Show me yer jugs...

[Daniel Harrold]

Hi folks!

I was just wondering if, in NZ, buying jugs of beer was as common as it is in Oz (well Victoria at least)?

It was a novelty for me when I lived there for a bit (being a Scot) but I thoroughly embraced the practice and was wondering if it was normal in NZ too. (I'm moving to Wellington)

Also, glass sizes, that threw me too in Oz, what's NZ's story?

Cheers,

Dan

[Sam DT]

Hi Dan, welcome aboard.
You still can get jugs in NZ they're popular in mid - low end NZ pubs and hotels. Traditionally every pub that sold generic commercial beer (which up until about ten years ago was almost every pub) had them, export gold, speights, tui etc. Higher end places probably don't do jugs and then there's craft pubs, from my experience availability of jugs varies considerably from place to place on that front.
As for glass sizes things vary across the country - someone did a good write up last year on this, possibly Neil Miller* - I think entitled 'absolutely positively a dick move'. Anyway we're pretty loose with the term pint in NZ (insert pump fiction metric system quote here). From my recollection the article you're more likely to get a full pint further south in Dunedin and Christchurch, in Auckland probably 400ml, 500ml is also quite popular. I've actually seen signs for '500ml pints'.

[Daniel Harrold]

Thanks for the reply Sam, very informative.

That's great to hear that jugs do exist, I found in Oz that they tended not to in craft beer bars also BUT one of my favourites (The Great Northern) was a proper pub but had 95% crafty beers on tap and most of them available in jugs (roughly 2 pints) which was fantastic, rarely did I buy anything else.

I had to laugh at your '500ml pints' sign. Haha. Well at least it's closest to the real thing. I'll have a Google for the article. Sounds like you don't have a crazy amount of glass sizes though, just no real set rule as to what a 'pint' really is. Well hopefully in a month or so I'll be able to 'research' this myself. :-D

[Chris Banks]

Hi Dan

As far as I am aware there are also a few independent bars in Wellington who do jugs of good beer (someone who frequents the town bars more than I do could point you at the right ones?)  - Goldings Freedive is probably a stand out for me as it often has a good percentage of their keg beer menu available by the pint or jug.

Cheers

Chris

[Daniel Harrold]

Cheers for the reply Chris, noted.

My Google maps has quite a few starred places now for me to "research". :-)