Weaving Wool Into Brewing
Kirsty McKay knows a thing or two about wool. The child of East Cape farmers, she grew up with the fibre and has been a passionate advocate for as long as she can remember.
As the owner of Sawmill Brewery, with her partner Mike, it made sense to Kirsty to incorporate New Zealand-grown wool into as many aspects of the business as possible - and in some very imaginative ways too.
When dining at the Smoko Room, the B-Corp certified brewery’s onsite restaurant, wool drapes and woollen blankets create a cosy atmosphere. Kirsty’s team sport Brewers Socks, a collaboration with homegrown woollen apparel business, Norsewear. “They’re breathable, comfortable, and our guys love wearing them,” Kirsty says.
And at the end of 2024, she and her friend Tim Deane, Norsewear’s enthusiastic Matakana based owner, launched woollen beer coolers. Yes, coolers.
“It’s an idea that came about as a way of physically demonstrating wool’s insulating properties,” explains Kirsty. “Many Kiwis only think of wool as something that warms you up, not a fibre that cools things down. When you’re drinking from a can or bottle, you don’t want your beer getting warm, and this is just such an awesome way to prevent that.”
In testing, the woollen beer coolers, on a typical 26-degree Rodney day, helped maintain beer temperature over a 30 minute period when compared to a beer that was not insulated by a woollen beer cooler. “There was a 40% variation,” says Kirsty. “It really works.”
She’s such a fan, the Sawmill Brewery recently signed up as Campaign for Wool supporters. The not-for-profit helps promote locally grown strong wool to consumers, advocate for farmers and run education programmes on wool through schools and tertiary institutions.
“New Zealand wool is the most incredible product,” enthuses Kirsty. “It lasts, it’s useful, it’s natural, it’s tough, and it’s so beautiful to hold, wear and look at.”
Kirsty explains that as a brewery, they are already inextricably linked to the primary sector through the production of beer. “So it makes sense to continue building strong relationships with that sector, and creating value with and for our partners,” she says.