Another first for Tuatara

Monday was a milestone day for the Tuatara Brewing Company. With the help of a large crane, we installed our first ever billboard on Cable Street in central Wellington. It’s near Te Papa, the Capital’s number one tourist destination, so we figured there should be plenty of traffic going past and eager to learn something about our beers.

Yes, we acknowledge there are already hundreds of beer billboards all over the country. Some of the best-known ones contain a rotation of witty sayings. Others are pictures of beautiful people in exotic locations. A large number refer to a major sporting event later in the year. None of them really talk about the flavour of beer though.

We wanted to do something a bit different. With the help of our creative team, we came up with a simple design and a powerful message. The billboard exhorts passers-by “don’t just open a beer – open your mind.” That seemed appropriate so close to the national museum. The target market for the billboard is drinkers who are just getting into craft beer or existing craft drinkers who haven’t tried our whole range yet.

The central image is our very cool APA bottle flanked by our best-selling Pilsner and the dark Tuatara of the family, Porter. In all modesty, we think they look great up on the big canvas. Because of the large size, it is quite easy to see the subtle differences in the APA branding compared to the two more established beers.

Like many small breweries, we place a few newspaper adverts and use social media (primarily Twitter, Facebook and this blog) to get our message across. You won’t see a Tuatara TV ad (for a while at least) but sometimes you can’t do everything on Twitter. Sometimes you just need a really, really big sign.

And now we have one. Any feedback on the design is welcome as are suggestions for other affordable billboard sites because we will probably do some more. In fact, we already have a few ideas.

Seeing the billboard up in all its glory has actually inspired the Tuatara crew to do up the ever-reliable brewery van. Currently, it is basically a big white blank canvas but, given the miles it travels on deliveries and jobs, we have decided to treat it as a mobile billboard. Once the work is done, we should be even easier to spot on the road.

For those that can’t see the billboard “live”, we have put up a photo or two. Enjoy!

Cheers from the team at Tuatara

Tuatara Sells Out

The rumours are true – Tuatara Brewery is now part of a multinational corporation after being purchased at last week’s Auckland Beer Festival in Ellerslie Racecourse.

Tuatara Sales Manager Will Cass reported that business at the Tuatara festival stand was brisk despite the poor weather. Over the course of the day, both he and Director Sean Murrie were delighted by the number of Aucklanders who appeared to know and appreciate Tuatara beers.

One group of customers who stood out even in the big crowds were the Beer Arabs – a group of authentically dressed men from Waiheke Island. Near the end of the event, they returned to the Tuatara stand, formed a semi-circle, dropped to their knees and gave prolonged high-pitched praise. The leader then approached the table and delivered a framed formal document to the rather startled Tuatara crew.

Sean said he was initially delighted to receive what he assumed was the supreme award for the festival but was astonished to be told by the group’s leader that it was actually a deed of sale for Tuatara

The full text of the document is reproduced here:

The Beer Arab Decree
That the Tuatara Brewery came to The Oasis bearing BEERS of such fine quality that the BEER ARABS decided to buy the entire brewery on the spot.

The purchase was made through various companies under BEER ARABS central before being sent via an assortment of subsidiary organisations that we don’t really want to explain in any great detail, then onto our good friends in the Cayman Islands (May Allah shower blessings on their tax and banking laws) before being concluded via a disposable mobile phone just minutes ago right here at The Oasis itself.

Your brewery now joins our worldwide portfolio of fine and reputable companies including:

Honest Achmel’s Used Camel Yard, Tripoli. (Currently closed due to bombing. Please leave a message with Mrs Hakeem next door)
Real Ales of Riyadh (incorporating The Mecca Boozeatorium)
Sayeed’s House of Falfels (Come for the cous cous, stay for the explosions!)
Bashhar’s Menswear and Jihad Supplies, Baghdad (Martyrdom in style at prices you will thank Allah for!)
The Gaza Strip Nightclub for Men (The beer is so good you won’t CARE what is under the burqas!)
The Ramallah Inn Hotel, West Bank (Please no weapons to be fired in the rooms after 8pm)

This purchase of your brewery will not affect your day to day activities. All staff will be retained and no alterations to the brewery will be made. Simply continue to make FINE BEERS and all will be well.

Concerned at this potential takeover, particularly without any money coming their way, Tuatara immediately engaged celebrity fake lawyer May Chin, the best legal counsel they could afford. After looking deeply puzzled for ten minutes, Ms Chin concluded:

“As far as I can tell, it is a valid contract. It meets all the requirements – lots of big words, some of them in bold, the language is complicated and there are lots and lots of signatures at the bottom. Granted, none of those signatures are from Tuatara but the contract is in a lovely picture frame which more than overrides the lack of consent from the actual brewery being bought. Those guys sure know how to bargain.”

So there you have it – official confirmation that Tuatara has sold out to a shadowy multinational organisation.

Enjoy the rest of 1 April.

Cheers from the team at Tuatara

The Very Best of Twitter

It may be some time before you see Tuatara adverts on the television. Until then, we have to find different ways to stay in touch with our customers, potential customers, friends and venues. We are active on Facebook, Twitter and even follow the old ways of face-to-face meetings, usually over a pint or two.

Increasingly, Twitter is our main day-to-day method for communicating promotions and contests, letting people know about new stockists and taps, sharing great comments, making a few jokes and even trying to track down our missing beer banners. Some truly awesome tweets appear in our Twitter feed every day but recently we received our first twoem.

The first natural question is “what the heck is a twoem?” Well, it is a poem done by Twitter. It was Will the Sales Manager (and main Twitter guy) who noticed that a series of scholarly tweets from Andrew Thomas Barrie was “basically an entertaining ode to APA.” It was Will who then put all the tweets in the right order so that a wider audience could enjoy this poetic tribute to the ever-popular Tuatara APA.

Here we go:

An Ode to Tuatara APA A twoem by @HideTheCider, March 18 2011

How do I love thee Tuatara APA? Let me count the ways.

I love thee Tuatara APA to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach, when feeling out of sight. For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee Tuatara APA to the level of everyday's most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

I love thee Tuatara APA freely, as men strive for Right.

I love thee Tuatara APA purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love thee Tuatara APA with a passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee Tuatara APA with a love I seemed to lose with my lost saints.

I love thee Tuatara APA with the breath, smiles, tears of all my life! - and, if God choose, I shall but love thee Tuatara APA better after death.

Generally, there is not a lot of poetry read in the brewery or the office but we really liked this one. Cheers Andrew - though we have to note that Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote something very similar in 1845 though she was only talking about her future handsome and not a lovely hoppy pale ale…

Last week we also marked a series of significant dates. It was one year since the very talented Mike Neilson joined the Tuatara brewery crew. We celebrated the birthday of the Helles beer style by giving out free Tuatara Helles in Auckland and Wellington. Finally, a very special beer and food matching event was held at Zealandia to mark the second anniversary of the first Tuatara born there and to raise money for the Sanctuary. It was a highly successful evening.

In fact, it was a very good week.

Cheers from the team at Tuatara

Celebrating a baby Tuatara birthday

We are often complimented about our rather cool brewery name and asked why we picked it ahead of other native New Zealand animals such as the Grand Skink, Kauri Snail or Long-Tailed Bat. Frankly, we just liked the Tuatara’s attitude.

Two hundred million years they were the little guys scuttling through the undergrowth while the big old Thunder Lizards (aka Dinosaurs) stomped around the planet. Now, the Tuatara is still scuttling around the undergrowth but the dinosaurs are in museum exhibits or in our oil.

We simply identify with the scrappy little chap. Contrary to a popular rumour, the Tuatara team doesn’t actually look like real Tuataras (well, not after a couple of cups of coffee in the morning anyhow).

That is why we have been so keen to support our friends at Zealandia (aka Karori Wildlife Sanctuary) who do an amazing job looking after real-life Tuatara. They looked after them so well that there are now lots of little baby Tuatara there and the first one is just about to turn two. There is going to be a rather special birthday celebration.

It is a unique beer and food matching event at 6:30pm on Thursday 24 March 2011. As the website says:

“Well known brewer and beer expert Dion Page will talk you through seven Tuatara beer tastings, each with an interesting food match from Rata head chef Craig Dunshea. Anecdotes from one of our valley rangers will add an interesting tilt to the evening.”

Dion is more than familiar with Tuatara beers as he was a brewer here. Rata has an excellent reputation, environmentally friendly philosophy, great views and superb taste – not least because Tuatara Pilsner and Tuatara Porter headline their beer list. Many of the Tuatara crew have eaten at Rata and even just reading the menu always makes us hungry.

Seven Tuatara beers - seven food matches - singing Happy Birthday to a two-year old lizard from the order Sphenodontia. What is not to like?

The cost for this unique tasting is just $60 a head and bookings are essential. As always, all the money made goes to support the sanctuary. You can book by ringing 04 920 9200 or emailing them.

Cheers from the team at Tuatara

Trying to make a difference – Part Two

On Friday 4 March 2010, the Brewer’s Guild of New Zealand and the Society of Beer Advocates organised six simultaneous events in Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton, Dunedin, Nelson and Blenheim to raise money for Christchurch Earthquake relief efforts. These events were on top of fund-raisers done by individual bars and breweries such as Galbraith’s, Hashigo Zake and Malthouse.

The format for each event was similar – a 5pm kick-off, a minutes silence at 7pm, a charity auction/raffle and a toast to Christchurch. Many of the Christchurch beer community were at their own function at the time – Beers and Tears – having a much needed pint together. For each event, breweries, suppliers, venues and bars generously donated products and prizes which were snapped up by often bigger than expected crowds.

The Wellington event was hosted by long-time friend Tuatara friend James Henderson at Bar Edward and organised by Kieran Haslett-Moore who sure sells a lot of Tuatara at Regional Wines. We were keen to be involved and donated four prizes. The first was a voucher for two to spend a day brewing with our own Carl Vasta at Reikorangi. When bidding slowed, the auctioneer promised that Carl would be wearing his shorts which provoked a flurry of (mainly female) bids. That prize also included transport, lunch and, we expect, a few beers.

We also put up three mixed packs of Tuatara beers which all included some great Tuatara merchandise. We even gave up three of the legendary Tuatara bar runners which have not been available to the public before, at least not legally. We were delighted at the prices all these items obtained from a very generous crowd of beer fans. In all, the Wellington event raised a brilliant $6,334.

There are a lot of people who did a lot of work to make this event succeed and we were proud to have played a part. Thanks have to go to the organisers – the Brewer’s Guild, SOBA, Kieran Haslett-Moore, James Henderson, Bar Edward and Neil Miller. Thanks also to the sponsors and those who donated auction items – Regional Wines, Logan Brown, Malthouse, Hashigo Zake, Emerson’s, Mikes, Renaissance, Moa, Coopers, Yeastie Boys, 8Wired, Elite Print, Beer Force, West Coast Brewing, Beer Force, McCashin’s and us!

Above all, thanks to all the generous members of the beer community who did plenty of good things for a good cause on the night.

Here’s to Christchurch!

Cheers from the team at Tuatara

Trying to make a difference – Part One

On Sunday 27 February, Tuatara Brewing Company was delighted and proud to be a sponsor of the second annual Worser Bay Summerfest. This family-friendly event was a celebration of community, music, beer, wine and food with the proceeds going to the Worser Bay School, a learning establishment which Tuatara has strong family connections with.

In light of the tragic events in Christchurch, the organisers also decided to hold an additional collection for earthquake relief, and to encourage the winners of the silent auction items to donate a percentage of their successful bids to the quake funds.

The sun was shining, crowd numbers were well up on last year and people were very generous. This combination meant that sizable amounts of money were raised for the local school and to help the people of Canterbury.

It was a great event for two worthy causes.

One of the main points of difference for Summerfest compared to other school fundraisers was the emphasis on beer and food matching (only for adults we hasten to stress). This year there were five dishes, each matched with a Tuatara beer and a couple from our craft beer colleagues. Guests on the day could purchase tasters of the beers or whole bottles.

The previously secret menu looked like this:

Food: Smoked salmon on cedar plank
Beers: Tuatara Hefe, Three Boys Wheat

Food: Locally caught paua fritters
Beers: Tuatara Pilsner, Mike’s Organic Pilsner, Croucher Pilsner

Food: Authentic samosas
Beers: Tuatara APA, Tuatara IPA, Epic Pale Ale

Food: Strathmore Butchery sundried tomato sausages
Beers: Tuatara Ardennes, Harrington's Belgium Tempest

Food: Chocolate brownie, blue cheese and pear
Beers: Tuatara Porter, Wanaka Tall Black

Quaffing Lager: Tuatara Helles

Thanks to the organisers, volunteers, sponsors, promoters, suppliers and above all the paying public for creating such a spectacular event.

Cheers from the team at Tuatara

Tuatara goes back to uni

Last week, Victoria University of Wellington held its annual Orientation Week, now known by the far more hip moniker O-Week. As always, the major focus was music and parties, with some token efforts to show new students where things actually were on campus. The focal point for many events was a brand new venue - The Hunter Lounge in the Student Union.

Now, student bars have historically had a very poor reputation, both for the quality of their beer selection and the behaviour of their patrons. Victoria University’s own record has been mixed with the cavernous Mike’s Bar and awkward Eastside Bar never really catching on for the majority of thirsty students. That record looks set to change with The Hunter Lounge created during a massive upgrade of the aging Student Union building.

The result is a funky all-purpose social area described as a “café, bar and gig space.” Their Facebook page lists their specialities as “breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, drinks.” It is the last one of those that Tuatara was the most interested in. A quick look round head office determined that Will the sales manager looked the most like a student. As a result, he was immediately dispatched up the hill to chat to The Hunter Lounge crew about beer.

It is not clear what exactly Will told them but it sure worked. The Hunter Lounge now has our easy-drinking Tuatara Helles lager on tap and will have a few more Tuatara varieties available in bottles soon. The early sales figures are promising which shows that some students are willing to support beers with a bit more class and which are made locally.

Orientation also had a more serious side with Salient (the Victoria University student newspaper) collecting money at all events to support the University of Canterbury Volunteer Army. People affected by the Christchurch quake can contact the Army which then dispatches student volunteers to help. It is an amazing initiative which reflects well on all students and one which deserves the support of everyone. Great work guys.

Cheers from the team at Tuatara