New Zealand’s iconic brewery Mac’s has put its creative and innovative beer making back in the hoppy spotlight with a facelift and the launch of new beers and ciders.
Since its inception in 1981, Mac’s has continued to quietly make good beer, winning awards along the way. However over the 30 years the landscape has changed dramatically with a new generation of craft beer brands taking centre stage in the ever-growing craft beer industry.
The Mac’s team are ready to take back the limelight with a new look and feel, and the inclusion of flavour scales to help drinkers navigate the range. Mac’s devotees can also look forward to a new range of beers and ciders. Three Wolves Pale Ale and Green Beret India Pale Ale (launched late last year) have become permanent additions, while a light beer called Mid-Vicious will be released on tap. The four new ciders include; Cloudy Apple, Chilli and Lime, Blood Orange and Cardamom, and Cranberry and Ginger.
“As the original craft beer in New Zealand, Mac’s has a rich heritage that we’re very proud of. It’s a great story, and so we’re telling different parts of that story on each bottle and pack, like where the legendary rip-cap comes from and why we have our distinctive ribbed bottles,” said Dave Pearce from Mac’s.
“We also love the idea of helping people explore the different beers in our range and in the world of beer in general. That can be quite a daunting experience at times, so we’ve developed a really simple way of helping out – our new flavour scale, which features on every bottle, pack and on our beer taps.”
The new flavour scale aims to help drinkers choose a beer that best suits their taste or occasion. Ranging from one to seven, it provides drinkers with a better understanding of what to expect from the beer they choose – beers at the ‘quenching’ end of the scale are crisp, clean and refreshing, while the ‘savouring’ end of the scale is for beers offering more complex or intense flavours. The new cider range also uses the scale.
Mac’s new look packaging is now on the market.
Words: Lucy Le Masurier