KAISER BROTHERS BREWERY

Kaiser Brothers Brewery is celebrating a year of beer and its first century!

So how does this Christchurch brew crew do it?

Kaiser Brothers Brewery was established by the three German-Kiwi Giesen brothers, whose great uncle, established the renowned Kaiser Brewery in the village of Bischofsgrun, in north-east Bavaria. Kaiser Brothers Brewery brews are inspired by the original 1862 recipe, and crafted to be ‘Kiwi-as’.

The Kaiser Brothers Brewery took off when Alex Giesen met Kaiser Brothers Brewing Captain, Dicky Fife. With brewing legend Fife on board, Kaiser Brothers Brewing started making its beer via contract before establishing its own brewery in Christchurch in 2016.

Just over a year since it began brewing at its Halwyn Drive brew HQ, Kaiser Brothers Brewery is releasing its 100^th brew – marking its first century and its first year of beer.

Dicky says ‘we make Kaiser Brothers Brewery beers honestly for flavour and taste. Just as it was in the 1860s, today’s Kaiser Brothers beers are made by a passionate team using real, quality local ingredients.’ 

Dicky says Kaiser Brothers Brewery starts with Canterbury’s world-renowned artesian water and they use the finest ingredients from the South Island before adding yeast which is true to the style of beer. “You’ll taste Germanic yeast in our Pilsener and Weizen, English yeast in English Special Bitter and - you guessed it - American yeast for our American Pale Ale,” Dicky says.   

Kaiser Brothers Brewery core range of four beers is available in 500ml bottles at bottle shops across the New Zealand:

·      Kaiser Brothers Brewery Pilsener

·      Kaiser Brothers Brewery English Special Bitter

·      Kaiser Brothers Brewery American Pale Ale

·      Kaiser Brothers Brewery Weizen

From time to time, the Kaiser Brothers Brewery brew crew mix it up, having fun with styles and recipes creating special limited release and seasonal craft beers. They have just brewed two special limited release beers which Kaiser Brothers Brewery will pour at the country’s leading beer festival, Beervana in Wellington on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 August.

Dicky explains the first, Dopplebock Winter Beer, is a nod to Kaiser Brothers Brewery German heritage. It's a dark, Munich-style lager created as a traditional pilsener with added coloured malts. Dicky says it’s the perfect cool weather beer, full bodied with flavours of caramel, chocolate and traditional fruit cake – just like a meal in a glass. 

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale started life as a classic American Pale Ale. But then took a few deviations – the hops were dialled back, apple bourbon was added along with a touch of maple syrup and spices, all of which was matured in a French oak wine barrel. According to Dicky, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale is a beer reminiscent of a traditional American apple pie.

Dicky encourages Kiwis to have fun and experiment with beers. With a 100 brews under their belt the Kaiser Brothers Brewery team believe they are just warming up and say they have plenty more flavour to come!