Yeastie Boys is an independent brewing company based in Wellington, New Zealand. Stu McKinley and Sam Possenniski founded it in 2008. Yeastie Boys has a list of three regular beers that they produce year-round, as well as a limited release of seasonal beers that they release every spring, summer, fall, and winter.
The Yeastie Boys themselves do not practice beer and food pairings, instead choosing to pair their beers with music, movies, places, or people.
Stu McKinlay in Sevenoaks, England, develops Yeastie Boys beer. The beer is commercially produced in New Zealand, Australia and the UK.
The year-round beers are
- Pot Kettle Black is a 6.0% porter beer that has won several awards
- Hud-a-wa’ Strong – 6.8% rich, strong, hoppy amber ale
- Rex Attitude – 7.0% peat-smoked strong golden ale
- Gunnamatta – Earl grey tea 6.5% IPA
- Digital – 5.7% Tropical balanced IPA
- Seasonal beer
- His Majesty. The first release in 2009 was a persistently bitter, 6.5% India Pale Ale.
- Her Majesty: First release at Beervana 2010.
- PKB Remix: A playful annual remix of Pot Kettle Black to celebrate its double trophy at BrewNZ 2009. In 2009, the hoppy porter became a 6.66% hoppy stout, while in 2010 the New Zealand hops were replaced with US Cascade and the ABV was raised to 6.8%.
- Digital IPA: an Indian pale ale released in late 2011. This free beer has a precise recipe widely available (“open source”) so that home brewers can brew their own versions.
Seasonal beers on tap/draft
- Pot Kettle Black (porter): A popular strongly hopped porter that has been dubbed “Black IPA” because of its particularly strong New Zealand hop character. Released in September 2008 (5.2%) and June 2009 (6.0%).
- Golden Boy, 4.7% golden ale: a single malt summer ale using Maris Otter malt and generously hopped with New Zealand Styrian Golding and Nelson Sauvin. Released in December 2008.
- Kid Chocolate – 3.6% pale ale: a reddish session ale, in the self-proclaimed favorite style of the Yeastie Boys, with a soft balance of malt and hops. One of the lowest alcohol commercial beers produced in New Zealand. Launched in March 2009.
- Plan K – 4.6% Belgian pale ale: a Belgian-style pale ale released by Beervana, Wellington, in August 2009.
- PKB Remix 2009 – 6.66% (stout): a remix of Pot Kettle Black to celebrate its double trophy at BrewNZ 2009. A hoppy porter becomes a hoppy stout.
- The Nerdherders – 4.8% New Zealand Pale Ale: a modern Pacific pale ale (aromatic and very bitter) with intercontinental and transatlantic influences. Two batches of this beer were produced – “B” and “D” (referring to the respective use of Motueka and Riwaka hops – formerly known as “Saaz B” and “Saaz D”). It was released in December 2009.