The Phoenix Brewing Company, Mansfield, Ohio and Upside Brewing from Sylvania, Ohio have worked together to bring a New Zealand Hop Monster to Ohio.
The two breweries collaborated, designed, and brewed the Taniwha, a pale ale featuring the New Zealand hops; Dr. Rudi, Motueka, and Nelson Sauvin, known for their tropical notes of kiwi, strawberry, and melon.
The brewers, Duncan Macfarlane of Phoenix, and Nick and Melissa from Upside, collaborated over the recipe while enjoying J & G’s pizzas, gyros, and beers in Sylvania, Ohio. They finalized the recipe design through text messages and phone calls.
Early on the agreed they wanted to feature hops from New Zealand. The name came later, and was inspired by the New Zealand monster, Taniwha. A serpent or dragonlike or creature that lurks in deep water. Mythological creatures are a recurring theme in many of Phoenix’s beers.
“It’s a Pale Ale with a lighter body and showcases some great hops from New Zealand. We wanted to use New Zealand hops for their tropical notes. These just smell incredible and it transferred over so well into the beer. The beer is just fantastic.” Said Duncan Macfarlane, head brewer for the Phoenix.
Taniwha was released at Upside Brewing in Sylvania, Ohio during the Ohio Craft Brewers Conference held in Toledo, Ohio, January 17 -19, 2024.
The Sylvania, Ohio brewery first opened in the J & G Pizza Palace in 2016. Husband and wife brewers, Melissa and Nick Dallas, wanted to expand the 52-year-old family restaurant business to include a microbrewery. Upside opened, brewing their unique offerings and award-winning recipes in the basement of the restaurant and serving them at the restaurant. They recently expanded next door to J & G, opening the Dallas Taproom in October of 2023. In addition to their own beers, they feature other Ohio-based breweries and offer a menu from the iconic community pizza shop.
The Taniwha will release in Mansfield, Ohio at the Phoenix on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at Noon on draft and with a limited number of 16 ounce to-go cans.
The Phoenix opened in the former Schroer Mortuary of Mansfield in April of 2014. Similar to Upside, they began their brewing journey in the basement level and expanded their operations to include a production facility next door. Head brewer Duncan Macfarlane, along with partners Steve Zigmund, and Scott Cardwell started the venture to create a craft beer community in Mansfield. In April, they will be celebrating their 10th anniversary.
You can meet brewers from both breweries on Saturday, January 27, at 1 pm in the Phoenix Taproom in Mansfield, Ohio. The brewers will be available to chat about the beer, their breweries, and their experiences in the industry over the last few years. The beers will be available in both taprooms, while they last.
The pilsner malt was sourced from Origin Malt, an Ohio-based ingredient supplier. And the hops came from Crosby Hops.