Recommendations

From SOBA

[edit] Generic response for overseas visitors

Suggest cutting and pasting as required. We could expand this into a rudimentary "good beer guide". Sorry it's in the first person. Edit for your opinions/comments as desired.

Dear X,

As you may or may not know, New Zealand is dominated by two megalithic breweries - Dominion Breweries (DB) and Lion Nathan. Between them, they have almost every pub in the country locked into an agreement very similar to the UK tied house arrangement, although there isn't even any guest beer legislation such as exists in the UK. This is one of the reasons SOBA was formed. Also, don't bother trying to find real ale, in general it doesn't exist in NZ in cask form. There are several RAIBs from local craftbrewers, but only a couple of brewpubs in New Zealand have anything on cask. Galbraiths (mentioned below) is one of them, as is The Twisted Hop in Christchurch (in the South Island).

There is some relief, however.

For local breweries and pubs who support SOBA members (and therefore, usually have good beer), check out our sponsors web page at: http://www.soba.org.nz/sponsors

Here are some highlights:

Hamilton:

The Cock and Bull - an English-style chain pub, similar to the likes of JD Wetherspoons. The beer is generally great. Brewed by Luke Nicholas, of Epic fame. Try the Fuggles, the Epic, or the current guest beer, as it's often interesting. It's on the corner of Church Road and Maui Street, just off State Highway 1 heading out of Hamilton towards Auckland.

Le Dome - One of a chain of Belgian Beer Cafes. Inbev beers, but nicely presented, and decent enough food/beer matching advice. Chimay Blue is still Chimay Blue the world over. :) It's right in the centre of Victoria Street (the main drag), opposite Garden Place. Very easy to find.

Auckland:

Galbraiths - The closest thing to a real English pub that NZ has. Highly regarded by the late Michael Jackson, and well worth a visit. Try the Bob Hudsons Bitter, or the Bellringers Best Bitter. It's on the corner of Mount Eden road and Symonds Street.

Shakespeares - New Zealand's oldest brewpub. Don't bother asking for a tour of the brewery, it's tiny, and the brewer is a little "isolationist" and shuns SOBA and other brewers. Nevertheless, he occasionally makes excellent beer. Unfortunately, he's very inconsistent, so while I recommend a visit, I apologise if the beer experience isn't the best on the day. Try the Falstaff's ale, when it's on form, it's like a nice Kentish bitter, albeit served from a keg under CO2. In the centre of town, on the corner of Albert and Wyndham streets.

Hallertau - Well off the beaten track, out to the north-west of Auckland, near Riverhead, it's a beautiful little brewpub serving 5 or 6 varied locally brewed beers, a couple of guests or specials, and a fridge chock full of NZ craft brews. Steve the brewer is extremely friendly, and will usually be happy to show you around if he's not too busy. The food is great, the service friendly, and if they had accommodation, I might never leave.

The Cock and Bull - there are 5 of these scattered around Auckland also.

Rotorua:

The local brewery, Crouchers, makes some excellent beers although they also suffer from inconsistency at times. Paul the brewer is still tweaking his recipes, and they are usually excellent.

"The Belgian Bar" - A "real" Belgian pub, run by an expat Belgian chap from Antwerp. He loves beer, and treats it with respect, having the correct glassware for most of his imported beers. He can usually be counted on to have something unique on keg, imported independently from Belgium, or other European countries. He has well over 80 bottled beers and around 8 taps. Last time I was there, Young's Special London Ale was the guest beer. The food is excellent also, and they are the local venue for the jazz scene in Rotorua if you like a little music while you imbibe! Located on Arawa Street, right next door to...

The Pheasant Plucker - a bit of a dive, to be honest, but they do have Crouchers beers on tap, which is why I've included them.

Christchurch:

There are several local breweries in Christchurch. The best of which would probably be Three Boys. Ralph Bungard is the brewer there, and is relatively new to the NZ brewing scene, but he has made many friends due to his excellent flavourful beers. Harringtons sometimes make a decent beer out of their HUGE range, though it's hard to recommend them as they are not very consistent. Wigram have beautiful labels, but the contents of the bottle are not always as impressive. Nonetheless, they are worth tasting when you find them, as they are always surprising me with how much they are improving. None of these breweries have a brewery tap, but you can get the beers in many of the better bars in Christchurch.

The Dux de Lux - a lively brewpub on the old University campus on the corner of Hereford & Montreal Streets. Popular with all types, but mostly frequented by students. It's like an entry-level intro to good beer. Nothing too challenging, though the Nor'Wester strong ale is a stunner when it's on form.

The Twisted Hop - a bit hard to find, but well worth the hunt, down tiny Poplar lane (don't look for trees, it's very bleak and industrial, possibly the originator of the name had a PhD in irony). You will find hand dispensed real ale here, and it's pretty good too. I fully recommend the Goldings Bitter, but all their beers are excellent, and the food is fantastic also.

Dunedin:

Many good bars, including the Inch Bar and Eureka (by the university). Many have the local craft beer heroes, Emerson's, on tap, and it's pretty hard to go wrong with any of their brews. The Speight's brewery tour is worth it for the polished presentation, but don't take it too seriously, it's all about the marketing, not the beer. There's some great history there, and their craft beer line is actually decent. Sadly, rumour has it that it is being discontinued.

Queenstown:

Queenstown has another branch of the Dux de Lux, though I've not visited it. Hopefully the beer is the same. It also has a "brewpub" called the Loaded Hog. I wouldn't bother with the Hog, as the beer is usually awful. It used to be good back in the day, but now it's just a brand.

I hope you have a great time in NZ, and feel free to get in touch if you have any other questions, or just want someone to have a beer with.

Thanks for your email.

Regards,

• Sig*