Ric Oram

Rebranding exercise a bit of a mouthful

Four new brews have just arrived on the shelves under the label of The Boundary Road Brewery.

BEER REVIEW: Limited availability of alcohol-free options

Liquor-licensing regulations require bars, cafes and restaurants to not only provide but to promote non-alcoholic alternatives - but rarely does one find an alcohol-free beer on the beverage list.

BEER REVIEW: 'Shandy' fails to register

New Zealand beer drinkers seem to be well served by local producers, according to results from last month's Brewers Guild awards, with most well-known labels being awarded medals.

Popularity and sales of cider increasing

Cider is the smallest alcoholic beverage market in New Zealand, but the fastest-growing.

Seasonal Summer Ale returns

Summer is coming: Monteith's gingery Summer Ale is back on the shelves.

Seasonal wheat beers complement range

When Belgian-born Dave De Vylder took over Wanaka Beerworks six months ago, he set out to complement the existing range of Cardrona Gold, Tall Black and Brewski using his Belgian flair with seasonal beers.

BEER REVIEW: NZ apple, pear ciders appeal across Tasman

It seems that New Zealand apples are wanted in Australia after all.

Refreshing '28-day' brew and one for the chiller

Big breweries can turn out their mainstream (4%) beers in less than a fortnight, taking as little as five days to ferment and a week to mature, although premium 5% lagers take a month or more.

You can never get enough of those hops

Kapiti Coast brewery Tuatara has briefly gone hopping mad - using all of its American hops at once.

BEER REVIEWS: Is beer in plastic fantastic?

There is probably no chance of China's supermarkets doing away with free plastic shopping bags - like some of ours here tried to do, before changing their minds - because, there, you can buy beer in plastic bags.

BEER REVIEW: Jolly without the jelly belly

'Tis almost the season to be jolly and also to worry about the waistline.

BEER REVIEW: Brewing, not stewing the key

A mate of neighbour Derek recently found a crate of Lion Brown in his farm shed he reckoned had sat there for nearly 20 years

The Clean ale a reviving drop

Dunedin brewer Emerson's latest offering is an English summer ale called Tally Ho!

Plenty of seasonal ranges to warm the cockles on cool autumn evenings

Wanaka Beerworks has issued its third limited edition seasonal range of beers: this trio aiming to warm up those cooler autumn evenings.

BEER REVIEW: Popularity of higher strength, stronger quality beer rises

We drank slightly more beer last year: 0.1% more of it was available for consumption in 2011.

BEER REVIEW: You choose the brew

Want a free couple of bottles of beer?

BEER REVIEW: DB raises prices; still upset over use of 'radler'

It is time to stock up. DB Breweries a month ago announced a 3% increase for packaged beer and 1% for tap beer from March 5.

BEER REVIEW: With capacity cut, make the most of Harrington's powerful Hop Tremor beer

Earthquakes have, in the past year, destroyed much of the brewing capacity in Christchurch for big and small breweries alike.

New releases feature flavours of home

When Belgian-born Dave De Vylder announced, shortly after taking over Wanaka Beerworks four months ago, that he intended to make seasonal Belgian-style beers, no-one expected them to have a Kiwi "flavour": the first trio use kauri, honey and rosehip and have New Zealand, rather than Belgian, labels.

BEER REVIEW: Hotels froth as beer trade dwindles

The British Beer and Pub Association is complaining that supermarket beer sales are killing off...

BEER REVIEW: Hotels froth as beer trade dwindles

Supermarket and grocery stores' share of total beer sales has climbed to 38% since 1999 when they were first allowed to sell beer.

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Ric Oram