Manuherekia Brewery co-owners Jono Love and Mat Bell now sell their beer in kegs to local pubs and bottle stores and from stalls at events.
In a move to expand, the pair had filled about 500 bottles of their six beer varieties, and planned to bottle hundreds more before sending them out in the next two weeks, Mr Love said.
‘‘It's intensive. It's just the two of us doing it. But it's our job.''
Moving to bottles allowed the beer to be sold by local pubs which contracted their taps to large beer companies, Mr Love said.
‘‘We want to make sure we service the locals first.''
Their bottles would first be sent to the Lauder Hotel and an Alexandra liquor store, but the pair were in talks with other locations.
If supply allowed it, they would look at expanding beyond the district, he said.
‘‘Certainly we will be looking to market this as far as we can go.''
They were just waiting on labels before sending the bottles out, he said.
Their bottles will be branded with a photo of Leaning Rock, a landmark that can be seen outside their Letts Gully Rd brewery site.
Another sign of a Central Otago craft beer industry on the rise is Alexandra's Ferris Road Brewery's plans to open a small brewery tavern in Ngapara St within the month.
- by Jono Edwards
