When I was told that this new brew was made with tea, I didn’t know what to expect. As someone who is not really a fan of beer or tea, this taste testing was going to actually be testing me. WORDS by Caitlan Johnston.
What happens when two award winning Hamilton beverage makers come together to create a new beer? An afternoon of high tea and beer tasting, of course! And that's exactly what myself and others were treated to yesterday thanks to Zealong Tea Estate and Good George Brewing.
The lunchtime event took place at the beautiful Zealong Tea Estate. Its hard to believe that a place so stunning sits right on the back of Hamilton in Gordonton. The never ending tea fields were the perfect backdrop to the launch of the new ‘High Tea Amber Ale’.
When I was told that this new brew was made with tea, I didn’t know what to expect. As someone who is not really a fan of beer or tea, this taste testing was going to actually be testing me. To my surprise I didn’t entirely mind it. It had a chocolaty aroma to it which was completely fine by me. I may not be a fan of beer and tea, but chocolate is definitely further up my list.
As we were all getting a run down about what had gone into making the beer and while soaking up the sun on the deck, it was probably evident that we were all wondering how such an interesting concoction became to be. It all started with a conversation, a chat whilst sipping on tea… of course! Amy Reason, Zealong’s Blend Master, was the brains and the driving force behind the idea. She has a love for tea and beer so she thought why not bring the two together – “It’s like having tea and biscuits all in one sip and is ideal for both male and female beer drinkers”.
Next up came my favourite time of any event... it was time to eat! This was the first high tea I’ve ever been to and keeping to the theme, the food was especially crafted and inspired by the brew. There was crab, there was sushi, there were potato chips soaked in duck fat. But my favourite by far, there was fried chicken. The new brew was a crisp beverage full of flavour and so was all the food that was put on for us.
The teams at Good George and Zealong have pooled together their talent, expertise and innovation to bring a novel tea-infused beer to the market and they pulled off a wonderful event to launch their new found product. A beverage full of interesting flavours that challenged our tastebuds, something Good George are not afraid to do.
“We’re not afraid to challenge our taste buds now and then. We think our beer and cider range has something to appeal to everyones taste buds, but collocations like this are a chance to introduce new, interesting flavours to our customers”, concluded Good George’s Daniel McGregor.
The Good George High Tea Amber Ale will be available at both Good George Dining Hall and Zealong Tea Estate, and on sale to the public through all good liquor stores and supermarkets in 440ml cans.
Photography // Images supplied with additional photos from author.
Zealong Tea Estate // 495 Gordonton Road, Hamilton - Waikato, New Zealand. Opening times: Retail Shop open 9.30am-5pm, 7 days Tea House open 10am-5pm, 7 days. Discover Zealong Tea Tours run twice daily.
Good George Brewery // 32a Somerset Street, Frankton, Hamilton. Opening times: 11.30 – late, 7 days a week.
When I was told that this new brew was made with tea, I didn’t know what to expect. As someone who is not really a fan of beer or tea, this taste testing was going to actually be testing me. WORDS by Caitlan Johnston.
What happens when two award winning Hamilton beverage makers come together to create a new beer? An afternoon of high tea and beer tasting, of course! And that's exactly what myself and others were treated to yesterday thanks to Zealong Tea Estate and Good George Brewing.
The lunchtime event took place at the beautiful Zealong Tea Estate. Its hard to believe that a place so stunning sits right on the back of Hamilton in Gordonton. The never ending tea fields were the perfect backdrop to the launch of the new ‘High Tea Amber Ale’.
When I was told that this new brew was made with tea, I didn’t know what to expect. As someone who is not really a fan of beer or tea, this taste testing was going to actually be testing me. To my surprise I didn’t entirely mind it. It had a chocolaty aroma to it which was completely fine by me. I may not be a fan of beer and tea, but chocolate is definitely further up my list.
As we were all getting a run down about what had gone into making the beer and while soaking up the sun on the deck, it was probably evident that we were all wondering how such an interesting concoction became to be. It all started with a conversation, a chat whilst sipping on tea… of course! Amy Reason, Zealong’s Blend Master, was the brains and the driving force behind the idea. She has a love for tea and beer so she thought why not bring the two together – “It’s like having tea and biscuits all in one sip and is ideal for both male and female beer drinkers”.
Next up came my favourite time of any event... it was time to eat! This was the first high tea I’ve ever been to and keeping to the theme, the food was especially crafted and inspired by the brew. There was crab, there was sushi, there were potato chips soaked in duck fat. But my favourite by far, there was fried chicken. The new brew was a crisp beverage full of flavour and so was all the food that was put on for us.
The teams at Good George and Zealong have pooled together their talent, expertise and innovation to bring a novel tea-infused beer to the market and they pulled off a wonderful event to launch their new found product. A beverage full of interesting flavours that challenged our tastebuds, something Good George are not afraid to do.
“We’re not afraid to challenge our taste buds now and then. We think our beer and cider range has something to appeal to everyones taste buds, but collocations like this are a chance to introduce new, interesting flavours to our customers”, concluded Good George’s Daniel McGregor.
The Good George High Tea Amber Ale will be available at both Good George Dining Hall and Zealong Tea Estate, and on sale to the public through all good liquor stores and supermarkets in 440ml cans.
Photography // Images supplied with additional photos from author.
Zealong Tea Estate // 495 Gordonton Road, Hamilton - Waikato, New Zealand. Opening times: Retail Shop open 9.30am-5pm, 7 days Tea House open 10am-5pm, 7 days. Discover Zealong Tea Tours run twice daily.
Good George Brewery // 32a Somerset Street, Frankton, Hamilton. Opening times: 11.30 – late, 7 days a week.
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