middle of the road

Available in six-packs, this old school lager (3.8 per cent ABV) is hopped with an all New Zealand mix of Green Bullet, Dr Rudi and Motueka hops.  It’s got an expressive, gristy malt aroma with delicate grass and floral hop notes.  Smooth and gentle on the palate, with a clean malt character, the herbaceous hops linger over the mildly bitter finish.  A straightforward and no nonsense lager that punches well above its bantamweight ABV, packing in as much if not more flavour than many of the mass produced 5-percenters and at $13 for a six-pack, the price stacks up as well.

Drinking In The Middle Lane

When my recent piece ‘A slow walk through paradise’ was published, a mate joked, “Jeepers BH, you’re a bit middle-of-the-road in your beer tastes to be talking to the craft beer community.”...

Ask An Expert — How To Enjoy A Fresh Hop Beer

Brewing has been part of my life for 25 years now and even in this small amount of time, the innovations and experimentation that have all come about in the name of beer never cease to amaze me. It also means it's almost 20 years since I first got the chance to get...

The Beer Project — Lakeman Brewing

You can thank local government regulation for the existence of Lakeman, a brewery located on a farm 20 minutes west of Taupo. Farmer James Cooper didn't expect to become a brewer. He had never home-brewed. But regulations basically imposing herd size limits to prevent...

Three Sisters Buy Sunshine Brewing

Bold New Plymouth brewery Three Sisters is the new owner of Gisborne's iconic Sunshine Brewing. It's an unprecedented move in the New Zealand brewing industry with one craft brewery buying another. Recently DNA Brewing in Blenheim bought the Hop Federation brand but...

Hemp And Hops Align

It’s all about balance – that’s what Andy Duke at b.effect says about his latest brewing escapades. Down in Wānaka, he’s been using hemp in a number of b.efect beers, which gives new flavour profiles, adds body to gluten-free beers, and has resulted in some delicious,...

Roots Brewing — Small But Mighty

Back in the early 1900s, Whanganui wasn’t just lively as New Zealand’s 5th largest city — it was one of Aotearoa’s great beer strongholds, proudly home to 13 breweries. Thirteen! Then came decades of closures, mergers, and the lure of jobs elsewhere, and one by one...