The Crafty Pint is almost entirely focused on Australian craft beer. But if one were to select an international brewery that could claim to be honorary Aussie it would be hard to look past New Zealand's Yeastie Boys.
One or both of Sam Possenniskie (above front, second from left) and Stu McKinlay (above in Yeastie Boys t-shirt) seem to spend vast swathes of each year here, they've completed multiple collaborations in multiple states (geographically and physically), won a People's Choice vote at GABS (for Gunnamatta) and Stu's pants are legendary throughout the beer world. What's more, their most recent achievement is staggering enough to warrant coverage regardless.
As we mentioned in a newsletter late last year, they were planning to launch a crowd-funding campaign to raise half a million Kiwi dollars to fund the next stage in their plan for world (or maybe intergalactic) domination. The money will help send Stu to the UK to establish their business: brewing at BrewDog with a distribution channel into Europe. Up to 500,000 shares (12.5 percent of the business) were up for grabs with pledgers able to contribute between $500 and $2,000 – for merch discounts, invite to the AGM and after party, and first refusal on limited release beers – and $20,000 for bigger discounts and ordinary shares with full voting rights.
So far, not so remarkable, hey? Well...
At 6pm local time yesterday (Jan 28), in a bar full of beer folks at Goldings Freedive in Wellington, the campaign went live. By 6.30pm, the $500,000 had been raised (and surpassed by $9). Half a mill in half an hour.
The first $100,000 was pledged within four minutes.
"We couldn't be more excited to have a whole new bunch of Yeastie Boys and Girls on board," said Stu, who says the focus will return immediately to making more beer.
"Also, 30 minutes: hell yeah!"
The campaign was run with Kiwi crowdfunding platform Pledgeme, whose CEO Anna Guenther (above between the Boys) was at the event.
"We are really impressed with Stu and the team's efforts in putting the campaign together and activating their crowd. This is a great success for a New Zealand company with big ambitions."
You can view details of the campaign here.
Thanks to Bryn Price for the photos.
