Churly-Approved. Fun Flavours in Every Pour

If there’s one thing you can count on at Marchfest, it’s discovering a beer you didn’t expect to love.

And at Behemoth Brewing’s stand on March 28 at Founders Park, those moments might be waiting in more ways than one. Look closely and you’ll see Churly, the brewery’s ever-changing mascot, who has appeared in more than 800 different forms over nearly 13 years. Heroes, villains, movie characters, friends, Churly can be nearly anything, and he’s there to help convey the brewery’s playful personality.

That personality goes beyond fun artwork. Behemoth’s mission is to “awaken a sense of fun in beer lovers.” Founder and Co-CEO Andrew Childs, along with wife and Co-CEO Hannah Childs, have experimented with hundreds of hop and malt combinations to discover new, exciting, and playful flavours.

“But no matter how good the beer is, if the label isn’t appealing people might not pick it up. So we try to make the label as fun as the beer inside,” says Andrew Childs.

And the beers themselves don’t hold back. Childs recalls one of the brewery’s more unexpected experiments, a Squid Game–inspired Black IPA made with actual squid ink.

“It turned black like we wanted and didn’t smell or taste fishy,” he says. “But in the can the colour dropped out and turned this crazy shade of green. It still tasted great, but I don’t think people could get past the colour. Even I struggled.”

Other beers have landed exactly as intended, like the annual Dude Abides White Russian Imperial White Stout, which tastes just like the cocktail and has become a fan favourite over the years. Despite all the creative experiments, Childs says the real secret to great beer isn’t flashy ingredients, it’s yeast.

“There’s an old saying: brewers make wort and yeast makes beer,” he says. “Happy yeast is the key. It may not be sexy, but it’s the most important thing.”

Behemoth has come a long way from its early days. The name itself started as a joke.

“The brewing ‘Behemoths’ in the States are huge companies like AB-InBev, Miller, and Coors,” Childs says. “We started tiny, brewing only 1,000 litres once a month. That, with me being pretty tall at 6 foot 5, Behemoth just made sense to me at the time.”

Now, nearly 13 years later, Behemoth has produced hundreds of beers, built a loyal following, and become known for bold flavours, playful branding, and inventive brews.

Festival-goers at Marchfest will get a taste of that energy with six different beers and a couple of beer slushies. Among them, one to look out for is the Nelsonian Rhapzody IPA.

“It’s brewed with new Clayton Rhapzody hops and they’re unlike anything we’ve used before. We’re only bringing one keg of everything, so if you want it, come see us early.”

With 20+ breweries pouring at Marchfest, there’s no shortage of discoveries waiting. Spend some time at Behemoth’s stand, and you’ll get the full picture: big flavours, big personality, and a brewery that knows how to awaken the fun in beer lovers.

Make sure to secure your tickets at www.marchfest.com and we’ll see you at their stand.

Uniquely Nelson is giving away one of two double passes to Marchfest plus a $50 dining voucher to enjoy at your favourite Nelson City restaurant. To enter, simply tell us who you’d take with you.

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Join us for the 19th annual Marchfest at Founders Park, Nelson on Saturday 28th March 1-9pm.

A celebration of craft beer set in the sunny city of Nelson, NZ’s main hop-growing region.

Enjoy brews from the best Nelson/Tasman and NZ craft breweries, all day live music, brewing demonstrations, delicious local artisan food, local ciders & wines and so much more!

Grab your tickets now and tell your craft beer loving mates!
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