THE driver famous for fighting his way into the Supercars Championship with the proceeds of sausage sizzles has taken the logical next step, creating his own beer.
Todd Hazelwood has partnered with independent Brisbane-based brewer Easy Times Brewing Co to produce the ’35 Haze Session Ale’, set to be launched on Saturday.
The 35 is a play on Hazelwood’s number at Matt Stone Racing and also the 3.5 percent alcohol content of the beer, which is said to “exhibit flavours of tropical fruit, mandarin and berries”.
Hazelwood explained that the collaboration came about through a personal partner, K2M Advisory.
“One of the owners there is involved in the brewery,” Hazelwood told V8 Sleuth.
“We were having a meeting there one day, started throwing a few ideas around and they said, ‘we’d love to make a beer with your name on it’. I thought it was an awesome idea!”
The 35 Haze is the first of several beers Hazelwood hopes to release as part of the collaboration, pending the take-up of the initial offering.
“I’ve been doing a little bit of taste testing,” Hazelwood continued.
“The 35 Haze is based off award-winning ingredients. I haven’t tasted the batch itself; I’m tasting it this afternoon for the very first time.
“It’s literally fresh out of the barrel, we’re putting it in cans and kegs this afternoon and we’ll have it ready for everyone to enjoy tomorrow.
“If everyone likes what they see and enjoys the taste of the 35 Haze then hopefully we can make a few others.”
While creating a beer may seem a logical progression from sizzling sausages, Hazelwood points out a key difference between the two pursuits.
“It’s well document that sausages have been a big part of helping my career come to life and I think BBQs, beers and watching Supercars all go together pretty well!” he said.
“But I’m not doing this to make money. The whole concept is just trying to have a bit of fun and give something back for people to enjoy.
“With the launch party we’ve got the upstairs area for our team and sponsors, just to come along and get away from the serious side of racing, relax, have a few beers and enjoy everyone’s company.
“We’ve pushed so hard in the first six months of this year so it’s a cool opportunity to unwind, relax on a Saturday night and hopefully that helps with getting back on track.
“We’ve had a couple of tough rounds from a Supercar point of view, so this will get everyone relaxed and ready to press on for the rest of the year.”
The 35 Haze launch party at Easy Times Brewing Co starts at 3pm, with an open public invite. The limited-edition beer can also be purchased online.
