'Beef steaks and porter are good belly mortar'
Beer columnist Ric Oram discovers how beer and food matching is developing at a recent evening in Queenstown.
Ric Oram
Awards provide opportunity to try the exotic
Awards provide opportunity to try the exotic
The New World beer awards provide a rare opportunity to sample some of the more exotic, often high-strength and therefore relatively expensive hard-to-find beers because the supermarket is stocking about 40 of them until mid-May.
Kiwi hops in big demand in Europe
Kiwi hops in big demand in Europe
This year's hop harvest has ended. It runs from February until early April, with 17 growers producing about 750 tonnes from about 20 varieties on about 400ha in the Nelson region.
Otago’s newest brewery now bottling
Otago’s newest brewery now bottling
The first bottles are about to leave Otago's newest brewery, on the outskirts of Alexandra.
Moa releases sour beer
Moa releases sour beer
Marlborough brewer Moa has released a couple of sour beers. No, they are not spoiled. And, before you turn your nose up, ''sour'' is not necessarily unpleasant. Think ''tart'' instead of ''bitter''.
Recent arrival means brewer can hop to it
Recent arrival means brewer can hop to it
Staff at Christchurch brewer Harrington's recently celebrated the arrival of a container of American hops: it was their first supply in nine months, and their Yankdak beer, with American Amarillo and Centennial hops in it, was running out thanks to a long-running waterfront dispute over there.
Resurrected ale headed for stores
Resurrected ale headed for stores
DB Breweries has been surprised, and delighted, by the reaction to its festive brew (refer previous column), a resurrected Waitemata Sparkling Ale produced just for corporate clients for Christmas.
We're drinking less – 5.1% less
We're drinking less – 5.1% less
Our beer consumption last year was down nearly 50 million stubbies (or 16 million litres).
BEER REVIEW: Plug pulled on NZ Lager
BEER REVIEW: Plug pulled on NZ Lager
Devotees of Monteith's New Zealand Lager had better stock up, because the last of this brew is on retail shelves: DB Breweries has just stopped making this lager just two years after launching it.
BEER REVIEW: Hoppy IPAs proving popular
BEER REVIEW: Hoppy IPAs proving popular
The "southern man" is lapping up Dunedin brewer Emerson's big hoppy beers.
Emerson's is producing a series of hop-dominated IPAs (Indian pale ales) for its Brewer's Reserve brews, which are supposed to last up to six weeks.
But the first, Hoppiest Indian, lasted barely a month, so a second has gone on tap early.
BEER REVIEW: Brewer strikes purple patch
BEER REVIEW: Brewer strikes purple patch
Vicki Purple was a pinot noir girl who would not go near a beer until, last year, when she tried a wheat beer infused with coriander and lemon zest then fell in love with Tom Jones, founder of Dunedin-based Green Man Brewery.
BEER REVIEWS: Boysenbeery brew a beer with difference
BEER REVIEWS: Boysenbeery brew a beer with difference
Invercargill Brewery has produced its second Boysenbeery beer: the first won a gold medal and was best in its class at last year's BrewNZ competition.
BEER REVIEW: Brewer shows another cider
BEER REVIEW: Brewer shows another cider
Beer sales and per capita beer consumption are falling while cider rises in popularity, with sales growing about 13% a year to reach 1% of total grocery alcohol sales.
BEER REVIEW: DB foams home at awards
BEER REVIEW: DB foams home at awards
DB Breweries triumphed at the annual BrewNZ beer awards a fortnight ago, winning four trophies and seven medals and being declared champion brewery.
BEER REVIEW: McCashins back in the brewing game
BEER REVIEW: McCashins back in the brewing game
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.
BEER REVIEW: Ranfurly launches pale ale, lager
BEER REVIEW: Ranfurly launches pale ale, lager
Ranfurly beer has been around since 1987.
BEER REVIEW: Brewery fires an Arrow
BEER REVIEW: Brewery fires an Arrow
It seems that supermarkets will need more space for ciders as breweries continue to produce the beverage to grab a share of its fast-rising popularity.
Beer Review: Differences in pricing explained
Beer Review: Differences in pricing explained
A reader asks why the price of premium (5%) beer is more than mainstream (4%) beer.
The full retail price of beer is about $25 a dozen ($21.10 for a 330ml bottle) for 4% strength and more than $30 a dozen ($2.50 a bottle) for 5%.
DB wins rights to Radler name
DB wins rights to Radler name
Dunedin brewer Green Man is sticking to "cyclist" for its radler now that the Intellectual Property Office this month upheld DB's right to Monteith's Radler.
We may have a recession, but breweries have yet to notice it
We may have a recession, but breweries have yet to notice it
The Consumers Price Index assumes that the average household spends about $45 a week on alcoholic beverages.