Epic Brewing Company
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| Location | Otahuhu, Auckland | ||||||||||
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| Opened | 2006 | ||||||||||
| Owned by | Luke Nicholas | ||||||||||
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Epic Brewing Company is contract brewed at Steam Brewing Company a microbrewery located in Otahuhu, Auckland.
In October 2007, Steam Brewing Company sold[1] the Epic Brewing Company and Epic brand to Head Brewer / General Manager, Luke Nicholas. The Epic beers will continue being brewed at Steam Brewing Company.
Epic Brewing Company started exporting to Australia in May 2009, to the USA and Sweden in 2010 and to Belgium and Italy in 2011.
Luke began homebrewing in New Zealand, but while studying in the California, he discovered the impressive craft beer scene there and decided to turn his passion into a profession. It was beers like the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Pale Ale and Celebration Ale that began his love affair with American hops.
Upon returning to New Zealand, he began volunteering at local brewpub, Cock and Bull and eventually took up a position as their brewer. The Cock and Bull won many New Zealand and Australian brewing awards with Nicholas as brewer and continues to win many more. Luke has been an active international beer judge since 2006 when he was invited to judge at the prestigious World Beer Cup in Seattle.
He was also invited to brew his Epic Pale Ale at Everards Brewery in Leicester in 2009 as part of the J D Wetherspoon International Real Ale Festival and whilst in the UK teamed up with Thornbridge Brewery to brew an Epic version of their Imperial IPA, Halcyon. It was here he first teamed up with Thornbridge’s Kelly Ryan and in 2010, Kelly came over to NZ to brew the country’s first ever international collaboration beer, Epic Thornbridge Stout, a portion of which was aged in medium toast American Oak barrels.
Nicholas was then invited by good friend, Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Brewery to brew a beer with him for the Discovery Channel series, Brew Masters where the duo concocted a beer called Portamarillo, brewed with Pohutakawa wood-smoked Tamarillo fruit.
In 2011, Kelly Ryan joined Epic and the two travelled around New Zealand, filming NZ Craft Beer TV, during which they visiting 44 breweries around New Zealand. This show resulted in a collaborative recipe that they thought captured the current state of New Zealand brewing, a 6% New Zealand Pale Ale called Mash Up. Collaborating breweries were allowed input into the recipe and invited along for the brew day.
2011 also saw the release of Epic Hop Zombie, an 8.5% Double IPA, Epic LARGER, an 8.5% Imperial Pilsner and the first beer in their new Epicurean series, a Coffee & Fig Imperial Oatmeal Stout at 8% abv.
Awards
Epic Armageddon IPA
Gold & Best in Class - 2011 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Bronze - 2010 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Gold & Best in Class - 2009 BrewNZ Beer Awards[2]
Epic Pale Ale
Silver - 2011 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Bronze - 2009 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Gold & Best in Class - 2008 BrewNZ Beer Awards[3]
Silver - 2007 Australian International Beer Awards
Supreme Champion Beer - 2006 New Zealand International Beer Awards.[4]
Gold & Best in Class - 2006 New Zealand International Beer Awards
Gold & Best in Class - 2006 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Silver - 2006 Australian International Beer Awards
Epic Mayhem
Gold - 2010 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Silver - 2007 Australian International Beer Awards
Bronze - 2007 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Gold & Best in Class - 2006 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Epic Barrel Aged IPA
Bronze - 2011 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Gold & Best in Class - 2010 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Epic Porter
Silver - 2007 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Epic Lager Silver - 2011 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Bronze - 2009 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Bronze - 2007 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Epic Thornbridge Stout
Bronze - 2011 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Oak Barrel Aged Epic Thornbridge Stout
Silver - 2011 BrewNZ Beer Awards
NZ Craft Beer TV Mash Up
Silver - 2011 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Accolades
Best Beers of Australia and New Zealand 2010 - RateBeer.com[5]
Best Beer 2008 - Metro Magazine[6]
Best Beer 2007 - NZ Listener[7]
References
- ^ "RealBeer.co.nz Forum (forum post)". RealBeer.co.nz Forum. 2007-10-22. Retrieved 2007-10-22. [dead link]
- ^ "BrewNZ Beer Awards 2009" (PDF). BrewNZ. Retrieved 2009-08-31. [dead link]
- ^ "BrewNZ Beer Awards 2008" (PDF). BrewNZ. Retrieved 2008-09-25. [dead link]
- ^ "NZ International Beer Awards 2006". NZ Beer Awards. Retrieved 2006-12-07.
- ^ "Best Beers of Australia and New Zealand 2010". RateBeer.com. Retrieved 2010-02-06.
- ^ "Best of Auckland 2007". Metro Magazine. Retrieved 2007-12-01.
- ^ "The Best of New Zealand". NZ Listener. Retrieved 2007-08-04.