Shaken but not stirred seems to sum up the Christchurch brewing
community after Saturdays 7.1 scale earth quake. The disaster comes hot on the
heels of a BrewNZ Awards night that proved very successful for Christchurch
brewers with Three Boys Brewing Co just missing out on the Champion Brewery
Trophy with two gold medal best in class trophies, a silver and a bronze, the
Twisted Hop earning a silver best in class trophy and two bronze and
Harrington’s achieving a silver medal.
Saturday’s
quake could have threatened the Christchurch
brewers ability to exploit the limelight the awards have thrown on them. However
by luck or divine intervention the reports have come back that the impact on
the breweries has been relatively light. Three Boy’s Ralph Bungard says his
large stainless steel fermentors had a good dance around the brewery but have
come out largely unscathed. Fears were grave for the Twisted Hop as its located
in the historic Poplar Lane, an area of predominantly old brick buildings of
the type that have feared the worst through the city however it to seems to
have come through structurally sound. The reports are that Harrington’s also
have come through mercifully in one piece. Craig Bowen from Christchurch beer distributor BeerNZ was
happy to report that his sole loss at his bulk store was one bottle of Mussel Inn
Captain Cooker he says proving there's "strength in
craft beer and pigs just can’t fly”
I can only hope
that the impact on the private properties of the Christchurch brewers is as light as it has
been on the breweries themselves.
Kieran Haslett-Moore