beer festivals

This IPA from Brothers Beer (5.9 per cent ABV) utilises the new Cryo Pop pellets from Yakima Chief. They are extracted from a blend of American hops and designed as a fire-and-forget solution to aroma in an IPA.  Are they any good?  Let’s see… The nose is clean and relatively soft, with stone fruit, white grape and grapefruit citrus along with a streak of more lifted tropical melon and pineapple.  The palate is still a fairly soft touch, with the tropicals and citrus taking command alongside a nicely dry crunchy malt.  A light body, rapid palate and keen bitterness all make for a supremely drinkable IPA that I could blast through a couple of pints of all too easily.  As for the effectiveness of Cryo Pop, I’ll need to try some more examples before rendering a verdict, but I’d say it’s working well here.

Beer Festivals — Your Guide To What’s On In Early 2026

There are plenty of beer festivals popping up around the country this summer. Here is a run-down on the main festivals coming up in the first part of 2026. Saturday, 31 January 2026 — Great Kiwi Beer Festival at Hagley Park, Christchurch...

Three Boys Sold

Three Boys, one of New Zealand's most important craft breweries and a two-time champion brewery, is in new hands after being sold. The brewery, founded by Ralph Bungard and his wife Brigid Casey, is now owned by the head brewer Damian Treacher and his business...

Bach Brewing Polygamy Pilsner

Summer heat has now well and truly arrived so it’s time to crack out the Pilsner. Bach Brewing's Polygamy (maybe one of the weirdest naming decisions ever) Pilsner is a re-brew of one of Bach Brewing’s early beers, a Bohemian style Pilsner called Czechmate (itself a...

Hop Federation Saved — Bought by DNA

Hop Federation has been saved. After the brewery was shuttered by previous owners Kono just a couple of months ago, Hop Federation will live on after Blenheim’s DNA Brewing stepped in and bought the brand. https://hoppiness.co.nz/hop-federation-closing-down It’s a...

Parrotdog Go Public

In one of the biggest signs that craft beer is now a mature business, punters can buy and sell shares in Parrotdog on the open market via a new trading platform called Catalist. There hasn't been a publicly listed brewery in New Zealand since Moa's inglorious NZX...

Festival check: Dunedin Craft Beer and Food Festival

A Wellington reader made the trip down south last Friday to attend the festival and filed this report. Arrival experience: The festival is held each year at Forsyth Barr Stadium in the centre of Dunedin. It was an easy 10 minute walk through the grounds of the...