BREWERY // In the mid 90's Mic & Molley Heynekamp were kayaking in Colorado when inspiration struck to open a brewpub. As you cross the eddyline of a fast moving river to sheltered waters you can take a break as the river rushes past. Which is a little like sitting in a pub while the world passes by. They opened a brewpub in New Mexico in 1999 then opened Eddyline Brewery in Colorado in 2009. As lovers of beer and adventure, Mic & Molley moved to Nelson where they quickly embraced the local opportunities provided by mountains, forests, ocean and hop farms. Nelson is bursting with hop farms and Eddyline work closely with local hop growers trialling new varieties. After a few years of experimenting with different releases and listening to customers they recently scaled up and started canning a year or so ago. Next time you're in Nelson, be sure to pay a visit to their brewpub for some great beers, pizza and pointers on where to ride, kayak and paraglide.
BEER // The name Kölsch was first coined 100 years ago to describe the bright, light Cologne (Köln) beer style. More than forty breweries operated in the city at the outbreak of World War II but only three remained after the devastation wreaked by Allied bombing campaigns. In 1986 local brewers came together to sign the Kölsch Konvention stating that the name is regionally protected with all signatories agreeing to exclusively serve the beer in 200ml Stange glasses. Kölsch is a demanding style to brew and is also very overlooked by craft beer fans. To the uninitiated, it is reminiscent of a lager. While the style is lagered (finished at a cold temperature), it is made with a top fermenting ale yeast making it fruitier but still as gleamingly fresh as it's bottom fermented cousin. Cloud Base is a great example of the style and the locally grown Motueka hops give it a slightly zesty lemony twist. We could definitely imagine drinking glass after glass of this fresh easy drinking beer.
BREWERY // Eddyline
BEER // Cloud Base
STYLE // Kölsch
ORIGIN // Nelson
ABV // 4.5%
TEMPERATURE // Cold. 4-7C
FOOD MATCH // Boiled Pork Knuckle. Bratwurst. Black Pudding, Fried Onions & Mashed Potato. Pizza.
VESSEL // Stange