Epic Brewing Company

Epic Brewing Company is contract brewed at Steam Brewing Company a microbrewery located in Otahuhu, Auckland.

In October 2007, Steam Brewing Company sold the Epic Brewing Company and Epic brand to Head Brewer / General Manager, Luke Nicholas. The Epic beers will continue being brewed at Steam Brewing Company.

Epic Brewing Company started exporting to Australia in May 2009, to the USA and Sweden in 2010 and to Belgium and Italy in 2011.

Luke began homebrewing in New Zealand, but while studying in the California, he discovered the impressive craft beer scene there and decided to turn his passion into a profession. It was beers like the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Pale Ale and Celebration Ale that began his love affair with American hops.

Upon returning to New Zealand, he began volunteering at local brewpub, Cock and Bull and eventually took up a position as their brewer. The Cock and Bull won many New Zealand and Australian brewing awards with Nicholas as brewer and continues to win many more. Luke has been an active international beer judge since 2006 when he was invited to judge at the prestigious World Beer Cup in Seattle.

He was also invited to brew his Epic Pale Ale at Everards Brewery in Leicester in 2009 as part of the J D Wetherspoon International Real Ale Festival and whilst in the UK teamed up with Thornbridge Brewery to brew an Epic version of their Imperial IPA, Halcyon. It was here he first teamed up with Thornbridge’s Kelly Ryan and in 2010, Kelly came over to NZ to brew the country’s first ever international collaboration beer, Epic Thornbridge Stout, a portion of which was aged in medium toast American Oak barrels.

Nicholas was then invited by good friend, Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Brewery to brew a beer with him for the Discovery Channel series, Brew Masters where the duo concocted a beer called Portamarillo, brewed with Pohutakawa wood-smoked Tamarillo fruit.

In 2011, Kelly Ryan joined Epic and the two travelled around New Zealand, filming NZ Craft Beer TV, during which they visiting 44 breweries around New Zealand. This show resulted in a collaborative recipe that they thought captured the current state of New Zealand brewing, a 6% New Zealand Pale Ale called Mash Up. Collaborating breweries were allowed input into the recipe and invited along for the brew day.

2011 also saw the release of Epic Hop Zombie, an 8.5% Double IPA, Epic LARGER, an 8.5% Imperial Pilsner and the first beer in their new Epicurean series, a Coffee & Fig Imperial Oatmeal Stout at 8% abv.