Heyday Beer Co

Overview

After a whirlwind trip around America consisting of 80 breweries in three months, Hannah Blackwood and Hamish Sail decided to come back to Wellington and create their dream brewery. Heyday Beer Co was born.

Opening last November up the top of Cuba Street, the brewpub is a fun addition to Wellington's already heaving craft beer universe. Starting with a blank shed, effectively, Hannah, Hamish and their co-conspirators Andrew Collins and Sam Whitney installed the brewery according to head brewer Sam's specifications (he's ex-Panhead) and then fitted the brewpub around the equipment. It really does feel like you're dining in a brewery, which we imagine would be quite interesting during brewing hours. Sick of people watching? This is a particularly Wellington alternative. 

The space is light and colourful, eschewing the typical brewpub decor to go with mint tiling and a flamingo aesthetic. In summer, out the front is a great hangout spot, with beanbags and fairy lights overhead. Much of the quirky fit-out is down to Hannah, who has according to Hamish "a keen eye on TradeMe and bargain hunting." Happily, they've just installed a huge amount of heating, so the summer vibes can continue all year round. 

The food offering is pretty classic for a brewpub: curly fries, burgers, the odd fried chicken platter and cheeseboard. We recommend the Mediterranean vegan burger, or the beer-battered pickles if you're feeling some fried indulgence. Out of the tasting flights we tried, the Moonglow Apricot Ale was a hit on a wintry Monday night. Hamish says the beer offering as the year progresses will continue to aim to be "affordable and sustainable." "Our focus is seasonal beers that change regularly rather than a core range. Sam is constantly aiming to better himself, and whilst he's got the classics down he also likes to experiment with lesser seen styles." Sounds good to us. Keep doing you, Heyday.