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New Zealand’s Southern-most craft brewery will be putting the bubbles into Radio Hauraki’s birthday celebrations – having been chosen to partner the iconic station in its 50th anniversary brew.
Head Brewer Steve Nally said he was rapt to get the call. “Actually, all our brewers are Hauraki listeners. I’d never thought of it before but that could well be the secret of our success”.
“Invercargill Brewery has an international reputation for innovative craft brews over its 17-year history, but has developed twoHauraki 5-0 beverages to suit an audience that’s not exclusively craft”.
“We’ve aimed for wholesome, nourishing batch brewed beer with full malt goodness just like our grandparents used to make when most of New Zealand was dry; the result was Hauraki 5-0 Lager”, Nally said.
Hauraki 5-0 Dry Apple Cider is designed to suit a more mature palate of white wine drinkers, while Hauraki 5-0 Lager is a crisp dry lager.
Both limited edition beverages are being packaged in 1.25l riggers and will be available at selected off-licenses throughout New Zealand from the launch on July 22 and also from Invercargill Brewery’s online store.
To get around draconian broadcasting laws of the day, Radio Hauraki was first broadcast from a boat in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf when the infamous six o’clock swill was still a thing.
NZME Chief Content Officer Mike McClung thinks the two beverages are a perfectly Hauraki way to celebrate the 50th. “We think our listeners will really embrace Hauraki 5-0. I just hope having Matt and Jeremy’s faces on the bottles isn’t too detrimental to sales.”
Matt Heath, co-host of The Hauraki Breakfast, said ,”I love beer. Hauraki has loved beer for all its 50 years. I will drink my share of Hauraki 5-0 with pride and the odd tear. But more than that, this beer will be free for me and that is a truly special thing. In the end, that’s what it’s all about.”
Matt Heath and Jeremy Wells will be broadcasting the Hauraki Breakfast show live from Invercargill Brewery on Thursday July 21.