing to listen to their stories, theories and philosophies, while also vigorously educating them on why craft beer and their beer in particular is the best.

Considering the above, are the big multinational players in New Zealand currently indulging in the beer equivalent of “greenwashing” a.k.a. “craftwashing”?

*This article was updated on Wednesday 11 January 2012 after some discussion on Facebook and Twitter. We do respect and appreciate NZ “craft” beers brewed under contract. We have our opinion and we have chucked it out there. We welcome debate and comments and don’t have our heads so far up our own poopers that we cannot listen to other peoples views.What we are trying to achieve is a clearer more tangible definition of “craft” in order to help educate punters. This is in response to the smoke and mirrors tactics of the big breweries with their so-called “craft” beers. Turns out “craft” is rather difficult to define. Go figure.

News articles:
NZ Herald

As their website boosts “there’s an energy and passion about Depot. Not overly precious or pretentious – just fast, fun and fresh.”

It’s chef Al Brown’s place and reflects perfectly his attitude towards food: in season, beautifully cooked, to be enjoyed with friends.

The founder of Moa Beer Josh Scott and Marketing man Sunil Unka recently took the opportunity to sit down with Al and some of his team, Kyle Street, Joe Williams and Catherine Cordwell to Moa-match the succulent offerings.

MOA BREAKFAST  – DEPOT BACON & EGG DOONA

Depot is “open since 7am” and this combination gets the day started off on the right foot.

Soft pillow like white bun, free range (Frenz SPCA approved) egg, Mahy farms bacon – double pressed pork belly and Al’s signature recipe cherry relish – cherries, fresh ginger, spice (Chinese Five Spice) and sherry vinegar.

A refreshing and fruity lager made with a blend of premium wheat malt, floral Nelson hops and cherries.

The spice and fruit in the relish matches the beer well. Devoured rapidly with sticky fingers this is the ultimate Breakfast of Champions.

MOA BLANC — DEPOT KINGFISH SASHIMI W/ ORONGO BAY OYSTER CREAM, APPLE & TOASTED FENNEL SEED

New Zealand is blessed with exquisite bounty from the sea and no one appreciates this more than Al Brown.

Sweet and clean line caught Kingfish, small-plump and creamy Orongo Bay (Russell) oysters, infused cream with sherry shallots. Granny smith apple providing a crisp-tart finish, with toasted Fennel adding floral notes.

A wheat beer brewed using a blend of 65% wheat malt and 35% barley malt which results in an elegantly smooth beer, with hints of spice and uplifting esters.

The creamy fatty notes of the kaimoana compliment the beer majestically.

MOA ORIGINAL — SKIRT STEAK W/ TOBACCO ONIONS & HABANERO MUSTARD

It wouldn’t be Kiwi cuisine without a slab of beef.

Juicy skirt steak, cut from the plate of a steer. Chargrilled to produce flavoursome smoky notes. Tobacco spice (smoked paprika, flour, salt, black pepper) fired onions and another one of Al’s signature touches a habanero mustard. Made with NZ habanero chilies from “Orcona Chillis ‘N Peppers”.

A classically brewed lager created from a blend of New Zealand premium malts and Nelson hops. Moa Original shows an array of smooth velvety characters on the palate but also has a refreshing floral nose.

The crisp smoky flavours are reminiscent of “bar food” and the sweet hot spiciness is nicely tempered by the beer.

Photos by: Ruth Keber
http://www.fotovisura.com/user/Ruthanne/
http://ruthkeber.wordpress.com/

Unlike most of New Zealand who went straight to the drinks cabinet to toast New Zealand’s rugby win, your dedicated Moa team headed down to the shop floor to brew up a celebratory batch they’re calling the ‘Four More Years’ beer.

The Four More Years beer is brewed like a Moa Imperial Stout, infused with Guatemala coffee beans, then added to French barriques for extended maturation.

Moa founder Josh Scott says the beer was not only inspired by the All Blacks’ triumph over the French but also looks ahead to future ABs’ wins at the 2015 World Cup.

“Because the next World Cup is in the UK, we thought a stout was fitting. Plus, it’s big and black like our team – and at 10.11% ABV, it packs a punch equivalent to Jerome Kaino in a crash tackle.

“Given we had France over a barrel, the French barriques are appropriate, and the coffee is a nod to the fact Kiwis will all be getting up early or staying up late to watch the next Cup in 2015.”

Josh says Moa selected the coffee beans after a cupping (tasting) session with boutique Marlborough roasting company CPR Coffee.

“As with beer, there’s a huge difference between good and bad coffee beans. Our cupping session not only helped turn us into proper coffee snobs but, more importantly, it ensured we got the finest quality beans that best fitted our beer.

“The Guatemala beans were chosen because of their low bitterness levels, high aromatics, chocolate aromas and low oil content.”

The Four More Years beer will be lovingly stored in the Moa cellar until 2015, when it will be bottled in 500 750ml bottles, as well as 1.5 litre Magnums, 3 litre Jeroboams and – to ensure there’s plenty to go around at the victory party – 6 litre Methusalahs.

Moa plans to design and unveil the label in 2015, with each bottle numbered and signed by Josh Scott and Moa master brewer David Nicholls.

Fans will have to wait until at least 2013 to place their order… although bribes will be accepted in advance for a place on the waiting list.

MOA ‘FOUR MORE YEARS’ NOTES

Style: French oak aged and Guatemala coffee infused imperial stout.

Tasting notes: Big robust beer. Like a gutsy red wine. Rich dark roasted malt and leather characters, all infused with a delicate coffee aroma that exudes a typical freshly roasted coffee and handmade chocolate flavour.

10.11% Alc.

Moa Beer has become New Zealand’s first craft beer to be sold in duty free stores.

The Marlborough craft beer is now being stocked in JR / Duty Free stores at Auckland Airport Arrivals and Departures, ranged alongside the champagne and premium spirits sections.

Moa General Manager Gareth Hughes says the JR / Duty Free deal is huge news for the brewery.

“We know the powerful impact duty free stockists have on liquor sales and product consideration, so we couldn’t be in a better place than the JR / Duty Free stores at the nation’s busiest airport.

“It’s the first time a craft beer has been offered in duty free in New Zealand and, we’re told, the world – we’re excited to be blazing the trail and hope more of our craft colleagues will follow.

“It’s great news for us because it introduces our brand to travellers who might otherwise not have had an opportunity to sample Moa.  It’s also great news for travellers because they can get decent beer when they arrive on or take off from our shores.”

Kate Gorman, General Manager, JR / Duty Free Australia & NZ, says the company has been delighted to partner with Moa, a brand she believes fits the bill perfectly for duty free shoppers.

“Our customers love products that represent a little piece of New Zealand for gifting to friends and family, or as souvenirs. They also enjoy products that feel unique and exclusive, something they can’t necessarily buy everywhere on the high street. As a premium craft beer that’s undeniably Kiwi, Moa ticks all these boxes.

“Moa also provides a more engaging experience on the shop floor, which ties in with our philosophy of surprise and delight for our customers. Its quirky point of sale has a point of difference and immediately creates attention.

“This is backed up by the extensive training Moa provides, which ensures all of our team are true Moa advocates and who can offer our customers knowledgeable, personalised service.”

To cater for the different shopping patterns of Arrivals and Departures customers, different Moa products are ranged in each location.

“Because Arrivals customers are after immediacy and convenience, we’ve ranged Moa 750ml bottles and triple packs so they can grab and go,” Gareth Hughes says.

“Departures customers, on the other hand, have more time to browse and make more considered purchases for gifting or souvenirs – such as our Moa magnums.”

Roger Winnewisser, General Manager Sales & Buying NZ, JR / Duty Free, says Moa is likely to be stocked in JR / Duty Free’s Wellington and Christchurch Airport stores before Christmas.

“Our people have been so enthusiastic about the Moa partnership that they’ve told us they want the product in their stores. We’ve been delighted to work with the Moa team so far and look forward to extending our offering.”

Moa Beer is available at JR / Duty Free Stores at Auckland Airport Arrivals and Departures in 1.5l magnums, 750ml single bottles and triple-packs. Customers can mix and match their triple packs from the four Moa Estate range variants.

News articles:
M2
NZ Herald

This is the latest Moa Beer print ad which will appear in M2, IdeaLog and Denizen in October-November-December 2011:

Belgium is located in exactly the part of Europe that no one ever thinks about going to and is known mainly as a popular venue for wars between non-Belgians over things that have nothing to do with Belgium. The most famous being World War 1, World War 2 and the Battle of Waterloo, which is now marked by an enormous pile of dirt topped with a copper lion from which a terrific view of some nearby council housing can be had.  It also features an interactive visitors centre where you can buy toy French soldiers and watch a surreal film about some small children running through a hay paddock.

Interestingly, despite its violent past, Belgium is still the only country in the world that has more soldiers than actual guns to give them, so whenever there’s any sort of military parade half the army carry replicas. It’s as if the military in Belgium consider showing too much force as being somewhat impolite so the front line of Belgium’s defense is actually bureaucracy.  The making of an apparently simple task rather less straightforward by positioning carefully drafted bits of paper between the subject and their desired object is a Belgian art form and the main defender of its borders.  Not that you’d want to invade Belgium anyway as its only natural resource seems to be piles of bricks.

Generally speaking, Belgium is a pretty safe country with most of the crime taking place at enormously high levels and involving horrifyingly large scale corruption and swindling, all of which leaves the citizens on the street less well-off but otherwise fairly unharmed. Strangely however the process of taking into one’s possession a bicycle that is actually owned by a known or unknown person other than oneself is not actually a crime and is almost encouraged. It also has a King called Albert who’s just an ordinary guy that likes to party and also happens to live in a big house and be on almost all the Belgian stamps.

Not that anyone goes out of their way to collect Belgian stamps as most Belgians are highly embarrassed about coming from Belgium in the first place and feel a need to hyphenate their nationality to other nations as a way to compensate.  There’s no such thing as a ‘Belgian’ as the country is made up of people calling themselves French-Belgians, Dutch-Belgians, German-Belgians and misc-others. There are officially four national languages but depending on which part of Belgium you’re in, people will pretend to not understand the three that are not associated with their adopted hyphenated ancestry.  This internal ‘war of languages’ came to an interesting head last year when the newly elected Belgian Prime Minister chose to sing the National Anthem of France rather then the Belgian one at his swearing in, which, of course, caused quite a ruckus and made parliament promptly collapse. The upshot of which is that Belgium has been running now without an actual government for over a year (beating the previous world record holder, Iraq, by over 200 days).  Weirdly, this doesn’t seem to have had any impact on Belgium at all, mainly because of Belgium’s preoccupation with their one true talent, the making and consumption of over 1,400 different brands of beer.

In Belgium beer is the very essence of the land, the blood of the nation. Beer is something that Belgians have perfected over hundreds of years thanks to generations of intense contemplation by silent orders of monks and atrocious weather. For some reason it’s served in a variety of peculiarly shaped drinking receptacles – not all of them that practical – which adds to the novelty.

We’ve been over to Belgium lots and quite like the place so it’s probably no surprise that Moa St Josephs is brewed in the traditional style of a classic Belgian Tripel where “strong spice and clove characters create complex flavours and aromas which are heightened by its extended bottle conditioning” (thanks Wikipedia).  French-Belgians who have sampled Moa St Josephs say that it is on a par with their own Belgian Tripels and infinitely superior to the Belgian Tripels made by the Dutch-Belgians. Somewhat predictably the Dutch-Belgians say the same thing but in reverse, while the German-Belgians just complain about how crap everything is now thanks to Greece.  So who knows.

I just think it’s funny that Belgium only has two famous residents, Inspector Poirot and Tintin, neither of whom actually exist.

Moa says: DON’T DRINK FOR A DECADE

Moa has launched its latest rare “collector’s edition” beer – but we urge people not, under any circumstances, to drink it.

Well, for the next decade at least.

The Moa Ten Year Beer is a barrel-aged cherry lambic made in a unique traditional Belgium style. Just 180 specially labelled bottles have been produced, and Moa founder Josh Scott says those lucky enough to get their hands on a bottle should take their hands off the bottle and put it into a cellar, pronto.

“Our Ten Year Beer already tastes great, but the complex nature of the brew means that it’s designed to taste best after a decade of cellar aging.

“Traditionally Belgian lambics have been cellared for a few years – however some of these old-style lambics can also be quite sour.  We’ve crafted our Ten Year Beer to be a little easier on the palate, albeit without substituting on the quality or heritage… but good things take time.”

Josh adds, “Most drinkers probably aren’t used to thinking of beer as something to be cellared. Just treat it like a fine Central Otago Pinot Noir and you’ll be alright.

“Or think of it as the ideal gift for your eight-year old son – after a decade of cellaring it’ll be ready to drink on his 18^th birthday”.

The Ten Year Beer has been fermented as a tripel ale, then poured into French oak puncheons with Marlborough cherries stuffed in the barrel. Wild yeast is added and it is left to slowly ferment and age over 10 months.

Josh says, “The use of wild yeast plays an important role in making this beer so amazing – but it’s a risky business, and if mishandled it can easily contaminate vineyards, for example. Luckily, especially considering my dad’s vineyard is across the road, we got away with it this time.”

The end product pours strawberry golden and has powerful aromas of cherries and dried herbs. The oak and cherries integrate over time and the base characters of banana and butterscotch are evident at the end of the palate.

Just 180 collectable 750ml bottles of the Moa Ten Year Beer have been created, RRP $30. Regional Wines and Spirits in Wellington, www.beerstore.co.nz each have 60 bottles; Castle MacAdam Wines in Dunedin, New World Blenheim, Fresh Choice Richmond and Fresh Choice Merivale have just 12 bottles per store. Get one while stocks last – but for god’s sake, don’t bloody drink it.

News articles:
M2
Scoop
Voxy

This is the latest Moa Beer print ad which appeared in M2 and Denizen in September 2011:

The first thing science teachers should do to science students at science school is sit them in front of a computer and google “how many people have escaped from prison and then lived happily ever after until they died?” Because the correct answer is probably about none.

Prison escapers get so obsessed with escaping from prison they spend all their time working on the escape and forget to plan for the sixty years afterwards. Once they’ve let go of the last knotted together sheet everything is all beta-testing and applying patches to problems as they come along. Generally speaking, solving a problem is a lot easier if you don’t think about having to solve the problems created by solving the first problem in the first place. Which is why most solutions are a bit half-baked.

Case in point, the remote control.

I am the same as anybody else. I use the remote control to turn the TV on, change the channel and adjust the volume. I need three buttons. My remote has 47. Science has solved 44 more problems than I was actually aware I had and by doing so has cleverly hidden the three buttons I actually want to use.

Science was so busy escaping from prison it forgot to be useful.

This issue is then compounded by the five separate remotes required to make the correct sound and pictures come out of my telly slash stereo slash dvd slash Sky slash mp3 slash illegally-downloaded-movie-player. Each of which have 47 different buttons and are labelled in such a way as to give no clues as to which piece of equipment they actually control. Science’s answer to this problem is, of course, ‘more science’ in the form of the Universal Remote which takes all the buttons from every single piece of electronic equipment I own and combines them all into one large fustercluck remote where each button does half a dozen different things.

Science thinks this is a good idea because science can’t see the difference between having seven different girlfriends and having one girlfriend with seven different personalities all talking to you at the same time. Obviously science never had a girlfriend and because it never had a girlfriend it thought the Segway was a good idea, which it really wasn’t as it made you look silly and no one was terribly traumatised by the problem it solved in the first place. Which was “I’m not that fond of walking”.

Don’t get me wrong, if the Segway had solved an actual problem like cancer or polar bear shortages then fine. But it didn’t. It was just science for the sake of it.

And it’s this science for the sake of it that has been the undoing of beer over the last fifty years. The can was a bad idea. The high speed bottling line was a bad idea. Forced carbonation was a bad idea. Pretty much everything science said was really neat over the last half century has turned out to be either the beer version of a Segway or a Prius. Which is why at Moa we don’t do any of that stuff and just make beer the way everyone used to make it before they started making it differently.

We’re also not the only brewers that think this way. There’s heaps of great little breweries in New Zealand like Epic, Emerson’s, Tuatara, Crouchers, Renaissance, Yeastie Boys, 8-Wired and Three Boys who all think the same way we do which is why we win all the beer awards and science beers don’t.

So next time you’re at the wholesaler, head over to the craft beer section and thank your lucky stars it’s 2011 and you still don’t have your flying car because let’s face it, Kiwis are crappy drivers who have enough trouble making cars go forwards and backwards let alone up and down and the last thing you want is half a million Kiwis above your head optimistically seeing how far they can go with the yellow fuel light flashing. Because that’s exactly what would happen.

*(Incidentally, I solved my remote dilemma by simply giving my electronics actual names with a labeling machine.  My telly is now called Max, the stereo is called Bronson, the DVD player is called Chantelle etc.. then I wrote each of their names on the top of their remotes with a Vivid. I’ve found that if i think of them as children then I can easily operate them together like a family unit. Physically I might be trying to get Sky to come through the stereo but in my head I’m just getting five kids in the van in time for school.  It works for me.)

UPDATE: 18 August 2011 – Telecom NZ has pulled out of their abstinence campaign.

ORIGINAL POST: 17 August 2011 -

With the Rugby World Cup* nearly upon us here in New Zealand, it has been reported by TVNZ and in the NZ Herald that Telecom NZ has launched a campaign encouraging New Zealanders to support the All Blacks by giving up sex for the duration of the tournament (the best part of two months).

Former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick will front the campaign and participants will be issued with black rubber rings to show they are behind the campaign.

Moa Beer are taking completely the opposite approach and are encouraging supporters to indulge in sexual activity. They’ll even reward you.

Simply post on the Moa Beer Facebook page (before kick-off on Friday 9 September) the number of points you think Dan Carter will score during the RWC* and then match every point with a sexual encounter during the same period. If you get the number right and match the scoring then Moa Beer will reward you with a case of Moa 1.5L magnums.

For example if you guess 64 points, Dan scores 64 points and you score 64 sexual encounters, you will then score a case of Moa 1.5L magnums.

This campaign will be supported by Moa branded anti abstinence condoms (pictured below) and the following (unconfirmed) promotional lines:
- SLIP THROUGH THE GAP
- SLOT ONE BETWEEN THE STICKS
- SCORE IN THE CORNER
- GET OVER THE LINE
- GET RIGHT IN BEHIND THE TEAM
- GO ONE FOR ONE WITH DAN

* Please note Moa Beer is not a sponsor of the RWC 11
# Please note Moa Beer is not a sponsor of the All Blacks

News articles:
M2 Magazine

As reported in the NZ Herald, Moa Beer, has been sent a formal warning which demands that we remove a few references to “Champagne” on this website. The letter was sent by the director-general of Comite Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne, the body which represents Champagne wine producers in the northeast of France.

The references are on the Process page under brewing techniques and twice on the News page in an article about Moa Breakfast.

The first reference is to the fact the beer is bottle-fermented, “like they do with Champagne”.

The second is from founder Josh Scott, comparing Moa Breakfast Beer to drinking Champagne at breakfast, and then the last one is again in reference to the brewing technique.

In the cease and desist letter Director-general Jean-Luc Barbier wrote that the name Champagne was protected by national laws and trans-border regulations.

He said the rules protected against exploitation of Champagne’s reputation, imitation, evocation or any use likely to mislead consumers.

“[We] ask you to immediately amend or delete any reference to ‘Champagne’ and to refrain from associating your beer with Champagne.”

But we have refused to back down and we thought the letter was a little bit overbearing and petty.

It’s obvious that we’re a brewery in the business of brewing beer and unmistakably from New Zealand. We’re not trying to pass ourselves off as a sparkling wine from France.

There is no chance of consumers being mislead, so no consumer protection is required.

This is just the latest in a spate of large companies bullying smaller businesses.

NZ Dairy giant Fonterra is battling to prevent a Waikato cheese-maker from using the word “vintage” to describe its gouda. As well, this week DB Breweries forced a Central Otago brewery to stop calling its beers “Radler”, because DB trademarked the name in 2003.

Our response to the French letter was this postcard in Te Reo Maori and featuring the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior:

Moa Beer has signed on as the official beer of the New Zealand Olympic team and will be supporting the team to the hilt as it prepares for the 2012 London Olympics.

Our Moa Brewery founder Josh Scott – a champion cyclist in his own right - says it’s all about Kiwis supporting Kiwis.

“Like our Olympians, we’re classic Kiwi champions – underdogs taking on the big guys, punching above our weight and beating them at their own game. As a premium beer brand, we know what it’s like to win gold and we want to help our Kiwi athletes to achieve similar success.

“This is the first time a craft brewery has held this level of sponsorship in New Zealand and we believe it’s also a world-first,” Scott says.

“It’s exciting for the industry as it really puts New Zealand craft beer on the map, and it’s also a wake-up call to the big brewers. We’re playing in the big leagues now – and we don’t have to sacrifice the quality of our beer to do so.”

Scott says Moa is committed to a long-term relationship with New Zealand’s champion sportsmen and women. “We’re excited that a wholly New Zealand-owned brand (with a uniquely Kiwi name) will be supporting our team. Unlike a certain Japanese-owned, German-named beer brand which has forsaken our Olympians, we ‘believe’ in our athletes and will be backing them all the way to London and beyond.”

Full details of the sponsorship will be announced over the coming months. Initial activity will see the release of limited edition Moa Olympic packaging – “black labels to match our athletes’ black singlets,” says Scott – and of course Moa beer being served at NZ Olympic Committee, VIP and partner events both at home and abroad.

Josh Scott says he’s looking forward to having the chance to showcase the best of Kiwi craft brewing to the world.

“It also means Kiwis can finally get to celebrate our success with a decent beer for a change.”

News articles:
NZOC
NZ Herald
Foodworks
Foodie
StopPress NZ
Idealog

Moa brewery has stolen the show at a prestigious international beer competition winning a record 12 awards.

More medals were awarded to Moa than any other brewery across its beer and cider range at the Asia Beer Awards held in Singapore this month.

Moa won big for its range of beer variants, beating out more than 450 entries from 47 countries to take home six Golds, two Silvers and two Bronze medals.

Then Moa also snaffled  Gold in the Cider category (World) for its Weka Pear Cider as judged by 15 international experts, and Weka Apple Cider was awarded the Silver medal in the same category.

Moa sales agent Scott Williams attended the Singapore event and says the response from the attendees and international media has been incredible.

“This year is the first time Moa has entered this competition, so we were thrilled to get such a record haul. While we’re proud of all our awards, we’re particularly chuffed with our Gold and Silver for Weka Cider.

“Cider is one of the fastest-growing categories in New Zealand, with a lot of brands vying for attention, so it’s great to be at the top of this game.”

“As well as the medal haul, it was fantastic to see first-hand how well-respected the Moa brand is internationally,” Williams says.

“I was treated like a celebrity on the awards floor – shaking hands, signing autographs, posing for photos and even giving one enthusiastic supporter the shirt off my back. It seems in Asia, Moa really is the rock star of beers.”

MOA’S GOLD MEDALS:
Moa Methode (Seasonal Ale – Asia)
Moa St Josephs (Belgium Golden Ale – Asia)
Moa Imperial Stout (Stout – Asia)
Moa Blanc Evolution (Wheat/Wit/Weiss – Asia)
Moa Pale Ale (Pale Ale/Amber Ale – World)
Moa Pale Ale (Pale Ale/Amber Ale – Asia)
Weka Pear Cider (Cider – World)

MOA’S SILVER MEDALS:
Moa Breakfast Beer (Flavoured / Fruit Beer – Asia)
Moa St Josephs (Belgium Golden Ale – World)
Weka Apple Cider (Cider – World)

MOA’S BRONZE MEDALS:
Moa Original (Lager – Asia)
Moa Imperial Stout (Stout – World)

New Zealand’s best home-crafted beer has been found – in an Auckland laundry.

After three months of sampling dozens of home-brewed beers crafted in sheds and basements across the country, Auckland photographer Niels Schipper has been announced as the inaugural winner of the Moa Beer Home Brew Challenge, held in association with George FM.

Niels’ beer – Schipper’s Bitter – beat out 20 competitors, many entering several different varieties, to be judged the winning brew by Moa founder Josh Scott.

Following his victory, Niels was whisked down to the Moa brewery in Marlborough to brew up a batch of his Schipper’s Bitter under the tutelage of Moa’s legendary Master Brewer David Nicholls. The result has been bottled and kegged, and debuted at a special event in Auckland on June 23.

Moa beer baron Gareth Hughes says Niels blew away the competition with his bitter.

“While Niels’ bitter took home the prize, all six of his entries were top-class brews with the right complexity and carbonation. It’s a real achievement given the guy’s brewery is a laundry!”

Home brew champion Niels describes his winning brew as a full-bodied, bitter style beer.

“Schipper’s Bitter is extremely well rounded with a decided bitterness, off-balanced with a moderate malt and low hop character. I’m keen to see how the larger-scale brewing and bottling at the Moa Brewery adds to the flavour.”

Niels puts his recent success down to a committed brewing style. He long ago abandoned the idea of using pre-prepared kit sets, sourcing only fresh ingredients and investing up to seven hours in preparation for each brew.

In typical Kiwi style, Niels isn’t above using an old chilly bin, an inorganic collection gem, for mashing ingredients or a 30 litre tea urn as his boiler.

His biggest tip for aspiring brewers – “there’s a big difference between home-brew and craft beer. Make an active decision to brew the best”.

Given the quality of brews on offer this year, Hughes hopes the Moa Beer Home Brew Challenge will become an annual event.

News articles:
TVNZ Close-Up
Sunday Star Times
Foodworks
Foodie
Infonews
Business to Business
Localist

Moa Beer has romped home with seven medals at the Australian International Beer Awards, more than any other New Zealand beer.

We won gold for our Moa Five Hop Ale in the British Style Ale (Packaged) category, as well as two silvers for Moa Original (European style lager) and Moa Five Hop (Wood-aged beer). It also took out four bronzes for Moa Methode (European style lager), Moa Pale Ale (American-style pale ale), Moa St Josephs (Abbey-style, Dubbel & Triple ales) and Moa Imperial Stout (Hybrid beer).

Moa founder Josh Scott says the awards are not only a terrific result for Moa but also a great reflection on New Zealand craft beer generally.

“It’s always awesome when we beat the Aussies on their home turf and we take great pleasure in sticking it to them in this case as well.

“We’re extremely happy with the results, which all count towards our quest for super-premium beer world domination.

“And in addition to Moa’s wins, we’re equally chuffed to see our Marlborough neighbours Renaissance scoring big with their Craftsman Oatmeal which took home the Champion Stout trophy as well as four other medals.

“Likewise the other Kiwi craft beers making the medal table – the likes of Yeastie Boys, Stoke, Croucher, Founders and Invercargill Brewery. Nice one guys.”

Josh also congratulates New Zealand brands Tui Blonde and Mac’s Gold, which both received bronze awards in the Australian-style lager category: “I guess picking up an Aussie-style award is some sort of compliment.”

20th Annual Great Easter Bunny Hunt took place in Alexandra over Easter. Nearly 23,000 rabbits were shot (22,904), as well as 979 hares, 8 pigs, many stoats and a goat.

The event, sponsored by Moa Beer, aims to help out Otago farmers, who face an ongoing battle against the rabbit plague. Climatic conditions, resistance to calicivirus and the amount of feed available have allowed rabbit numbers on Otago farms to explode – and farmers are crying out for all the help they can get.

This year, for the first time Moa Beer helped to incite the extermination by offering a ‘beer for bunnies’ bounty – a dozen Moa Original for every 200 rabbits shot.

Moa also ensured participants were able to suitably celebrate their kill at the end of the event with a special Moa Hunters rabbit feast, prepared by Bevan Smith, head chef at Cuisine’s New Zealand Restaurant of the Year 2010, The Riverstone Kitchen in Oamaru.

Bevan also offered expert rabbit skinning and cooking workshops on the day – after all, all those evil rabbits have to be good for something. His top tips are below.

On the menu at the Moa Hunting Lodge yesterday – Moa Hunter Rabbit Kebabs (Asian-style rabbit kebabs) prepared with vegetables, garlic and chilli sauce and flat bread. The majority were prepared beforehand. A few rabbits were taken from the field, skinned, gutted and cooked fresh.

Bevan’s Top 5 Easter Bunny Tips:

1. Go for the headshot! It makes the rest of the process much easier and the final product far more appetising.

2. Skin your rabbit while it’s still warm. The skin will come off much easier and a warm rabbit will also mean you won’t have to hack at it while filleting. Also, having warm hands will lessen the yuck factor of gutting

3. Have a mincer handy. The small size of rabbits makes it difficult to work with individual cuts. Mincing rabbit will save you a lot of time and help make a more attractive end product.

4. Add a little pork mince into the mix. The gamey texture of rabbit means there is little fat in the meat. Come cooking time it can be difficult keeping the shape and form of your meat – simply put, it’ll fall to bits. Try for a ratio of 2/3 rabbit to pork mince. The addition of a little pork should help patties and kebab bind together.

5. Finally, cook your rabbit hard and fast. A short burst with plenty of flame should do the trick nicely.

News articles:
TV3 News

We’ve started brewing a Breakfast Beer, true story. And it’s attracting attention from around the world. Launching tomorrow morning at Auckland’s Quay St Café, Moa Breakfast is a blend of premium wheat malt, floral Nelson hops and cherries.

Last night American chat show Lopez Tonight made mention of the New Zealand beer describing its cherry flavour. Brewer Josh Scott got the idea while on a trip to Auckland. He and his father Allan would sometimes compliment a leisurely breakfast with beer, which got him to thinking. “On occasion people enjoy champagne at breakfast time, so I thought, ‘why not beer?’” says Josh.

Moa Breakfast is a very refreshing and fruity lager specifically designed as a breakfast style beer but can be enjoyed at any time of the day. It has an alcohol content of 5.5%. Like champagne, it is bottle fermented and conditioned and is sealed with a cork, muselet and foil.

The Quay St Café launch of Moa Breakfast is open to all from 7am – 11am, Thursday 7 April, 2011. The beer will be paired with Pain perdu (a posh French toast) with crispy bacon, toasted almonds, caramelised banana and cherry compote, and there is a solid Kiwi rock line-up to entertain the attendees. Additional Moa Breakfast events are set to be held in Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown over the coming months.

News articles:
nzherald.co.nz
Fox News
BlackBook
npr
The Week
TIME
death + taxes
News Time
The Telegraph
The Aucklander
TV1 Breakfast

We brought home some shiny metal this weekend. Picking up Bronze at the prestigious Brewing Industry International Awards in Britain. Now our paperwork will be forever unmolested by errant breezes with this impressive paperweight, which features the silhouette of a man leaning on a brewing vat for support.

Dubbed the brewing Oscars, 86 medals were awarded at the 2011 competition in Burton-upon-Trent, with Moa the only New Zealand beer to pick up a gong. Its Five Hop Barrel Reserve won Bronze in the Special Feature Beer category. “This is a terrific result for Moa,” says brewer Josh Scott.  “Since they began in London in 1886, these awards have been recognised as the premier brewing competition in the world.

“More than 750 beers were submitted for this year’s awards across nine categories and we’re delighted to be the only Kiwi brewery to pick up a medal. Unlike wine awards where more than one wine can win a ‘bronze standard’, medals are awarded to individual beers only.“It’s a real honour as all the judges are practising brewers with years of expertise in the tasting and commercial evaluation of beers,” says Scott. “Another unique feature of this competition is the judging categories are separated into classes defined primarily by alcoholic strength, which encourages diversity and innovation in beer styles.”

News articles:
Marlborough Express
Fresh in the Kitchen
Brewers Guild of New Zealand

Award-winning beer Moa (that’s us) is sending a special delivery of 2000 bottles – plastic, not glass – to Scott Base to help get the icemen through the Antarctic summer, when the temperature can reach a balmy -3°C. Three types of the Marlborough-brewed beer were loaded onto a ship leaving Christchurch for Antarctica on Tuesday, 11 January. Those summering over on the ice will have a unique Moa experience as the delicate nature of the southern continent’s environment means everything that goes in must come back out.

“Our team had to come up with a solution, so we’ve been experimenting with plastic bottles, which have proven to be very successful and maintain the delicious Moa taste,” says brewer Josh Scott. He and his team bottled Moa Methode, Moa Blanc and Moa Noir in 600ml plastic bottles just before Christmas and, after a tasting session, said they were “drinking very well”. “We’re also creating a new Moa label and have developed a special version of it just for the Antarctica shipment.”

Moa national sales manager Gareth Hughes says: “Apparently there are about 30,000 cans of beer consumed by Kiwis in Antarctica every year. It is great they can now enjoy a hand-crafted Moa in a purpose-built plastic bottle.” However, he does expect the Kiwis to be protective of their stock of Moa – “the Americans are only invited over to the base on selected nights because they apparently drink quite a lot, so the Moa will be precious cargo”.

News article:
stuff.co.nz
Beer Universe
Fresh in the Kitchen
brandchannel

Specialty beer brewer Moa has wooed highly-regarded new investors and is hunting dramatic international growth, particularly in the United States and Europe.

The Marlborough brewery was started in 2003 by winemaker turned brewer Josh Scott (29) and cracked the American market two year later.

It has now secured two new cornerstone investors – The Business Bakery, jointly owned by 42 Below founder Geoff Ross, Grant Baker and Stephen Sinclair, and Pioneer Capital Partners – and next year hopes to land a lucrative deal for national distribution in US organic chain Whole Foods.

The Business Bakery has taken a 47% stake in the company, Pioneer holds 24% and the remaining 29% remains with Scott and his parents Allan and Catherine of Allan Scott Wines.

A new management team, based in Auckland, includes national sales manager Gareth Hughes (ex-42 Below), chief financial officer Kelvin Ovington (also ex-42 Below) and marketing manager Sunil Unka, who was brand and marketing manager for Air New Zealand’s grabaseat.

The new investment came about after Scott heard Geoff Ross and the Bakery were investigating the brewing industry so contacted them direct. Impressed with the approach, the product and Scott himself, Ross jumped on board, alongside Pioneer Capital.

Says Ross: “Most mainstream beers are all the same and, to be honest, I was getting bored with them. Josh has brought a winemaking sensibility to beer – creating different taste profiles for different occasions.

“We want to build a following and appreciation for a super premium beer. We created a new segment for vodka and upped the ante with cocktail making. We want to do that with beer and Moa is the perfect opportunity, both here and internationally.”

Craig Styris from Pioneer Capital, which invests in New Zealand businesses focused on growth in large international markets, says: “We became a partner in Moa because of the people involved and the market opportunity – the two most important elements in any investment we make.

“We had observed a growing sophistication in a significant section of the beer drinking population worldwide and have a very high regard for The Bakery’s investing and operating capabilities. They shared our view of the potential in the beer market and when the Moa opportunity arose, we quickly agreed this was ‘the one’.”

Styris added: “Josh and his family at Allan Scott Wines have developed a superior product using traditional techniques, are capable entrepreneurs in their own right and are open to working with partners with additional capital and expertise to build a super-premium international beer brand.”

Scott applies winemaking techniques to his handcrafted beers, including bottle fermentation (like champagne) and barrel ageing. And, like champagne, Moa comes in bigger bottles than traditional beers, ranging from 375ml to 1.5L magnums to a 3L jeroboam for extra-special occasions.

Nine premium Moa beers – all award-winning – are available, including a strong hoppy American style Pale Ale to Blanc Evolution with coriander to the complex Belgian style Tripel St Josephs.

Scott says the craft beer market in New Zealand is about 8% of the total but predicts that will continue to grow to as high as 25% in the next five years. In America, craft beer currently occupies about 15% of the total beer market and Moa is now the largest NZ beer exporter to the US.

“We started exporting to California in 2005 and can now be found across America in Wisconsin, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts. The Whole Foods organic chain is stocking Moa in their home state of Georgia and we’re aiming to secure national distribution by mid-2011” says Scott.

Moa can also be found in Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, Canada, Australia and, very shortly, in France, Germany and Japan.

News articles:
stuff.co.nz
Fresh in the Kitchen