Hop Federation IPA
With all the new hop varieties appearing in our beers these days it’s easy to forget one of New Zealand’s 21st century OG’s — Nelson Sauvin.  Lucky for us, Hop Federation’s new IPA is crammed full of Nelson green goodness and boy oh boy it’s good! Replacing the Rakau-hopped IPA in their range, this beer carries all of those wonderful fruity characteristics you expect from a Nelson Sauvin.  Fresh gooseberry, apricot and distinctive Sauvignon Blanc characters are wonderfully balanced alongside some pungent, resinous oily bits that I’m totally diggin’. The first mouthful delivers a solid bitterness that is truly the highlight of the entire experience and it doesn’t let up from start to finish.  The beer has a light creamy feel to it and is nicely balanced with a solid malt backbone that allows the hops to shine! I give this beer a solid 9/10.  It’s everything you want in a traditional IPA. Think Parrotdog Bitterbitch or Epic Armageddon — this beer sits nicely next to those legends.

Thief Brewing Frog Wallop IPA

Thief Brewing continues to prove that there’s IPA in them thar hills of Banks Peninsula, adding this West Coast style to the range.  West Coast by way of New Zealand anyway, being driven by Nelson Sauvin, Rakau and NZ grown Chinook.   The...

Double Vision x Baan Bangkok Thunder Struck Triple IPA

The method by which I pick a beer to feature here every week is extremely loose, but usually there’s an equation that balances between ‘interesting’ ‘relevant’ and ‘good’.  Sometimes, one of those spokes dominates to such an extent that the others cease to...

Behemoth Chur-Toberfest 2025

Every year more of our local craft brewers don the lederhosen and kick out a kiwi version of a Munich Festbier.  Historically, the results have been mixed… NZ malt and even more so our hops just don’t mesh well with the peerlessly smooth, crisp and understated...

New Zealand’s Most Awarded Beers

It was Stay Gold that started this … the Brave Brewing XPA that won a trophy in the International Pale Ale class at this year’s New Zealand Beer Awards. I was looking back through the records and realised it was the fifth gold medal that beer had won, and I started to...

Slow Walk Through Paradise — Visiting Every Brewery in NZ

There’s something about beer that’s always been part of my story. From the early days of sneaking sips of Lion Brown at my dad’s feet and walking around the house with my ‘beer mou’, to the $2 jugs of Joseph Kuhtze Lager at the Southern Cross Tavern during University...

Fermented Culture — The Third Place

Earlier this year a battle was fought in the leafy hills to the north of Wellington. A liquor license was being sought for what was once Dick Mead Motors and the Onslow Service Station. The resident’s association successfully applied for an extension to the decision...