Beer masterclass for women

Thursday 18 June 2015

It’s All About the Brew

Beer masterclass for women

Ladies. Do you sometimes feel left out of the conversation when it turns to craft beer? Well now’s your chance to be a star of the scuttlebutt.

Wynyard Quarter craft beer house 16 TUN is running a ladies-only masterclass for women keen to be part of the growing conversation surrounding non-mainstream beers.

The evening tasting event is being hosted by Tammy Viitakangas, brewer and managing director of family owned and run Mata Beer based in Kawerau and sisters Alex and Georgia Wieland who both work at 16 TUN.

The two-hour class is the brainchild of the sisters who wanted to provide an informal beer education environment especially for women.

“It all came about because our female friends used to come in to the bar and order spirits or wine so we suggested they try some craft beers,” says Alex. “We loved explaining to them about the nuances behind the brews and the idea for the masterclass developed from there.”

Guests learn about craft beer making and tasting, sampling eight different brews in the process matched to five food pairings from 16 TUN’s full service kitchen.

Alex and Georgia have both completed the 16 TUN ‘boot camp’ and love talking about craft beer. Alex’s current favourite is the Moa sour cherry beer while Georgia can’t decide between the Liberty C!trus and the 8 Wired Feijoa Sour.

Alex says they decided to develop the masterclass concept and took it to their boss who thought it was a great idea.

“One of the things we love about our jobs is being able to engage with patrons and brewers to talk about craft beer. And often we have found women who come in with their friends or partners will ask for wine,” she says. “But when we explain that craft beer has all the variety and styles like wine does then they become much more engaged.”

The class starts with some basic information about what beer is and how it’s made and goes on to explore the differences between varieties such as pale ales and dark beer, lager, pilsner, India pale ales, porters, stouts and sours.

The flavour profiles of beer are also examined, the beer making process discussed and guests are talked through the various steps from malt through to hops, yeast and fermentation.

The masterclass costs $50 including beer and food. And while the menu is yet to be finalised, the food will be matched with the beers which change weekly. The 16 TUN kitchen is renowned for such delights as smoky pork sliders, horopito chicken morsels, crispy calamari and chocolate or chocolate truffles matched to a stout.

The first event is on the evening of Wednesday 29 July with further dates planned - details to be published on the 16 TUN website. The format can easily be adapted to corporate or group bookings Alex and Georgia say.

As a responsible host, 16 TUN has partnered with taxi service UBER which is providing a free trip up to the value of $20 for new subscribers who attend the class. Full details to be provided upon booking.

Tickets can be bought directly from 16 TUN or via the contact page on the website at www.16tun.co.nz.

Feel left out? 16TUN also offers beer appreciation courses for mixed groups and information is also available at www.16tun.co.nz.

About 16 TUN

16 TUN is a Free House in Wynyard Quarter’s North Wharf that specialises in craft beer. 16 TUN has 19 craft beers available on tap, with a bottle range that exceeds 70 different beers, across a myriad of styles. The 16 TUN kitchen provides a wide variety of crafted Kiwi food in ‘half tun’ and ‘full tun’ portions that are perfectly matched to the craft beer being served.

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