Opened in 1995 as New Zealand's first modern time brewery producing
cask conditioned ales. The brewery is attached to Galbraiths Alehouse.
The ales are produced with English malts and New Zealand hops. All beers
are cask conditioned and served by hand pump at 10-12 C.
Bob Hudson's Bitter - 4.1% acl/vol. Made with English Maris
Otter and crystal malt. It is hopped at 5 stages with New Zealand grown
Styrian Goldings hop.
Bellringers Best Bitter - 4.5% alc/vol. made with English
Halcyon, Crystal and Chocolate malts, New Zealand grown Goldings and Willamette
hops.
Grafton Porter - 5% alc/vol. A soft chocolate Porter in
the London style made with Halcyon and 4 different dark malts. Hopped with
N.Z Hallertau in the copper and cask.
Infusion mashing and open fermentation techniques are employed.
The brew length is 1200 litres, with current sales of just over 65,000
litres per annum through the brewery tap. Director Keith Galbraith also
brewer is originally from the New Zealand wine trade but learned his brewing
at Larkins Brewery in Kent, England under brewmaster Bob Hudson. The beers
are made from malt hops, top-fermenting yeast and water only. They are
fined in cask and served in the traditional manner.
