Worth trying
TASTE GOOD BEER
Nothing tricky here, just a listing of some beers you might try when planning your tasting session
I’m not sponsored by any of the breweries featured.
July/August 2024
Time to mix it up with an ecclectic mix
Just need to watch the strength… Don’t drink and drive!
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Rhyme and Reason | Big Deck Energy Pale Ale
Hey bro, how's it hanging? Pairs well with a Kiwi accent and your lifted ute.
Hops: Freestyle Farms Peacharine
Malts: Canterbury's Gladfield Malts
ABV 4.2%
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Double Vision | Naughty Juice Hazy IPA
IT'S BACK! Introducing our next-in-line for our Juicy Hazy IPA Series, Naughty Juice. Yep, that's right, all the deliciousness of Naughty Hopper's American Hop Trio, combined with a silky smooth hazy grist heavy in Oats for body and Wheat.
8.9%
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Duncans | Red Velvet Imperial Pastry Stout
First off the rank in our 2024 Pastry Stout lineup, is a luxurious Red Velvet Cake inspired drop. Brewed with a decadent dose of cocoa husk, lactose and a selection of specialty malts. The addition of beets gives a rich, dark red hue.
Cake or death?
10.5%
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Mount Brewing | Shades of the Pacific Dessert Stout
Winner of the 2024 NZ Stout Challenge!
The Pacific Ocean is by far the largest and deepest ocean of the planet. At its deepest point of 11000m any sunlight is scattered and absorbed long ago and leaves it in complete darkness. This Dessert Stout is a homage to all its shades and flavors.
We layered various types of malt to create a smooth and luscious base in order to let ingredients from different islands within the Pacific Ocean shine. 7.8%
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Beers | Sultana Single Hop IPA
Sultana presents copper red with a tight white head and a toasted malt aroma. Strong pineapple and stone fruit marmalade hop flavours blend with toffee and roasted malt for an integrated and clean finish. Originally called 'Denali' after Alaska's tallest peak, and now rebranded after the second highest. Sultana hops bring big, dank flavours. You can expect pineapple, citrus, and pine flavours. 6.7%
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McLeods | Sea Spray Dry Hopped Pilsner
When is NZ Pilsner actually a Pilsner? When it’s Sea Spray Dry-hopped Pilsner! Brewed like a proper pilsner but macrodosed (in whirlpool and dry-hopping) with Riwaka and Nelson Sauvin. This makes for a lean, crisp, lager base with big, green, dank oily notes backed with delicate passionfruit for a clean, dry smashable beer with enough bitterness to keep you coming back for more. 8.3%
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Laughing Bones | Grizzly Robust Porter
Born with a rugged smoothness, this beer stands out like a Grizzly on its hind legs. The lightly burnt malt character that delivers chocolate coffee mocha flavours neatly combines with a bit of grainy, dark malt dryness on the finish. Add to this aging on bourbon barrel wood to further enhance the smoothness and bring faint vanilla aromas, and the rest is magic. So satisfying that it brings a session-ability that is hard to resist. Beware the Grizzly, he may sneak up on you! 6% ABV
May/June 2024
Time for the New World Beer and Cider Awards
Here’s to some of the pick from the awards.
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Lakeman Brewing | Big Hairy APA
A Golden American Pale Ale with so many hops jam-packed somethin’ has gotta give and that is a rodeo of stonefruit and citrus flavours with mild malt sweetness. So, saddle up partner and say yeehah!
Hopped with Citra, Simcoe, and Centennial.
ABV 6%
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Hallertau | Summertime Haze Hazy IPA
Fragrant sweet orange and mandarin
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Brave Brewing | Terrible Lizards West Coast IPA
Terrible Lizards IPA much like Jurassic Park is a spectacle of special effects and big flavour. Think bold grapefruit and sweet fruit notes. The hop blend of Mosaic and Cascade offers something you can really sink your teeth into.
6.3%
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Beer Baroness | Slice of Heaven Hazy IPA
Howdy Angel.
Try this beauty when the mood gets you down. A full noise NZ Hazy IPA, packed full of Nectaron and Nelson Sauvin hop to provide enough juicy tropical fruit flavour to keep your bottom lip from dragging on the ground
An intoxicating aroma of passionfruit, white wine, peach and mango with pungent sticky green herb.
It is as unapologetically kiwi as it gets
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B Effect | Social Experiment Batch #22 | West Coast IPA
West Coast IPA with amber to gold colour, with low chill haze. Medium intensity malt character remains consistent with each batch, however the hop notes are always changing, usually bold and varied between batches.
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Garage Project | Pickle Beer
A clean, refreshing sour beer inspired by the burger’s classic companion - the dill pickle. Naturally kettle soured and infused with cucumber, dill, and pickle spice. This quirky refreshing beer would be the perfect playmate for the classic cheese burger, fish burger or any other pickle loving burger offering.
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Three Sisters | Wild Thing #1 Farmhouse Table Beer
Wild Thing! A series of Farmhouse Table Beer, using NZ's first ever commercially produced wild yeast, courtesy of Simon and Ryan at Frothtech!!
The first in the series with Citra Hops, showcases the flavours perfectly whilst being a great thirst quenching summer brew.
March 2024
Heading out of summer but plenty of good days yet
Some recent brews discovered on trip to Wanaka March 2024
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House of Hop | Geraldine Highway
Was 15 years ago we tried this and what. a transformation from Valley Brewing, by Lisa and her family.
Is packed Thursday to Sunday, with great food, beers and personality. Check out the Kiwi Hazy IPA, or the West Coast IPA
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Chinchiller | Jamacian me Crazy
Not quite on our road trip but on tap at House of Hop.
Pushed the boat out a little with this one. Think Caribbean lazy holiday vibes - long hot days and gold sun beaches. This hazy is a Tropical fruit explosion with just hints of rum.
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Rhyme X Reason | Brain Fade Cold IPA
Rhyme X Reason is a classic Wanaka institution and this time we discovered the lounge complete with 70’s couches and comfort
A crusher Cold IPA teeming with big melon and tropical hops perfect for metaphorical blonde moments.
Hops: Cryo Pop, Idaho 7, Simcoe, Double Dump of Galaxy 5.0%
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B Effect | River Float West Coast Pilsner
Tried this NEW one at B Effect and walked out with a 4 pack! They never disappoint and the good food is perfect after a ride!
A river float down the Clutha is a right of passage in Wānaka. Full of adventure, laughs and just plain old good times. What better way to celebrate your epic float with mates than with a crisp west coast pilsner.
5.7 %ABV
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Canyon Brewing | Wild Thing Cold IPA
Always a stop on our Queenstown forays, you cannot beat the location and the beer. Good value getting a jug when there is time to pass in the sun, with some good tunes playin!
It’s time to get cold, hoppy and wild! A clean lager ferment lifts layers of white grape, gooseberry and candied citrus, all rounded out with some old school bitterness.
January 2024
Summer is summer, and pretty good so far
Some great brews from popular holiday areas in Aotearoa
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Hop Federation | Motueka | Pilsner
4.9% ABV
Clink your cans together and celebrate 10 years with us. This silver medal winning Brut Pilsner brew is crisp and classy, with champagne yeast added to create brut-style bubbles and a satisfyingly dry finish. Cheers! -
Glenorchy Brew Co. | Glacier IPA
Glaciers are mighty and powerful and that’s what this beer delivers. Brewed from Southern Alps glacial melt water Glacier is a 6.5% double dry hopped NZ India Pale Ale. Leaning towards a modern interpretation of a US Westcoast IPA style (less malt, less bitterness, more juice), the Motueka and Nectaron hops combine to make juicy citrusy and tropical pineapple flavours.
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Mussel Inn | Takaka | Captain Cooker Manuka Beer
The Mussel Inn flagship - A red brown beer flavoured with the freshly picked tips of the Manuka tree.
Only available at the Mussel Inn
5%abv (53 IBU’s)
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Workshop Brewing | Raglan | Chop Hop
5.7% ABV - alc./vol.
American Pale AleIf you like pale ales there aren’t many that don’t dig solid troppo flavours and aromas. Yes, mainly multiple additions of American hops pushing our local footprint but damn they’re good. Don’t worry, we’ll plant some trees….actually. But first chop those pineapply hops. Cryogenesis completed. Drink cold and fresh.
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Sunshine Brewing | Gisborne | Eton Mess Imperial Pastry Sour
We love sour beers, and with sunny drinking weather on the way we figured we’d take a crack at an Imperial this time around. The idea coming from a beloved English pudding – Eton Mess.
We have thrown in every berry we could get our hands on and topped it all off with lashings of vanilla and milk sugar. Our new favourite dessert. -
Mc Leods | Waipu | Sea Spray Dry Hopped Pilsner
When is NZ Pilsner actually a Pilsner? When it’s Sea Spray Dry-hopped Pilsner! Brewed like a proper pilsner but macrodosed (in whirlpool and dry-hopping) with Riwaka and Nelson Sauvin. This makes for a lean, crisp, lager base with big, green, dank oily notes backed with delicate passionfruit for a clean, dry smashable beer with enough bitterness to keep you coming back for more.
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Shining Peak | New plymouth | Skunk Juice Hazy IPA
Skunk Juice is Shining Peak’s answer to the ‘Haze Craze’ of the last few years. Hazy IPAs originated in the North Eastern states of the US and are brewed to be soft, juicy, pillowy IPAs that differ vastly from the more aggressively bittered IPAs of the West Coast. Brewed with a good portion of wheat and oats in the mash to promote a soft, silky mouthfeel, Skunk Juice is also brewed with canny water chemistry and strictly only late addition hops to restrain any potential hop bitterness. The hops used are Citra and Mosaic which gives this beer a big, tropical punch-bowl of aroma and flavour that drinks like a glass of Fruit Juice.
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North End | Pacific Blonde Lager
In the south of Germany, Brewers make crisp, clean, malt accented golden lagers that they call 'Helles' after the German word for pale. Pacific Blonde is our take on the Helles style lager; using a blend of New Zealand and German malt, herbal New Zealand hops, and a traditional German yeast strain. Crisp and refreshing Pacific Blonde strikes a tight rope balance between ready malt and herbal hops that makes the perfect antidote to a hot summers day.
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Alibi Brewing | First Catch Your Weka 6.0%
Continuing on from our latest delve into new zealand hopped beers comes this flightless and fuzzy nz pale pale. Brewed with a blend of nz grown malts and thickened with oats, wheat and a glutenous amount of rolled spelt for that “standing spoon” imagery. This beer was entirely hopped with two blends from hop revolution hop growers; hop revolution and turkey’s pick, containing only imaginable amounts of nelson sauvin, motueka, pacific sunrise and riwaka, moutere.cription goes here
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Mata Beer | Head in the Clouds – Tropical Coconut Hazy IPAst Item
5.7%
If you like pina coladas, get your head in the clouds and dream of long summer days. This yummy hazy IPA is oozing with tropical pineapple hops and infused with toasted coconut. -
Salt District | Party Wave Pale Ale
4.8%
Our signature beer. A well rounded, crushable pale ale. Using exclusively NZ malts with a large portion of Aurora; providing unique rich bready notes. Dry hopped with Centennial, Motueka, and Idaho 7. Fermented with our house strain, providing subtle esters to help make the malt and hops shine! This beer has a moderate bitterness (36IBUs) and ticks all the boxes.
December 2023
Holidays are coming, I’ve missed doing the monthly updates
Anyways here are some good brews to sample. See what you think!
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Choice Bros | Superfast Jellyfish | Coffee & Plum Sour
Made with the help of our friends across the street at Flight Coffee, we’ve paired sweet Black Doris plums with coarsely ground coffee beans from Izuba in Burundi, to bring you a bright, fruity, energising meld of dark purple flavours. Don’t waste time, gotta have it super fast.
Music Match: Gorillaz - "Superfast Jellyfish"
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Kereru | Saddle Up Red IPA
Saddle Up Red IPA is a hop-forward American-style red India pale ale made with bright and vibrant hops with notes of tropical fruits and resin, all on a juicy malt base.
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Altitude Brewing | Mischievous Kea IPA
The Mischievous Kea is a flagship brew and one of our most successful beers ever! The Kea is where it all started for Altitude, being the first beer we ever made back in 2013. This is an all NZ hopped english style IPA where the abv is lower and the malt presence is higher than other more modern counterparts. This beer has been refined over many years and many brews and is an example of perfect balance between malt and hops. Orange brown pour with a dense white head and a medley of NZ hop aromas like citrus, floral and pine.
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Wigram Brewing | Tailgunner Hazy
Originally brewed as a one-off Falther's Day beer, the Tailgunner quickly found a spot in the Hangar 57 taplist. This full body hazy is packed full of American hops that give you a citrusy hoppy experience
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B Effect | Seas the Day - Mango & Salted Lime Sour
Carpe Diem.
A citrusy-sweet sour, that's perfect from sunup to sundown - and with a low ABV of 4%, it's the perfect companion for all of the activities in-between.
Seas the Day is a perfectly refreshing, golden sour with juicy citrus and just a hint of salt that will leave you reaching for more. The mouthfeel will make you pucker- and the crisp finish will make you smile.
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Duncans | WHIPPY*, MILKSHAKE IPA, SINGLE
ropical, tropical, tropical. This beer is the mango lassi of East Coast IPA’s. Brewed with mango, vanilla, lactose and a tonne of tropical fruity hops.
This beer contains sediment, please pour gently.
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Cassels | Double Cream Milk Stout
A New Zealand interpretation, our Double Cream Milk Stout is intensely rich, strong and malty with a creamy, almost velvet texture. A full bodied stout with dark mocha and chocolate aromatics. Our Double Cream Milk Stout contains a non-fermentable lactose sugar derived from 100% pure New Zealand milk.
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Bootleg | Hoppy Saison
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Beers by Bacon Bros | No Doubt No Doubt Oatcream IPA 6%
Lingering white head, slight haze, juicy full mouthfeel. Dank resinous citrus hop, full bitter finish. Clean.
November 2023
Here’s a few goodies to consider along the way
I mix it up and there is no bias. Simple. Just do it and try it!
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TRAVERSE MOUNTAIN IPA
Mountain IPAs are a melting pot for juicy NEIPA Hazies and staunch West Coast hop bombs. Traverse is brew number 12 in our single batch release series of Mountain IPAs and leans a bit more towards the West Coast style while still delivering juiciness. Alongside big doses of Simcoe, Columbus and Chinook this rendition incorporates Citra and Ekuanot to bring the citrus and tropical fruit influence as well as Zamba to round out the hop profile and last but not least a dose of Cryo Pop to amp it up. The result is a complex layered fruity hop experience complemented by a balanced bitterness with a satisfying bright finish. Enjoy!
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MOUNTAIN ALE NZ PALE ALE
A New Zealand Pale Ale (American Pale Ale with NZ hops). A single hop style, this beer is loaded with Taiheke (NZ Cascade) hops. Crowd friendly, light with a fruit forward aroma for a refreshing finish. Made for locals and visitors alike where “Mountain people drink Mountain Ale”.
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Voyage To Nectaron - Hazy IPA
From the bottom of the earth and beyond, the Nectaron hop oozes juices and engages a silky Hazy IPA voyage. Dank, fresh, fruity, sunshine vibes launch into liftoff.
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Urbanaut | Jaco Hazy Pale Ale
Say hello to Jaco, our juicy lil’ hazy pale ale that packs the punch of a full-blown hazy IPA, but with a deliciously sessionable ABV of just 2.5% assuring your dance moves stay slick all night long. Brimming with big nectarine, apricot and peach flavours and a gently rounded mouthfeel usually unseen in low-ABV beers, Jaco is a LIL beer with BIG ambitions.
DRINK FRESH - STAY RAD
*The beer formally known as Juno has had a name change!*
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Fortune Favours | Imperial Coffee Stout
Prepare to be captivated by this Coffee Imperial Stout, where the bold infusion of coffee takes centre stage alongside robust roastiness, indulgent cocoa notes and light oak. With its rich and velvety texture, balanced profiled the promise of further refinement with time, this stout is a must try for coffee and beer enthusiasts alike.
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Double Vision | Beer O'Clock
Calm Down Karen, it’s just a dark, hoppy beer. But is that the truth? Do we dote on it or shall we cause a fuss? Do we call it a Cascadian Dark Ale, a Black IPA, an India Black Ale? How will we know? We better speak to the manager! Or wait, better yet… deep breaths… just let the beer do the talking.
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Ground Up | Crag Dog
Hazy Pale Ale – 440ml can 4.5%
This unassuming fuzzy character, laden with all American hops is bringing the ruckus to the crag. Wildly excited to see everyone and everything, his friendly demeanor is as refreshing as it is loveable.
February 2023
Holidays are gone, and sun has disappeared for many
Still time to enjoy a beer with mates from another place!
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Isthmus Brewing 3D IPA
D IPA showcases the three dimensions of a classic West Coast IPA: hops, hops and more hops! It features hefty additions of American hops on a NZ malt base. The resinous, citrus and tropical fruit qualities of the hops shine through. This is the perfect beer for hop-heads! Gold medal winner, 3D IPA earned a place in the winning "Top 30" selection at the New World Beer and Cider Awards 2021.
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Chinchiller | GC Pale Ale
This series is all about #christchurch our Garden City! Following from the WCIPA we bring you this ‘sessionable’ pale ale that is a refreshing mid strength beer that we think will soon become your go-to bbq beer.
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Hallertau | 09 Beer of Auckland
The best place deserves the best beer, which by chance you are holding in your mitts at the moment. As well as snapper fishing and volcano hopping, people are flocking here to drink our beer because you can’t get it south of the Bombay’s north of the Brynderwyn’s. Consider these ranges the guardians of the good stuff, barriers to mediocrity!
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Brew Moon | Darkside of the Moon
Another one of our original brews!
A smooth, round and creamy stout with a toasted character which softens into notes of chocolate, coffee and molasses through the body of the beer.
As dark as the Dark Side of the Moon. 6% ABV.
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Three Boys | Tres Amigos
Three Boys take on the classic Mexican lagers.
Sometime a beer is just a beer and just what you need. Crisp and refreshing and simple!
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Rhyme X Reason | Calm Down Karen
Calm Down Karen, it’s just a dark, hoppy beer. But is that the truth? Do we dote on it or shall we cause a fuss? Do we call it a Cascadian Dark Ale, a Black IPA, an India Black Ale? How will we know? We better speak to the manager! Or wait, better yet… deep breaths… just let the beer do the talking.
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Scotts Brewing | Gluten Free Pale Ale
Phillip Scott was diagnosed as being gluten intolerant; facing a future without beer he decided to do something about it. Scotts Pale Ale balances a light honey taste, a hoppy cascade aroma with a firm bitterness and crisp tart citrus finish.
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Sawmill | Bare Beer Pale Ale
Beer with everything except alcohol. Big tropical aroma and a smooth bitterness defy logic in this non-alcoholic Pale Ale.
January 2023
New Year.
New opportunity to try something different.
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Juice Bro Hazy Pale Ale
Two Liberty fan faves in one; easy-drinking Oh Bro, and Jungle Juice – the untamed, palate-pounding Hazy. With the best bits of each brew carefully blended and balanced by our hop savant, Juice Bro’s soft mats highlight the citrusy pomelo and orange stylings of Mosaic and Amarillo cones.
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Fortune Favours | The Trailblazer Hoppy Lager
A classic golden lager with a bit of a kiwi hop hit. Nectaron and Nelson Sauvin provide a small punch of tropical flavours and aromas on a crisp golden lager base. A dry finish makes the trailblazer a sessionable and refreshing beer perfect for any occasion
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Heyday Beer | Nelly NZ Hopped Tangelo Wheat
5% Nelly is an NZ-hopped (Motuke, Waimea & Wai-iti) wheat beer which brings a big, full mouth creaminess that finishes dry and fruity thanks to the tangelo!
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Mount Brewing | Blowhole Pale Ale
The Blowhole Pale Ale is a very sessionable 4.5% beer full of fruit aromas backed by a clean, crisp malt body.
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Brave Brewing | Milk Stout
Released once a year, Milk Stout is brewed with the addition of lactose sugar and a small dose of cacao nibs during fermentation. The result is deliciously balanced, soft and creamy, with a toasty dark chocolate finish.
6.1%
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Garage Project | Tiny Hazy 0.5%
Big things sometimes come in little packages. Say hi to Tiny: Brewed with pilsner malt, golden naked oats, Mosaic, Strata and Simcoe, Tiny is specially fermented to give you all the big, juicy hop character you’ve come to expect from a Hazy IPA - just without the alcohol. Yup that’s right. Big flavour, without the booze so you can enjoy your hazy anytime. Tiny, but mighty.
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Hop Federation | Fields of Green Hazy IPA
A Hazy IPA with dry citrus, creamy lychee and zesty grapefruit flavours. This one’s something special. A trifecta of local hops, Riwaka, Nelson Sauvin, and Motueka.
December 2022
End of a big year
A few interesting brews to check out
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ChinChiller Midday Dance Juice
Midday Dance Juice its big on flavour, all what you would want from a juicy hazy to make you dance! Mosaic heavy with this brew, being the first daughter of Simcoe. Nugget hops showcasing the classic mango, pine, citrus and herbs and aromas of tropical and stone fruit.
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Fortune Favours | The Adventurer Pilsner
Inspired by an old kiwi favourite and using a classic New Zealand hop, the Green Bullet, The Adventurer is a refreshing, crisp and flavoursome pilsner. Easy drinking with subtle pine and citrus flavours with floral notes and finished with a thirst quenching bitterness.
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Duncans Raspberry Ripple
The original ice cream sour. This is a dessert style sour, brewed with vanilla and lactose sugar to give a slight sweetness to the delicious tartness of raspberries.
*Contains lactose sugar
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Noisy Brewing Who Is Jimmy Burke?
Now the question you all have been asking is…….
Who is Jimmy Burke?
Our new Hazy Pale Ale - aptly named “Who is Jimmy Burke?” goes little way to answering that question and will likely keep you guessing.
What we can tell you is this beer is loaded up with Nelson Sauvin and Citra hops and is delicious
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ParrotDog Helen
Like the Sun, Helen was the central force that kept her family in planetary motion. She’d shine her rays on each member as they orbited around her, transmitting matters of great importance from one to another. This Hazy IPA introduces a newborn star NZ hop, codename ‘Peacharine’, to the family, alongside Mosaic and Strata. Tropical and stone fruit hop characters solar charge a hazy, pale yellow malt base
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Double Vision Strong Operator
Your Cult Classic – Smooth Operator is all grown up and got buff! Think stronger abv to dry it out plus coconut to mellow the palate. Malted Maize, Flaked Maize, Oats and Flaked Barley are what make this beast.
This brew was originally released at Beervana 2021 off of our Pilot Kit as a special treat for the Miramartians making their way to the biggest beer festival in the land
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Canyon Brewing Co Stout
An amalgamation of 6 different dark malts, paired with creamy malted oats to bring an ultimately smooth, sessionable and deeply complex stout.
November 2022
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Townshend Blitzgreig
A USA style beer, with big hop in your face flavour. Made as an annual release for the Malthouse West Coast IPA Challenge. It is an opportunity to celebrate and show our appreciation. Assertive, brash and loud. A US of A amber coloured ale using American hops.
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Rhyme and Reason | Black lips
Our quaffable, classic English Style Brown Porter. With a face like that on the label, it’s gotta be good. Cheers to Captain Black Lips!
Malts: Maris Otter, Chocolate and Crystal
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Kereru Gluten Free Ale
A golden, gluten-free ale made with sorghum, rice, and New Zealand Goldings hops, Auro Gluten-Free Ale is clean, very clear, light and refreshing, with full malty flavour and body.
We have been getting some excellent reviews from customers about our gluten free beer.
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Searchlight | Thieving Bastard
We found the biggest, juiciest hops around and layered them with copious amounts of creamy oats and wheat to create a tropical juice bomb. With aromas of guava, papaya and mango the only thing this hazy is stealing is the hearts of hop heads all over the country.
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Brother Beer | Howzat
HOWZAT! XPA is the Official Beer of the Alternative Commentary Collective BYC Podcast this summer.
We've teamed up with the ACC and Hauraki to bring you a Free Pocket Guide to BYC in every six pack. Chocker with sledges, jokes, quizzes and even a score card.