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The brew crew: Mike Sutherland, Mason Isbey, Sam Williamson and Julian Widera.
Sawmill Brewing’s spacious new home in Leigh Road is up and running with a range of beers now being brewed and bottled there, and is not too far from opening to the public.
Owners Mike Sutherland and Kirsty McKay are hoping their new bar, courtyard and food area will be open by early June for drinks, tastings, meals and snacks
“It’s all starting to come together,” Kirsty says. “The builders and plumbers will be finished next week, but there’s still a lot to do. We’ll have 15 taps at least, with the full range of our own beer, a guest beer, wine on tap and we’ll have a very short, but very good menu of great food.”
Mike says the move from the original brewery at the Sawmill Café in Leigh has given them a huge amount of space and made the whole brewing process a lot simpler.
“It’s just easier having everything under one roof, instead of having to store things in Auckland or in sheds,” he says.
Brewery manager Sam Williamson agrees. “This place is a blessing and a curse,” he says. “A blessing because it’s a fantastic place and a huge step up from where we were, but it’s a curse because it’s all brand new kit and it’s our fault if anything goes wrong.”
One of the first brews at the new premises is a brand new beer, Imperial Red Ale, a dry-hopped, deep red ale of 6 per cent alcohol retailing in 500ml bottles.
