Epic Brewing Company
Encyclopedia
Epic Brewing Company is contract brewed at Steam Brewing Company
a microbrewery
located in Otahuhu
, Auckland
.
In October 2007, Steam Brewing Company sold 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 the NZ Craft Beer TV show, visiting 44 breweries around New Zealand and coming up with 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
.
Gold & Best in Class - 2011 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Bronze - 2010 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Gold & Best in Class - 2009 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Epic Pale Ale
Silver - 2011 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Bronze - 2009 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Gold & Best in Class - 2008 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Silver - 2007 Australian International Beer Awards
Supreme Champion Beer - 2006 New Zealand International Beer Awards.
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
Best Beer 2008 - Metro Magazine
Best Beer 2007 - NZ Listener
Steam Brewing Company
Steam Brewing Company is a microbrewery located in Otahuhu, Auckland. It was founded in October 1995 as the brewery for the Cock & Bull brewpub in East Tamaki and currently brews beers for the Cock & Bull chain of taverns, as well as the retail beer Epic Pale Ale and several contracted beers...
a microbrewery
Microbrewery
A microbrewery or craft brewer is a brewery which produces a limited amount of beer, and is associated by consumers with innovation and uniqueness....
located in Otahuhu
Otahuhu
Otahuhu is a suburb of Auckland. It is located to the southeast of the city centre, on a narrow isthmus between an arm of the Manukau Harbour to the west and the Tamaki River estuary to the east...
, Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
.
In October 2007, Steam Brewing Company sold 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
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
The Sierra Nevada Brewing Company was established in 1980 by homebrewers Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi.Located in Chico, California, Sierra Nevada Brewing is one of the top craft breweries currently operating in the United States. Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is the second best-selling craft beer in the...
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
World Beer Cup
The World Beer Cup, known as "The Olympics of Beer Competition", is one of several major international beer competitions. It was founded by Association of Brewers President Charlie Papazian....
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
Thornbridge Brewery
-History:The first beers appeared in February 2005 and have won many awards.Thornbridge's beers were originally brewed by Martin Dickie, a graduate of the International Centre for Distilling and Brewing at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and Stefano Cossi, a graduate in Food Science and...
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
Dogfish Head Brewery
Dogfish Head Brewery is a brewing company based in Milton, Delaware founded by Sam Calagione. It opened in 1995 and produces 75,000 barrels of beer annually. Dogfish Head has been a rapidly growing brewery - it grew nearly 400% in between 2003 and 2006...
to brew a beer with him for the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
series, Brew Masters
Brew Masters
Brew Masters is a television series that was run weekly on Discovery Channel starting on Sunday, November 21, 2010. The show focused on Sam Calagione, the founder and head of Dogfish Head Brewery, and his staff as they scoured the world for new, ancient, and imaginative inspirations for...
where the duo concocted a beer called Portamarillo, brewed with Pohutakawa wood-smoked Tamarillo
Tamarillo
Solanum betaceum is a small tree or shrub in the flowering plant family Solanaceae. It is best known as the species that bears the tamarillo, an egg-shaped edible fruit...
fruit.
In 2011, Kelly Ryan joined Epic and the two travelled around New Zealand, filming the NZ Craft Beer TV show, visiting 44 breweries around New Zealand and coming up with 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
ABV
ABV is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* Alcohol by volume, a measure of the alcohol content of alcoholic drinks* Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Nigeria, from its IATA airport code...
.
Awards
Epic Armageddon IPAGold & Best in Class - 2011 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Bronze - 2010 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Gold & Best in Class - 2009 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Epic Pale Ale
Silver - 2011 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Bronze - 2009 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Gold & Best in Class - 2008 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Silver - 2007 Australian International Beer Awards
Supreme Champion Beer - 2006 New Zealand International Beer Awards.
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.comBest Beer 2008 - Metro Magazine
Best Beer 2007 - NZ Listener