Beer tour N.Island advice, please

[Barbara Joppa]

I blame you all. You have turned me into a craft beer obsessed nerd with your talk of amazing beers out there to be had. When I am thinking of where we could go on holiday, all I can think to do is tour around looking for great NZ beer. No more tropical beaches with great diving but crap beer for this girl. We will also need to plan the trip for when the garden is done (May?)

 

We will likely only take a week (limited annual leave, plus paying for a kennel for two dogs is $$$) so we will limit this first trip to the North island. We are based in Auckland so we need ideas for where to travel heading towards Wellington.

I have checked out beertourist.co.nz but many of the listings are out of date. And it is always great to get advice from you (since, as I said, this is your fault).

 

Advice of where to go, what to miss, who does tours, etc?

Cheers!

[jt]

It'd be a good day out, that's for sure

[Dave W]

Stu's Big day out?

 

Sounds like a rockingly good day!!!

[Barbara Joppa]

Sounds like it could kill my liver.

Points taken, however!

[Mike Neilson]

local beer celebrity Neil Miller

 

More Like NZ A List Beer Celebrity

 

 

[Rhyno]

Can't offer you much in Tauranga I am afraid.

All we have here is brewers bar, and to be quite honest, you probabaly should give that a miss. Not the most classy of establishments.

 

I am totally jealous how you guys have all these great brewries and bars you can drink at and we have squat. :-P

[Greig McGill]

Is Brewer's still pretty dire? I heard at one point they were on the improve, with great reports of their Pilsner in particular. Never been there personally though - I just don't go to Tauranga much.

 

Just a thought though, has anyone asked the brewer if he'd like some help, or advice? If done with humility, it could bring about a nice change. Of course, some people would just get their backs up. :( You could always start by asking if he or she has chatted with other brewpub owners in NZ?

 

Anyway, just some thoughts. I'd love TGA to have somewhere great to drink! :)

[Dave W]

Yes I have, Rhys is the fella who runs it, real nice guy to talk to.

I love his Cornhill porter and great end ESB but his quality control could be better.

There can be noticeable variation between batches.

 

Oh he was making quite a nice mead the other year too.

[nzbrewer]

We will have our south of Auckland NI trip finalized in the next few days for NZ Craft Beer TV and hit the road again on the 15th Feb. Might see you on the trail somewhere