The old cider factory at Stoke, near Nelson, which nearly 30 years ago introduced us to Mac's Gold and then a range of Mac's beers, has produced a new trio of brews.
Stoke Gold, Amber and Black are the latest offerings from the McCashin family.
Former All Black Terry McCashin founded McCashin's Brewery in the former Rochdale cider plant in 1981 to make preservative-free beer. Now his son Dean and Dean's wife Emma have taken over the plant, which Terry leased to Lion from 1999 until 2008.
The first beer is Gold, with a similar name to Dad's first brew, and it is also preservative-free. The recipe is not the same, though, because when Lion bought the Mac's label and took over the brewery it also took ownership of the recipe of Mac's Gold, which it still produces.
The couple's brewer is Sam Wilson, whose job at the Stoke brewery went when Lion moved out two years ago.
Each of the 4.5% trio of beers leaves soft hop bitterness in the mouth rather than the throat and each has a nice balance of malt and hop flavours.
The Gold lager is tasty rather than crisp. At this time of year, at garage temperature, the malt in the Amber can compete with the hop; and the Black's coffee and chocolate aroma and flavours also come through without chilling.
The new range should reach the shelves of southern Woolworths and Countdown stores in a couple of weeks, being sold in six- (about $18) and 12-packs (about $32).
The McCashins plan occasional seasonal releases as well, and probably some experimental brews (like Dunedin brewer Emerson's brewer's reserves) in larger 650ml bottles.
• Grace-full
Emerson's latest brewer's reserve is a 6% porter called Grace Jones. It is as black as, but more full-bodied, than the slender singer/actress who, incidentally, turns 62 this year.
The brew is full of chocolate and coffee aroma and flavours, with a bite from roasted barley. Otago oats help to top it off with a rich, creamy head.
It is available at the Wickliffe St brewery for about $10 in 1.25-litre plastic.
• 1.44m brown bottles ...
Lion Breweries lost about 120,000 dozen bottles of beer in this month's Christchurch earthquake. It could have been worse - up to 240,000 dozen can be stored at its Christchurch brewery in the lead-up to Christmas.
The Lion Speight's brewery in Dunedin has increased brewing production from four to seven days to help make up for the loss. Other Christchurch breweries were unaffected.
Meanwhile, southern breweries Emerson's, Green Man, Arrow Brewing and Invercargill Brewing sent kegs to a post-quake meeting of Federated Farmers.
• Small is popular
Beer consumption fell about 5% last year, but more beer was sold by small breweries. The industry calculates that premium (5% or more) beer made by craft breweries rose by about 11%.
