Día de los Muertos 2016

Nov 02 2016

It’s that time of year again, the veil between the worlds is drawn back and the spirits walk among us. At the Garage it also means the return of some old friends, brewed especially and exclusively for el Dia de los Muertos - Mexico’s Day of the Dead.

It’s been a long wait, but it’s good to see his pale face at the brewery again. Day of the Dead was originally brewed back in 2011 as part of the 24/24 and has made a return visit every year since for el Dia de los Muertos. Originally inspired by the Aztec beverage xocolatl, “a bitter, frothy, spicy drink” combining cocoa and chilli, Day of the Dead is a black lager brewed with smoked chipotle chilli, and conditioned over raw cocoa nibs, vanilla and agave, creating a rich, smooth and complex mix of smoke, chocolate and restrained chilli heat that builds as you drink. 

As always Day of the Dead is accompanied by La Calavera Catrina, the elegant skull, little sister to our original dead head. La Catrina is as blonde as Day of the Dead is dark, but she’s no lightweight. The base beer is a blonde lager with a cheeky, even ironic addition of maize. Maize is an ingredient you’d normally associate with much blander lager offerings, but here it is fired up with a generous addition of organic Habanero chillis, giving Calavera a far more assertive chilli heat than the smoky chipotle of her brother. 

This year’s batch, though still spicy, has a more restrained heat than previous years. Chilli can be a fickle mistress and this years harvest of habaneros seems to have pulled their punch somewhat. Though not intentional (we are not normally given to restraint) this reduction in heat has allowed the additions of rose water and watermelon to come far more to the fore, a fun consequence of seasonal variation.

Day of the Dead and La Calavera Catrina will be available in good craft beer bars, restaurants and bottle shops around New Zealand and Australia.

You can also join us in celebrating el Día de los Muertos, and the return of our complex and fiery siblings at the annual Day of the Dead Street Fiesta in the Hannahs Laneway with Golding's Free Dive and the Hannah's Laneway Crew this Saturday from 2pm. 

There are also plenty more celebrations further a field to be had!

You can try these special releases at any of the following venues while stocks last

Wellington

Garage Project Tap Room

One Fat bird

Malthouse

Golding's Free Dive

Auckland

Brothers Beer Auckland - this weekend!

Friedas Margolis

Craft - Hamilton

Hop House - Mount Maunganui

Common Room - Hastings

Westshore Hotel - Napier

White Swann - Greytown

Cartel - Blenheim

Albar - Dunedin

Smiths - Queenstown

Australia - More on the way!!!

Dutch Trading Co

Brewski

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A true celebration of the dark side.

¡Nos vemos!