In 1981, former All Black Terry McCashin did something nobody in New Zealand had done for 30 years — he opened a brewery. It was so long since anyone had applied for a brewing licence that no one even knew where the forms were kept. Housed in the old Rochdale Cider factory in the Nelson suburb of Stoke, McCashin's Brewery kicked off what's now known as New Zealand's craft beer revolution. Today, under Scott McCashin's ownership, the brewery produces Stoke beer, Rochdale Cider, and its own artesian water — all from the same site. With a tap room, brewery tours, garden bar and the Great Taste Trail running right past the door, it's a must-visit if you're in Nelson.
The Story
The building on Main Road Stoke started life as the Rochdale Cider factory in the late 1930s. By the 1970s, New Zealand's brewing scene was a duopoly — Lion and DB producing bland production-line beers. Regional breweries had been swallowed up or shut down, and Nelson had no brewery at all.
Terry McCashin, a farmer and former All Black, bought the Rochdale site in 1980 and convinced Jim Pollit, head brewer for Danish giant Carlsberg, to move to Nelson and run the operation. McCashin's Brewery was officially opened in 1981 by Prime Minister Robert Muldoon. It was the first new brewery licence in New Zealand in three decades.
The original Mac's beer brand became a nationwide success, but Terry sold it to Lion Nathan in 1999. After a 10-year non-compete period, son Dean and his wife Emma relaunched the brewery in 2009 under the Stoke brand. In December 2022, Scott McCashin acquired the brewery from his siblings and now runs the operation.
The Brewery Tour
Tours cost $30 per person, last about 60 minutes, and take you right into the guts of the working brewery. You'll see the equipment that's been in use since the early days — including the original malt mill — and learn about the different hops and malts used. The guide walks you through the McCashin family story, the history of craft brewing in New Zealand, and how each beer is made.
The tour finishes with a tasting of all the beers on tap — nearly a dozen, covering both the standard Stoke range and any seasonal or experimental brews. One of the unique things about McCashin's is that they brew with water from a 14,000-year-old artesian well directly beneath the brewery.
The Tap Room
Even if you're not doing a tour, the Tap Room is worth a stop. There's something quite special about sitting inside watching the bottling line in full action behind a window while you drink the very beer that's being bottled. The menu covers steaks, pizzas (made with brewer's yeast dough), pies, wraps, mussels steamed in Stoke IPA, and chicken crumbed with Wakachangi chips. All food is produced on site and the menu changes with the seasons.
If it's not quite beer o'clock, they serve locally made coffee from 7am seven days a week. The cafe side has cabinet food — sausage rolls, beef and Stoke Beer pies, salads and baking.
Regular Events
The brewery punches well above its weight for events. Happy hour runs 4–6pm on weekdays, there's a free quiz night every Thursday, Texas Hold'em poker on Friday nights, McCashin's Market every Saturday from 12–4pm, and live music on Saturdays (1–5pm) and Sundays (2–6pm). The garden bar is family-friendly and they show Sky Sport on the big screens.
