Sisters are brewing it for themselves

National capitals Canberra and Wellington are teaming up to create a bespoke sister city beer: Ale of Two Cities.

Our very own BentSpoke Brewery and Fork and Brewer, Wellington are sharing their craft beer brewing expertise to celebrate one of the many social and cultural ties we share in common.

Today at BentSpoke, head brewers Richard Watkins and Fork and Brewer’s Kelly Ryan are starting the brewing process which will result in the first production of the Ale of Two Cities.

This first brew will be ready for launch in Canberra with the Mayor of Wellington at the start of November. It will then be launched in New Zealand the Canberra Week in Wellington launch in mid-November and a ‘tap take over’ at official events.

This opportunity for businesses in each city is an innovative one. I hope it is a catalyst for further improvements of knowledge, business development, social cohesion and market export and import growth.

Wellington and Canberra both have vibrant, established and growing craft beer markets, so this serves as an ideal partnership to celebrate and strengthen our sister-city relationship.

I am sure this process will evolve into a city-wide opportunity for established and emerging craft brewers in Canberra to engage, develop and exchange brews with their Wellington counterparts.

Quotes attributable to BentSpoke owners Tracy Margrain and Richard Watkins:

“BentSpoke Brewing Co is really excited to enter into a collaboration with a New Zealand brewer to promote the Canberra/Wellington partnership. We have always been passionate about promoting Canberra and it is great to think that beer can be a product that brings these partnerships together. Kelly, who we have known for a number of years, is a champion brewer and we are really humbled to collaborating on a joint beer to benefit the Canberra/Wellington partnership.”

Quotes attributable to Kelly Ryan owner of Fork Brewing in Wellington.

“Richard and Tracey at BentSpoke are known as some of the best in the business and to be able to work with them is such an exciting proposition. Richard and I have both been in the industry for close to two decades but I’m sure we’ll each learn something new, and it’ll be awesome to be able to bring a little piece of Canberra to Wellington.”