Gadoochi Brewing is what happens when creativity, hard graft, and a love for the craft come together. It all started in a small Roxburgh orchard, where Chris and Nicola found themselves with more apples than they could handle. Rather than let them go to waste – or drown them in sugar like so many store-bought ciders – they let nature do the work. The result was Gadoochi Cider, made with nothing but fruit and yeast, fermented with precision and cooled at just the right moments to lock in its signature super-dry finish. It was such a hit that they doubled down, purchasing and renovating a 100-year-old Invercargill bank, turning it into a café, bar, and a state-of-the-art brewery where their cider and beer could truly shine.
The beer brewing side of Gadoochi has come a long way since Chris’s first experiment in the ‘80s, when he made a batch in an old washing machine barrel. These days, the gravity-fed 300-litre brewery at Tuatara café and bar is a masterpiece of engineering, pumping out everything from bold IPAs to smooth porters, crisp pilsners, and hazy brews packed with locally grown hops. Nicola, an artist at heart, has infused Gadoochi with the same creativity that defines her paintings, shaping everything from the brand’s look to the atmosphere of their brew bar. Every pour is as much about craft as it is about character – bold, original, and unmistakably theirs.
Head to the Tuatara Cafe for an evening of live music, quirky art and delicious beers.
Josie Robinson | Bottling Southland Past
Mrs Pickles, now rarely called Josie Robinson, is bottling up the kind of pickles, jams, and chutneys that taste like they came straight out of Nana’s kitchen. And that’s exactly the point… Read More
Brit MacDonald | Flour Bro
With a rolling pin in hand and her grandfather’s baking tools on the counter, she started baking loaves of sourdough so digestible they could turn even the most gluten-wary into loyal customers. From a… Read More
Brian McGrath and Penny Sonnenberg | Orepuki Beach Café
Brian McGrath and Penny Sonnenberg didn’t move to Orepuki with a café in mind. They started out as possum hunters, tracking through bush across the West Coast and Southland for over a decade as… Read More
Kate and Anna Macdonald | Davaar Station
This is the kind of place you might blink and miss – but you really shouldn’t. Out at The Key, not far from Te Anau, Davaar Station has been in the family for generations: a sheep farm, good… Read More
Bill and Sue French | Leeland’s Lamb
Bill French has been farming since before he could remember. “I’ve been on the land since I could walk,” he says. “It’s in the blood, I couldn’t do anything… Read More
James Owen | Fat Bastard Pies
There’s a line outside Fat Bastard Pies most days, rain or shine. By the time the cabinet’s full and the doors open, the locals already know what’s on. And if it’s a long weekend… Read More
Dan Tarrant | Ruapuke Uncut
Dan Tarrant and his family harvest mānuka honey from one of the most remote places in the country, Ruapuke Island. And while his honey is rare, Dan’s story is even rarer: one of deep connection… Read More
Josie Robinson | Bottling Southland Past
Mrs Pickles, now rarely called Josie Robinson, is bottling up the kind of pickles, jams, and chutneys that taste like they came straight out of Nana’s kitchen. And that’s exactly the point… Read More
Brit MacDonald | Flour Bro
With a rolling pin in hand and her grandfather’s baking tools on the counter, she started baking loaves of sourdough so digestible they could turn even the most gluten-wary into loyal customers. From a… Read More
Brian McGrath and Penny Sonnenberg | Orepuki Beach Café
Brian McGrath and Penny Sonnenberg didn’t move to Orepuki with a café in mind. They started out as possum hunters, tracking through bush across the West Coast and Southland for over a decade as… Read More
Kate and Anna Macdonald | Davaar Station
This is the kind of place you might blink and miss – but you really shouldn’t. Out at The Key, not far from Te Anau, Davaar Station has been in the family for generations: a sheep farm, good… Read More
Bill and Sue French | Leeland’s Lamb
Bill French has been farming since before he could remember. “I’ve been on the land since I could walk,” he says. “It’s in the blood, I couldn’t do anything… Read More
James Owen | Fat Bastard Pies
There’s a line outside Fat Bastard Pies most days, rain or shine. By the time the cabinet’s full and the doors open, the locals already know what’s on. And if it’s a long weekend… Read More
Dan Tarrant | Ruapuke Uncut
Dan Tarrant and his family harvest mānuka honey from one of the most remote places in the country, Ruapuke Island. And while his honey is rare, Dan’s story is even rarer: one of deep connection… Read More