Craft Beer Spots in New Zealand

"The Zeelandt brewing family go back four generations. Head brewer Chris maintains the tradition using Nelson hops and hand-crafting traditional recipes into well sought-after brews, conditioned in the bottle and styled to suit the changing seasons. Described as “tasty as”, the Zeelandt Pale Ale is hoppy and crisp with a clean finish. With hints of cooler weather on the horizon there will be plenty of more heart-warming malty darker brews to choose from."

"You could say this brewer has been the forerunner of New Zealand’s craft beer industry since it started in 1989. The quest for the perfect batch-brewed beer matched to the East Coast’s lifestyle of endless summer and surf soon turned to cult-following with the award-winning brews knocking the top off many a trophy list. International investment and a move to new premises are hailing in a new dawn for the local favourite thirst-quencher, the toasty-malty Gisborne Gold and hoppy Gisborne Pilsner."

"Conveniently located on Maraekakaho Rd in the Bridge Pa Triangle wine district Abbey Cellars not only makes superb wines but has its own brew pub, so if wine isn’t your thing while you’re crawling the trail freshen up with a Fat Monk citrusy Pilsner or the more fruity and flowery Pacific Pale Ale. Good pure water is a vital ingredient to make great beer and the brewery sits on New Zealand’s second largest aquifer."

"Crafting beers and ciders since 1995 these experienced brewers creamed six medals last year at the Brewers Guild of New Zealand Awards, with the full-bodied roasty chocolate caramel flavoured Black Duck Porter winning gold, silver for the Pure Lager, Kingston Original cider and bronze for the more elegant crispy Pilsner, caramel Amber Ale and Kingston Strong Apple Scrumpy cider. Stocked in wine-size bottles, traditional 500ml beer bottles and on tap."

"It’s purely loved and truly local. Inspired by explorer Captain Cook’s recipe to ward of scurvy, Tony Dapson has taken his beer-loving skills to new heights and crafted a unique range of ales and beers. Using Cook’s ancient manuka and rimu beer recipe – minus the rimu – his Manuka Magic beer sits alongside Naturale’s Daps Classic and Skor Premium Lager. Manuka Magic is an evenly-balanced brew and a hit with the ladies as is the sweetish Skor Lager, while Daps Classic is more favoured by men. Using a manuka-base is his answer to the dilemma of the hop plants inability to cope with global warming."