Tuatara began as a backyard operation in the hills above Waikanae. It was founded by Carl Vasta, an engineer with the tastebuds of a wine critic. If he needed a shed or a bottler or a tank, he’d just go ahead and build one. Before too long, he’d managed to brew a superb range of brews for his friends under the name Tuatara.

And so we began mixing it up on the Kāpiti Coast!

After over a decade of hard graft, the Tuatara team packed up the trophy cabinet and moved to a fit-for-purpose brewery in Paraparaumu.

Tuatara wins the Brewers Guild of New Zealand Champion Brewery Award for the second time - unheard of! This feat represents a trend of award-winning brews that continues today.

Tuatara transitions to DB Breweries ownership, representing one small step for us (in fact, we didn't move anywhere!), and one giant leap for New Zealand Craft beer, with Tuatara brews now available throughout this craft-appreciating country.

We shed our skin and reimagine what Tuatara looks like with iconic black, Third Eye packaging. Now we look as wicked as the brews we create.

The new look for Tuatara is accompanied by a fresh, juicy, trendsetting brew - the Hazy Pale Ale. Who would have thought this little lizard-skin bottle would kick off a nationwide phenomenon?! Our Roughneck Hazy IPA and Hazy IPA are created later to ride the Haze Craze. 

It began with a can. Our liquids keep getting weirder and we come out of our dark scales for a walk in the bright white lights of the Evolution series - launched into cans and taps straight out of the lab.