Thursday, October 31, 2013

BAR OF THE MONTH - October

New Zealand Real Ale Bar of the Month for October is Pomeroy's Old Brewery Inn, Christchurch.


It's a couple of years since Pomeroy's last received honourable mention in these pages. During this time the building has gone through a period of repair, additional strengthening, and some minor internal rearrangement. The new brewery, Beer Baroness run by Ava Wilson, has also opened on site. Its excellent beers are found with increasing frequency in bars around the city, and as far south as the likes of The Portsider in Port Chalmers. In many cases the beer is happily dispensed by handpump without artificial carbonation. In Pomeroy's itself, three handpumps are now to be found in almost continuous operation. Unfortunately the beer does tend to come from bags, but it still tastes fresh and is (generally) at an appropriate temperature. It's rarely cloudy, presumably indicating that the beer is bright. It's certainly far more flavoursome, aromatic and drinkable than the wide array of gassy beers on offer.