20 beers that made 2020 better
So, 2020, eh? It was bad, weird, stressful, depressing in places, but it also had plenty of upside. Beer-wise it felt like a lot was happening – or maybe that’s because we little else to do for many weeks than sit at home and dream up online orders. So as a final...
An idyllic dozen of the decade
To celebrate a decade writing about beer, I’ve created my idyllic dozen that signify my personal journey over the past 10 years. I’m lucky that in 2010, there were only a fraction of the beers available that we have now. It was possible then to work your way through...
Summer Juggin’
Summer is the best time for beer mixes and beer cocktails. Beer and soft drink mixes with the addition of spirits and/or fruit flavours suit the hotter days. Serve them in jugs with ice and they are a great drink with which to hang out or get a party started. Bung in...
Heroes of the Zeroes: best No-alcohol beers
Every now and then I give my body (the liver in particular) a break by going off the alcohol for a couple of weeks or so. I usually undergo this cleansing exercise after a holiday – a time where I do not necessarily drink excessively, but I have a beer or two almost...
Deus Ex Cerveza
Westvleteren 12, hallowed be its name, is an ever-present spectre that haunts the craft beer community. Ubiquitously unavailable, this hyper-rare drop has gained the moniker of the best beer in the word. Is it actually? That’s definitely a matter for debate, but it’s...
Salt in the malt: a quick guide to Gose
If you’re of the right age you may remember your grandfather (or grandmother) putting salt in his or her beer. Salting beer wasn’t an uncommon practice in the early part of last century – between the wars. There’s no definitive reason why people added salt to their...
Across the Great Divide
How can a beer go from being the best in New Zealand to one that’s pilloried on social media as “crap”? The beer in question is Moa Southern Alps – a multi-award winning White IPA. If you’re a member of the Facebook group, Saving The World With Couch Beers, you’ll...
The battle between Haze & Clear
There has been a lot of digital ink spilled on the rise of the Hazy IPA. Whether you love them or hate them, everyone must admit that they have stormed the beer scene like no other IPA variant (Imperial, Black, Red, White, Session, Grapefruit, Milkshake, Glitter,...
Core Competencies: in search of NZ’s best core range beers
A frequent topic of discussion here at Beer Jerk Towers is “which New Zealand brewery has the best core range?” While it’s often easy to get sucked into the cycle of new releases and exciting experiments that keep us on our toes, core range beers have the advantage of...
Capital Diary: Going to the Dogs
In early August I had only just started re-indulging in craft beer again when the spectre of another lockdown started circling. Luckily, on the night we went back to Level 2 I had a booked a beer club night at the Waitoa Social Club on Victoria Street, so were able to...
