BREWERY // In the 80s a blue fridge stood on State Highway 25 and served as a post box for Awamarire Farm, earning the valley the nickname Blue Fridge Valley. The residents were strongly opposed to Coromandel mining, and the fridge was relentlessly attacked by pro-mining groups; it was pushed over, shot at and finally blown up. Blue Fridge Brewery pays homage to the spirit of that embattled fridge, keeping in mind the future of our environment in everything they do. The brewery was launched by Adam Coleman-Smith in a shed in the Coromandel bush in 2015 after returning from a 4 year adventure travelling the world. Although trained as a graphic designer, Adam realised his true passion was beer and we're glad he did. Blue Fridge beers are rarely seen outside Coromandel so grab a can whenever you see one.
BEER // Shucking a mango can be sticky work so we're grateful to the person who peeled the huge amount used in this brew. Adam started with a full bodied Pale Ale malt base with a little toffee malt and some wheat and loaded it up with NZ hops Moutere, Kohatu & Rakau to result in a pretty tropical beer. But Sticky Palms is really all about the mangoes - it has huge mango aroma and is packed with sweet mango flavours which balance nicely with the hops. It's a super crushable summer beer with a surprisingly dry finish. Ideally drunk on a golden Coromandel beach with BBQ food and good company.
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BREWERY // Blue Fridge
BEER // Mango Pale Ale
ORIGIN // Kuaotuna. Coromandel
ABV // 5.5%
TEMPERATURE // Cool. Around 10C
FOOD MATCH // Sopa De Lima (Mexican Lime Soup). Cheese on toast with chutney. Lemon pepper chicken. BBQ
VESSEL // IPA Glass. Tulip