In an unassuming spot just outside of our biggest city, exacting standards and secret methods are producing some of the smoothest spirits you’ll ever try. This post was originally published 21 September 2018 Alex Kirichuk makes the world’s best booze, he says. It’s a bold claim for a tiny distillery in Puhoi, a historic village … Read more
Every day in the lead-up to Christmas, open the door to reveal a Spinoff writer’s short, sizzling commentary on a weighty subject. Our arbitrary and strictly enforced word limit: 365. Today: Sam Brooks on why cocktail snobbery is for losers. Look, I love a good cocktail. My best friend is a cocktalier/mixologist/bartender/good guy who knows … Read more
Thousands of views were taken in, meetings were held up and down the country, experts were questioned, and it all fed into a massive report on the state of our mental health system. So what does the report say we need to do? Read more about the mental health inquiry with our edited extract from … Read more
It seemed like a good idea at the time. But a few drinks with friends turned into a few more, and the next morning you’re not feeling so crash hot. Is there anything you can take to help? Ken Harvey of Monash University and Paulina Stehlik of Bond University look at the evidence Over recent years, a number of products … Read more
Hayden Donnell surveys one of the more rare whiskies to ever go on sale in New Zealand, and asks whether it’s worth its gigantic purchasing price. Last Wednesday night, I pulled into a North Shore industrial zone to taste-test rare and expensive whisky. It was an event put on by the Fine Wine Delivery Company and … Read more
After almost 20 years with a drinking problem, newly sober Baal Caulfield* knows a thing or two about the lies you tell yourself as a ‘functional’ alcoholic. Sweet sweet liquor, nectar of the gods. Bringer of joy the world over. Whether it’s a glass of your favourite Pinot with your wife over dinner or drinking … Read more
The West Auckland Licensing Trusts Action Group (WALTAG) needs 28,000 signatures to force a vote over The Trusts’ monopoly on the sale of alcohol in its region. The Trusts’ chief executive Simon Wickham makes the case against change, arguing that West Aucklanders should think twice about hitting ‘delete’ on a system which delivers $2 million a … Read more
The West Auckland Licensing Trusts Action Group (WALTAG) needs 28,000 signatures to force a vote over The Trusts’ monopoly on the sale of alcohol in its region. WALTAG member Nick Smale makes the case for change, arguing that West Auckland suffers from the consequences of a blunt, out-dated approach to alcohol control. Read more: The case … Read more
We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today, Don Rowe gets out the duct tape and cracks into a bottle of Scrumpy. For almost thirty years, only one word has been synonymous with both duct tape and drinking. That word is Scrumpy, the people’s cider. With 8% … Read more
In an unassuming spot just outside of our biggest city, exacting standards and secret methods are producing some of the smoothest spirits you’ll ever try. Alex Kirichuk makes the world’s best booze, he says. It’s a bold claim for a tiny distillery in Puhoi, a historic village just north of Auckland, but the Ukrainian master … Read more
These days, chards are far more complex than the buttery, oaky monsters of yore, so dive on in. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me they don’t like chardonnay, I’d be making a shitload more money than I currently am as a freelance wine writer in a small country. Chardonnay occupies … Read more
Featuring hints of marshmallow, Prince Charles, booze-soaked shoes and being bullied by a large Scottish man named Paul. This story originally ran in Barker’s 1972 magazine. It was 11am and I was drunk. Whisky was dribbling over the top of my glass and a large Scottish man was standing over me yelling, “Is that enough?” He … Read more
Fill the void of those long, lonely winter nights with a dark beer – there’s one out there for you, we promise. There’s no denying that these are dark times, friends – both symbolically and literally. Yes, the world has gone to hell in a handcart, but more pressingly, it’s winter. It’s cold. Even the … Read more
In the best drinking cities in the world, sharing a punch bowl with your mates at a bar makes for a splendid evening. To have a similar experience here, you’ll have to stay home. “Red fruit, Raro.” “Very drunk 21-year-old Christians.” “Red wine, Sprite Zero, half-sugar Just Juice, vodka.” “Berocca, white wine, vodka, pineapple juice … Read more
A Christchurch racing club is offering ‘kiddie picks’, where children bet on the horses and get lollies if they pick a winner. Inspired, The Spinoff TV’s Hayden Donnell got to work on his own R18 product for kids. The Spinoff TV, Fridays 9.45pm on THREE
For a brief moment, New Zealand was home to Big Foot, a mythically potent RTD served in a giant bottle and apparently aimed squarely at teens. Don Rowe talks to the brain behind it. Gather round children, I’m going to speak to you of the days before the voluntary RTD code. A time when Billy … Read more
Pallas Hupé Cotter’s new year’s resolution for 2018 was a big one: going alcohol-free for an entire year. As she approaches the halfway point she shares what she’s learned so far. At midnight on December 31st 2017, while watching fireworks from a hilltop on the outskirts of Wellington, I took one last sip of bubbles … Read more
Licensing trusts say they exist to sell alcohol responsibly. So why did a West Auckland trust ask people to recount their ‘craziest’ moments with hard liquor? They market themselves as responsible sellers of alcohol, a locally-owned organisation controlling access to alcohol to minimise harm and give back to the community. But social media activity by … Read more
It’s a monopoly that brings in more than $100 million a year revenue, intended to benefit the community. So why are West Auckland residents agitating to get rid of it? We’ve been hearing a lot about The Trusts lately. They’re a big business operating in West Auckland; between them the Portage Licensing Trust and the … Read more
Whether it’s one glass while making dinner or a few at kids’ birthday parties, it’s often hard to separate motherhood from drinking. Mother of three Nadine Anne Hura writes about why she finally decided to quit for good. I never hit rock bottom. There wasn’t any great reckoning or moment of truth. Just a series … Read more
It traces its origins to Rhythm and Vines, and has taken a chunk of the festival payments industry across the Tasman too. Russell Brown discovers the company behind summer fun is getting serious to find new customers. Have you ever looked, I mean, really looked at that chip on your wrist? If you’ve attended Rhythm … Read more
Ever wondered why the bars in West Auckland are so lame? Or why you can’t buy alcohol at the supermarket? It’s because of a monopoly called The Trusts, and Sam Learmonth says it’s time to talk about why it exists. This opinion piece was first published in April 2018. Unless you live in Invercargill or … Read more
Kiwi brands like Tip Top and Montana might improve their bottom line by sourcing products from overseas, but they risk losing their customers’ trust for good, writes marketing lecturer Sharon Forbes. New Zealand’s reputation as a food exporter is based on branding around consistent quality and safety of New Zealand-made products. However, recent stories relating … Read more
What do deprivation, bar location and time of day all have in common? They all affect the rate of assault in New Zealand. It’s safe to say that when it comes to assaults, alcohol matters. In 2009, the New Zealand police estimated that approximately 31% of all recorded crime (including assault) was perpetrated by an … Read more
We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today, the Spinoff’s resident youths Madeleine Chapman and Don Rowe try out the latest summer beverage. Don: So it turns out Coke events are a lot like Coke advertisements – beautiful people standing around just generally stoked about living a … Read more
Critic Te Arohi, the official magazine of the Otago University Student Association, has found itself a hit with Critic Booze Reviews, featuring reviews of the cheapest alcohol available. Sam Brooks interviews the prolific and heroic reviewer ‘Swilliams Shakesbeer’. “Shitty alcohol, shitty reviews.” The first is undoubtedly true. The second, less so. The reviews, written under the … Read more
This week ‘The Beerhive’ launched, a podcast which sits comfortably between the not-unrelated worlds of between beer and politics. Host Shane Cowlishaw explains the pod to Duncan Greive. Wellington has become essentially the unquestioned home of craft beer in New Zealand, helped by its weather, its geography and sensibility. The nature of their jobs means … Read more
Now that July is underway, many people will have taken their last drinks until August. But just how beneficial is one sober month? Julie Robert walks us through the ups and downs of binge sobriety. Dry July‘s annual campaign to raise funds for people affected by cancer has just begun and thousands have pledged to abstain for … Read more
Later this month 17-year-old music promoter Elleana Dumper will put on her first all-ages show with help from Ignite, a training programme for young people with a passion for music and events. She asks why young music fans are missing out for the sake of New Zealand’s ‘drink till you drop’ culture. At 17, I … Read more