Beer road trip: Brewing hotspots

Beweries around the country are piggy-backing on established vineyards. Michael Donaldson reports.

The old saying that beer is best drunk in the shadow of the brewery is truer than ever with New Zealand’s regional hotspots now home to a many great brewpubs and tasting rooms. Here’s a sample of the best places in the main holiday spots where you can drink fabulous beer just a few footsteps from where it’s fermented.

But word of warning: this list is not exhaustive, there’s literally a shedload of great breweries popping up in regional New Zealand.

A trend you’ll pick up on in this story is breweries piggy-backing on established vineyards – or is it a case of vineyards realising good local beer goes hand-in-hand with great wine?

Award-winning Kainui Brew evolved from Kainui Road Vineyard in Kerikeri thanks to the skill set of winemaker/brewer Gary Henwood.

The vineyard is a must stop – it was particularly so on December 30 when Fat Freddy’s Drop played at the venue. A perfect beer for the music was Kainui’s Summer Love Saison (notes of pineapple and black pepper).

Kainui has a second venue in Kerikeri, the Plough & Feather Tap Room and Kitchen located in an historic building in Kororipo Basin, across from the famous Stone Store and Mission House.

Down the road a bit McLeod’s Pizza Barn in Waipu¯ has become an unrivalled summer destination. The Pizza Barn, with a brand new brewery out the back, bustles and hums and so does the beer: have a famous pizza and an 802 Series hazy IPA.

Just open in Matakana (where Sawmill is sadly closed for the summer thanks to a fire) is 8 Wired brewing’s Barrel Works. It’s a taproom and a barrel hall for ageing beer. Food comes from rotating food trucks. A Cucumber Hippy is the ideal summer libation.

The second wine-beer hook-up on our map is at Tantalus Estate vineyard where Alibi Brewing is based. It’s hard to find Alibi beers off the island thanks to strong demand.

Alibi is based under the Tantalus restaurant in the uber-cool Brewers Lounge. Order a Rye IPA.

The Coromandel is still a little under-represented with breweries given the popularity of the place, but The Pourhouse in Hahei is the home to

Main picture: Hahei Beach in the Coromandel is home to The Pourhouse.

Above left: Head brewer at Kainui, Gary Henwood

Above right: Golden Bear Brewing Company in Mapua

Coromandel Brewing – a family-run business that has grown organically from a home brew operation. Relax with a Cloud 9 witbier.

The Rising Tide plays host to two breweries – Mount Brewing and Funk Estate. In-house food comes courtesy of Johnny’s Dumplings, the field next door hosts music events and you get a great range of well-priced beer – it’s the ultimate destination.

Try Mount Brewing’s Mermaid’s Mirth or Funk Estate’s Jungle Boogie, a blood orange sour ale.

Mike’s Brewery

& Bistro

Sunshine Brewery’s new tap room is a short stroll from the iconic Waikanae Beach.

Laid-back is the vibe as locals and tourists alike watch the sunset from the deck. Treat yourself to a slice of summer sunshine in a glass with a Saison Du Brut, a gold medal winning Saison, aged in local viognier barrels.

The famed wine region has finally woken up to the fact you need local beer to complement all the other locally produced goodness. The hero of the Bay is Brave Brewing in Hastings. A Tigermilk IPA will have you roaring.

One of the more unique venues in the area, if not New Zealand, is GodsOwn Brewery in Maraeka¯ kaho. It’s a working farm with outdoor seating in a vintage safari tent. Think ‘‘serenity now’’. The farm grows its own hops and specialises in old world beers such as a Biere de GodsOwn.

The beer scene is booming under the mountain.

Mike’s Brewery Bistro has relocated from upcoast Urenui to downtown Devon St. Pay homage to the original mike’s with a Mild.

Just a few steps away is the newest operation in town, Shining Peak, whose Octopus Clamp Schwarzbier is a must sample.

Emporium Brewing in Kaiko¯ ura is a real family escape – literally. Seriously, where else in New Zealand can you drink beer and play mini-golf? There’s also escape rooms for those who love games that are more esoteric than putting a small ball into a small hole.

This is a one-of-a-kind site with an everchanging selection of beers but the oddly-named Get To Da Choppa Witbier is deliciously refreshing.

Fuel up for the journey to Abel Tasman at one of the many breweries on the road from Nelson.

There’s a number of Sprig & Fern taverns, plus Golden Bear at Mapua Wharf, Townshend’s at Motueka or Hop Federation at Rı¯waka, at the foot of the Ta¯ kaka Hill.

Anyone who heads over Ta¯ kaka Hill and doesn’t spend an afternoon at the Mussel Inn is missing an icon of New Zealand beer and tourism, as well as a signature Kiwi beer: the ma¯ nuka-spiced Captain Cooker.

Brewing is booming in the southern part of the country; it’s a modern gold rush – but the gold this time is in liquid form in a glass.

Cargo Brewing is another brewery among the vines, with a fabulous beer garden located at Waitiri Creek in Gibbston Valley. Its Pilsner is perfect for the occasion.

In Queenstown, you must visit Altitude Brewing at Frankton (Mischievous Kea IPA please) and, perched above the Shotover River, Canyon Brewing has the views to match its award-winning beers.

In Wa¯ naka, Rhyme and Reason makes outstanding beers. The Big Banana Hefeweizen tastes as the name suggest.