Sarah Parkinson (left) and Jessica Wolfgang at Rhyme and Reason.

LAURA WILLIAMSON

"The name just popped into my head - I decided we had every rhyme and reason to do this.”

This is brewer Jessica Wolfgang’s explanation for the name of Wanaka’s newest bar and microbrewery, Rhyme and Reason, which opened for business at the start of June.

Jess has started the business with her partner in work and life, Simon Ross. It is Wanaka’s sixth microbrewery, and the town’s first one with an on-license - an open-plan setup lets patrons watch the brewing in action while they enjoy a drink.

"We wanted people to feel like they’re in the brewery,” Jess told the Wanaka App, and you do. For those of us uninitiated in the art of brewing, it’s fascinating to peer at the big stainless steel tanks, pumps, dials and valves, and wonder what they’re all for. 

It’s also a setting that’s a tad funkier than your usual Wanaka setup. There’s a foosball table in the middle of the bar, the toilets are are decorated entirely with lovely items found at the beach and the recycling centre, and the wall decor includes skate decks painted by Oamaru artist Ryan Moore with portraits of two of Jess’ favourite beer gurus: Michael Jackson (no not the singer - this Michael was a legendary beer writer) and famous homebrewer John Palmer, author of the definitive text ‘How to Brew’.

On offer at Rhyme and Reason is a permanent roster of four of Jess’ beers, complemented by a revolving menu of at least two more seasonal brews (watch out for a coffee stout, coming soon) plus products from other microbreweries - currently these are all Wanaka-based ones, but Jess said she plans to bring in craft beers from around New Zealand in the future. 

The bar doesn’t have a commercial kitchen ("I want to be focussed on the beer,” Jess said),

so Jess and Simon have thought outside the box: they sell TV dinners on-site, allow patrons to bring BYO picnics and are teaming up with local food trucks - they’ll be a pop-up Asian food truck parked out front next weekend.

Originally from Coffs Harbour, near Byron Bay in New South Wales, Jess said a move to Wanaka about two years ago was about enjoying the activities our region has to offer, especially mountain biking, hiking, camping, skiing and snowboarding. "Moving here was a lifestyle choice,” she said.

Prior to coming to New Zealand, Jess was the lead brewer for six years at Hunter Beer Co. Much of her training to be a brewer was on the job, but she also did a course through the Institute of Brewing and Distilling.

She explained that many skillsets apply to the brewing process, so it’s an industry that attracts people with varied backgrounds, including chefing, engineering and chemistry. (Case in point: John Palmer worked for the American space programme and contributed to hardware currently aboard the International Space Station.)

When asked about her brewing style, Jess said she makes many different types of beer, so her focus is mostly on doing what she does well. Her goal is to make "the best beer in the world”, and she has her sights set on a Best Small Brewery award at the annual International Brewery Awards, also known as the "Oscars of brewing”.

She’s certainly creative in her approach to her craft. Not long ago she brewed a frozen black India pale ale (IPA) for the Beervana Festival in Wellington. The beer was brewed at the Craftwork Brewery in Oamaru, but then, instead using a traditional freezing process, she took the beer up to Ohau Snow Fields and stuck it in the snow.

And one of the most in-demand brews at Rhyme and Reason has been the Big Banana wheat beer, which uses a German yeast strain that produces clove, banana and bubblegum flavours. Part of Jess’ inspiration was an attraction from her home town: Coffs Harbour’s famous giant banana. One of Australia’s original "Big Things”, it is part of The Big Banana amusement park. Jess originally made the beer as a seasonal offering, but it has proven so popular she’s put in on the permanent menu. 

"It’s definitely a point of difference having that on tap,” she said.

As for running the business, from "brew day” to pouring takes about three weeks (give or take depending on temperatures and the type of yeast), and the bar is a open every day. It means working seven days a week, and the days are long. At the moment Jess and Simon have one full-time staff member - barista, marketing manager and brewer-in-training Sarah Parkinson - plus two casual employees, but they’re hoping to bring on more seasonal staff as things progress.

Their space on Gordon Road also serves as a workshop for Simon, who is a mechanical engineer by trade. However, "he loves beer” Jess laughed, and he has put his engineering knowledge to good use by designing and building automated bottling machines, which he sells in Australia and New Zealand - his machines are now filling, labelling and sealing bottles at 17 breweries.

It’s a lot of work, but for now, Jess says they’re enjoying the combination of making great beer and mixing with the people consuming it. "I love working in the bar, seeing people loving and enjoying the product,” she said.

As for the beer Oscars, could Jess Wolfgang be the Jane Campion of small breweries? Watch this space.

PHOTO: Wanaka App