What are you drinking ?

[jt]

Ok, so What Are You Brewing was a hotty, as topics go.

Now I'm 15 pints into a keg I only filled on Tuesday and wondering if anyone else has a favourite at the moment ?

It's my second brown with US-Oh05 and it's better than the forst, maybe Ikept the temps down a bit during the scorcher we had in januray

[denimglen]

Yeah, we had this discussion before, haha. AFAIK none of the usual bars say that they serve pints, so they can serve you whatever size they want really.

I'll drink regular speights if I find myself in some dive and there's nothing else to drink. I actually don't think it's a bad beer.

[Greig McGill]

Nah, the Pilsener has REALLY gone downhill. I agree, it used to be decent. I think our very own Mr. Miller helped save it from deletion. However, it's awful now. Disagree all you like chaps, but I stand by my opinion. :) If I ever state that I like a Monteith's beer, then you'll know something is up!

[Soren]

The antichrist has arrived and hacked Greig's account as his first act of evil!

[Greig McGill]

For my next trick, I shall begin watching reality television, drinking cheap bourbon, and voting for socialism (NatBour).

[Michael]

I can see where you are coming from, but having tried these, I cannot agree.

Generally these beers lack complexity of flavours to me. I think the best Speights I have had so far was "Old Dark," and it still isn't what I would call a proper beer. However, it does at least have some slightly interesting malty tastes. It is basically what one should hit if he just wants a buzz,.

[Stu McKinlay]

I quite like the Porter... used to like the Pilsner... never liked the "Pale Ale".

[Michael]

Never had their porter. I guess if I am in a place where I can get their porter, I can probably get a better beer than a Speights. ;)

Having said this, I will give their porter a go one day.

[Greig McGill]

Heh, unlikely - the only place the porter and pilsner are served are the Speights Alehouses - and there ain't no other beer there! :)

[Martin townshend]

Classic. Had a mate over from Alaska the other week who clearly didn't want to arrive empty handed and nipped off to the local supermarket and came back with a box of Tui. I can't say I'm a fan of any mainstream NZ beer really, and there is just too much good stuff to chose from for me to bother with it, but it was mighty generous of him and I showed him where the chiller was. A couple of hours chinwagging later and he asked me if I wanted an IPA. Sure says I, not registering really what he was referring to. Off he goes to the chiller and we crack an 'IPA' each . The look on his face was priceless "this don't taste much like an IPA. Back home we have these things called hops".....etc, etc.
So I launch into a brief explination about how NZ beers can be different on the inside of the bottle to what it says on the outside etc, etc. "Ain't that illegal?" says my mate etc, etc.
I wonder if SOBA, the Brewers Guild or even individual commercial brewers would consider boycotting this years awards (NOT beervana) until a firm stand is made against the likes of a brewery being allowed to enter its 'IPA' into any other category than IPA.
Just seeing Stu McKinlay put Speights 'pale ale' in inverted comas is enough for my wee outfit to stay well clear (wouldn't win anyhting anyway) until it is absolutely set in stone a brewey cannot advertise is wares as anything else than what the product is. If that means it just says 'beer' on the label and the ABV, then fine. At least it isn't a lie.
The alcohol reforms that the govt are currently wrangling about are clearly aimed at beer, (as opposed to wine,) but I've yet to see a Merlot labelled as a Cab Sav. Surely the brewing industry should have standards too and if the certain breweries can't be told, then the rest will have to lead by example: No entry.
Hope I haven't offended anyone. Bring it on.....

[Soren]

You have not offended my, I agree with you but:

"I wonder if SOBA, the Brewers Guild or even individual commercial brewers would consider boycotting this years awards (NOT beervana) until a firm stand is made against the likes of a brewery being allowed to enter its 'IPA' into any other category than IPA."

BrewNZ is run by the Brewers Guild and as such it would be silly (to say the least) to boycot the event:)

I agree completely that Tui is as far from being an IPA as any beer could be but it is hard to make any rules against it. I think there are many beers that are not entered under their label name, simply because time has evolved them (or the guidelines) into something else. I think if we went through the entries we would also find quite a few outstanding craft beers that were in the wrong category. Unfortunately if we strike against Tui, we have to strike against those as well.
No entry is a half hearted effort as well I think, BrewNZ is a fantastic event that will eventually evolve into a world class competition but if we don't support it we might never get there.

Anyways, I think this is a really interesting point and something that needs to be discussed. So I urge you to start a thread on the www.brewersguild.org.nz forum and get the debate going there. Every member has a say there and if we get enthusiastic feedback from a number of members we might be able to do something about it.

[Greig McGill]

Yeah, I think the key is intent to deceive. Beers may start as something, and then evolve. All the money has been spent on marketing a beer as what it was, and not what it is. To write that off and start again, confusing the consumer on the way would be a bad thing. Keeping the innacurate but well known existing brand is probably the lesser of two evils.

Now, that said, I don't think for a minute that Tui is now, or has ever been, a true IPA. I hear from my Father in law, who used to drink it 40 years ago, that it was a much better beer, but hops have never played a huge role, to my knowledge. If my info is correct then, there IS intent to deceive there, and ideally, the brand owners should be pressured to correct the problem. I don't think a boycott is the right answer though. As we discovered with the Radler issue, such a small boycott is just ineffective, and almost a laughing stock. Perhaps the best option would be pressure from the Guild themselves on their members to "do the right thing". It need not be public, but it would be nice to get some sense that the Guild do encourage their members to act like 'good bastards', no matter whether they are Townshends (because, you know, you're SUCH a bastard, Martin!) or DB.

[Reviled]

Isnt it sorta the same as Greene King IPA not being an IPA??