Garage Project Explained

Garage Project
Type:Private
Industry:Brewery
Founded: in Wellington, New Zealand
Founders:Ian Gillespie, Pete Gillespie, Jos Ruffell
Owners:-->

Garage Project is an independent New Zealand brewery based in Aro Valley, Wellington.[1] The brewery was founded in 2011 by brothers Ian and Pete Gillespie and Jos Ruffell, who turned a dilapidated car garage to brewing 50 litres at a time and more recently to producing 24 new beers in 24 weeks. The 24/24 project produced many beers that are still in production- Aro Noir, Pernicious Weed, Venusian Pale Ale, Cockswain's Courage, Hāpi Daze, Biére de Garage, Red Rocks, Golden Brown, Day of Dead, Hellbender, Summer Sommer, and Rum & Raisin. [2]

The brewery has created over 300 different beers.[3]

The brewery has grown considerably since 2011, winning the Deloitte Fast 50 in 2015 with over 660% annual growth,[4] and distribution in New Zealand, Australia, Norway, Sweden and California.

Garage Project established a Cellar Door and Taproom in their Aro Valley, Wellington site,[5] a mixed fermentation and barrel location in central Wellington dubbed the "Wild Workshop",[6] and most recently a Cellar Door in Kingsland, Auckland.[7] In 2017 Garage Project announced a partnership with brew house bStudio in the Hawkes Bay.[8]

Garage Project has won numerous awards- In the 2018 GABS Hottest 100 Kiwi Craft Beers poll, Garage Project claimed 19 spots, including #2 for Death from Above, #3 for Pernicious Weed, and #5 for Party & Bullshit.[9] They were named NZ Brewery of the Year in 2017 by the New Zealand Brewers Guild Awards, edging out 111 other breweries and claiming 26 medals.[10]

In 2017 Garage Project announced they would also begin production of natural wines called GP Crushed, made at their central Wellington location. The initial launch features four wines: a Riesling bottled mid-fermentation and spiked with Lactobacillus, a 100% Brettanomyces fermented New Zealand Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir that has undergone carbonic maceration before being spiked with Brett, and a Sauvignon/Semillon blend that has been bottled pét-nat. More wild wines are due to be released in 2018.[11]

Garage Project's Hāpi Daze pale ale is served aboard Singapore Airlines flights to and from New Zealand.[12]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Garage Project named NZ's best brewery . 2017-08-10 . Newshub . en . 2018-03-22.
  2. News: 24/24 in Retrospective. Garage Project. 2018-05-02.
  3. Web site: Garage Project. Team. The Untappd. Untappd. en. 2018-05-02.
  4. Web site: Garage Project takes top ranking on 2015 Deloitte Fast 50 index Deloitte New Zealand Press release. Deloitte New Zealand. en. 2018-05-02.
  5. Web site: Our locations. Garage Project. 2018-05-02.
  6. Web site: Wellington brewery Garage Project to set wild yeasts free in new warehouse. Stuff. 29 May 2016 . en. 2018-05-02.
  7. Web site: Experimental beer purveyors Garage Project open a cellar door in Kingsland. Noted. Noted. en. 2018-05-02.
  8. Web site: Garage Project to open new brew site in Hawke's Bay. Stuff. February 2017 . en. 2018-05-02.
  9. Web site: Wellington.scoop.co.nz » Panhead and Garage Project voted most popular craft beers . wellington.scoop.co.nz . en . 2018-03-22.
  10. Web site: Garage Project wins Champion NZ Brewery Brewers Guild of New Zealand. www.brewersguild.org.nz. en. 2018-05-02.
  11. News: Totally Natural – New Zealand's Garage Project Launches Range of Natural Wines. Good Beer Hunting. 2018-05-02. en-US.
  12. Web site: Singapore Airlines teams up with New Zealand craft brewer Garage Project . Bradley . Grant . 2017-05-31 . NZ Herald . en-NZ . 2018-03-22.