Shining Peak Brewing is about community, providing those in New Plymouth with good beer and a homely place to drink it.
Jesse Sigurdsson, the head brewer and general manager of the Taranaki brewery, grew up next to the town's mountain, near Inglewood.
Having moved to Wellington, where he studied Political Science at Victoria University, Sigurdsson joined the workforce in logistics shortly after.
Acquiring his first taste in the beverage industry, Sigurdsson worked for the now-defunct Mill Liqoursave.
Here, Sigurdsson was exposed to different products, which gave the brewer a taste for craft beer, such as Epic Armageddon, Liberty Citra, and Mike's Imperial IPA.
Sigurdsson approached the team at Mike's Brewer in Urenui for a job; the rest is history.
Shining Peak reflects community through all its processes, with each of its brews coming with a piece of Taranaki History, such as Fanny Fantham's lager, named after the first European female to traverse Mt Taranaki.
Five percent of each tap beer taken is also given to a different charity or initiative each month.
"Each time our five percent project really makes a difference is a personal highlight. Having raised $183,000 and seeing the donations in our community makes me so proud," said Sigurdsson.
While community sustainability is at the forefront, Shining Peak implements environmental practices through solar and future investments like CO2 recapturing.
Outside of their community work, Shining Peak provides an atmosphere for locals and travellers to enjoy a good brew.
Sigurdsson passionately said, "Being in the brewpub environment means I get direct feedback from the consumer. It's extremely rewarding to see punters enjoying a pint of your efforts".
With an extensive collection of funky brews in the barrel-aged beer program, look out for a range of unique drinks down at the New Plymouth brewery.
