New Zealand’s Monteith’s Brewing Company is making its debut in the UK on-trade with a range of four beers introduced through Heineken UK.
Available in 33cl bottles, they are the eastern European-style Bohemian Pilsner Beer, the Southern Pale Ale, Summer Ale and India Pale Ale.
The brewing company was established by Stewart Monteith in 1868 for the pioneering gold mining communities on the country’s South Island West Coast and is now a leader in the New Zealand craft beer market.
The launch event took place at New Zealand-inspired restaurant Kopapa in Covent Garden, London, where the beers’ suitability for pairing with food was explained by beer writer Ben McFarland.
He said: “With a plethora of highly sought after hop varieties and a thriving craft brewing culture, New Zealand has emerged as one of the world’s most exciting brewing nations in recent years and Monteith’s, whose history dates back nearly 150 years, has been instrumental in this.
“Back in New Zealand, Monteith’s has been celebrating beer’s kinship with cuisine for some time now and having partnered with Kopapa, a restaurant owned and run by Kiwis, it was interesting to see how chef Peter Gordon dovetailed Monteith’s quartet of beers with a range of different dishes.
“It’s never been a better time to be a discerning beer drinker in the UK where consumers are enjoying an unprecedented level of choice in terms of flavours, styles and drinking experiences.”
Pedro Cruz, manager for export in Western Europe at Heineken, added: “With consumer interest in the indie beer market continuing to accelerate, we are delighted to bring the unique and refreshing Monteith’s range to the UK.
“Even before its UK launch date the brand is already developing a powerful buzz on social media across the UK as craft beer fans eagerly anticipate the arrival of the ultimate expression of New Zealand’s proud brewing heritage.
“Monteith’s has developed a cult following outside its home nation and is perfectly suited to today’s consumer demands for more from a beer, particularly in the versatility of pairing Monteith’s variants with contemporary food options.
“The combination of great flavour, unique heritage and a natural affinity with food makes Monteith’s an exciting and appealing new option for UK restaurants and bars to offer to their customers.”
Monteith’s Bohemian Pilsner Beer is an eastern European-style lager with immense flavour and enormous hop character. It leaves you with a smooth, clean and bitter taste and pairs particularly well with tomato-based pasta dishes or shellfish.
Monteith’s Southern Pale Ale combines the intensity of North West American hops with the liveliness of New Zealand hops, filtered to give a clear straw appearance. Beginning with a zesty citrus aroma, this pale ale has a full malt flavour and crisp finish, pairing well with fish and poultry dishes or ripe camembert.
Monteith’s Summer Ale has a smooth heart from the malts and a touch of spice from the single hop and ginger. A little rata honey finishes things off nicely, leaving a truly refreshing taste experience and it is great with summer salads, stir-fries or creamy brie, pine nuts and honey oat bread.
With a fruity aroma, Monteith’s India Pale Ale has a distinct Kiwi taste thanks to the special New Zealand hops. With plenty of rich maltiness and a touch of bitter, this premium beer leaves you wanting more and is perfect with fish and chips as well as creamy cheeses.
All Monteith’s beers are naturally brewed without artificial additives or preservatives. The only “additives” are ingredients such as rata honey.
