Over the years, Behemoth’s mascot Churly, a grey monster with a sharp-toothed crooked smile, has played an essential role in branding. And, with significant expansion planned, an affable beer giant is exactly what this brewery is on its way to becoming.
A decade or so ago, Behemoth Brewing’s founder and co-CEO Andrew Childs had not long begun working as a lawyer when he was side-tracked by his passion for brewing. After spending time with operations such as Deep Creek and 8-Wired, he teamed up with his wife – co-CEO and renowned butcher and charcutier Hannah Miller-Childs – to successfully crowdfund the capital to build a multi-faceted Behemoth operation. In 2020, as the country came to grips with Covid-19, the flagship Churly’s brewpub opened in the Auckland city-fringe suburb of Mount Eden with the support of about 700 ‘chur-holders’. Churly’s, home to the brand, has a brewery, adjoining taproom and restaurant, and a nose-to-tail butchery operation that supplies the restaurant and crafts award-winning charcuterie for retail.
The latest call for investment seeks to raise $3 million to expand the onsite brewing capacity – currently 35% of the beer made by Behemoth is produced at the Dominion Road brewery, but this is rapidly increasing and they are eyeing a tripling in production in the next three to four years, which should see it cross the line from medium- to large-scale. Not that medium hasn’t been a happy place: this year, Behemoth’s haul at the 2022 New Zealand Beer Awards included Champion Medium Brewery, five golds, 11 silvers and 13 bronzes.
In the can
Behemoth is known for keeping things exciting, releasing at least two beers a week, many created on topical issues or ingredients, and offering 24 beers on tap at Churly’s. And the pun-centric names and quirky designs are backed up with excellent quaffing quality. Two of its popular signature beers are Half Way Down Lager – pitched as ‘the best darn lager on Dominion Road’, a nod to Churly’s address and the popular song by The Mutton Birds – and Brain Smiles
Hazy Pale Ale, which Greg describes as “pouring smiles on your brain”.
Both are brilliant for the summer months, as are two new releases: Smashable, a low-carb pale ale, and Responsibly, a 0% hazy IPA. Lifestyle beers are a growing focus for Behemoth as demand continues to strengthen. “There’s no longer shame around turning up to a barbecue with a low-alcohol or low-carb beer, or even a seltzer,” says Greg. Smashable is built for the humid New Zealand summer; at 4.2% ABV, you can smash it without getting smashed. It comes with 60% fewer carbs than the brand’s Chur! Pale Ale with 31 calories per 100ml. The flavour and aroma remain chunky, thanks to American and Kiwi hops and pale and Vienna malts that offer a super-dry finish. Greg says it’s perfect for cracking open after finishing the chores or knocking off following a long workday. Responsibly (‘drink responsibly’... see what they did there?) punches big for a zero beer. As the marketing describes, it’s a “responsibly brewed hazy with an irresponsible amount of hop and flavour”. Think pale, Vienna, oat, wheat, and Carahell malts rubbing shoulders with Citra, Mosaic,Galaxy and Riwaka hops, all in a tidy 0% package with just 14 calories per 100ml.
A cut above
The food at Churly’s is elevated well above the usual. The primary reason is the produce quality, especially the meat, which is butchered onsite from whole animals sourced from a select few ethically and sustainably-driven farms. Hannah and the team practise traditional seam butchery; separating cuts along the muscles means a greater ratio of steaks and more tender meat.
Prime Cut night every Wednesday is a wonderful opportunity to get a taste of the variety the butchery produces, along with seasonally changing sides and classics such as mac ‘n’ cheese and fries. The latter are cooked in beef tallow collected by the butchery, which is also used to age large beef cuts via the tallow-dipping method. Dry-aged beef and tallow-dipped aged beef can be sampled side-by-side, as can grain-finished beef and organic grass-fed beef – guests are guided through the ordering and tasting by Hannah or her butcher acting as a ‘meat sommelier’. Free-range heritage-breed pork, lamb, venison, tahr and other game meats round out the offering. All the meat comes through the butchery, so the quality is always top-notch – even the mince for the burger patties has been aged. The warmer months will see barbecuing come into play, adding another layer of flavour.
