Baroona Original

Well, let's begin with our first and foremost beer. When the brewery first got going, back in 1997, the owners took me down to the bar on Onetangi Beach to discuss what we were going to do with our new venture. They got an empty glass from the bar and set it on the table. "Take a look around you." They said, gesturing at the sea, the beach, the happy people all sitting around enjoying the springtime sun. "We want the beer that fits in THAT glass."

I was impressed. This was a novel way of going about this kind of thing. So, after a little thought I decided to fill the glass, and thousands of others just like it, with an old favourite of mine known as Kolsch Beer. I had first encountered this delicious and slightly obscure style while traveling in Germany many years before. Kolsch is the regional beer of the Cologne/Bonn area and is a very pale, golden ale with a pronounced hoppiness. It is usually brewed to around 4.7% alcohol and uses around 10% malted wheat for extra crispness. It is a perfect all round beer, delicious for both a social session and for drinking with meals, especially spicy ones.

The brewers of Cologne take their beer's name very seriously and do not allow anyone else to use it. I certainly don't want to annoy such a fine bunch of chaps so I don't use the word. We called our beer Baroona after the old ferry that used to bring people to and from the island.

Baroona Original has been our flagship brew since the day we opened and has never been altered, (Except once a few years ago when the Motueka variety hops were unavailable for a short while). The malts used are a blend of Bohemian Pilsner malt from the Czech Republic and German Pilsner malt. This makes up 90% of the mash with the other 10% being malted wheat. This makes for a beautifully pale coloured brew with a firm malty palate and hints of honey comb.

The hops however are what brings this beer to life. Back in the mid 90's New Zealand began growing the famous Saaz variety hops from the Czech Republic. In their original form, Saaz have a highly distinctive floral aroma and are one of the world's great hop varieties. When the first crops were harvested in this country we were surprised to find that, far from being floral, the locally grown Saaz were intensely citrussy, like fresh grapefruit peel or breakfast marmalade. These hops have become as emblematic of New Zealand craft beer as the Cascade hop has in the USA.

Baroona Original is the perfect accompaniment to light, spicy foods. Mind you, it is also a perfect accompaniment to an afternoon in the sun on Waiheke.