After decades of product and market development work that led John Morawski to many different countries worldwide, it was in New Zealand that he decided he wanted to turn his lifelong love affair for beer and brewing into a business.
After many years of homebrewing, Morawski enrolled with the Doemens Academy of Germany and gained a certificate in brewing science.
Following an initial stint in the brewpub business, together with Petra, his partner in life and business, they decided to focus solely on brewing beer, and so in 2013, Laughing Bones Brewing was born.
Morawski brews his beers with a key focus on authenticity by honouring traditional processes and beer styles. Their guiding principle is to make a well-balanced beer that customers will want time and time again.
“Our beers are brewed with respect to ingredients and style, aiming to create a well-balanced symphony of flavours that make them very approachable without losing their unique character,” Morawski explained.
Laughing Bones Brewing offers a range of beer styles, from lagers and pilsners to hazys and IPAs, all the way to porters and barrel-aged beers. While at the same time, often pushing the boundaries of specific styles by playing with unusual ingredients such as hibiscus flowers and creating innovative beer styles like Mountain IPAs, which they have been pioneering for within New Zealand.
Mountain IPA, named after the Rocky Mountains, which are located in the centre of the United States, represents a beer style that combines the best features of both West and East Coast IPAs. The result is a slightly hazy beer with juicy and fruity hop characteristics that finish with a solid piney, resinous hop bitterness, characteristic of West Coast IPAs.
Their Hibiscus Coast Haze, an Unfiltered IPA brewed with hibiscus flowers, is one of their most popular beers from their range. This drink, an ode to the Hibiscus Coast, where their brewery is located.
A project they have been working on lately is called ‘Hops from the Hood’ where they brew small batch brews with fresh hops from a small, local hop grower.
“We usually go out and help harvest, which is really special as it provides a real connection to the origin of the ingredient,” he said.
One of their other projects, Funky Bones, was born out of a passion for all things fermentation. This project allows Morawski and his team to experiment with fermented beverages other than beer. At this point, they are brewing and marketing cider as well as kombucha in small batches.
Morawski has had no shortage of highlights throughout the years; having pursued a master's degree in food chemistry and a career working within the food and beverage industry, he was able to work with some world-renowned breweries such as Bass and Coors, among others, to solve very technical brewing challenges. While simultaneously helping to commission five other breweries within New Zealand.
Alongside the many awards the brewery has achieved for its beers, Morawski was also crowned the 2015 New Zealand home cheese maker by the New Zealand Special Cheesemakers Association for his version of Wensleydale cheese.
The team at Laughing Bones Brewing are passionate about independent craft beer and being part of a dynamic industry within New Zealand. However, they believe there is still some work to be done to educate consumers on the differences between independent craft and faux craft, meaning craft beer labels created or bought out by large multinational conglomerates.
“We believe there’s room for everyone, but it is important for consumers to know which type of producer they are supporting with their purchase.”
Morawski expressed that he is excited to soon be expanding their reach outside of the Auckland area while, at the same time, securing their first export order, which is a major step for the business and shows they are on the right track with the type of products they are producing.
