It is reported that the recent acquisition of the Cock and Bull chain of five pubs, which were distinguished for their Fuggles Best Bitter dispensed by handpump, will result in their beers being terminated. This deeply regrettable move instantly cuts the number of North Island establishments where something vaguely resembling real ale might be found by one third. No beer enthusiast is likely to choose to drink bland, mass-produced, fizzy beer in a Cock and Bull bar from early August when their award-winning beers are scheduled to be phased out. Surely the new owners are shooting themselves in the foot?
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1207/S00666/a-cock-and-bull-story-end-of-an-era-for-brewpubs.htm
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
BAR OF THE MONTH - July
New Zealand Real Ale Bar of the Month for July is The Free House.
The Free House in Nelson remains one of New Zealand's most appealing pubs. It is a laid-back place where beer and civilised conversation take pride of place. Things are done a little differently in Nelson. There are a number of attractive hostelries in or around the town, including the commendable Sprig and Fern establishments, which are only let down by virtue of the fact that their beer is artificially carbonated! The Free House, however, does the job properly. Their three handpumps are usually devoted to the local Townshend beers, which are generally in good condition so long as a little has been pulled through the pipes and they aren't too warm. The yurt in the garden which seems to have become permanent may not be to everyone's taste, but if it attracts people to keep the real ale flowing, then that's in all beer lovers' interests.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Port Hole, Lyttelton
The Port Hole, London St, Lyttelton, Christchurch.
The Port Hole is a container bar established on the site of Lyttelton's iconic Volcano Cafe and Lava Bar, which was demolished as a result of fatal earthquake damage on February 22nd 2011. There is one handpump serving a beer from a brewery such as Cassels, Three Boys, or The Twisted Hop.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Volstead
Volstead Trading Company Craft Beer and Cocktail Lounge, Riccarton Rd, Christchurch.
See also BAR OF THE MONTH - February 2013.
There are three handpumps serving a regularly changing selection of local ales from the likes of Cassels, The Twisted Hop, Golden Eagle and Raindogs breweries.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
BAR OF THE MONTH - June
New Zealand Real Ale Bar of the Month for June is The Twisted Hop Brewery.
Thirteen months ago, it didn't seem like there would be any prospect of drinking the Twisted Hop beers for a very long time, with the brewery off limits in Christchurch's ghost town of a city centre. Virtually all the buildings in Poplar Lane have now been demolished, with the Twisted Hop's building remaining forlorn, and awaiting its own terminal fate. They are part of the estimated 80% of city centre buildings that have been or will soon be demolished following the devastating earthquakes. Despite many obstacles, the Twisted Hop team have remained true to their word: they have been brewing again for several months, their beers are available in a handful of local establishments, and plans to open two new Twisted Hop pubs are well advanced. The Ferry Road, Woolston building is nearing completion, and scheduled to open by the end of the year. It's a bit of a cheat to name the brewery in Wigram as 'Real Ale Bar of the Month', since you can't drink there. On the other hand, it would be a real injustice to ignore it, since you won't get real ale tapped straight from the cask into a bottle in front of your eyes anywhere else in the country. And the beer is oustandingly good too! Open on Fridays from 2-7 pm, the brewery shop is a quiet oasis for real ale lovers. Unless at a crucially delicate stage in the brewing process, you are sure to get an opportunity to chat to the brewers at work and to learn about the plans for the Twisted Hop's rebirth. Casks of the old favourites are conditioning, and await tapping. The Golding Bitter on the shop's opening night in April was spectacular, and the newest brew, Hopback (5.8%) is a sublime example of intensely restrained hoppiness, that some of NZ's less subtle new world, APA-style brewers would do well to sample. It's great to see the Twisted Hop recovering so well. It promises to be even better than before, and thoroughly deserves the local support it is getting - and more! The brewery shop can be hard to find, so see the map below. See also The Twisted Hop website for regular updates.
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Thirteen months ago, it didn't seem like there would be any prospect of drinking the Twisted Hop beers for a very long time, with the brewery off limits in Christchurch's ghost town of a city centre. Virtually all the buildings in Poplar Lane have now been demolished, with the Twisted Hop's building remaining forlorn, and awaiting its own terminal fate. They are part of the estimated 80% of city centre buildings that have been or will soon be demolished following the devastating earthquakes. Despite many obstacles, the Twisted Hop team have remained true to their word: they have been brewing again for several months, their beers are available in a handful of local establishments, and plans to open two new Twisted Hop pubs are well advanced. The Ferry Road, Woolston building is nearing completion, and scheduled to open by the end of the year. It's a bit of a cheat to name the brewery in Wigram as 'Real Ale Bar of the Month', since you can't drink there. On the other hand, it would be a real injustice to ignore it, since you won't get real ale tapped straight from the cask into a bottle in front of your eyes anywhere else in the country. And the beer is oustandingly good too! Open on Fridays from 2-7 pm, the brewery shop is a quiet oasis for real ale lovers. Unless at a crucially delicate stage in the brewing process, you are sure to get an opportunity to chat to the brewers at work and to learn about the plans for the Twisted Hop's rebirth. Casks of the old favourites are conditioning, and await tapping. The Golding Bitter on the shop's opening night in April was spectacular, and the newest brew, Hopback (5.8%) is a sublime example of intensely restrained hoppiness, that some of NZ's less subtle new world, APA-style brewers would do well to sample. It's great to see the Twisted Hop recovering so well. It promises to be even better than before, and thoroughly deserves the local support it is getting - and more! The brewery shop can be hard to find, so see the map below. See also The Twisted Hop website for regular updates.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
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.
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.
Monday, April 30, 2012
BAR OF THE MONTH - April
New Zealand Real Ale Bar of the Month for April is The Brewery, Cassels & Sons Brewery at The Tannery, Woolston, Christchurch.
There are fittingly grand plans to expand both the brewery's capacity, and the whole Tannery complex in the coming months. So long as it doesn't affect the quality of the beer, then no one in Christchurch will be complaining. The Brewery (as a venue) still hasn't reached its first birthday, but it has arguably already reached the peaks set by Galbraith's, and now has a fair claim to be New Zealand's best pub (for the quality of its beer - what else really matters in a pub?). The present batch of Best Bitter is truly outstanding, a remarkably fresh and drinkable beer, that any discerning drinker would travel some distance to sample. The odd barrel hasn't been perfect, but most have been exemplary. Such is its popularity that each barrel rarely lasts much longer than a day. Just how it should be! The award-winning Milk Stout is another beer that even has hardened beer enthusiasts drooling at the prospect of a pint being pulled. Much to their credit, Cassels now have six different beers on their handpumps. One of these is often a guest, such as Galbraith's, Townshend or, local brewery, Golden Eagle. Those out of touch with the brewing situation in Christchurch will be glad to hear that microbreweries producing real ale are abounding at the moment. Christchurch might, some time ago, have laid claim to the title of NZ's real ale capital. Can either Auckland or Nelson match it at the moment? The Twisted Hop Brewery is also back up and running out at Wigram. It's taking a while to get either of their new pubs under way, but one can visit their brewery and take away a 2 litre PET bottle of one of the old favourites tapped straight from the cask. I would have to say that the Golding Bitter on their opening night earlier this month was better than it had ever been, and was truly memorable in the best possible way! Back to the Cassels Brewery, though. The other Cassels beers currently on handpump include Big Ale Barley Wine (10.0%), an intense alcoholic, vinuous, smooth beer, which is a beautiful clear dark amber colour, and enough is always pulled through the pipes if it hasn't been poured for a little while to ensure that your glass doesn't include stale, warm beer. Alongside this are The Alchemist (4.6%), a golden ale that started out disappointingly cloudy rather than golden, but has improved immeasurably as the batch has aged, and Easterly Draught (4.3%), the much lamented Woolston Bitter's slightly stronger and sweeter replacement.
There are fittingly grand plans to expand both the brewery's capacity, and the whole Tannery complex in the coming months. So long as it doesn't affect the quality of the beer, then no one in Christchurch will be complaining. The Brewery (as a venue) still hasn't reached its first birthday, but it has arguably already reached the peaks set by Galbraith's, and now has a fair claim to be New Zealand's best pub (for the quality of its beer - what else really matters in a pub?). The present batch of Best Bitter is truly outstanding, a remarkably fresh and drinkable beer, that any discerning drinker would travel some distance to sample. The odd barrel hasn't been perfect, but most have been exemplary. Such is its popularity that each barrel rarely lasts much longer than a day. Just how it should be! The award-winning Milk Stout is another beer that even has hardened beer enthusiasts drooling at the prospect of a pint being pulled. Much to their credit, Cassels now have six different beers on their handpumps. One of these is often a guest, such as Galbraith's, Townshend or, local brewery, Golden Eagle. Those out of touch with the brewing situation in Christchurch will be glad to hear that microbreweries producing real ale are abounding at the moment. Christchurch might, some time ago, have laid claim to the title of NZ's real ale capital. Can either Auckland or Nelson match it at the moment? The Twisted Hop Brewery is also back up and running out at Wigram. It's taking a while to get either of their new pubs under way, but one can visit their brewery and take away a 2 litre PET bottle of one of the old favourites tapped straight from the cask. I would have to say that the Golding Bitter on their opening night earlier this month was better than it had ever been, and was truly memorable in the best possible way! Back to the Cassels Brewery, though. The other Cassels beers currently on handpump include Big Ale Barley Wine (10.0%), an intense alcoholic, vinuous, smooth beer, which is a beautiful clear dark amber colour, and enough is always pulled through the pipes if it hasn't been poured for a little while to ensure that your glass doesn't include stale, warm beer. Alongside this are The Alchemist (4.6%), a golden ale that started out disappointingly cloudy rather than golden, but has improved immeasurably as the batch has aged, and Easterly Draught (4.3%), the much lamented Woolston Bitter's slightly stronger and sweeter replacement.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
BAR OF THE MONTH - March
New Zealand Real Ale Bar of the Month for March is the Cock & Bull, Ellerslie.
The Cock & Bull's Ellerslie establishment was their second bar, and has many years' experience of serving the Fuggles Best Bitter by handpump. So long as you time your visit and order judiciously, you stand a reasonable chance of getting a fresh pint in respectable condition.
The Cock & Bull's Ellerslie establishment was their second bar, and has many years' experience of serving the Fuggles Best Bitter by handpump. So long as you time your visit and order judiciously, you stand a reasonable chance of getting a fresh pint in respectable condition.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
BAR OF THE MONTH - February
New Zealand Real Ale Bar of the Month for February is Roosters Brewhouse, Hastings.
Roosters is a wonderfully unpretentious bar and microbrewery which concentrates on serving good beer to its loyal local clientele. Its unexpected industrial setting on the outskirts of Hastings makes the pleasantly relaxed hospitality within all the more special. Whilst supping a pint at one of the well-worn tables, you are likely to see as many customers filling their flagons with takeaway beer before 7 pm closing time as you are to see beer tapped at the bar by the welcoming and knowledgeable bar staff. Alas, only one beer is served by handpump, the rest being unduly carbonated. Even the handpulled beer has a blanket carbon dioxide coating 'helping it along the way', although this is only noticeable in the sense that the beer doesn't taste stale and oxidised! One could hardly condone the practise but, given the generally lamentable state of NZ beer, to receive anything that is fresh, and neither luke-warm nor gassy, is a minor miracle. Their handpulled beer changes with the season. Recently it has been the drinkable, although rather characterless 5.2% Roosters Pale Ale.
Roosters is a wonderfully unpretentious bar and microbrewery which concentrates on serving good beer to its loyal local clientele. Its unexpected industrial setting on the outskirts of Hastings makes the pleasantly relaxed hospitality within all the more special. Whilst supping a pint at one of the well-worn tables, you are likely to see as many customers filling their flagons with takeaway beer before 7 pm closing time as you are to see beer tapped at the bar by the welcoming and knowledgeable bar staff. Alas, only one beer is served by handpump, the rest being unduly carbonated. Even the handpulled beer has a blanket carbon dioxide coating 'helping it along the way', although this is only noticeable in the sense that the beer doesn't taste stale and oxidised! One could hardly condone the practise but, given the generally lamentable state of NZ beer, to receive anything that is fresh, and neither luke-warm nor gassy, is a minor miracle. Their handpulled beer changes with the season. Recently it has been the drinkable, although rather characterless 5.2% Roosters Pale Ale.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Little Beer Quarter
Little Beer Quarter, Edward St, Wellington.
See also BAR OF THE MONTH - July 2013.
LBQ, which opened last year, has recently had a handpump installed. It is expected to be in use soon.
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