This beer-tale kicked off last January when our Head of Production at Ossington, John, hit the road on an R&D motorcycle trip through New Zealand. Amidst breathtaking landscapes, he met up with the legendary Garage Project, a Kiwi brewery we’ve long admired and enjoyed collaborating with in the past.

While there, the team suggested a visit to Garston Hops, the southernmost hop farm in the world. The farm was stunning, and with a "when in Rome" mentality, it quickly became clear that we'd want to make the most of these top-tier New Zealand hops for something special.

Since harvest doesn’t happen until March or April, Garage Project ran a sensory analysis of the hops and sent the results to John. Rakau and Motueka hops were chosen for this IPA, and just like that, Garston Grog was born.

We’re thrilled to be the first brewery in Ontario to use Garston Hops, and their exceptional quality shines through in vibrant notes of grapefruit mimosa, honeydew melon, and black raspberry.

As for the name? Garston, naturally. And "Grog," a drink shared by adventurous folks and friends—just like the collaboration behind this beer.