Mac's Brewery

Commercial Brewery in Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand 🇳🇿
Owned by Lion Breweries - NZ
Associated Venue: Mac’s Shed 22 Brewbar

Established in 1981

Contact
27 Napier Street, Freemans Bay, Auckland, 1011, New Zealand
+6493472000
Description
Breweries big and small regularly win international awards, and Kiwi beer lovers are spoilt for choice. This wasn’t the case in 1981. Back then, the word craft was only used was to describe the crocheted socks your nana churned out for the church fair.

Then, in 1981, a man called Terry changed all that. He was a publican, and didn’t think much of the beer he could get for his pub, so he thought: ‘What if I brewed some myself?’. No-one had applied for a brewing licence for 50 years, and no-one could even remember what forms you had to fill out. But he persevered, and he got his forms, and he got his licence, and he brewed his beer, and what he brewed was Mac’s. It didn’t get any easier. Finding a brewery to brew in, and some bottles to put the beer into, and bottle caps to seal it with was equally hard.

Being a pioneer is hard work, but beer drinkers liked what they tasted, so the hard work began to pay off as Mac’s started to make a name for itself. A few of those beer drinkers also thought ‘What if we brewed some ourselves?’, and soon, a few more of those brewing licences got filled out. Thirty-odd years down the track, Mac’s is proud to have played a key role in kicking off our thriving beer scene, and even prouder to still be brewing award-winning naturally brewed beer that Kiwis love today.

Terry himself has moved on, but the spirit of ‘What if’ still runs through everything we do in our beer range, our ciders, our non-alcoholic sodas, or the Mac’s Brewbars around the country. The ribbed bottle and the rip cap are symbols of Mac’s pioneering history, and we look forward to carrying on in the same imaginative and passionate way for many years to come.

Lion acquired the brand in 1999, but the original brewery continues to produce craft beers under a different name (Stoke).
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berkshirejohn

6.9
berkshirejohn (10223) reviewed Interstate from Mac's Brewery 7 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

On tap at Aoraki. An amber pour with a tight white head; citrus aroma; good hoppy kick giving a sharp citrus taste; A robust APA, crisp and refreshing.

Tried from Draft on 26 Nov 2018 at 08:16

berkshirejohn

6.4
berkshirejohn (10223) reviewed Three Wolves from Mac's Brewery 7 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

On tap at the Hermitage Hotel, Mount Cook. An amber pour with a tight white head; tropical fruit aroma; fruity taste with some citrus; and a spicy bitterness. All rather subdued, but a decent APA overall.

Tried from Draft on 25 Nov 2018 at 08:51

berkshirejohn

6.4
berkshirejohn (10223) reviewed Green Beret IPA from Mac's Brewery 7 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

On tap at a pub in Hokitika, South Island. An amber pour with a tight white head; floral aroma; slightly resinous hoppy taste. A straightforward IPA, slightly underwhelming compared with many of the other NZ offerings.

Tried from Draft on 15 Nov 2018 at 08:49

hawthorne00

7
hawthorne00 (9781) reviewed Three Wolves from Mac's Brewery 7 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

Bottle. Bright orangish amber with a white head. Arom of bread crust, oranges, some mango. Almost medium bodied with lowish carbonation. Rich for around 5% with some toffee along with the bread crust. Then first tropical and then citrus and finally spicy hop notes emerge. They're not all that prominent but they're distinct and pleasant. Bitterness is on the high side of medium. Likeable drop.

Tried from Bottle on 20 Aug 2018 at 11:25

explosivedog

6.5
explosivedog (14050) reviewed Black Mac Porter from Mac's Brewery 8 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

330ml bottle. Pours black. Heavy toast, liquorice, coffee, plum, nice nuttiness. Medium body. Fine.

Tried from Bottle on 10 Mar 2018 at 07:09

explosivedog

6.2
explosivedog (14050) reviewed Interstate from Mac's Brewery 8 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

330ml bottle. Pours orange. Orange, grapefruit, perfumed, tangerine, bit dank, bit chalky at the end. Fine.

Tried from Bottle on 04 Mar 2018 at 04:15

efeesse

6.5
efeesse (1747) ticked Black Mac Porter from Mac's Brewery 8 years ago

(#651)(#7 NZ)(#3 Auckland)
Bought it at "FreshChoice", Te Anau, NZ

Tried from Bottle on 03 Mar 2018 at 18:37

anstei

6.5
anstei (3639) reviewed Green Beret IPA from Mac's Brewery 8 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Bottle. Pours clear amber. Aroma is soap, perfume, lemon. Body is medium, quite sweet with a decent malt backbone, lively carbonation. Low hop profile, but that could be through not total freshness. Sweet lingering palate. Quite good, but a bit too old.

Tried from Bottle on 05 Feb 2018 at 18:40

explosivedog

6.9
explosivedog (14050) reviewed Birthday Suit from Mac's Brewery 8 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

330ml bottle. Pours orange gold. Floral, orange, marmalade, grapefruit, bit perfumed, very floral, plenty of sweet caramel. Nothing to write home about but plenty drinkable.

Tried from Bottle on 29 Jan 2018 at 09:02

SimonF

5.5
SimonF (3322) reviewed Mid Vicious from Mac's Brewery 8 years ago
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6

(Bottle) Clear amber golden with no head. Sweet fruity aroma. Light body with fizzy carbonation. Taste is a little watery but reasonable malty sweetness at start and reasonable bitterness in finish. For a mid strength it is reasonable.

Tried from Bottle on 01 Dec 2017 at 17:01

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