Beer #160 - W/C 19 March 2018
BREWERY // Shigeo, Jordan and Dylan were young Wellington beer enthusiasts who got together to drink and to brew collaboratively. It was pretty much inevitable that Funk Estate Brewery would grow from this friendship and shared love of beer. They moved from Wellington to a brewery in central Auckland for a short 18 months and, last year, moved again to beautiful Mt Maunganui. They merged production facilities with their mates at the Mount Brewing Co. and they've continued to crank out interesting beers. And the best place to drink Funk beers is right next door at The Rising Tide pub. Five years after launch they are doing what they set out to do- "pleasing crowds without being a typical crowd-pleaser". Currently the Funk lads are focussing on lots of exciting new releases including a steady stream of kettle sours.
BEER // Kettle souring has become more and more popular in recent years as a way to create sour beers which is much faster than traditional methods of employing mixed fermentation and barrel ageing. A lactic acid bacteria is introduced to the sweet wort while a short lactic fermentation takes place. This results in a sharp citrus tartness somewhat similar to that of natural yoghurt. While the kettle method produces beers with much less complexity that their traditional wild and sour cousins, it is the perfect method for light styles such as Goses and Berliner Weisses. Get Up Get Down takes inspiration from a dry hopped sour by Breakside that Jordan bought home from Portland and blew the socks off the Funk Estate lads. They included lots of American Lemon Drop and a smaller amount of NZ Nelson Sauvin for dry hopping. This style is inherently lemon-y and the lemon, citrus, passionfruit notes of the hops compliment it excellently. When we interview Dylan about Get Up Get Down he was drinking it in a Tom Collins (1 part gin, juice of 1/2 lemon, 2 tsp sugar, 2 parts Sour Ale, lemon wedge) which he recommends thoroughly.
BREWERY // Funk Estate
BEER // Get Up Get Down
STYLE // Dry Hop Sour Ale
ORIGIN // Mt Maunganui
ABV // 4%
TEMPERATURE // Fresh from the fridge
FOOD MATCH // Kung Pao Chicken. Greek Yoghurt Lemon Mousse. Rocket, Apricot & Chèvre Salad.
GLASS // Flute. Highball (if drunk in a Tom Collins).