Alibi

A rare dark entry into Parrotdog’s range of namesake seasonals.  Big porters like this (8 per cent ABV) typically fall somewhere on a spectrum with chocolate on one end and coffee on the other, and going by the aroma, this one lands squarely in the chocolate zone.  Dark chocolate block with roasty malt undertones and just a little black forest fruit.  That fruit really comes alive on the palate with black cherry and turkish delight mixed in with more of that smooth dark chocolate.  Considering this is a straight porter (i.e malt/hops/yeast) with no cocoa or fruit added, the striking intensity with which those very flavours come through is incredible.  An unabashedly sweet porter that absolutely nails the style.

Fresh Alibi — Meet The New Brewer

Jody Thomas has a beer CV that could fill this website from back to front but her new job as the one and only brewer at Alibi on Waiheke Island is almost like starting over. Thomas has worked in breweries up and down New Zealand as well as in Sydney, Geelong and...

Shining Peak Expand Into Christchurch

New Plymouth's Shining Peak have opened a branch office in Christchurch — setting up a bar and restaurant in the refurbished Sumner Post Office. Shining Peak have been looking for a new venue for some time and briefly looked at opening a venue in Queenstown, but they...

Mr Good Bar — Twofold & St Leonards

The good news is that, despite the occasional bad news, there are great new brew bars are still bubbling up all over the place. In central Auckland, for instance, I came upon two in a single afternoon – a sunny Sunday afternoon on the edge of summer, hope in the air....

Two Experimental Hops In Advanced Trials

Two of NZ Hops Ltd’s experimental hops are in advanced trials this season and they couldn't have asked for a better start. Both NZH-106 and NZH-109 have been selected for advanced growing trials so we’ll see more of those hops in our beers later this year. Andrew...

Zero Cider Helps Peckham’s Go From Strength to Strength

One of the best new drinks to enter the market this year is a) not a beer and b) contains zero alcohol. Step up Peckham’s Apple Zero. This 0% cider is made from proper cider apples with a wild ferment and the result of those two “ingredients” it’s unlike anything else...

The Beer Project — Sunshine Brewing

I visit Sunshine on a hot Thursday afternoon in January. The bar is starting to hum with locals enjoying beers on the deck. There was a time when Wellington was the biggest market for Gisborne Gold but that has definitely swung back home. In addition to the...