An Off-the-Grid Brewery with Full-Strength Soul

We had the absolute pleasure of hosting Tim Newman from Pursuit of Hoppiness out at the brewery recently, and his write-up hit us right in the feels. Winding his way up our narrow hillside road in Tai Tapu, Tim captured what makes this place—and this project—so close to our hearts: the stillness, the history, the stubborn self-sufficiency, and of course, the beer.

This wasn’t just a look behind the curtain—it was a chance to share where we’ve come from, where we’re headed, and what it really means to brew sustainably on the land our family has ties to going back to the 1840s. From fermenters that do it all, to alpacas with a taste for spent grain, Tim dug deep into the details and didn’t miss a beat.

Huge thanks to Tim for the thoughtful words, the great yarns, and the kind reminder that sometimes the best things are a little off the beaten path.

Steve Gebbie at Thief Brewing