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

[MrC]

A couple of my own to start with tonight, Boysenberry wheat beer in the sun after mowing the lawns followed by a spiced wheat beer. These are the beers I brewed specifically as summer ales and they're really hitting the spot. My wife has given me strict instructions to brew the Boysenberry Wheat beer again next summer.

Just finishing an Epic Pale Ale with a curry. Feeling a bit full now after overindulging on the curry so will probably crack open a bottle of one of my favourite red wines (Mamre Brook) and settle into a movie, Star Wars - A New Hope I think it is...

[Michael]

The best of the Star Wars movies :D

[Matthew]

Cab Sav or Shiraz? The Cab Sav is to die for... unlike the blue milk Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru were drinking.

[MrC]

Cab Sav and yes it's lovely. Part of me want's a cold beer on warm night but it's nice to drink, assess and discuss a beverage with my wife that we both enjoy. We recently purchased a book on wine tasting (Essential Winetasting) and we're working our way through it. It's good stuff.

[MrC]

The best of the Star Wars movies :D
I like them all but I fell asleep during tonight's episode. The lights we're off though and I don't think anyone noticed :-)

[jt]

The lights we're off though and I don't think anyone noticed :-)

That's a cracker mate, they always notice and you'll have another black mark against your name.
My book is full of black marks, think I'm half way through volume 2 by now.

Drinking ?

probably too much.

Started of with a small North Welly tasting - well grain & hop pickup really.
Daughter's Birthday party was staring at 4pm, there was about a dozen of them here already and waiting expectantly for the rest.
A car came down the street and a dozen excited girls went out to greet the new arrival - yes, North Welly Metal-legend, Chris. Not sure who was more surprised, the girls or Chris.

So, at mot brown in the sun, comparing notes on the lateness of the tomato season

Michael and his bottle of Belgian pale weren't far behind (gotta get this man into veggie gardening I reckon) but he avoided the fan club and sneaked through the side gate (i think he's a career security man) Judging by the big bag of oat malt he's just bought, I think there's something big to follow shortly ...

[Chris Banks]

"North Welly Metal-legend" Oh your to kind jt thank you !
After sampling some fine Mot Brown and Belgian Blonde in the sun with jt and michael (the afore mentioned side gate enterer) and mr/mrs? rabbit I went to a bbq
Macs Hop Rocker - well there aint no hop or no rockin in those there bottles IMHO!
then a couple of Tuatara London Porter- Damn I dont normaly like porter but this is awesome!

[Matthew]

Glad it's not just my tommies then. One cherry tomato so far. Dug up some potatoes though...

[jt]

One cherry tomato so far

I reckon they're coming on now, there's lot's of fruit & flower, just a bit more of this warmth and the whole lot will ripen and we'll have a Tomatina Festival !

potatoes
Im between crops. The second have flowered and I had a dig and I've got good sized Karakas

[Chris Banks]

I suppose its cheating but my sweet 100 cherrys are in the glass house and im picking a bowl every day for the last week or so!
but only of one plant most of the others (beefsteak and black krim) have fallen prey to powdery mildew and boytritis

[Stu McKinlay]

Funny you mention that because I had a few bottles at Boulcott Street Bistro on Thursday (before jet-setting of to Hamilton/Taupo for a very beery weekend).

Everytime that I drink Tuatara Porter I remember that I don't drink enough of it. A marvellous beer.


As for the weekend away...
Two big thumbs up for Hamilton where I spent a night with a great bunch of guys at the Ruakura... tried a bit of all the craft beers but drunk a lot of Townshend's Catchcarts NTA.
This was lollowed by a fair few Epic Pale Ales at a bar in town that I'd never ever expect to serve Epic, Tuatara Pils and Harrington's Rogue Hop.

Then on to Taupo for a mate's stag do... that place is no match for Hamilton.
One thumb up for Jolly Good Fellows on the waterfront in Taupo... a big selection of old oxidised imports on tap but a great night with great friends and a most excellent publican (the Irish beers weren't shabby and the lines were definitely clean)...
* Fuller's London Pride
* Tetley's Bitter
* Boddington's Bitter
* Kahlua and something dark
* Old Speckled Hen
* Rooster's Dark (the freshest but a bit 'meh')
* Kilkenny
* Guiness
* Jagermeister
* Murphy's Stout (these last three were the best by far)
* The Glenlivet 12yo... oh, and just one more for good measure.

Then into town (two thumbs down):
* Steinlager (not tasting too bad but the pub - Finn McCalls? - was pretty dodgy)
Across the road to some upstairs barn posing as a nightlcub;
* Export 33 (my first taste and an absolutel bubblegum bomb!)
* Export Gold (fresh and not really as bad as I expected)
* something else DB that I couldn't remember (maybe a 'light' of some sort but, whatever it was, it was as bad as the "33")

And then a "Jagermeister Bomb" courtesy of an Irishman who thought I looked like his best friend back in Ireland... good to end the night with the smile of satisfying international relations.

Then, after a brief tussle with a blackberry bush, it was off for a nice leisurely swim in the lake under a full moon... actually, there were a few full moons ;-)

And thanks to the relaxed pace of the evening (lots of talk to keep the drinking pace right down)... the result was not a hint of a hangover!


Good times. It's a reminder that great beer is by far the best but anything can be overcome (on the odd occasion) with the right bunch of friends.

[Reviled]

Criskey Stu, thats quite a drinks list, and no hangover to follow? Good work!!

After moving house all weekend, I had to finish yesterday off with some of Harvests Pear cider, quite refreshing but not as much character as Hallertau's Perri, then with a bbq dinner a pint of Emersons Porter, first one ive had in over a year, but man it was good, dry and roasty with chocolate and coffee notes! yum!!