about Parrotdog

How It All Began

ParrotDog began with a manic Indian Ringneck parrot and two dogs. These ‘dogs’ were Matt and Matt, two students with a passion for craft beer who began home-brewing under the watchful eye of Schmee the parrot.

First put into action by the home-brewing partnership of Matt Kristofski and Matt Warner in a dingy old flat in Aro Valley, ParrotDog really kicked off when Matt Stevens was added to the grist in 2011 for the release of ParrotDog’s first commercially available contract brewed beer, ParrotDog BitterBitch.

 

Six months down the track the demand for ParrotDog beer meant that brewing production was in need of expansion, but due to a limited capacity in contract brewing space this was unable to happen. ParrotDog’s next big step was then triggered and July 2012 saw five months of planning and hard work culminate in the launch of the brand new brewery right in the heart of Wellington City.

Awards

BitterBitch won the Best in Class trophy at the Brewers Guild of New Zealand Beer Awards 2012 in the ‘International Ale Styles’ class.

OrangeChocolate was awarded a bronze medal at the Brewers Guild of New Zealand Beer Awards 2012 in the ‘Festive Brew’ class.

BitterBitch won the People’s Choice award in two sessions at Beervana 2011.

BitterBitch was named New Zealand beer writer Neil Miller’s #1 beer of 2011 in his annual ‘Top Ten Beers of the Year’ list.

  • Matt Warner

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Matt Warner is an award-winning brewer and brewery owner but he very nearly became a lawyer. After completing Law and Science degrees at Victoria University and a Certificate in Professional Legal Studies, Warner was on the path to being admitted to the (legal fraternity) bar. Fortunately, the ParrotDog Brewery well and truly took off and he now attempts to make a living producing and selling craft beer. While at university he admits to drinking some “horrible lagers that were less than a dollar a can”, but that quickly changed after he began homebrewing in the dingy old Aro Valley flat he shared with Matt Kristofski. That was when the thoughts of one day opening a brewery first began. In his spare time, Matt enjoys snowboarding, fishing and jamming on his drum kit.

  • Matt Kristofski

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Matt Kristofski spent his first 20 years in Nelson, where he trained as an Automotive Electrical Engineer, but after a two year stint in Europe seeing the sights and visiting his motherland (he is half Macedonian), Kristofski decided that working on cars wasn’t his preferred future. He returned to New Zealand to complete a degree in Marketing at Victoria University. It was during these years of ‘study’ that he received his first homebrewing kit. The initial batch was consumed with Matt Warner while fishing on Eastbourne Beach and they were both inspired. Homebrewing rapidly became contract brewing and now there is the Vivian Street brewery. It is slightly scary to think that ParrotDog was effectively created in the bathroom of their university flat.

  • Matt Stevens

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Matt Stevens freely admits to not being a beer geek, saying he was probably making good beer before he began appreciating good beer. He joined ParrotDog Brewery as the all important numbers guy who knew how proper businesses actually worked. Originally from Nelson, he came to Wellington in 2006 for university. He earned a degree, became a qualified Chartered Accountant and worked at several accountancy firms, including Deloitte. These days he can be found working spreadsheets or clearing the mash tun at the brewery. There are even rumours he is training to brew. His idea of recreation includes snowboarding road trips to Ruapehu or a leisurely session at one of Wellington’s many fine beer bars chewing through a pint or two with some mates.

 

Our Beer

ParrotDog BitterBitch (IPA, 5.8% ABV)

An aggressive, tropical New Zealand-hopped aroma gives way to a rich, copper coloured malt base and a huge, lingering bitterness to finish. In an ode to its ancestors, we’ve used all English malts in the grist and a bold English bittering hop in the boil.

A hop-filled IPA with a solid malt backbone.

ParrotDog Bloodhound (Red IPA, 6.3% ABV)

A grassy New Zealand-hopped aroma featuring hints of roasted malt is supported by a full-bodied, red coloured malt base and a pleasant New Zealand-hopped bitterness to round off.

A big, malty red ale uplifted with generous amounts of hops.

ParrotDog DeadCanary (Pale Ale, 5.3% ABV)

A refreshingly fruity New Zealand-hopped aroma lies upon a golden coloured English malt base and culminates in a smooth New Zealand-hopped bitterness.

An easy-drinking pale ale, showcasing both malt and hops in even-handed amounts.

ParrotDog FlaxenFeather (Blonde Ale, 4.7% ABV)

A zesty New Zealand-hopped aroma precedes a pale, flaxen coloured malt base and a quenching New Zealand-hopped bitterness in the tail.

A refreshingly local take on a classic style.

ParrotDog Dogg (Dark Mild Ale, 3.9% ABV)

A roasty aroma featuring hints of chocolate and coffee sets the scene for this dark, English-style ‘session’ ale. A number of different specialty malts are used in the grist, whilst the hops take the back seat in this part of our range.

An easy drinking dark ale where malt has its turn to shine.

ParrotDog OrangeChocolate (Stout, 5.8% ABV)

Produced especially for this year’s Beervana ‘Festive Brew’ category, this new one-off stout was brewed with a liberal amount of hand-grated orange zest and the very finest Ghanian cacao nibs sourced from the local Whittaker’s chocolate factory in Porirua. The result is a smooth, dark chocolate stout featuring balanced citrus notes.

*Currently unavailable

ParrotDog Sleuthhound (Scotch Ale, 6.1% ABV)

‘Sleuthhound’ was an old Scottish term for a bloodhound, though it seems that there were actually slight differences between the two dogs. It’s fitting then that Sleuthhound was originally the home-brewed beer that Bloodhound was derived from, with it featuring a different yeast, different hops and also a touch of peat-smokedmalt. The result is a rich, fruity and full-bodied red ale featuring a hint of smoke.

*Currently unavailable

ParrotDog ScareCrow (American Wheat Ale, 4.0% ABV)

A citrusy American hop aroma sets the scene for our latest seasonal release. A 50% wheat base gives this beer a tart and juicy light body before a quenching American-hopped bitterness develops in the finish.

*Limited release

ParrotDog PitBull (US IPA, 7.0% ABV)

How quickly and easily America forgets its heroes. Owned by three American presidents and given the highest military honours of any other breed, the American Pit Bull Terrier is a very misunderstood dog. It was even used at America’s canine military mascot during the First World War. However, it’s own extreme power and aggressiveness – which ultimately led to its much less-than-favourable status in today’s society – cannot be underestimated.

And neither can this beer. PitBull has a huge, pungent American-hopped aroma that leaps out of an equally sized rich, golden malt base. The finish is very bitter. This is our most aggressive beer yet in terms of malt, hop and alcohol levels – you’ve been warned!

*Currently unavailable

Brewery Shop

See our Craft Beer Capital Profile for more information.

Fresh tap beer available from our flagon filler!

Opening hours:
Monday – Friday 10am – 6pm
Saturday 12pm – 6pm

29 Vivian Street
Te Aro
Wellington 6011
Phone: 04 384 8077

 

Where to get it

Northland

Coming soon

Auckland

3 Lamps
Andrew Andrew
  • 201 Quay Street
  • Viaduct
  • Auckland
Beermongers
  • 19 Station Rd
  • Panmure
  • Auckland
Brew on Quay
Brothers Brewery
Farside Bar
Galbraith's Ale House
The Golden Dawn
Glengarry
Hopscotch
Lincoln Wine
Liquorland - Forest Hill
Liquorland - Newmarket
Montage Bar
My Bar
O’Carrolls Freehouse
Sky Sports Grill
Super Liquor – Poenamo
Tahi Bar
Winehot Morningside

Waikato

Hamilton Wine Co
House On Hood

Bay of Plenty

Brew

Taranaki

Liquorland – New Plymouth
The Hour Glass
  • 49 Liardet St
  • New Plymouth
Vetro Mediterranean Foods

Manawatu

Liquorland – Albert St
Village Inn Kitchen

Hawkes Bay

Coming soon

Wellington

Baobab Café
Bar Edward
Beach Babylon
Bebemos
  • 88 Riddiford St
  • Newtown
  • Wellington
  • N/A
Big Bad Wolf
Bin 44
Black Dog
Brühaus
Chow Tory
Chow Woodward
Caffe L'affare
Centre City Wines and spirits
Crazy Horse
Creswick Foodmarket
  • 59 Northland Rd
  • Northland
  • Wellington
  • N/A
Crumpet
D4
Duke Carvell's
Featherston
Finc
  • 122 Wakefield St
  • Te Aro
  • Wellington
  • N/A
Fork n Brewer
Gather
  • 120 The Terrace
  • Wellington
  • Wellington
  • N/A
General Practitioner
Glengarry – Selected Outlets
Goldings Free Dive
  • 14 Leeds St
  • Wellington
  • Wellington
  • N/A
Hashigo Zake
Havana
The Hop Garden
Kelburn Village Pub
  • 87 Upland Road
  • Kelburn
  • Wellington
  • N/A
Little Beer Quarter
Liquorland – Miramar
Logan Brown
The Malthouse
Meow
Micro Wine Bar
Mighty Mighty
Ministry Of Food
Mojo Airport
Monsoon Poon
Monterey
Moore Wilson's
New World - Island Bay
New World – Metro
New World – Newlands
New World – Thorndon
New World – Wellington City
  • 279 Wakefield St

  • Wellington
  • N/A
Olive
Pan de Muerto
Puppies
Regional Wine & Spirits
Rogue & Vagabond
Roxy Cinema
Six Barrel Soda
Scopa
Southern Cross
Sweet Mother's Kitchen
Taphaüs
The Tasting Room
Thirsty Liquor – Maungaraki
Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club

Nelson

Fresh Choice – Nelson
Fresh Choice – Richmond
Free House
Moutere Inn
Deville
  • 922 New Street
  • Nelson

West Coast

Coming soon

Canterbury

Fresh Choice – Parklands
Halswall New World
Pomeroys
Cassels & Sons

Otago

Castle Macadam Wine
Riverstone Kitchen
The Portsider
Tonic Bar

Southland

Invercargill Brewery

Trade Information

For trade enquiries please contact the distributor for your appropriate region.

New Zealand (Excluding Wellington City)

Hashigo Zake Ltd

 

Wellington City

ParrotDog HQ

Australia

Better Beer Imports Ltd


 

Contact Us


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Contact info

Postal Address:

PO Box 27059
Marion Square
Wellington 6141

Physical Address:
29 Vivian Street
Te Aro
Wellington 6011
Phone: 04 384 8077
Email: info@parrotdog.co.nz

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