Beer and Brewer Magazine

There are more craft breweries 'per capita' in New Zealand than any other country on the amber planet. Beer & Brewer gave Luke Scott strict orders to leave no bar unturned finding out why.

The Kiwis love a good beer. More to the point, they make good beer.

For that we have to thank the three titans of New Zealand brewing - Speights, Mac's and Montieths, the latter under the banner of Lion Breweries and Dominion Breweries. Prior to being taken over by the multinationals all three of these brands were family-run independents whose mission was to open Kiwi drinkers' minds to new beer styles and flavours and further the cause of appreciating the delights of finely-crafted, good quality beer.

Today, all three brands are still technically well-made but the influence of being owned by a multinational and widely distributed throughout New Zealand has meant beer flavour has become more generic and there is less and less unique hop character present. Yet beyond that hulking front row of Big Brewsers blossoms a back five and a backline of incredible creativity and passion and style.

The first beer was brewed in New Zealand in January 1770 on the orders of Captain James Cook himself while anchored in Ship Cove in the outer reaches of Queen Charlotte Sound. Young Rimu branches were an especially homegrown part of the brew and, as with most beers on long voyages, taste played second fiddle to the need to ward off scurvy.

Today, that same country can boast more microbreweries per capita than any other nation on Earth, with sales of craft brews rising fast. The business is twice as large as that of Australia despite one-sixth the population, and

the reason? Because these smaller regional breweries don't skimp on the cost of raw materials and so the results are unique and bursting like amber drops of gold.

After years of hearing the hype, Beer & Brewer decided to go in search of the truth. Luke Scott, head brewer at the Hunter Beer Company and winner of Best Lager Draught Trophy at the 2007 Perth Royal Beer Show was assigned the arduous task of visiting as many New Zealand's finest microbreweries as he could in a fortnight. Even more arduous was of convincing his girlfriend two weeks visiting breweries was "a romantic holiday option".

We know it was for him...

AUCKLAND

The biggest metropolis in New Zealand, with a population of 1.2 million and a disturbingly good Super 14 rugby side, Auckland is ground zero for the local microbrewing movemen and the sort of city a touring beer hunter like myself could go crazy in. Fortunately, David Cryer from Cryer Malt made it his mission to give us the inside skinny on the best bars, breweries, and brewpubs in town.

Shakespeare Hotel and Brewery

New Zealand's first microbrewery is located in downtown Auckland and produces some interesting beers, of which the Summer's Day Bohemian Lager with zesty hop bitterness stood out. However, this is more a mecca for dark beer afficionados and there were some excellent offerings - Willpower Stout (4%), Pistol's Old Soldier Ale (6.3%) and King Lear Old Ale (8%). Although available only on tap, there is a great take-away option - the Flagon. Used by many New Zealand craft breweries, this predominantly 1.5 litre brown PET bottle (instead of the old three-litre brown glass model) is certainly a novel way to convert your favourite drop into a "traveller".
www.shakespearehotel.co.nz

Cock & Bull Bars and Brewery.

This chain of English-style bars are all themed with beer and brewing in mind. All draught beers are brewed on-site in a central brewery and then served through five venues in Auckland and Hamilton. Their most iconic and awarded beer is Monk's Habit, a Belgian abbey-style beer served in goblet-style glasses, which is a true measure of a hotel chain which knows the ins and outs of a great night out. www.cockandbull.co.nz

Galbraiths Alehouse

This was New Zealand's first real ale brewery and bar and it's still its best. Real Ale aka Cask Conditioned Ales originate from the United Kingdom and are an acquired taste on two levels - 1) the temperature of the beer is served between 10 and 12ºC, and 2) the carbonation is lower than draught domestic kegged beers. Once you get used to that real ales can be a real delight. However, one thing I learned from spending a lot of time in the UK is that, once ready, real-ales have only a short life span. It's just as well then Galbraiths attracts the sort of thirsty punters who ensure a rapid turnover of the real ale but also Munich Lager (5.5%) and Bitter and Twisted Extra Special Bitter (5.3%), both with great English hop character well balanced with rich malt flavors. Galbraith's also brew a great Bohemian pilsner (4.5%). www.alehouse.co.nz

HAWKES BAY - NAPIER REGION

Hawkes Bay is a four-hour drive from Auckland but you'd be mad if you didn't make it eight. There are so many sightseeing opportunities along the way, including the hot springs of Rotorua where from Lake Taupo you can look out over the glorious waters onto what was "Mount Doom" from Lord of the Rings. Napier itself is an art-deco styled city full of equally wine-friendly delights, the most impressive of which were Church Road Winery, Black Barn Vineyard, Craggy Range and Te Awa wineries.

Hawkes Bay Independent Brewery

HBIB brews a range of lagers under the Mates label through brewer Tony Davies, and they've recently moved to a new location 2km from Napier which offers a picturesque brewing experience situated as it is on an orchid. The Filter Room is where the tastings happen and where tours commence full of fascinating facts like this being the first brewery commissioned since the Sunshine Brewery was destroyed by an earthquake in 1931. Mates beers - Mates Draught and Amber and Knights Dark and Lager - are available on tap in many of RSL equivalents throughout New Zealand.

Roosters Brewhouse

A stone's throw from Hawkes Bay and its famous wine region, the Gimlet Gravels, sits Roosters quietly producing a great range of house beers exclusively on tap at the brewery. Owner Chris Harrison also has a keen interest in wine-making (for which they use the brewing equipment) and their Beach House range has recently picked up a swag of awards. The Brewery is also a full time orchid and is a second home to fruit pickers during the harvest periods. Flocks return annually safe in the knowledge the Roosters Golden Wheat Ale (4.3%) is worth more than a pickers' wage.

WELLINGTON

A great little detour an hour from New Zealand's capital is Martinborough. Widely acknowledged as the gourmet capital of the lower North Island, this historic little town is a great place for a meal and bike around wineries currently taking the world by storm, especially the Pinot Noir varietals. Although vines are limited within the prime 5km radius of Martinborough many of the vineyards sell out each year due to booming popularity and. as such, a small brewery has been established. Alas. the delights of its Belgian-style wheat beer and hoppy ale are only available on weekends. Better to try the award-winning elixirs of brewer Ben Middlemiss at the Wairarapa site of the Martinborough Brewing Company, home to the 2006 AIBA wheat beer Macs Brewbar
The original Macs Brewery is still in Nelson but this independent operates a brewbar on the waterfront. Through the glass at the back of the bar you can see the brewery pumping out the range of Mac's beers of which their Hop Rocker Pilsner (5%) and Sassy Red Ale (4.5%) are the highlights. www.macs.co.nz

Bodega Bar and The Malthouse

These two pre-eminent Wellingtons bars are both exclusive draught beer outlets for the Tuatara Brewing Company, proud parents of a Hefewiesen and Pilsner although the Ardennes, a superlative strong (6.5%) Belgian Golden Ale proved a great winter warmer on those windy Wellington days. Bodega is also a great alternative live venue. www.bodega.co.nz Not to be outdone The Malthouse delivers 30 handcrafted beers and another 70 by the bottle. www.themalthouse.co.nz

MARLBOROUGH

This wine region known internationally for its Sauvignon Blanc wines also produces some great beer of note...

Moa Brewing

Founded by Josh Scott, the son of one of the Marlborough region's top wine-makers, Moa (named for an extinct native large land bird similar to an emu) produces four beers - a Pilsner, a wheat beer known as Blanc (5.5%), dark beer called Moa Noir (5.5%) plus a new-release Ginger beer - are available as magnums direct from the brewery, from the Allan Scott vineyard or through bottle shops throughout nationwide. www.moabeer.co.nz

Renaissance Brewing

Located in outskirts Blenheim, the main town of Marlborough, Renaissance brew three real ale-style beer also on tap at the adjacent Black Creek Pizzeria. They package their beer into 500ml English Pint bottle conditioned available in local bottlos. Of particular note is their hefty Stonecutter Scotch Ale (7%).

NELSON

From the Marlborough, a couple of hours up the road is Nelson, known for its fertile soil, "alternative" lifestyles and great breweries.

Tasman Brewing (formerly Harrington's Brewing)

Near Nelson lies Tasman, an exemplary Richmond microbrewery which, when pumping on a Friday night, is one of the great beer experiences of the trip. Operating out of Harrington's bar, it has a local feel with a dozen beers on draught and a "guest tap" featuring a who's who of craftry comrades. Head brewer Craig Harrington has plans to open two new bars in Nelson and Blenhiem in the coming months. Beers to try: Harrington's Tasman Lager (a great crisp pilsner-style beer) and Harrington's Boulder Bank Dark, which has great malt character perfect for those cooler Kiwi days. Stay for the excellent food and then flee with a flagon!

The Mussel Inn

Seeking an alternative lifestyle? Head to Moetueka and Golden Bay north of Nelson where there's the colourful waft of char-grilled Tofu burgers and "herbal smoke" in the air. One of New Zealand oldest craft breweries, The Mussel Inn in Onekaka caters for this crowd but welcomes intrepid beer travellers too, brewing its own cider and wine and soft drinks and has a great rustic ambience complimented by fine live music. Their flagship brew is a Manuka-made amber ale called Captain Cooker (5.7%). Manuka is a native plant which grows in abundance and of which the leaves used in the beer are said to have healing properties. It was first added to beer by Captain Cook to bolster the vitamin C levels of his crew although the Maori people have long known of its therapeutic powers. Brewery owner Andrew Dixon told Beer & Brewer rejected exporting to Europe. "I saw no reason to ship something that is 95% water," he said. "Instead I ship the Manuka leaves to a brewery in Belgium who make their own Captain Cooker Manuka beer for the European market". Also worth a sip are their hoppy Whale Pale Ale (6%) and Blue Herring Smoked beer. www.captaincooker.com

Founders Brewery

This organic brewery nestled in a history theme park in Nelson produces good beers made from organic malt and hops, among them 2002 AIBA medal-winners Fair Maiden Ale and Tall Blonde. www.biobrew.co.nz

CHRISTCHURCH

From Nelson we headed to the west coast with its rugged coastline and breathtaking views and, via Punakaiki, travelled through the Arthur's Pass eastward bound for Christchurch.

Twisted Hop

This brew pub-cum-trendy bar puts the funk into Real Ale with their range of four cask-conditioned brews but the India Pale Ale is the stand out. There's also some good guest draught beers and, beyond that, an extensive bottled beer list plus some fine local Kiwi wines in the great next-door restaurant.
http://thetwistedhop.co.nz

Dux De Lux

Long a stalwalt of the New Zealand craft brewing scene, Dux De Lux specialises in superb true-to-style brews. Now the proud owner of a new venue in Queenstown, this Christchurch landmark is the perfect après ski venue or chill-out zone after a hard day's bungee-ing off bridges. The Nor'Wester Ale is a favourite with its great hop character. Throw a couple down as you attack a great menu and take in vibrant live music. www.thedux.co.nz

Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts)