Check out some of the best lagers New Zealand has to offer below.
Zeelandt - Jerry Rig - Munich Helles
Tradition is hard wired into the DNA of Zeelandt brewery. Brewer Chris Barber cut his teeth brewing in the south of England before setting up his Hawke's Bay brewery and has made a name for his brewery as probably the best producer of classic European styles in the country. Their Munich Helles, Jerry Rig is a perfectly executed lager with a cracker and bread crust malt character leaning into a crisp clean finish.
Liberty - Halo - New Zealand Pilsner
If you took this Pilsner to a German or a Czech traditionalist they would probably look at you with horror but the New Zealand Pilsner is making delicious waves in the international brewing scene. New Zealand hops bring a punchy citrus aroma to this light and easy drinking style which has recently been recognized as an official style in the BJCP style guidelines (which even allow for Ale yeasts to be used! You can hear the Germans crying...). Liberty's example, Halo is rightly held up as a benchmark of how this new style should taste with an assertive citrus and passionfruit hop character and a soft smooth finish.
Cargo - Vienna Lager
The Vienna lager brings some extra malt character to the table over it's more popular pale cousins. With rich layers of toast, biscuit, and supporting toffee notes the Vienna lager manages to pack in huge malt flavour while still managing to finish dry, smooth, moreish and refreshing. Cargo's version is one of very few available in New Zealand, but absolutely hits the spot and we'd love to see this style take off here!
The Brut IPA craze came and went pretty quickly but has left a lasting legacy in Urbanaut's Miami Brut Lager. This hoppy little lager was brewed using an enzyme which breaks down residual sugars in the beer meaning it's as dry as can be. Which, combined with the stripped back pilsner malt base allows the bright hops to shine through. Coming in a #cuteaf 250ml can this is an easy one to pack into the chilly bin for a day at the beach.
Down on the Kapiti coast George Duncan has put his own special spin on the classic Japanese rice lager with Yum Yum. Taking a traditional Japanese fruit, the Yuzu (imagine a cross between a lemon and a grapefruit) and a traditional Japanese beer style he has created a beautiful, pithy, citrusy handful of refreshment. The bare bones malt base allows the fruit flavour to shine through and deliver a satisfying juicy kick and supporting pithy bitterness.
Garage Project - Kuro Schwarzbier
What's this? A Black lager? Yes indeed. Roasty isn't usually what you expect when you describe a lager but Schwarzbier is a different beast. Garage Project's Kuro has some of the roast coffee and chocolate notes you'd expect from a stout or porter but without the body and weight of those richer styles. This makes Kuro a great all year round dark beer that delivers bags of flavour without weighing you down.
Honorable Mention - Hallertau - #1 Kolsch
While not technically a lager Cologne's Kolsch style has many characteristics in common. With it's clean and simple malt base the Kolsch maintains the easy drinking nature of a lager. However being fermented with an Ale yeast gives this style a fuller body and more expressive yeast character imparting flavours of berrys and tropical fruit. Hallertau's iconic #1 has been at the cornerstone of this West Auckland's breweries core range for years and continues to deliver.
If you're keen to try some more delicious examples of Lagers and Pilsners check out our Mixed Case.
]]>What are Hops?
Hops are the cones of the hop plant Humulus Lupulus. First recorded in Germany over 1000 years ago they quickly took over from Gruit (a varied blend of herbs and spices) as one of beer's key ingredients. They provide bitterness, flavour and aroma to beers along with acting as a preservative.
Bitter or Fruity?
It's easy to get confused with hops since the two main characteristics they impart (bitterness and fruitiness) are so drastically different. It's all about the boiling. When hops are boiled, over time their fruity oils are lost or converted into bitter compounds. When added to the beer later in the brewing process the bitterness doesn't come through as much, and when added after fermentation (dry-hopping) they give off maximum aroma.
So in an overly simplistic nutshell:
Early hopping = bitterness
Late hopping = flavour and aroma
Dry hopping = aroma.
German Hops:
The German or "Noble" hop varieties hold a special place in beer tradition. With these classic varieties predating any others regarded as pivotal in creating the modern world of beer as we know it, showcasing a range of floral, spicy, earthy notes.
US Hops:
If there is one ingredient that you can put firmly at the heart of the modern craft beer revolution it would have to be American Hops. These shook up tradition when they developed intense citrus, pine and stone fruit characteristics. Today, as a result of decades of intensive research and development there are a huge spectrum of characteristics available in these hops.
NZ Hops:
Recently New Zealand has taken off as a hop producer as demand for their unique characteristics has exploded. Often featuring sharper tropical fruit flavours than their American counterparts showcasing white wine, lychee, melon, and gooseberry flavors.
UK Hops:
Hops from the UK tend to have a narrower range of uses than their colonial cousins. Tending towards grassy, floral, lemony, woody, or tea-like they are most often showcased in English style real ale, dark beers and traditional pale ales.
As well as these there are also hundreds of other varieties from all over the world so you'll just have to get amongst and try as many beers as you can to find out all the flavours out there! It's hard work, but someone's got to do it...
]]>Beer Jerk. Talking Beer. Deep Creek from Beer Jerk on Vimeo.
]]>A gypsy brewery does not have its own equipment or premises; it operates on a temporary or itinerant basis out of the facilities of another brewery, generally making "one-off" special occasion beers.[4] The term may refer to the brewmaster, or to the brand of beer. The trend of gypsy brewing spread early in Scandinavia.[5] Their beers, and collaborations later spread to America and Australia.[6] Gypsy brewers typically use facilities of larger makers with excess capacity.[6] Often, their beers are made with herbs, spices, and fruits, use experimental styles, are high in alcohol, or are aged in old wine or liquor barrels.[6]
Prominent examples include Pretty Things, Stillwater Artisanal Ales, Gunbarrel Brewing Company, Mikkeller and Evil Twin.[7] For example, the "legendary"[8] One of Mikeller's founders, Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, has travelled around the world between 2006 and 2010, brewing more than 200 different beers at other breweries.[9]
]]>Here is the link: How to Talk about Beer (without Sounding Like an Idiot)
"In a perfect world, you’d be able to enjoy every beer you drink in peace: sip it, love it, and swap it for another cold one once it’s gone. But it’s not that simple: These days, lots of guys like talking about beer almost as much as consuming it. Ever imbibe with a brewhead? It can be like watching a blockbuster action flick with a film critic: You just want to sit back and watch stuff blow up, but he can’t stop pointing out all the technical camera work.
So if your buddy’s an aspiring beer sommelier, you’ll need to keep pace without sounding dumb. Here are some beer basics to help you bluff your way through any suds-soaked conversation: "
]]>Here is the link: How to Talk about Beer (without Sounding Like an Idiot)
]]>