Epic Brewing Company
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| Location | Ōtāhuhu, Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||
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| Opened | 2006 | ||||||||||
| Owned by | Russell Group, Hancocks | ||||||||||
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Epic Brewing Company is a brewing company located in Ōtāhuhu, Auckland, New Zealand. Epic beers are contract brewed at Steam Brewing Company. Their beers have won several awards in New Zealand and Australia. Epic went into liquidation on 25 July 2023[1] and was purchased by construction company Russell Group and beverage manufacturer Hancocks on 25 August, 2023.[2]
Overview[edit]
In October 2007, Steam Brewing Company sold[3] the Epic Brewing Company and Epic brand to Head Brewer / General Manager, Luke Nicholas. The Epic beers will continue being brewed at Steam Brewing Company.
Epic Brewing Company started exporting to Australia in May 2009, to the United States and Sweden in 2010 and to Belgium and Italy in 2011.
Nicholas was invited by Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Brewery to brew a beer with him for the Discovery Channel series Brew Masters, where the duo concocted a beer called Portamarillo, brewed with pohutukawa wood-smoked Tamarillo fruit.
In 2011, Kelly Ryan joined Epic and the two travelled around New Zealand, filming NZ Craft Beer TV, during which they visited 44 breweries around New Zealand. This show resulted in a collaborative recipe that they thought captured the current state of New Zealand brewing, a 6% New Zealand Pale Ale called Mash Up. Collaborating breweries were allowed input into the recipe and invited along for the brew day.
2011 also saw the release of Epic Hop Zombie, an 8.5% Double IPA, Epic LARGER, an 8.5% Imperial Pilsner and the first beer in their new Epicurean series, a Coffee & Fig Imperial Oatmeal Stout at 8% abv.
Liquidation and sale[edit]
Epic's shareholders placed Epic into liquidation on 25 July 2023 due to a number of factors. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the brewery faced falling sales and rising prices of malt, freight, packaging, excise tax, and salaries.[4][5][1] The closure of New Zealand's two food grade carbon dioxide plants led to a nationwide CO2 shortage and rising CO2 import costs.[6]
Epic was relying on an investor to help them with cash-flow while they worked on opening a brewery and taproom in Mount Wellington. Epic was facing inflationary pressures and a cutback in spending, while resource consent for the new venue stalled at Auckland Council. Owning a brewery would have improved margins from Epic's 2005 model of brewing under contract by freeing Epic from the need to brew in bulk, and saving money on freight and storage. The investor withdrew support and Epic was forced to abandon plans for the new brewery. The company was left with negative cashflow, no way to pay their bills, and unable to trade their way out of their financial hole.[4][5][7]
On 25 August, 2023, construction company Russell Group and beverage manufacturer Hancocks combined to buy Epic, with Epic founders Luke and Wendy Nicholas remaining with the business.[1][2][8]
Awards[edit]
- Epic Armageddon IPA
- Gold & Best in Class - 2015 Australian International Beer Awards
- Gold & Best in Class - 2011 BrewNZ Beer Awards
- Gold & Best in Class - 2011 BrewNZ Beer Awards
- Bronze - 2010 BrewNZ Beer Awards
- Gold & Best in Class - 2009 BrewNZ Beer Awards[9]
- Epic Pale Ale
- Silver - 2011 BrewNZ Beer Awards
- Bronze - 2009 BrewNZ Beer Awards
- Gold & Best in Class - 2008 BrewNZ Beer Awards[10]
- Silver - 2007 Australian International Beer Awards
- Supreme Champion Beer - 2006 New Zealand International Beer Awards.[11]
- Gold & Best in Class - 2006 New Zealand International Beer Awards
- Gold & Best in Class - 2006 BrewNZ Beer Awards
- Silver - 2006 Australian International Beer Awards
- Epic Mayhem
- Gold - 2010 BrewNZ Beer Awards
- Silver - 2007 Australian International Beer Awards
- Bronze - 2007 BrewNZ Beer Awards
- Gold & Best in Class - 2006 BrewNZ Beer Awards
- Epic Barrel Aged IPA
- Bronze - 2011 BrewNZ Beer Awards
- Gold & Best in Class - 2010 BrewNZ Beer Awards
- Epic Porter
- Silver - 2007 BrewNZ Beer Awards
- Epic Lager
- Silver - 2011 BrewNZ Beer Awards
- Bronze - 2009 BrewNZ Beer Awards
- Bronze - 2007 BrewNZ Beer Awards
- Epic Thornbridge Stout
- Bronze - 2011 BrewNZ Beer Awards
- Oak Barrel Aged Epic Thornbridge Stout
- Silver - 2011 BrewNZ Beer Awards
- NZ Craft Beer TV Mash Up
- Silver - 2011 BrewNZ Beer Awards
Accolades[edit]
Best Beers of Australia and New Zealand 2010 - RateBeer.com[12]
Best Beer 2008 - Metro Magazine[13]
Best Beer 2007 - NZ Listener[14]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Smith, Cameron (25 August 2023). "Buyer found for liquidated Epic Brewing Company". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 25 August 2023.
- ^ a b Donaldson, Michael (25 August 2023). "Epic sold to Hancocks and a construction firm". Pursuit of Hoppiness. Archived from the original on 15 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ "RealBeer.co.nz Forum (forum post)". RealBeer.co.nz Forum. 22 October 2007. Archived from the original on 14 October 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2007.
- ^ a b Donaldson, Michael (27 July 2023). "Epic Brewing in Liquidation". Pursuit of Hoppiness. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ a b Donaldson, Michael (18 August 2023). "Is this the beginning of the end for craft beer in Aotearoa?". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ "'We'll be completely out of beer': Garage Project runs out of CO2 at one site". Radio New Zealand. 17 January 2023. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ Smith, Cameron (27 July 2023). "Epic Brewing Company goes into liquidation after investment deal falls through". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 31 July 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ Cowan, Charlotte (27 August 2023). "Epic Beer saved by two Kiwi businesses". The Shout. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ "BrewNZ Beer Awards 2009" (PDF). BrewNZ. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 May 2010. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
- ^ "BrewNZ Beer Awards 2008" (PDF). BrewNZ. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2008. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
- ^ "NZ International Beer Awards 2006". NZ Beer Awards. Archived from the original on 14 October 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-07.
- ^ "Best Beers of Australia and New Zealand 2010". RateBeer.com. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
- ^ "Best of Auckland 2007". Metro Magazine. Archived from the original on 21 July 2008. Retrieved 2007-12-01.
- ^ "The Best of New Zealand". NZ Listener. Retrieved 4 August 2007.[permanent dead link]