- Richard Emerson is selling his childhood home where the first Emerson’s beer was brewed.

- The Dunedin property, 17 Brownville Crescent, holds significant brewing history and family memories.

- The home, with a buyer guide in the $800,000s, is attracting interest from young families.

The godfather of New Zealand craft beer is selling his childhood home.

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Emerson’s beer founder Richard Emerson was three years old when his family moved into the four-bedroom home in 17 Brownville Crescent in Maori Hill, Dunedin, in 1967.

Emerson told OneRoof many of his memories centred around the home and he recalled watching his father spending many weekends renovating the 1910s home and even helping him when he decided to dig out the hard clay under the house to create a hobby room.

But it was upon his return from the UK in 1984 at the age of 21 when a real legacy was made.

Richard Emerson outside his childhood home in Maori Point, Dunedin. It is on the market for sale for the first time in 57 years. Photo / Supplied

Emerson was three years old when his family first moved into the 1910s home, which has a private backyard. Photo / Supplied

He had just had his first real taste of beer and the pub scene in the UK because the legal drinking age there was 18, compared to New Zealand’s which was 20 at the time.

“The memories of grandfather brewing his beer and the UK beers inspired me to brew at home,” he said.

He moved back in with his parents and started experimenting in his mum’s kitchen in Brownville Cres. The first brews were made with Maltexo malt extract before Emerson moved onto grains.

“That was a much more interesting process but made such a mess! After several brews I was politely requested to move the brewing process out of mum’s kitchen,” he said.

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However, out of that messy kitchen, Emerson’s first ever beer – the London Porter – was created in 1985.

After being kicked out of his mum’s kitchen, he took over some space in a friend’s garage in Ravensbourne to continue brewing. A year later he signed the lease for a commercial premises on Grange Road and Emerson’s Brewery was opened.

The brewery outgrew its premises several times before Lion purchased Emerson’s in 2012 who then purchased land on Anzac Avenue to build its very own brewery and taproom. Emerson was initially kept on as the head brewer and is now involved with public relations and marketing.

And while the brewery may have changed ownership, Brownville Cres was still owned by the Emerson family 57 years on. It was a “special place” with the “best neighbours” who still kept in touch decades on, he said.

Richard Emerson outside his childhood home in Maori Point, Dunedin. It is on the market for sale for the first time in 57 years. Photo / Supplied

Emerson’s father George "meticulously maintained" the weatherboard family home. Photo / Supplied

Richard Emerson outside his childhood home in Maori Point, Dunedin. It is on the market for sale for the first time in 57 years. Photo / Supplied

Emerson’s first ever beer was brewed in the Brownville Cres kitchen. Photo / Supplied

However, Emerson’s mother died last year and he and his sister have made the decision to sell the family home.

Columbs & Co sales director James Columb said 17 Brownville Cres offered people a chance to own a slice of Dunedin’s brewing history and a wonderful family home.

He said so far there had been a lot of young families showing interest in the home which was zoned for some of the city’s best schools including St Hilda’s Collegiate School and John McGlashan College.

“What is unique is it’s in such good condition, but also it is of original state. So people can put their own mark on it and that is becoming harder and harder to find.”

-17 Brownville Crescent, in Maori Point, Dunedin, is for sale, deadline closing February 12