ABout Double D Brewing Co.
Bridging a Gap
Double D Brewing Co. is an off-license brewery in New Plymouth. It was conceived around a simple idea: bringing locally made craft beer to the people—not just “craft beer people”, but all people.
More specifically, the people who finish a hard day's work and are perfectly happy to pull up a seat at the local pub and order their usual.
Why those people?
Because we are those people.
Don't get me wrong, we both enjoy a nice hoppy IPA, and there's absolutely a time and place for bold, challenging beers. But more often than not, we find ourselves reaching for something a little more mild, approachable and familiar. The kind of beer you don't have to think too hard about—the one you know you'll enjoy.
The trouble is, while those familiar favourites are easy to drink, they can sometimes leave the palate wanting a little more.
That got us thinking: could we bridge the gap?
Could we take the beers people already know and love and create something a little more refined? Something just as easy to drink, but made locally, with more flavour and a little more character—without overwhelming the palate with bitterness?
That's exactly what we've set out to do.
We brew everyday, drinkable beers that tantalise the taste buds without demanding too much from them. Beers you can settle in at home with after a long day, or share with your mates.
We create beers that we like to drink. Beers inspired by the familiar favourites people already reach for, but with a little more to discover. And we hope that, along the way, we'll introduce people sitting on the fringe of the craft beer world to a whole new world of possibilities.
The People
Deanna Makris
Owner | Brewer | Knowledge
My love of beer started in Austin, Texas, in 2009, with my first craft beer – The Sixth Glass, a smoked quadruple ale. From there, I was hooked.
I brewed my first beer in 2012 when my friend Kent suggested we give home brewing a try. Kent and I did a few more brews and a year later, I moved to Taos, New Mexico, where I met Blair, who ran the local home brew club. Those meetings became some of my favorite places to learn. We’d explore everything from malt and hop flavors to different beer styles, then share whatever we'd brewed—or something interesting we'd found—around the table.
I’ve lived many lives along the way: preschool teacher, nanny, waitress, baker, restaurant manager, cleaner and store-man. But the most unexpected chapter began with a childhood fascination with Antarctica.
From the moment I learned that Antarctica existed, and that very few people ever got to go there, I wanted to see it for myself. In 2015, I read Kim Stanley Robinson’s Antarctica, which showed me that getting there might actually be possible. So, I applied for an entry-level job as a dishwasher and arrived in August 2016.
A month later, Stan himself arrived at McMurdo for the first time in 20 years since writing the book. We became quick friends, and Antarctica became a much bigger part of my life than I ever imagined.
By the time I moved to New Plymouth in 2021, I’d spent the previous five years living a nomadic life that began with my first season in Antarctica in 2016. One of the first things I did with roots in New Plymouth was buy a kettle and build a recipe. My last brews had been back in 2017, squeezed in between Antarctic seasons—a Lavender Rye Pale Ale and a Strong Golden Stout.
I thought I was simply getting back into a hobby I loved.
Then Josh got interested in 2023.
That’s when brewing became something more than a hobby. That first brew we made together was the beginning of Double D Brewing Co.
Owner | Brewer | Mechanic
Josh Dobson (dobby)
Born and raised in New Plymouth, Taranaki, I have spent years working in the oil and gas industry as a mechanical engineer, fixing problems, building things, and generally refusing to accept "that'll do" as a suitable solution. When I’m not covered in grease or overthinking how things could be improved, you'll usually find me around fast cars or a cold beer.
For years, I sat firmly on the fence when it came to craft beer. I liked beer, I drank beer, but wasn't entirely convinced by all the fuss. Then I made the mistake of brewing my own.
What started as a casual hobby quickly spiraled into a full-blown obsession. Surprisingly, the brewing itself is only part of the attraction. The real fun has been designing and building the brew house, engineering systems, fabricating equipment, and creating Double D Brewing Co. from the ground up. The beer is almost a by-product of the project.
As someone relatively new to the craft beer scene, I have the advantage of not knowing what I’m supposedly not allowed to do. I spend an unhealthy amount of time asking questions, challenging brewing conventions, and wondering why certain ideas haven't been tried before. This has resulted in a rapidly growing list of experimental recipes ranging from "that sounds interesting" to "there's probably a reason nobody has done that."
Whether those ideas become legendary beers or cautionary tales remains to be seen.
One thing is certain: Double D Brewing Co. was built on engineering, curiosity, stubbornness, and a belief that if something can be built in a shed, it probably should be.
Double D Brewing Co.
We met in Antarctica at the beginning of winter in 2018—Josh at Scott Base, Deanna at McMurdo. Somewhere between shared beers, good whisky, and life at the bottom of the world, we found each other.
We even have a whisky that tells part of our story. Some people have a song or a restaurant that takes them back to a moment; we have a bottle. It gets opened rarely, and only for something worth celebrating.
Deanna moved to New Zealand in 2021, bringing her love of homebrewing with her. After a couple years of moves, travel and settling into a new life, we finally brewed our first beer together in November 2023. One brew day was all it took. We knew we wanted to build something together.
So, we made a plan. We sold our lifestyle property, downsized, built a garage brewery and started brewing almost every weekend. A chance meeting with Liam from Salt District Brewing in Whangamata led us to our brew system, and a few days later we found the property that would become Double D Brewing Co.
There was a lot we didn't know but after nearly two years of planning, building, learning and a whole lot of hard work, we're finally getting close to opening Double D Brewing Co. in New Plymouth.
Double D Brewing Co. will open its doors on 28 November 2026.
We're here to brew simple beer that tastes great, share it with good people, and build something that's ours.
Our Story
Meet the Brew Dogs
Every brewery needs a couple of quality control specialists. Ours have four legs, very different work ethics, and a serious commitment to treats.
Sterling
4 years old | Great Dane | Tiny Baby Puppy
Sterling is 56kg of weighted blanket disguised as a Great Dane. Despite his size, he remains convinced that he is just a tiny little baby—and we're not going to be the ones to tell him otherwise.
He's our best brew dog, happily hanging around while we work and making sure he's never too far from whatever is going on.
His greatest passion, however, is attacking the water coming out of the hose. It's a battle he takes very seriously.
Official title: Head of Brewery Security
Speciality: Being enormous and somehow still a tiny baby puppy.
Bubby
8 years old | Greyhound | Treat Inspector
Bubby joined our family in December 2023, although he was born in March 2018—the same month Josh and I met in Antarctica. We like to think he was part of the story before we even knew it.
Bubby is a true velcro dog. Wherever we are, he wants to be—and preferably as close as physically possible. He also LOVES a treat.
He only occasionally joins us on brew days, usually appearing at just the right moment to remind us that he's there and that treats should probably be involved.
And, of course, he has the best little snoot around.
Official title: Chief Treat Officer
Speciality: Appearing precisely when treats are required
Together, Sterling and Bubby keep us company, keep us entertained, and occasionally remind us that brewing beer is no excuse for forgetting the important things in life.
Especially treats..
