# New Zealand Breweries/great Pubs



## bullsneck (28/12/09)

Hey.

I'm off to NZ in a few weeks and will be in Auckland and Wellington.

Anyone know of any breweries and/or pubs that are worth visiting in and around these cities?

Thanks!

Bullsneck.


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## geoff_tewierik (28/12/09)

I can't personally recommend any but Beer & Brewer has a good listing of New Zealand breweries/establishments in it.


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## Jazman (28/12/09)

do a search on this forum lots of places have been listed if u can find epic beer it is an award winner also go to realbeer.co.nz for listings i have been to the shakesphere brew pub it was good but that was about 4 years ago now so it may have changed


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## epicbeer (29/12/09)

MUST SEE - Wellington, The Malthouse, http://www.themalthouse.co.nz
http://www.forum.realbeer.co.nz/group/well...beer-outlets-in

MUST SEE - Auckland, Brew on Quay, http://www.brewonquay.co.nz
http://beta.realbeer.co.nz/auckland-brew-on-quay/

Actually check out the yet to be officially released new RealBeer.co.nz website
http://beta.realbeer.co.nz

Should be able to find just about everything you need there.

Reference to finding Epic, see http://map.epicbeer.com or in Australia http://australia.epicbeer.com

Hope this helps

Cheers
Luke Nicholas
Epic Brewing Company




bullsneck said:


> Hey.
> 
> I'm off to NZ in a few weeks and will be in Auckland and Wellington.
> 
> ...


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## lock (29/12/09)

I recently visited the Hallertau brewery in Auckland. Good beer and decent food. Well worth a visit. 

they even have a small kids playground if you need one....for the kids that is....

http://www.hallertau.co.nz/


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## vanceonbeach (29/12/09)

bullsneck said:


> Hey.
> 
> I'm off to NZ in a few weeks and will be in Auckland and Wellington.
> 
> ...



In Wellington try:
The Malthouse http://www.themalthouse.co.nz/ (Wide selection, located in the main drinking/eating part of town)

Hashigo Zake http://www.hashigozake.co.nz/ (Terrible name, fantastic craft beer bar - my current favourite)

Leuven http://www.leuven.co.nz/ (Good for Belgium beers, and OK food if you're into the whole mussels, frites & mayo deal - seafood blek!)


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## neonmeate (30/12/09)

my first stops would be

galbraiths in auckland (great cask beers)

regional wines and spirits wellington - opposite basin reserve (best bottleshop in history)

would love to try those hallertau beers they sound crazy


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## dpadden (30/12/09)

neonmeate said:


> galbraiths in auckland (great cask beers)



This is now my first stop when in Auckland. Fantastic pommy style beers all served from hand pumps, and the food is great as well :icon_drool2:


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## Snowdog (4/12/10)

I was in Ellerslie working in early August and the Cock & Bull pub was within walking distance of my hotel. Beer was pretty good, with the dark being the stand-out.


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## Curry (9/12/10)

Auckland

O'Carrolls Irish Bar in Vuclan Lane has transformed into a craft beer bar with 53 different beers available. Hit this bar up if you want to track down some Epic.

O'Carrolls


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## microbe (16/12/10)

lock said:


> I recently visited the Hallertau brewery in Auckland. Good beer and decent food. Well worth a visit.
> 
> they even have a small kids playground if you need one....for the kids that is....
> 
> http://www.hallertau.co.nz/



I'll be dining there next Wednesday. Now just to convince SWMBO that "Yes, I _really_ do need to have at least one of each to sample"

Original brews

Heroic Beers

Really looking forward to sampling the porter. Oh, and it'll be good to catch up with some old friends at the same time. 

Cheers,

microbe


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## sinkas (16/12/10)

any good bottle shops in Auckland?


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## microbe (17/12/10)

Hey sinkas,

Can't help out with any particular local knowledge as I haven't lived there for a while, but supermarkets stock beer and wine with some having quite a good range - (I've seen La Trappe in supermarkets before, among others)

From here Hallertau Stockist List



> Farro Fresh Mt Wellington & Mairangi Bay
> 
> Nosh Foodstore Mt Eden, Greenlane & Ponsonby
> 
> ...



It may be drawing a long bow, but you would think if they bother to stock one micro's beer there will be more?

Hope that helps. Off to search some of those bottle shops now.

Cheers,

microbe


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## brettprevans (22/11/11)

thread resurrection!

heading over to wellington next week. based on AHB search of wellington related beer threads I decided that a visit to these 3 is essential. 

www.themalthouse.co.nz - 150 diff beers from around the world. NZ microbreweries including Tuatara brewery on tap. They also sell Epic brewery beers which are awsome
www.hashigozake.co.nz/beerlist.html - fancy a Japanese snack and some great beers?
www.macsbrewbar.co.nz - owned by lion nathan but apparently a good bar and some of the macs beers are fairly drinkable.

ill be stopping off at a bottlo ASAP after landing (ok the morning after I land as it will be 12:15am) and buy a few bottles to take up with me on the wellington cablecar and to Mt Victoria Lookout


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## Bribie G (22/11/11)

Where are you staying in the city?
On the Waterfront a couple of blocks from Macs, don't forget to pop into the New World supermarket. Looks like a Coles at first glance but as soon as you walk in, all resemblance is lost :beerbang: 

This is just the single bottle aisle, there are three others for cases, chilled bottles, chilled six packs....... and the wine department is labyrinthine. 





The 3 pubs you mention are all on the same couple of blocks so just a short stagger. 

Malthouse is good, although a little bit uncomfortable as you have to perch on hard stools or stand up, but a good range. When I was there last year they had Tuatara stout on handpump. 



Macs range is ok, the Sassy Red and the Hoprocker are drinkable and if it's a nice day you can sit out front and take in a fabulous view across the bay.





The lass was from Sheffield Yorshire by gum. 

My pick would be the Hakawakawatsit place, it's hard to find, up an alley and down a flight of stairs into the basement - had a couple on hand pump when I was there. Buy a growler for your trip up the cable car and hope you get good weather, it's a gorgeous city - you know you aren't in Australia any more :beerbang: 




Edit, one thing you'll love is the prices, about $A5 a pint in most bars, and $A11 for most six packs like Hoprocker etc


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## brettprevans (22/11/11)

Bribie G said:


> Where are you staying in the city?


James Cook Hotel,s owithin stumbling ddistance. wohoo

cheers for the lowdown on New World Market. ill be going there. champ bribie



Bribie G said:


> My pick would be the Hakawakawatsit place, it's hard to find, up an alley and down a flight of stairs into the basement - had a couple on hand pump when I was there.


spelling bribie? no google results

and where should I buy a growler from?


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## Pistol (22/11/11)

This bottlo is in Wellington and is one of the best if not the best in New Zealand.

http://www.regionalwines.co.nz

hope that helps, if your also going to Auckland I could help, just spent 10 days there.


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## Bribie G (22/11/11)

Also getting around the CBD is brilliant:




get yourself a map/timetable as a simple half k walk in Windy Wellington can seem like a 10 k endurance hike in Alaska - hang on you're Victorian, yeah you'll be right


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## pimpsqueak (22/11/11)

Pistol said:


> This bottlo is in Wellington and is one of the best if not the best in New Zealand.
> 
> http://www.regionalwines.co.nz
> 
> hope that helps, if your also going to Auckland I could help, just spent 10 days there.



+1 for The Regional. That's where you get your growler from :icon_drunk:


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## Bribie G (22/11/11)

Hashigozake :icon_cheers: 
Looks like they are still going.

From Macs, walk away from waterfront into Taranaki street and Hashigo Zake is up an alley on the left. Then continue along Taranaki to the Irish Pub on the corner, (do not enter unless you'd like a pint of Export Gold or TUI) <_< , turn left into Courtenay and the Malthouse is a couple of hundred metres, on your left. If picking up emergency supplies, then continue along Courtenay and left into Cambridge Terrace and the New World will hove into view ahead of you, whence you can walk back along Cable Street back to Macs for a top up. :icon_cheers:

Regional Wines and Spirits are a couple of Ks south of the CBD, short cab ride.


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## joshuahardie (22/11/11)

I would give Mac's a miss and go to 'The Hop Garden' instead.
about a 5 minute walk from 'The Malthouse'

My favourite was Hashigo zake, but the dark cramped quarters won't appeal to everybody.

I was there last month, and those 3 destinations are the must see's

I was pretty sure a new joint was opening up which had 40 or 50 taps, but the details escape me.

Like bribie said, check out the New World supermarket, and regional wines and spirits. Any bottle-o that has a 10 tap fill your own growler station gets my vote. (free tastings too).

Another thing that was great is the Malthouse and Hashigo zake do takeaways over the bar, with a 20% discount to off site sales, which meant I was able to take a fantastic 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze home with me at the end of the night


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## brettprevans (22/11/11)

great info guys esp since im only there 3 nights. and 1 night is already ruled out for a more formal evening. So I think this will be my tuesday day and evening and maybe late wednesday evening


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## brettprevans (5/12/11)

well im back and smashed a few bars and beers (and did some work)

this is by no means an exhaustive list and ive left out all the great NZ wines I drank

*Boundary Road Flying Fortress Pale Ale - bottle*
Good perfume on pour
Minimal head (could be the glass). Good carbonation
Amber rather than pale appearance
Lots of caramel on the nose and palate
From taste I assume motueka is bittering and pacific jade if finishing.
Big malty ale
Id like to see more Pacific Jade in the finish say around 15min addition or slightly less caramel. Reminiscent of English ale rather than a pale ale.


*Monoliths Dopplebock Winter Ale *- bottle
Pretty standard dopplebocl but very drinkable. Had my first one as a nightcap
Warming but not hot alcohol. Lots of choc and dark malts and a good head.
Definite carafe II tones
Not a badly made beer and fits style. Nothing jumps out and hits you but a solid beer. 




*Macs Hoprocker *(from Macs brewery and in a bottle elsewhere in Wellington)
No big/decent hop hit on aroma or palate.
A little lifeless. Ok chugging beer but was disappointed.


*Rochdale Apple Cider with Ginger and Lime* - bottle
Wow. What a different cider
Definitely ginger (not hot ginger) and lime coming through. Quite refreshing. 
Carbonation med/high but not overdone. 
However I think that they might use a ginger/lime essence or artifical flavour which lets this down a little. But on a warm sunny day it was great. 



b]Epic Lager [/b]- bottle
Cant find my notes. I remember it was a great beer though

*Speights Old Dark* - tap
Good old dark. Still as I remember it (pretty much). A little cleaner and livelier than in the can. Lots of dark malts but slightly subdued so its not over the top. Reminded me a little more of a dark brown ale.
Went well with a Daisey Duke pizza from Chicago bar (Us themed bar, cheap food and booze. Pizzas were great very thin bases, nachos avg. lots of 2 for 1 deals). 


*Macs Great White (Wit)* tap at Macs
Disappointing for a Belgian wit. Fair whack of clove but no real banana. No turkish delight characteristics as touted by macs. I knew I was drinking a wit (barely) but not a great one. Meh.


(had a few this night so no notes)
*Isaac's Cider*
Middle of the road cider. Slightly sweeter. Ok but nothing special.

*Macs Pilsner* 
not bad. Clean enough, better than hop rocker. Nice hop perfume. 

*Macs Gold*
chug chug chug. 

*Macs Black*
Yup another megabrew dark beer. Quite drinkable and went back for another of these

Its possible I drank others but I really kinds lost count


*Beer of Show Epic Pale* (notes written next day from memory)
WOW. Big hop aroma even whilst its in the bottle.
Bigger hop hit in the palate. More like a baby IPA
Very clean and great med carb levels
Knocked back 3 in about 20min. Could sit on this beer all day. 




Bought some home with me also


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## brettprevans (5/12/11)

yup their bottlos put ours to shame. a few shots from New World









look at how much freakn cider they have. & in 1.5L PET bottles!!!! big thing seamss to be th 12 packs of beer which are only slightly more than haalf a slab. much more reasonable than over here


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## Nick JD (5/12/11)

New World is a supermarket chain. Like Coles.


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## brettprevans (5/12/11)

some palces to sit and watch wellington go bye (and have a drink)
top of cable car and botanic gardens overlooking wellington. take your own. took beers during day then went back one night with NZ wine and cigars



down near the harbour. great for 'bird' watching



one of their many hotels. grab a bean bag, a beer, and chill on the lawn.



great place to drink and eat - *Chow*
they do a japanese tapas! and 2 for 1 cocktails on a wednesday. most with NZ spitits/ingrediants. drank about 6 cocktails. v reasonably priced



Other great food and wine was at *Dockside*. but a bit pricey. great atmosphere.

*Shed 5's *food is amazing. Macs beers on tap plus a few others.


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## brettprevans (5/12/11)

Nick JD said:


> New World is a supermarket chain. Like Coles.


ok yes. however they have a small one in wellington 'cbd' like an IGA and it has a massive range also. 

but yes I stand corrected. their supermarkets beat our on beer selection. there is another entire isle of beer that I didnt take photos of


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## argon (5/12/11)

get into the Epic Armageddon... but steer clear of the Barrel aged version.


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## brettprevans (5/12/11)

argon said:


> get into the Epic Armageddon... but steer clear of the Barrel aged version.


yup had one of them. awsome. almost bought a barrel aged one but ran out of dosh. glad I did.

Epic is seriously good. Tuatara wasnt bad either. tried to keep it as local as possible (ie wellington) but couldnt always


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