Beer made from the ubiquitous New Zealand kawakawa tree. Some leaves below.
This is from the website:
'The beer produced has a golden color, with a smooth and slightly sweet taste, a beer that it is truly uniquely New Zealand.
TaaKawa can be regarded as the first truly indigenous beer produced in New Zealand.'
I have not tasted TaaKawa - the reviews on ratebeer.com were average - possibly because of the unique flavour of kawakawa. Impressive though is that one of the reviewers bought at the bottle at Tesco's - England. Also on their gallery the boys are busy making a shipment for Japan.
It is fair to say that these guys are ambitious - check out a pic of their flash billboard display - and later a picture of the actual bottles.
Their website is a little scratchy - come on boys!
I've later discovered - that as often happens with twoperson partnerships - that the company's founders had a wee legal fallout - both claiming IP ownership. A shame - according to the legal judgment - sales were but modest - and worsened when the fallout occured. Both founders wanted to buy the other out - the problem when business becomes personal huh! I wonder if it all sorted it self out.
The story of Taakawa is an interesting one - two kiwi guys who started out with an ambition to take on Stella - but ended up caught in a spiral of personal differences. I believe they will solve these - and give Stella a run!