Emerson's Brewery Limited is a

microbrewery Craft beer is beer manufactured by craft breweries, which typically produce smaller amounts of beer than larger "macro" breweries and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as emphasising enthusiasm, ne ...

located in

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

established in 1992. Emerson's produces eight year-round beers and three seasonal beers. In November 2012 the brewery was purchased by Australasian company

Lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...

, which in turn is owned by Japanese brewing giant Kirin.

Richard Emerson

When Richard Emerson travelled to Scotland with his parents in 1983 he was first introduced to European style beers. After spending a year in Edinburgh, he returned to New Zealand and became disillusioned with New Zealand beers. This led him to brew for himself.

Brewing

Emerson’s beers are not pasteurised like most mainstream New Zealand beers. The yeast is left alive in the beer to mature and enhance the flavour of the beer. Emerson’s ales are produced from malted barley, hops, yeast and water. They do not have preservatives, added sugar, artificial colouring, have not been pasteurised and some are not filtered. Some Emerson’s beers are presented in French oak barrels. Pints are sometimes available on hand pump, ensuring that the beer is served at the correct level of carbonation, eliminating gassy beer.

Beers

Emerson's Brewery beers include London Porter, 1812 India Pale Ale, Weissbier, Pilsner, Bookbinder Bitter, Old 95, Maris Gold and Oatmeal Stout.

Seasonal brews

Taieri George, a 6.8% Belgian-inspired spiced ale, is released every year on 6 March, the birthday of Richard Emerson's father George. It is a bottle-conditioned ale that includes nutmeg, cinnamon and an unnamed spice in its ingredients. The JP is a Belgian ale introduced as a commemorative tribute to

University of Otago The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...

food scientist Jean-Pierre Dufour. Sales from the beer assist in funding an Otago University student scholarship established by Emerson's in February 2007. JP is produced annually in June and each vintage reflects a different Belgian beer style. Southern Clam Stout is a stout brewed with the additional of locally-sourced littleneck hard clams. The company also produces several beers in the American Pale Ale style.

Other releases

Whiskey Porter is an infusion of dark ale and whisky, achieved by maturing a batch of London Porter in whisky over the course of three to four months. Dunkelweizen is another release.

Reception

The quality of Emerson's beers was praised by English beer critic

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

, who rated the 1812 India Pale Ale as one of the best 500 beers in the world. Emerson's has won numerous beer awards in Australia and New Zealand.

References

External links

Official website
{{coord, -45.87050, 170.51673, display=title Companies based in Dunedin Breweries of New Zealand New Zealand companies established in 1992 Food and drink companies established in 1992