Oh Brother — Dylan Adams from Brothers Beer

Welcome to another episode of the podcast! This time, Martin sits down for a morning pint with Dylan from Brothers Beer at their impressive Mount Eden taproom, built right around a full-size 2,000-litre production brewery. The conversation kicks off with a look back at Dylan's brewing journey, starting with his nearly eight-year stint at Deep Creek. Dylan reflects on the "golden age" of the brewery, sharing the creative process behind award-winning brews like the Undercurrent Pilsner and their spontaneous sour program, before candidly discussing the perfect storm of expansion costs and COVID-19 that ultimately led to the brewery's sudden liquidation. The story takes a dramatic turn as Dylan details his transition to Brothers Beer, arriving just before the brewery faced its own economic hurdles and went into voluntary administration. In a fascinating twist, Brothers Beer was saved from liquidation by a Chinese beer distributor. Dylan opens up about the massive scale and importance of the Chinese export market, explaining how this unexpected lifeline transformed their business model and kept the brewery alive during a severe local economic downturn that saw craft beer sales plummet in New Zealand. Finally, we get a deep dive into the highly specific and demanding tastes of the Chinese craft beer market. Dylan reveals that "Hazy is king" in China, with a massive demand for incredibly strong, sweet beers, prompting Brothers to brew multiple triple and even quadruple IPAs clocking in at 10% to 12% ABV. He explains the unique technical challenges of brewing these behemoths—from managing exhausted yeast and massive dry-hopping rates to tweaking recipes to hit the exact pale mango color their export customers demand. It's a fantastic, behind-the-scenes look at the realities of the modern brewing business. Grab a beer (even if it's morning) and tune in! If you enjoy this episode please like, subscribe and comment on your favourite podcast platform. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for future topics/guests feel free to drop us an email at [email protected] or [email protected].