Home brew leads to greater things

Smokin' Bishop, a smoky-tasting winter specialty from Invercargill Brewery

Steve Nally: The straight-talking Southlander's first attempt at making beer came after he answered a home brewing advert in The Listener magazine.

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Last week I mentioned that I contributed the New Zealand entries for a new world beer guide called 1001 Beers You Must try Before You Die and since then several people have asked me to identify the 17 Kiwi beers I nominated.

While I think to do so would be somewhat unfair to those who have already bought the book, or to those who intend to do so, I'm keen to look at one of them this week.

The beer in question is Smokin' Bishop, a smoky-tasting winter specialty from Invercargill Brewery. I've long enjoyed the beers and ciders of New Zealand's southernmost brewery and I also appreciate the forthright, no-nonsense attitude of their creator, Steve Nally.

The straight-talking Southlander's first attempt at making beer came after he answered a home brewing advert in The Listener magazine. "I asked Dad if we could give it a crack, which we did and it tasted like rubbish," he recalls candidly. "This didn't deter me. While in a supermarket I discovered a box of hops and found recipes for beer on the back, bought a large tin of Maltexo, went home, brewed up some beer and this time it tasted great."

Although Steve's early efforts were conducted in his father's garage, in 1999 the family leased a disused dairy shed on the outskirts of Invercargill and began brewing commercially. While learning his craft, Steve sought advice from some of the industry's most talented people, including Dunedin brewer Richard Emerson and the former Otago University brewing scientist Professor Jean Pierre Dufour.

Steve's beers were soon attracting critical acclaim. In his 2002 book, The Complete Guide to NZ Beer, wine writer Keith Stewart describes Invercargill Brewery as "an impressive wee brewery that epitomises the enterprise and creativity of New Zealand's next brewing generation".

In 2005, having outgrown the old blue dairy shed, the brewery was relocated to larger premises in central Invercargill and since then the brewhouse has gradually expanded.

Smokin' Bishop was inspired by the malty bock beers of Bamberg, a town in northern Bavaria where local brewers have persisted in malting over fire. But while the German brewers cure their malts over beech wood from local forests, Invercargill Brewery uses New Zealand manuka. "I used to take it home and dry it in the oven. We would have a wonderful smoky malt aroma in the house," Steve recalls wistfully. Nowadays the malt is cured by a local butcher, in an automatic smokehouse.

Aside from manuka smoked malt, Smokin' Bishop is made with a grist that includes pale lager malt, a couple of darker caramelised varieties and a small addition of peat-smoked malt. Kamahi (bush) honey is then added during the boil, along with a late addition of aromatic Riwaka hops.

Served unchilled, and preferably in a large, tulip-shaped stemmed glass or brandy balloon, the beer pours a lustrous reddish-amber hue beneath a full, tan-coloured head. The aroma is reminiscent of smoked bacon cooking on a bonfire, while the palate is at first sweet with hints of caramel and liquorice.

At 7 per cent alcohol, it's warming and smooth, the sweet malts lingering alongside a delightful spicy, smokiness that reminds me of lapsang souchong tea.

This year's Smokin' Bishop has been packaged in smaller 330ml bottles, which retail for about $5. I reckon it's a fair price for an enticing brew that's perfect for sipping in front of a roaring open fire on a cold winter's night.

Cheers!

- The Marlborough Express

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