Click photo to enlarge
Emerson's Brewery managing director Richard Emerson (left)
and Southern Clams managing director Roger Belton toast a
new clam stout, which is believed to be a world first.
Photo by Stephen Jaquiery.
It is being hailed as a "heavenly match" which gives
"hints of vanilla and ocean briny characters" and the
combination of stout and clams is believed to be a world-first.
Dunedin's Emerson's Brewery launched its new southern clam
stout on Otago Harbour yesterday and the ceremonial toast of
the "big, velvety" stout was made over a clam bed.
Managing director Richard Emerson said oyster stouts had been
around since the late 1930s, but to his knowledge nobody had
produced a clam stout before.
"We have modelled it on the big export style stouts of
yesteryear.
"We've combined chocolate and roasted barley malts to provide
a beautiful dark edge.
"The briny notes become more prominent the more you sup.
"It's incredibly satisfying to produce an original stout of
this quality and fantastic to do it with local produce."
A "bit of research and development" went into producing the
stout and three brews were put down before the right balance
was found.
The brew is a limited edition and Mr Emerson expects it will
be gone by the end of the month.
He will be taking the southern clam stout to Beervana and
BrewNZ Beer Awards in Wellington next week.
Southern Clams managing director Roger Belton said he was not
a beer expert, but he was amazed the two could be married
together to produce a beer that was "so full and rounded".
"What Richard has done is such a positive example of how
Otago businesses can cut a national profile by embracing
opportunities on their own doorstep."
