“It’s one of those things: sort of it’s like the first Sex Pistols gig, you know, everyone says they were there but really there were only,I don’t know, probably a dozen of us actually there!” Stu McKinlay talks about the legendary meeting at the Malthouse in Wellington that led to the foundation of the Society of Beer Advocates (SOBA).

In this special transatlantic episode, Martin catches up with Stu McKinlay, the founder of Yeastie Boys, who calls in on a summer morning from the UK. Stu reflects on his deep foundational roots in the New Zealand craft beer scene, recounting his early days on the Real Beer forum and his attendance at the legendary first SOBA (Society of Beer Advocates) meeting at the Malthouse. He even shares a fantastic, little-known piece of trivia: before officially launching Yeastie Boys in 2008, he actually founded the Liberty Brewing homebrew business, eventually selling it to Joe and Christina Wood.

The conversation then explores Stu’s pioneering approach to the business of beer, particularly his massive, early success with equity crowdfunding. He recounts how Yeastie Boys became one of the very first New Zealand companies to utilize the PledgeMe model, famously raising half a million dollars in just 33 minutes back in 2015 to fund their expansion to the UK. Stu also dives into his absolute passion for collaboration and breaking traditional brewing rules, sharing brilliant stories of working alongside winemakers to create unique hybrids like PushMe and PullYu, and the wild experiments they did utilizing different yeast strains and candy sugar.

Finally, the episode tackles the harsh realities of the current international beer market. Stu explains how the landscape drastically shifted post-COVID, with heavy price competition from multinational breweries driving prices down and making supermarket distribution incredibly tough for independent brands. To adapt, Yeastie Boys completely overhauled their model, with Stu stepping away from the day-to-day business in the UK, having already transitioned to a brew-under-licence model in NZ. Stu also talks about how his new business, Liquid Sky Drinks, has started importing Garage Project beers into the UK, with phenomenal early success.. Grab a pint and enjoy this fascinating look at the global journey of a craft beer pioneer!

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