Queenstown’s Royalburn Station launches beer brand

Royalburn Station owner and farmer Carlos Bagrie is launching a brand-new beer to the NZ market: Swifty.

The 4.2% APV beer is the result of a collaboration between Royalburn Station and Wellington-based brewery Garage Project. It's described as a "classic, refreshing and quintessential Kiwi beer", that was named after the Swiftburn Stream on the historic Royalburn Station.

Fifth-generation farmer Bagrie says Swifty will be poured at selected bars and restaurants from this Friday, 1 December. It is the latest product from the ethical and regenerative alpine farm, co-owned by Bagrie’s wife Nadia Lim.

“Royalburn Station has been growing barley for more than 100 years – it was one of the first farms to supply the Speight’s beer factory,” he says. “We’re still producing 300 tonnes of premium-quality barley each year so it made sense for us to develop our own beer brand, in collaboration with Garage Project. We’ve had a lot of fun doing so."

Once harvested from Royalburn Station, the spray-free barley is delivered to Garage Project and brewed into Swifty. The beer will be available on tap at various establishments in the Southern Lakes and Central Otago regions, with plans to expand throughout New Zealand.

“We are really stoked with Swifty – it’s the type of unpretentious, highly drinkable beer that’s ideal for a summer barbecue with mates or after mowing the lawn,” adds Bagrie. “It’s a hybrid beer that’s pilfered from a medley of malts, styles and hops, creating something of exceptional quality that’s still simple and classic.”

Garage Project co-owner Jos Ruffell says: “It’s been fantastic collaborating with Carlos and the whole Royalburn team. Their progressive approach to farming and producing the highest-quality ingredients is a brewer’s dream. With such incredible malt to brew with, we’ve really tried to let the quality ingredients shine. Swifty is a classic, refreshing beer brewed to be enjoyed by everyone. It’s truly one for all."

Swifty is the latest innovation for the highly diversified Royalburn Station, which recently won a NZ Food Award for its Royalburn Fine Lamb. The 485-hectare alpine station is a large-scale farm-to-plate operation, producing everything from pasture-raised eggs to vegetables, honey, oils, seeds, grains and wool.

“The ethos of Royalburn is to produce premium food and beverage on a large scale, while remaining respectful to the animals and the environment, and utilising zero-waste circular solutions wherever possible,” says Bagrie. “That same approach has applied for Swifty, and we’re really excited to see it now being enjoyed in restaurants and bars around Queenstown and Wānaka.”