DO HOBBITS DRINK BEER?<br/>ONE BEER CHICK'S BEER ADVENTURES IN NEW ZEALAND - Part One
DO HOBBITS DRINK BEER?
ONE BEER CHICK'S BEER ADVENTURES IN NEW ZEALAND - Part One
I recently ventured to the land of the Kiwi to ski in the middle of the summer, (and find out if the toilet flushes the other way round). The idea came from my brilliant friend Kristin, whose dream it is to ski on every continent. She felt this year was the year of the Kiwi and kindly invited me along. Another hot day without air conditioning in my LA apartment (I’m the only girl in LA that prays for rain) and I was ready to feel some cold crisp air and hear the ‘swish swish’ of snow beneath my skis.
I decided my mission along the way would be to explore the world of beer in the southern hemisphere (it’s not Gandalf fighting the Balrog, but it’s something). Most people know that ‘Fosters is Australian for beer” but what the hell do they drink in New Zealand? I knew going in that New Zealand grows a ton of fresh hops like, Saaz, Pacific Hallertau, NZ Motueka, and NZ Southern Cross, so where there are great hops, I posited, there must be great craft brew.
My first beer in NZ was in the city of Auckland. Auckland is known as the ‘City of Sails’ as it is a scenic city on the water with beautiful boats coming in and out of the harbor. It reminded me of Seattle, which reminded me of great microbrews, which reminded me I needed to find a beer, stat. I was drawn into the Mac’s Northern Steamship Company Brewbar because of it’s upside down colorful lamps and the perfectly polished silver taps all with digital windows revealing the perfectly kept temperature of each beer. Mac’s is a well-known NZ brewery focusing on what they call ‘natural ingredients’ and very cute bottles and labels (there is art in beer girls).
I ordered the Sassy Red (yes because of the name), and from the fist refreshingly hoppy sip I had confirmation that craft brew was alive and well amongst the Kiwis, (‘Kiwi’: a flightless bird, a hairy fruit, a slang-term for New Zealanders). The red beer was sassy indeed, biting and crisp, with a large dose of Saaz hops, and a low 4.5%.
I noticed that many craft brews in New Zealand have a low alcohol percentage, keeping things ‘sessionable’ whereas many US brews tend to turn things way up. I’m a lightweight when it comes to alcohol, so I’m a fan of the mellow alch-y-hol as it means more flavorful sips before I get drunk enough to sing Neil Diamond to a bunch of sauced New Zealanders (yes this happened, and it was “Sweet Caroline,” and an old Kiwi man said to me, “I’m not gonna lie to you, it wasn’t good”).
Mac’s is also famous for their Gold ale, a mellow golden lager with a hint of citrus. The menu at the brewbar features beer pairings with each dish, revealing a nuance in beer taste amongst the Kiwi’s that is as impressive as their beautifully diverse landscape.
(To be continued….)
Written by The Blonde Beer Chick, September 8, 2008
ONE BEER CHICK'S BEER ADVENTURES IN NEW ZEALAND - Part One
I recently ventured to the land of the Kiwi to ski in the middle of the summer, (and find out if the toilet flushes the other way round). The idea came from my brilliant friend Kristin, whose dream it is to ski on every continent. She felt this year was the year of the Kiwi and kindly invited me along. Another hot day without air conditioning in my LA apartment (I’m the only girl in LA that prays for rain) and I was ready to feel some cold crisp air and hear the ‘swish swish’ of snow beneath my skis.I decided my mission along the way would be to explore the world of beer in the southern hemisphere (it’s not Gandalf fighting the Balrog, but it’s something). Most people know that ‘Fosters is Australian for beer” but what the hell do they drink in New Zealand? I knew going in that New Zealand grows a ton of fresh hops like, Saaz, Pacific Hallertau, NZ Motueka, and NZ Southern Cross, so where there are great hops, I posited, there must be great craft brew.
My first beer in NZ was in the city of Auckland. Auckland is known as the ‘City of Sails’ as it is a scenic city on the water with beautiful boats coming in and out of the harbor. It reminded me of Seattle, which reminded me of great microbrews, which reminded me I needed to find a beer, stat. I was drawn into the Mac’s Northern Steamship Company Brewbar because of it’s upside down colorful lamps and the perfectly polished silver taps all with digital windows revealing the perfectly kept temperature of each beer. Mac’s is a well-known NZ brewery focusing on what they call ‘natural ingredients’ and very cute bottles and labels (there is art in beer girls).
I ordered the Sassy Red (yes because of the name), and from the fist refreshingly hoppy sip I had confirmation that craft brew was alive and well amongst the Kiwis, (‘Kiwi’: a flightless bird, a hairy fruit, a slang-term for New Zealanders). The red beer was sassy indeed, biting and crisp, with a large dose of Saaz hops, and a low 4.5%.I noticed that many craft brews in New Zealand have a low alcohol percentage, keeping things ‘sessionable’ whereas many US brews tend to turn things way up. I’m a lightweight when it comes to alcohol, so I’m a fan of the mellow alch-y-hol as it means more flavorful sips before I get drunk enough to sing Neil Diamond to a bunch of sauced New Zealanders (yes this happened, and it was “Sweet Caroline,” and an old Kiwi man said to me, “I’m not gonna lie to you, it wasn’t good”).
Mac’s is also famous for their Gold ale, a mellow golden lager with a hint of citrus. The menu at the brewbar features beer pairings with each dish, revealing a nuance in beer taste amongst the Kiwi’s that is as impressive as their beautifully diverse landscape.(To be continued….)
Written by The Blonde Beer Chick, September 8, 2008
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