BAR OF THE MONTH - April

New Zealand Real Ale Bar of the Month for April is Cassels & Sons CBD Bar, Christchurch.

Since opening eight months ago, Cassels CBD Bar has quickly become established as one of Christchurch's best bars. Of course, there's not a lot of competition at the moment, but they set high standards in terms of the quality of their building and its fittings, the warm welcome and friendly atmosphere and, most crucially, the quality of their beer. It is true to say that Cassels beers are not of the same exquisitely high standard that they were a year ago, but they have settled back to consistently drinkable quality after going through a temporary bad patch six months ago. The four handpumps get a good workout, with barrels rarely staying on for more than a day or two. Unfortunately, limited cellar space means that barrels aren't always allowed to condition and settle for as long as would be ideal, and sometimes the beer is even pumped from bags (brought fresh from the brewery at Woolston).