This content was originally published by The Hop Review, a digital magazine that joined the Hop Culture family in March 2020.
This piece was written by Jack Muldowney.
QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND
From their picturesque backdrop in rural Gibbston, Queenstown, Cargo Brewery creates a lineup of honest, locally-sourced-ingredient, classic style beers. Brewing with New Zealand hops and grains and ‘an honest drop of some of the purest water on the planet,’ Cargo operates within a repurposed 1894 church, on the grounds of the Waitiri Creek Vineyard.
Cargo Brewery was created in 2015 by Malcolm and Meron Blakey, with a taproom having recently opened, early 2018. According to Cargo’s website, “Malcolm discovered brewing in 2014 and after many, many months managed to persuade Meron to be part of turning a 1971 Bedford TK into a mobile brewing and food truck. Meron, who happens to be a chef by trade, took on the challenge on the condition the food would be innovative, fresh and healthy. And so Cargo Brewery & Kitchen was born. Cargo believes in fresh, locally sourced ingredients for both our Brewery and Kitchen. We believe that events are unique and so should be the food on offer. We push ourselves by creating new recipes which will inspire and excite.”
Fellow Queenstown New Zealanders, branding firm makebardo, took a ‘gender-neautral’ approach to the minimalistic design:
“In a matter of seconds, packaging can inspire a customer to buy your product or not. Therefore, we focus on the ’essential’, eliminating the rest. We do not put the focus on reducing, we put the focus on what is important through an ‘authentic’ and ‘genderless’ design.”
“In a matter of seconds, packaging can inspire a customer to buy your product or not. Therefore, we focus on the ’essential’, eliminating the rest. We do not put the focus on reducing, we put the focus on what is important through an ‘authentic’ and ‘genderless’ design.”
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Images via makebardo.com