Just checking in with a quick report from a dial-up connection in our accommodation on the shores of Lake Rotorua.
So far, I tried Galbraiths which was a little disappointing. The Ordinary was OK, but as I moved up the gravities, the balance somehow fell out of kilter, and I just didn't enjoy the beers. The trainee staff on the bar were friendly but clueless about the beers. The Hallertau was great. Met some NZ mashies and Stephen the Hallertau's brewer. Although my conversation with these nice people was all too short due to my being there with the family, they seemed like a nice group, as most brewers are. The bar was good and family friendly, the beers were good (although I reckon the hefe is 1an interesting NZ deviation, rather than a true Bavarian style hefe) and the food was generally OK, apart from the mushrooms in cranberry that Mrs PoMo ordered, and quite creative, like the Thai spiced risotto that I had.
Of the big breweries, the Speights Distinction is the pick of the crop. Lion Red is drinkable but very sweet and hopless, like most megalager the world over. Tried a Steinlager on the Bay of Islands ferry to see if it was any better closer to the source and I'm sorry to say, no, it isn't.
Currently I'm trying the beers from one of Rotorua's, two craft breweries, Crouchers. The Hefe is quite nice and the BoPils is decent. Shortly going to try the Pale. So far I'm quite impressed for a brewery that started out as a BOP. Might get to the Pales by the end of this post
What impresses me most about NZ's licensing is the ease of access to beer, but the micro scene is underrepresented in the supermarkets. All commuter ferries have a bar with Speights, Lion, Tui, and sometimes Monteiths beers. The bars are family friendly and you can buy liquor in supermarkets. Today I bought a 4-pack of Hoegaarden wit for NZ$9.99! There is also price competition for local wines. We've had some decent local drops for below NZ$12, although you are rewarded well for spending double that. The NZ$25 local wines would hold their own with A$25 wines at home.
As I predicted, I'm now sipping the Crouchers APA. Nice beer, well balanced between Cascade, which I presume are NZ cascade, and malt. Not bad for a provincial micro. I hope to get in there tomorrow and say hello to the brewers. I'll also be sampling the beers of the Waipa Brewery at the Pheasant Plucker Inn. From what I've seen so far, there are some nice beers to be had on the North Island, although the micro scene is supposed to be best in the Marlborough wine district on the South Island. I'll keep checking the shelves of every bottle shop and supermarket while I'm here. Will also be checking out the beer friendly bottle shops in Wellington in a couple of days.
We've racked up a lot of k's in a Ford Territory AWD while here. The car is great for NZ country roads. The drivers here are weird. In the cities, be prepared to brake when heading toward any intersection as people seem to take right turns across two lanes at speed, without indicating and despite oncoming traffic. I couldn't spot any consistent rule about when to indicate, it seemed to depend on whim. In the country, most drivers are fantastic. They pull over onto the shoulder to let faster traffic pass, they indicate with blinkers when it's safe to pass, space traffic well, etc etc etc. The two styles of driving are a marvel to behold.
So far we've seen Auckland, Northland and the Corromandrel (sp?) peninsula and now Rotorua. A very interesting and special place. I like it here a lot. The people are fantastic, the country is beautiful and the lifestyle seems very laid back.
Will report back with more beer reports as I travel further south. Any special places to see (especially beer related) between here and Wellington would be appreciated. Greetings to the brewers I met at the Hallertau, whose names I have typically forgotten
