Hopful Thinking

So here I am, sitting in a hotel room in our nation’s capital on a fine winter’s afternoon. My back aches a little from lugging glasses, but I’m not complaining, there’s a nice cold glass of Hop Zombie in my hand which is going down very nicely, thank you.

But enough about me – this short post goes out to Beervana and all those who make it happen.  I had some idea of what it was about, but until you are in it, it’s  impossible to grasp the incredible vibe which comes from a volunteer driven, non profit beer festival that really is all about amazing  beer and the brewers behind it.

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I do love writing about beer, but it doesn’t exactly pay the bills.  Not so far anyway.  And so, like most beer enthusiasts, I have a day job. It just so happens that my day job is at the very awesome Orcon.

And it just so happens that Richard, a like-minded team mate, suggested that Orcon should do an Awesome beer; with none other than our local hop-head, Luke Nicholas of Epic.

I guess the powers-that-be liked the idea because the next minute we were hanging out with Luke at Steam, laying down a mash, designing a killer label, and making a youtube video about it. I gotta say, we had a great time, and I reckon we’ve done a pretty good job on the beer too.

Epic Orcon Pale Ale pours a bright golden hue and just a little white head.  The subtle aroma of passionfruit greets you and from the first sip, caramel malt characters fade out to a bitter hop finish.  The mouthfeel is velvety with just a hint of effervescence to remind you it’s there.

At 5.6%, Epic Orcon ale makes for a refreshing session beer, perfect for a late night gaming session or just a quiet afternoon, you know, checking Facebook.

Epic Orcon Ale wants to be your friend – you should totally accept this request.

epicorcon.co.nz