Overview
2019 was officially the year that hard seltzer took over picnics and house parties in New Zealand. The ready-to-drink alcoholic carbonated water falls under the 'healthy drinking' banner, with products boasting everything from less sugar and natural ingredients to low carbohydrates and no preservatives.
Now, boundary-pushing Wellington brewery Garage Project has jumped on the bandwagon with a new beer-based hard seltzer they're calling "the cleanest thing we've ever brewed." Dirty Water is a brewed alcoholic seltzer, packing less than 90 calories and under one gram of sugar per 300 millilitre can. The sparkling drop is available in three flavours, including pineapple and passionfruit, lemon and lime, and raspberry and yuzu. Made with sorghum, it's gluten free.
Garage Project says producing the Dirty Water seltzer was a way to try something new, as well as highlight an issue important to the brewery. Since 2018, Garage Project has been volunteering and donating to the Wainuiomata River restoration project at Baring Head. Ten percent of Dirty Water profits will be donated to the Million Metre's planting projects to help improve water quality and enhance freshwater biodiversity.
It's no surprise that the much-loved experimental brewery has entered the seltzer market. The company which was established in 2011 by Jos Ruffell and brothers Pete and Ian Gillespie, regularly pumps out wild-fermented and spontaneous experimental and even has its own series of natural wines. Seltzer is effectively clarified beer.
For more information about Garage Project and Dirty Water, visit dirtywater.co.nz.