Gingerbeer

13 Apr 2011

One of the things I put alot of time and effort into doing at Somerset is supporting NZ producers. An approach made much easier over the last few years as more and more people have gone into business making interesting stuff.

I can distinctly remember a time when I used to read Australian food magazines and feel a sense of envy at all the interesting food ventures that they had going on over there,  but that is a feeling that has totally dissipated now, becos over the last decade or so New Zealand has become full of interesting people doing interesting stuff.

One of the things I stumbled on in a restaurant in Auckland was a ginger beer made on Waiheke Island - Hannah ordered it I think, when we were out for lunch.

It is quite unlike the gingerbeers we'd previously stocked, which are essentially soda, with flavoured ginger syrup. The Waiheke Island ginger beer is made from real ginger, honey and lemon juice. It is quite beautiful - but more appealing to grown up taste buds I suspect.

( The gingerbeer with 2 other drink products that we source and sell alot of; Camla Farms Apple Juice, and Herons Flight Sangiovese Grape Juice)

We have plans to head up to Waiheke this year- we also get our coffee beans from up there, and have been promising Stephen and Jane for years that we'll come visit. Hopefully this year will be the year that we actually get to do so, and will make a point of visiting the brewery also.

Watched this video therefore, of a natural gingerbeer operation in the States with interest. Sent the link thru to Rob at Waiheke Brewery and his response was how nice it would be to have a factory like that!

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