New Zealand Real Ale Bar of the Month for March is The Woolston Hop.
In the five months since opening in Woolston, The Twisted Hop has swiftly reclaimed its spot as Christchurch's premier purveyor of real ale. They had a rough patch shortly after opening due to a problem at the brewery, but they took the sensible option of pouring the beer down the drain, and have worked hard ever since to ensure that their customers leave with a positive experience. The welcoming and knowledgeable bar staff know their beer, and they are always ready to chat about it. As well as the usual beers (from which the Golding Bitter has been a particular stand-out recently), there have been some small-batch specials such as the Skullbuggery Double IPA, tastings of Hopback IPA with different hops, and one (of the twelve) handpumps often has a guest offering from the likes of Raindogs and Golden Eagle. Beer lovers on the west of the city will be disappointed to hear that the brewery shop at Wigram is no longer open on Friday evenings, but the staff at The Woolston Hop will happily fill take-away riggers of ale. The Lincoln Hop (which will also contain the original Twisted Hop's brewing equipment) is on track for opening later this year.
