Local Secrets: Craft Breweries
The Kāpiti Coast is lucky to have a large number of artisan breweries and distilleries crafting delicious beverages on a daily basis. Most have a tasting room and many also offer eateries. The best of both worlds. Divine!
North End Brewery
11 Ngaio Road , Waikanae
North End Brewery is a small team producing a range of beers inspired by traditional European styles right out of a brewery in Waikanae. Salt and Wood Collective brew-pub is joined to the brewery by a large glass wall and is open all day for American-style BBQ and North End Brews to dine in or take away.
Taking their name from Kapiti Island, where the aptly named ‘North End’ is most visible from Waikanae Beach, the North End Brewery team appreciate local, and this is reflected in their choice of local ingredients where possible. Their sister companies include Olde Beach Bakery, which use their spent grain to make bread, and Long Beach Tavern at Waikanae Beach with a garden bar - a great spot for drinking North End Beers all year round.
Tuatara Brewery & Tap Room
7 Sheffield Street , Paraparaumu
Cool off from the coastal sunshine with a pint of locally brewed craft beer at the Tuatara Brewery & Tap room.
Whether you’re a beer connoisseur on strict tasting business or stopping by for a casual pint, a visit to the tap room is a great chance to taste their freshest brews and enjoy a bite to eat.
Offering a chilled out environment and live gigs and events, you can also kick it up a notch and book a tour of the brewery.
Duncan's Brewing
4B Sheffield St, Paraparaumu
Owned and operated by George Duncan and Wai Familton, Duncan’s is the result of a 22,000 km road trip circumnavigating the USA, where they drank their way through a multitude of seasonable and sometimes questionable beer offerings.
Clearly, a beer obsession was born.
Koakoa Limoncello & Bond Store Spirits
3c Magrath Avenue, Paraparaumu
It's no coincidence that Koakoa is Te Reo for happiness...
Kāpiti Coast locals Bec Kay and Chris Barber handcraft Koakoa Limoncello and The Bond Store Gin and Vodka in Paraparaumu and continue to win awards both domestically and internationally for their delicious, locally brewed spirits:
- Gold at the 2021 New Zealand Spirits Awards
- Silver and 2 bronzes at the 2020 New Zealand Spirits Awards
- Bronze at the 2019 New Zealand Spirits Awards
- Bronze at the 2020 and 2019 International Wine and Spirit Competition (UK)
- Outstanding Silver at the 2018 International Wine and Spirit Competition (UK)
- Double Gold at the 2018 Sip Awards International Spirits Competition (USA)
Order online or purchase from Liquorland and Liquor King stores nationwide. See the full list of stockists.
Lemon Fellows Liqueurs
Lemon Fellows is a boutique family business based in Paekākāriki. They combine traditional Italian limoncello recipes with the best of fresh New Zealand produce (plus a touch of cheekiness) to craft the finest citrus liqueurs available - and their liqueurs are certainly turning heads!
Awarded:
4 x Silver Medals & 3 x Bronze medals at the 2021 New Zealand Spirits Awards
Buy online from their website.
Elemental Cider
Based in Sunny Ōtaki Elemental Cider grow heritage apple cultivars specific for their use in cider production. resulting in "cheeky, fresh ciders that will tantalise your taste buds". Each blend is an expression of the Ōtaki summer in which it was created. Because of seasonal variation, and nothing but the locally grown fruit that is used each year, every batch is different. Carmen and the team strive to make cider simply, with no shortcuts, and with minimal intervention. Barrel-matured, the cider is left to naturally carbonate in the bottle and produces a dry, sparkling cider with refreshing acidity.
Awarded:
Best Traditional Cider Trophy, plus Gold, Silver & 2 x Bronze medals at the 2021 Cider New Zealand Awards
Available from selected eateries and stores - see their website for details.
Change Maker Beer
Change Maker was formed by a group of friends seeking meaningful employment and a better life. Janie, Nathan, Neville and Cameron are people with varied abilities with a whole lot of passion for beer; making it, drinking it and sharing it.
They don’t pretend to be master brewers and say that they "have passion but not expertise" so they have partnered with award-winning breweries to create exciting limited-edition beers.
"Change Maker is our aspiration - the creation of world-class beer, making life a whole lot better for us, and for you".
Follow Change Maker Beer on Facebook: www.facebook.com/changemakerbeer
