BAR OF THE MONTH - September

New Zealand Real Ale Bar of the Month for September is The Malthouse, Wellington.

The Malthouse is one of NZ's best known 'craft beer' pubs, and is currently celebrating two decades since opening originally in Willis St. They gave up their slightly 'tucked away' feel and pleasant balcony in 2007 when they moved over to Courtenay Place, to socialize with all the other outlets drawing inebriated teenagers into the capital on a Friday night (or any other night, for that matter). If you can find an evening when you don't have to navigate around abusive, intoxicated youths in what was once Wellington's cultural heart, then a visit to the Malthouse may be in order. On some evenings it can be difficult to get through the oxygen-depleted entrance and into the building, let alone close enough to shout your order to the barman, but on quieter nights you may even manage a conversation about beer with a knowledgeable member of the bar staff. Over the last two or three years, it has become increasingly common to find a beer dispensed by handpump. These days, both handpumps are often in service, and might include offerings from breweries such as Tuatara or Townshend or, most recently, the Cock and Bull Fuggles Best Bitter. It is worth checking whether the beer being served is actually cask-conditioned.