BAR OF THE MONTH - May

New Zealand Real Ale Bar of the Month for May is Galbraith's.

Galbraith's remains the North Island's unquestionable beer mecca. In the year since its last honourable mention in these pages, the other sources of real ale in the Auckland region have dried up. The much-lamented Cock and Bull chain has been bought, its award-winning beer ceased, and it now seems to be suffering a slow descent into some sort of tacky faux-Irish-branded set of bars serving bland national keg beer; hardly a recipe to attract people who care about beer, one would think! The Speakers Corner English Ale House on the North Shore has ceased using its handpumps, apparently after a row with their supplier (Galbraith's) about pricing. A handful of new breweries have opened up in recent months around the city. Alas, they perpetuate the mistaken view that beer has to be fizzy, whereas beer lovers will understand that anything that has to be artificially carbonated in order to get it to the bar really isn't beer at all. Against this dispiriting background, Galbraith's is a true oasis. The only establishments that come anywhere close to Galbraith's (Cassels and the rejuvenated Twisted Hop, both in Christchurch) may have their moments of deserved and happy success, but there really is nowhere else to compare to Galbraith's in terms of its long-standing, consistently outstanding beer. Time-after-time, their beers are crystal clear, pretty-much the perfect temperature, aromatic, and immaculately balanced (although perhaps tending towards a little too much sweetness in order to cater for the average NZ palate?). Keep up the good work, and long may your success continue. Cheers!

BAR OF THE MONTH - May

New Zealand Real Ale Bar of the Month for May is Galbraith's.

It's a year since Galbraith's was last named NZ Real Ale Bar of the Month, and it's about time it had some more praise heaped upon it. With the astonishingly welcome rise of the Cassels Brewery in Christchurch in the last twelve months, Galbraith's suddenly has some serious competition. Auckland isn't usually thought of as staid in comparison with the rest of the country, but Galbraith's is very much the elder statesman. In contrast to its young rival, Galbraith's seems very quiet in the evenings, and has been known to close early on occasions when it isn't busy. This might be a popular option amongst the hard-working bar staff, but it's hardly likely to make a patron happy who has rushed up from the city after a concert, expecting to get a pint in ten minutes before closing time, only to find the doors bolted! Indeed, the apparent drop off in custom might account for the beer being perhaps a degree Celsius or two too warm sometimes. These temporary blips, however, should not be dwelt upon. The beer remains outstanding, right from the moment the crystal clear (part) pint is pulled, with the happy absence of a sparkler head bringing an appealing froth rather than a desperately strained creamy head. Arguably the best of their beers, the Grafton Porter, has been relegated to the position of an occasional beer, but greater prominence has been given to their other seasonal offerings, particularly IPAs. Pacifika IPA (6.3%) is a recent brew, alongside this season's variant of the Old Burton IPA (5.5%). Another of the six handpumps is likely to be dispensing the latest of their admirable 'Great Brewers Cask Ale Series' beers. The Yakima Monster Pale Ale (6.0%), brewed by Liberty Brewing's Joe Wood, the latest in the series, is dangerously drinkable. The whole concept of encouraging the country's best craft brewers to produce a proper cask conditioned ale is much to be applauded.

BAR OF THE MONTH - May

New Zealand Real Ale Bar of the Month for May is Galbraith's.

The idea of nominating a 'Real Ale Bar of the Month' is to showcase a variety of New Zealand's emerging purveyors of real ale. If the award simply went to the establishment serving the best real ale every month, things would get boring, as there is always one clear winner. With the Twisted Hop in Christchurch closed for the foreseeable future following the earthquake (although South Island readers will be glad to know that they are looking in to the possibility of opening a new brew pub outside the city, and a bar in the suburbs), the only other hostelry in the country that might challenge Galbraith's' supremacy is Nelson's Free House. In truth, Galbraith's is so far ahead of the competition, that there's no chance of anyone beating them anytime soon. On every recent visit the beer has been absolutely outstanding, with several pints (sorry, "Colonials" - i.e. the same price as pints used to be, but a smaller volume!) of the Bob Hudson's Bitter amongst the best beer ever consumed by a notoriously hard-to-please British expat. There are very few pubs in Britain that would come close to serving beer of this spectacular quality, so Galbraith's is more than just champion of the southern hemisphere. Admittedly, they do have a huge advantage over other bars wishing to serve real ale - it's brewed on the premises. Nevertheless, this shouldn't be used as an excuse not to try to reach their standard. The quality of NZ-served real ale could be improved immeasurably by sending all publicans and bar-tenders up to Auckland for an obligatory tasting session at Galbraith's. If they can't serve up beer as deliciously fresh, and with that ridiculously smile-inducing clarity and aroma, then they shouldn't be serving beer at all. It is very difficult to fault Galbraith's at the moment. The only criticism that springs to mind is that every time one gets up to buy another pint, one's newspaper is whisked away in an instant by an over-attentive member of staff and added to the communal pile. The 'attention' would be better directed at serving customers at the bar swiftly. And if you see a gentleman in the corner with an inanely silly grin on his face, and tears trickling down his cheeks, purring with pleasure as he lifts a pint to his mouth, it'll be someone who's been away for a while, and just can't believe how good the beer really is. This is why we drink beer. Beer that cannot raise the hairs on the back of one's neck and produce such an emotional response shouldn't be consumed. Unfortunately, drinking beer this good only happens a few times in a lifetime. Get there and try it!

BAR OF THE MONTH - December

New Zealand Real Ale Bar of the Month for December is Galbraith's.

There may not be much competition, but Galbraith's stands head and shoulders above the rest in terms of its consistent beer quality. When they started up in 1995, Galbraith's had the difficult job of re-introducing Kiwis to real ale, which had been extinct in New Zealand for a lifetime. With four or five of their standard brews on handpump, seasonal beers, and guest ales sometimes dispensed direct from the cask on the bar, a real ale enthusiast is not going to get a wider selection of beer to sample in New Zealand. Unlike some other bars where beer quality can be variable, Galbraith's almost always gets it right. They've been through some different glass forms and sizes this year, but whatever volume of liquid you receive, you can guarantee a crystal clear beer at the correct temperature of 12 °C. The Antipodean Pale Ale is a wonderful addition to their family of beer this year, and sits perfectly alongside established favourites such as the eminently drinkable Bob's and the fabulously textured Grafton Porter. Galbraith's is a proper traditional pub at the foot of Mt Eden where you can happily while away an afternoon in conversation, quietly reading the weekend papers, or just admiring the brewer at work. Your present correspondent had the happy pleasure of calling Galbraith's his local for a few years, and now waits expectantly for more news of plans to open new Galbraith's Alehouses elsewhere in the country.

Galbraith's

Galbraith's Alehouse, Mt Eden, Auckland.

See also BAR OF THE MONTH - May 2013,  May 2012,  May 2011 and December 2010.

The following beers are usually available on handpump: