Brewery keeping it local thanks to weather

Diana Lima (pictured) and the team at Tuatara Backpacker Lodge's Gadoochi Brewing in Invercargill have been using Southland hops in their house range of beers, putting themselves in the running for the claim of being New Zealand's most truly southern beer. PHOTO: BEN TOMSETT

The Tuatara Backpackers Lodge’s Gadoochi Brewing has for the past summer been using locally grown hops in its range of beers.

The hops are grown by a landowner just outside Invercargill and supplied to the brewing crew at Tuatara Backpackers Lodge.

While Southland is not known for having good hop-growing conditions, brewer Damon Milne said the past summer had provided just those conditions.

"It’s been a pretty epic summer down here, and in the right conditions they grow quite well."

The three varieties of hops supplied to Gadoochi are creatively named Cascade, Tangerine Dream and Fathead.

These have gone into the making of a range of IPAs, lagers and porters served on tap at Tuatara Backpackers Lodge.

 - Ben Tomsett