[Rimbo]

Ok,
Anni suggested it in the Chocolate thread.
So here it is. The Beer thread. :cheers
Me, i like beer un wine and alco stuff. i wondered if some of the following labels are available in NZ. no point coming otherwise :wah
I'm mainly talking about Lager or Pils here as i'm not so partial to Bitter and Mild. (Mild is mainly found in the north west. Its crap!)

Kronenbourg
Stella
other bottled larger but not that Bud****
Brewn ale - Newcy Brown
Wiess Bier Can you get a good German Weiss Bier in NZ??
Guiness

What are your favorites?
can anybody who is an authority on NZ beers give some comparisons ie Carlton cold is just as bad as xxxx for example.
:P
John

[Raeven]

If you look in our fridge, it will reliably have 2 varieties of beer, along with the other mutts people bring over and which I eventually use for cooking: Bass Ale for me, and Steinlager for Steve. Personally, I don't know how he can drink the stuff. It tastes like Budweiser (euuggh!!) to me, but we pay a lot more for it!!

I know the Steinlager is available in NZ -- obviously, since it's made there -- but I haven't heard about the Bass. Curious about that.

I'm not worried about the wine.. NZ's whites are among the best in the world, complete with characteristic cat pee bouquet (and they're damn proud of it!), and fabulous reds come over from the Barossa Valley in Aus. I'll miss some California wines, but that's what you annoy your parents to bring over when they visit, eh?

:cheers Rae

[kiwidebs]

After a quick look in the NZ yellow pages online - check out this:

http://www.shopnaked.co.nz/srchdept3.asp?catalog_name=anonymous&category_name =Beer&displayName=Imported%20Beer&child_category=I mported%20Beer&tree_level=2&ListAbsolutePage=2&lis t_PagingMove=back&subcategory_name=

and this is only one of the 276 liquor outlets I found listed.

Hope this helps :cheers
Debs

[kiwidebs]

Sorry Rae, they didn't have Bass! :wah

Debs

[kiwidebs]

And this one looks even better (and they deliver (in Auckland)!!) :mrgreen:

https://www.eaccounts.co.nz/eOrder_v1.asp?sFindRecnum=3610

Debs

[Raeven]

Hi, Debs,

:wah :wah :wah :wah

Ahh, well, thanks for checking -- great links, regardless!!

I suppose I shall have to devote significant amounts of time to discovering a new drinkable beer in NZ... <wrist to forehead> It's a dirty job, but...

Thanks again for the links!!

All the best, Rae

[Diny]

I'm not a beer drinker - I prefer the 'personality wine' (cheap white and bubbly). However PB is a keen 'taker of the ale' so I'm sure it'll be on our shopping list.

I seem to remember DB (which I think stands for Dominion Breweries) and Speights.

Rae ...... When you talk about Bass - do you mean the Bass that comes from good old Blightly? Got the logo of a red triangle with 'Bass' written across it? Surely not.

Diny

[Raeven]

Hi, Diny,

That I do!! Love the stuff!!

I wasn't a beer drinker either, before my first visit to the UK in 1992. While there, I made a point of sampling all the local bitters wherever we went. I came home a confirmed beer drinker -- culturally enriched, fatter and sassier for it!!

For the most part, the US makes ghastly beer. There are a few exceptions, but usually they are from independent boutique breweries (Moose Drool from Missoula, Montana was a standout). So my daily brew is Bass, which is readily available here in the States.

I'm going to miss it!!

:cheers Rae

[Rimbo]

Thanks for the Link Debs. Lots of NZ stuff to choose from and sample when i get there. They have an offer on Becks.... say no more :cheers

Rae, even i havent ever had a Bass. only a shandy Bass and that's when i'm in London with them there soft shandy drinkin' southeners :laugh

Diny i love cheapo wine too. Asda do some great case deals at the mo or get 10% off when you buy six. so we're bathing in the stuff.

John

[Diny]

When I was pregnant I drank a small 'stubby' of lager every day (really got the taste for it) but I don't drink it now.

Lots of different bitters, milds and stouts over here. We also have an association called CAMRA - which stands for 'campaign for real ale' - I think you'd fit in very well with them.

As for the pubs serving warm beer over here .... well - I've never seen steam coming off it.

Diny

[Rimbo]

I went to a beer festival here once.
Loads of CAMRA members, you know, science teachers with beards wearing twead!
got absolutely off my trolly on stuff with wierd names like, old speckled cock, raddleworths witch nipple brew and such like.

John

[Diny]

Some of the names are great aren't they ....... PB likes all those different types, we usually get a good stock in for over Christmas. One that springs to mind is called 'Bishops Finger' ..... now if that doesn't set the mind boggling nothing will...... makes me think of the age old 'as the actress said to the bishop' jokes. There's also Bombadier, Hobgoblin and I'm sure I've seen an 'old fart' in there somewhere.

Diny

[jo b]

Rimbo

rou have probabaly frequented the Wigan Beer festival then with all the wierd ales and walked out completey p****d or was that just me :mrgreen:

I am a big lager drinker my husband loves his Stella. I love it but it really is loopy juice so only really drink Carlsberg :no otherwise I can't get up in the morning.

I remember drinking one type of lager all the time in NZ and it was OK.

I remember drinking Touhey's once that's not bad either well after 5 pints it's not :laugh

we also drink loads of Villa Maria wine gorgeous stuff so I will be as happy as a pig in ***t in NZ

Cheers

[Brit Guy]

Rimbo

Bombardier, Speckled Hen, Hobbgoblin, Bishops finger, Hens tooth, Spitfire, Black sheep… and many more fine ales… all available at Tesco, and some other supermarkets………… if there is one thing I will miss it will be fine real ale. There is a micro brewery nr Horsley (Derby) that only opens on two nights a week… it has the brewery attached to the barn (drinking area), sawdust/shavings on the floor, and it is like stepping back to the days of Dick Turpin!! You can drink your full quota, and you don’t even get a hangover… the beer is that good!! You wouldn’t even find this place without instructions, it is tucked away about half a mile up a private road… what a find!

I wish you hadn’t started this thread Rimbo…….. makes me sad to think about it!

:cheers :cheers :cheers :cheers :cheers :cheers :cheers

[Timbo]

At the risk of upsetting PB, does anyone know if Victoria Bitter (yeah, the Ozzy one sorry) is available in NZ. I got quite a taste for it in Cairns.

[Tony & Norma]

What about Cider ?

Can you get Strongbow in N.Z ?

Think I can remember finding it there when I visited but could just be my imagination!

[miep]

Good news! There is lots and lots and lots of different beer available here, from all over the world.
One of the better suppliers in Welly is http://www.regionalwines.co.nz
They sell wine from all over the world, including californian Rae! (and they do mailorder)
They also have an enormous range of beers and spirits (including VB).
My personal faves are Hoegaarden wit (weiss) bier from Belgium and good old Corona. One of the better mainstream local brewers is Monteiths, their black is particularly popular and I also like the Radler and their version of weiss beer is quite drinkable.

:cheers :cheers Miep

[Rimbo]

Interesting that Hoegaarden seems to be everywhere. its good too but i would like to see the availability of Franziskaner (or somthing like that) more widly available, here too.

Brit Boy, we too have a small brewery thats just started producing ales again in Standish. I think we can also go along and get drunk in the blokes garage or somthing. must try it one day as its in near walking (staggering) distance!
:laugh
This thread shouldn't make you sad, maybe there's a niche market!
now a 40 ft conatiner may be on the cards. :cheers

John

[mattford]

thanks for the website miep! it looks like they have red stripe lager so i won't have to start an importation business when i get over there :nice1

i had some fantastic NZ wine from the Kim Crawford estate not long ago and i'm certainly looking forward to being closer to the source of that. if anyone fancies trying it, they have it in Selfridges in London and it's about a tenner for a bottle of Merlot. they also have the kim crawford chardonnay in there, but i prefer red every time..

http://www.kimcrawfordwines.co.nz

matt

[Diny]

Selfridges?

I bet they don't sell 'personality wine' in there.

Diny

[mattford]

what counts as a personality wine?

[Diny]

Sorry matt.

I mentioned it a few posts back.

Personality wine is what I like to drink ....... cheap, white and bubbly !!

It was PB who nicknamed it personality wine, (in my honour).

Diny

[AliJax]

BEER... I used to drink the lagers, then the more expensive lagers, then the wines, and the spirits but you cant beat the various flavours availble in beer form.

The Annual Warrington Rotary Beer Festival (sorry to those in NZ) occurs this October. I'll be there on the 15th

http://www.warringtonrotary.free-online.co.uk/beer/beer_start.html


:cheers

[Bushpig]

Strongbrow is sold in NZ. As are most of the ones asked about here. Biggest problem is beer doesnt travel well. You would be better trying the local beers untilyyou find one you like.

[Dave & Sandra]

Dave can highly recommend two beers that are produced in a micro brewery in Wellington - and he really likes his beer :laugh

There's Wicked Blonde - which is like a lager and he says it's very clean hence hangovers are very much reduced :yes . 4.8% vol.

Then there's Sassy Red - a reddish bitter also 4.8% vol.

He says that they are fairly new and the demand for them is huge so suppliers keep running out. As most NZ beer appears to be 4% vol, maybe they will realise that stronger beers are the way to go and will crank up the output.

[Dave & Sandra]

PS

Alijax - Didn't even know there was a beer festival in Warrington and I lived there for 4 years :oops:

[Rimbo]

Sandra,
I like the sound of your husbands favorite local tastes.
are you sure he's talking about beer though?
:laugh

John

[Dave & Sandra]

Yeh Rimbo

I was a bit stunned when I heard him ask for a Wicked Blonde :eek What's up is a slightly naughty brunette not good enough for him??? :laugh

[lindajax]

I like alco pos me!!!! and Vodka and cider, and wine and bacardi and beer. :laugh :cheers
I do me own range of alco pops at home - vodka with slice lime and lemon thoroughly doused with cream soda , also good with tonic or cherryade --- i could go on but it'll p me off cos i'm in work!!!!

love linda xx

[Diny]

Eeeeee Lass

You can't beat a whalloping great glass (how crude) of Gordons Gin & tonic.

Linda ..... your home made alchopops sound tooth rottingly good.

Diny

[lindajax]

Diny,
Shame on you for thinking i would use anything less than the sugar free drinks!!!
A girl is always thinking of her figure - using diet drinks means more alcochol :cheers
linda x

[Rimbo]

Large Glass of G&T is good for you especially with the quinine in the Tonic.

not too sure about alco pops though, when i first got a job i was given a bottle of Gin for Xmas, i hated the stuff so i used to mix it with Dandilion & Burdock. does that count?

John

[lindajax]

John Mate,
Dandelion and Burdock definately rates in the home made alocpops stakes well done :nice1
love
linda xx

[miep]

So how's this for Kiwi hospitalty!!??

Yesterday was our local pub's first birthday so to celebrate the owner invited all the regulars to a "mystery bus tour" For $10 pp he organised 2 buses to pick us all up and take us to a mystery location which turned out to be the staff bar at the brewery in town where we could drink as many Sassy reds or Wicked blondes as we liked (or wine) feed on some pizza and dance the night away! The buses then took us safely home and with all those drunks on board even the bus ride was fun, kiwi's have a penchant for singalongs when drunk it appears.
We had a ball! And if I make any typo's its all those Wicked Blondes' fault.

:cheers :cheers :cheers for our local!!!

[Rimbo]

Miep,
This local sounds fantastic! :nice1
i must start looking into the job market a little more seriously around Wellingon from now on. Are you an I.T. Manager by any chance?

I could do with a sassy red and a wicked blonde right now!

John