What happens when you cross a talented artist with a home brew kit? You get someone like Brendan Bransgrove who we met last week at his brewhouse in Mornington. He's a judge in the home brew competition being run at The Dunedin Craft Beer and Food Festival (you can enter here) on September 14.
He's well qualified: he is the current National Home Brew Champ and on Friday night he was awarded the highest honour out of 146 home brewers at the Beervana Home Brew Competition held in Wellington. He was putting down a brew when we met him – his 90th ever and he carefully put it together referring to his records as he plied his craft and skill. In between temperature steps he poured me a beer that was made with plums from the tree overhanging his brew house: a plum saison. I don't normally drink beer at 9am in the morning, but this refreshing drop was amazing. It had the perfect amount of tang and I could tell by the smile on Brendan's face that he knew I was impressed.
Brendan creates about five different brews a month and each time he refines his formula and technique. He isn't scared of experimenting either – he has a string of quirky Belgian craft beers that suggest that he may just have an innate sense of how great beer can be made. When he's not brewing, he's painting Dunedin cityscapes and a bunch of very cool personal works.
We had some good news, too. On Thursday last week our Dunedin Light image of a wave breaking at Blackhead Beach was named as one of 20 finalists in the New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year competition. We are absolutely stoked to have an image in this impressive line-up of photographers. Jump on and vote for your favourites in the People's Choice Awards.
See you at the beach ...
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