Join Matt Warner, cofounder and brewing director of Parrotdog Brewery, as he shares insights from nearly 15 years in New Zealand's craft beer scene. He discusses his unique approach to hops, focusing on adapting blends like Riwaka and Nelson Sauvin to annual crop variations. Hear about the creation of a refreshing New Zealand pilsner that balances flavors, and how new experimental hops are shaping the future of brewing. Warner also reflects on the journey from homebrewer to regional powerhouse while maintaining a commitment to quality and innovation.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Early Brewing Struggles and Success
Parrotdog started with three passionate homebrewers who honed their skills by emulating impressive craft beers in Wellington.
Their first commercial batch was overly bitter, but a heavy dry hop charge saved it, leading to the successful launch of Bitter Bitch IPA.
insights INSIGHT
Crafting New Zealand Pilsner
Parrotdog's New Zealand pilsner uses 100% pilsner malt and New Zealand hops like Riwaka and Nelson Sauvin.
They rely on a crisp, delicate base with bright, zingy hop character that cleanses the palate.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Smart Hop Addition Strategy
Use Pacific Jade for bittering and add flavor and aroma hops like Riwaka and Nelson Sauvin only in whirlpool and dry hop for best character.
Avoid kettle additions of expensive hops like Riwaka to manage cost and maintain hop character intensity.
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Parrotdog has been a craft-brewing mainstay in New Zealand for nearly 15 years, and with national distribution and a production brewery and taproom steps from the beach and Wellington’s airport, they reach a broad audience of consumers across a range of styles. While their core line features everything from a classic C-malt IPA to pils with “vivid passion fruit and white-wine notes,” they also constantly iterate and experiment on the brewery’s five-barrel pilot with everything from fresh-hop lagers to saturated hazy IPAs.
This week, cofounder and brewing director Matt Warner joins the podcast to talk hops (of course) and how they employ both domestic and Pacific Northwest varieties across a range of styles. Along the way, he discusses:
growing from a contract brand to a small brewery to a regional production brewery
scaling from homebrew recipes to commercial batches in the early days
designing “zingy” New Zealand pils that snaps across and cleans the palate
rebalancing blends of Riwaka and Nelson Sauvin yearly to adapt to crop-year differences
how Motueka changes over the picking window with a bit of “ginger crunch” character
instability in Motueka after pelletizing
using hops to build bigger mouthfeel in otherwise dry beer
new Bract Program experimental hops that show promise
And more.
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