Beer and Wine of the Week

It’s a slam Dunc: Meet the beer that’s a bit like a gin

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Alice discovers that juniper and hops are a match made in heaven, while Henry pops the cork on a bargain bottle of bubbly.  DUNCAN’S BREWERY JUNIPER IPA 7%, 500ml, $10.99 from Fine Wine Delivery Co A lot of brewers have a penchant for gin. Come to think of it, winemakers too. I guess the point … Read more

Is it ever OK to put ice in your wine?

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A fruity rosé inspires Henry to issue some eyebrow-raising advice, and a new IPA has Alice feeling festive.  BEAU DE FRANCE ROSÉ 2017 13%, France, $13.99 from Fine Wine Delivery Co Here at The Spinoff, it’s hot take season – all month long, we’re shooting our hottest opinions, straight from the hip. But there’s one I … Read more

Hazy in love: Is the West Coast IPA about to be dethroned? 

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A new release from Sawmill has Alice praising the haze, and Henry plans his Christmas around an excellent-value, full-flavoured pinot. SAWMILL EAST COAST IPA 5.9%, 500ml, $9.99 from Fine Wine Delivery Co Hazy IPAs are so hot right now. Well, to be frank with you, they’ve been pretty hot for a while, but the trend … Read more

Whose cider you on? A summery new drop even a hop-head can enjoy

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Alice drinks outside her comfort zone, and Henry enjoys a young, fruity pinot gris named after a Martinborough legend.  GOOD GEORGE BREWING ROSÉ CIDER WITH STRAWBERRY & LIME JUICE 946ml, 4.5%, $14.99 from Fine Wine Delivery Co What’s this, a cider for beer of the week? Madness! I know, I’m as shocked to my very … Read more

We’re not ‘aving a laugh: This is an English-style ale that actually has flavour

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Alice is taken back to Blighty by an old-school bitter, and Henry paints the town millennial pink.  GALBRAITH’S ALEHOUSE BOB HUDSON’S BITTER 440ml, 4%, $7.99 from Fine Wine Delivery Co English pubs were where my passion for beer truly took hold. I arrived in London as an innocent, fresh-faced lass from the colonies (OK, I … Read more

Real (wo)men drink pink beer

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Alice is tickled pink with a summery sour beer, while Henry says hola to a super-approachable Spanish white from Gizzy.   SAWMILL BREWERY RASPBERRY SOUR 4.5%, 500ml, $10.99 from Fine Wine Delivery Co Earlier this year, Scottish craft beer giant BrewDog repackaged its hugely successful Punk IPA as Pink IPA, satirically dubbing it a “beer for … Read more

Pineapple in a beer? It’s pretty, pretty, pretty good

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Alice partakes of a pineappley pale ale, while Henry pops the cork on some French fizz.  BEHEMOTH PRETTY PRETTY PRETTY PINEAPPLEY PALE ALE 5.3%, 330ml, $3.99 from Fine Wine Delivery Co Hot on the heels of Kind of a Big Deal, which honoured San Diego’s finest son Ron Burgundy, comes a Behemoth tribute to another … Read more

Why most wines are boozier than you think

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Henry dives into a big, bold Spanish red, while Alice samples an easy-drinking Kiwi hop fest.  ANCIANO 35 YEAR OLD VINES GARNACHA 2015 15%, $19.99 from Fine Wine Delivery Co Let’s talk about alcohol. You could read a shelf full of books about wine and barely know that there’s any alcohol in it. Wine publications … Read more

Beer and a shot (of gin): the dive bar favourite comes to NZ

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Alice welcomes the zombie hopocalypse with open arms (and gin), while Henry sups upon a spicy syrah from a Hawke’s Bay OG. EPIC BOILERMAKER Epic Hop Zombie, 8.5%, 500ml, plus Hidden World Oriental Spice Gin, 50ml, 44%, $11.99 from Fine Wine Delivery Co A boilermaker, according to the internet, is a trained craftsperson who produces … Read more

I love beer, beery beer beer

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Alice is in a glass case of emotion (in a good way) about Behemoth’s latest IPA, and Henry is chuffed with a cheap and very cheerful pinot gris. BEHEMOTH BREWING COMPANY KIND OF A BIG DEAL SAN DIEGO IPA 6.9%, 330ml, $5.99 from Fine Wine Delivery Co San Diego: famous for its zoo, Comic-Con, some … Read more

Beer and Wine of the Week: King of the hoppy 8 percenters, and a rosé outlook for summer

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This week, Alice is smitten with a seasonal twist on an old favourite, and Henry happily quaffs a Provençal rosé.  GARAGE PROJECT PERNICIOUS YUZU WEED 8%, 650ml, $16.99 from Fine Wine Delivery Co Pernicious Weed is OG Garage Project, one of the original 24 beers the Wellington brewery boldly released over 24 weeks to announce … Read more

Beer and Wine of the Week: A milkshake of a beer and a wine variety you’ve never tried

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This week, Poland comes to Warkworth, Portugal to Hawke’s Bay, and Henry Oliver drinks it up. 8 WIRED BALTYK-TASMAN 9%, 330ml, $7.99 from Fine Wine Delivery Co Ahhhhhhh, isn’t it heartwarming when the disparate nations of the world can come together and make something beautiful? It seems to be happening a lot less recently. Every … Read more

Beer and Wine of the Week: A chocolate fantasy land in beer form, plus a pizza-lovin’ malbec

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This week, our intrepid reviewers combine two great passions: beer and chocolate for Alice, wine and pizza for Henry. BEHEMOTH BREWING COMPANY TRIPLE CHOCOLATE MILK STOUT 6.5%, 440ml, $11.99 from Fine Wine Delivery Co If you’re anything like me, you’ll often be faced with the dilemma of whether to have another beer or move on … Read more

Beer and Wine of the Week: A smokin’ hot pilsner and a refined rosé that’s not a rosé

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Alice Neville enjoys a crisp pilsner with a pleasing chilli kick, while Henry Oliver joins Reese Witherspoon in singing the praises of a pastel pink number from Central Otago. MCLEOD’S FAR NORTH CHILI PILS 5.2%, 500ml, $9.99 from Fine Wine Delivery Co Ah, beer and chilli. Name a more iconic duo. No wonder Hallertau Brewery … Read more

Beer and Wine of the Week: A dragon ale from Kāpiti and a near-perfect pinot gris

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Alice Neville tries a multifaceted, dragon-inspired Belgian beer from Waikanae, while Henry Oliver opts for a full, fragrant and ever-so-slightly funky pinot gris from Waipara.  NORTH END OUDE DRAAK 6.2%, 500ml, $19.99 from Fine Wine Delivery Co As a youth, I spent many tedious weekends in Waikanae on the Kāpiti Coast, my only entertainment a … Read more