A Serious Matter: BEER!

[Waters9944]

OK, I have heard a few things about the pub/bar situation in NZ...is it true that it's pretty non-existent? That's really strange, because I read somewhere that Kiwis consume more beer per capita than anywhere in the world! Altho, not according to this listing for Beer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ion_per_capita and this one for alcohol: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ol_consumption
(and I'm refraining from making any jokes about Ireland's standing, hehehe... Erin Go Bragh!! I'll bet my friend Dave in Dublin has contributed greatly to both lists, God Bless him)


So, where is all this beer drinking going on? Rugby matches and Bar-be-ques?

Seriously, with all the ex Uk (not to mention American and Canadian beer hounds) migrating there, why haven't more pubs sprung up?

If I make it there, and if we meet up, where are we gonna go to do a little elbow bending?

[dilanium]

I'm not sure about the rest of NZ but there are quite a few bars where I live and they seem well frequented. (This IS a Uni town though).

[Ramo]

Well coming from the UK where the pub culture is pretty strong, I'm looking forward (perhaps I might be dissapointed?) to having a pint in some Wellington pubs when I get there in a few weeks.

One major differentiation we Brits (as opposed to the US) have is what constitutes beer. The warm, brown stuff is what we call beer, while the cold, gold coloured fizzy stuff is lager. From what I understand, Czech's definitely drink more lager than anyone else - they invented the stuff after all - probably because it's so cheap to drink there e.g. Prague!

Anyone know if they sell beer (of the non-fizzy variety) in NZ, or more precisely Wellington?

[victoria]

Pubs are all over the place, sometimes called hotels. They can be pretty basic affairs with bar leaners (you stand) & others with a cafe/restaurant attached. You won't have a problem finding a place to "belly up".

[Waters9944]

One major differentiation we Brits (as opposed to the US) have is what constitutes beer. The warm, brown stuff is what we call beer, while the cold, gold coloured fizzy stuff is lager.
Anyone know if they sell beer (of the non-fizzy variety) in NZ, or more precisely Wellington?

True....I think here it is a generalization. There is Ale as well, ofc.

And then, there's GOOD beer or Ale, which, ofc, most American beer is NOT. (unless you count Samuel Adams--premo!)

I myself prefer something with body, so I stick to the imports: Heineken, Stella Artois, Bass Ale, Guinness, Carlsburg, Harp

I love telling men here that they drink sissy beer....boy, they get mad...but Budweiser and Coors are CRAP, sorry. That stuff is just alcohol to catch a buzz from...not a finely brewed beverage it should be.

[m.brad.russell]

I always thought the Belgian's were the biggest (volume) consumers. As to beer vs. lager, they are both beer. The real comparison is lager vs. ale, and these differences are both down to the types of yeast and fermentation techniques.

On my recent trip to NZ, I found the beer selection to be fairly limited. It's mainly down to what I refer to as "fizzy yellow beer" or "lawn mowing beer" - mainly lagers. I'm more of an ale fan myself, but I'm not that prejudice; A beer of any kind is usually prefered to water (Unless it's from a large American brewery such as Coors or Anheiser Busch - YUK!).

There does seem to be a fairly decent selection of Belgian styles in NZ though. I also went to a brewhouse/pub in Auckland that had some very tasty microbrews - IPA, Porter, Stout, Red. The brew-master was from England.

Unfortunately, I've become spoiled with the large variety of microbrews that are available in the western U.S. My wife calls me a beer snob. I just like some flavour in my beer.

Cheers!
Brad

[Waters9944]

Pubs are all over the place, sometimes called hotels. They can be pretty basic affairs with bar leaners (you stand) & others with a cafe/restaurant attached. You won't have a problem finding a place to "belly up".

Hmmmmmm...then why did I even HEAR that? Is it a relative thing? Like, there are LOTS of pubs in the UK, and so by COMPARISON there aren't many pubs in NZ?

[Waters9944]

A beer of any kind is usually prefered to water (Unless it's from a large American brewery such as Coors or Anheiser Busch - YUK!).

Unfortunately, I've become spoiled with the large variety of microbrews that are available in the western U.S. My wife calls me a beer snob. I just like some flavour in my beer.

My sentiments exactly, Brad.

And ofc, there's also wine , which NZ is getting a nice reputation for!

[m.brad.russell]

Here's a fun link...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Beer_Cup

Monteiths Brewing is the only one from New Zealand, and Australia shows up in a few categories. I think most of the Australian beers are available in NZ.

Brad

[James 1077]

There are some decent pubs in NZ but most of the drinking establishments in NZ are really bars rather than pubs.

Beer-wise the selection isn't as good as the UK. Lots of lagers but very few bitters and ales (note that Aussie bitters are actually lagers as well).

There are a few ales; summer ale and winter ale are seasonal and are pretty good - but are normally served cold as they are definitely on the lager side of the beer range. I've seen a few IPAs as well. Guinness is available in most bars and pubs.

And agree with the above posts about the rubbishness of US beers - Sam Adams and micro-breweries excepted of course! Reminds me of the canoe joke which is definitely not suitable for a family forum!