Summer reissue: Madison Hamill writes with rare precision and bravery. Also she’s hilarious. This piece is extracted from her debut, Specimen, a collection of essays in which she dissects sexuality, childhood, voluntourism, and her own brain. First published 8 March 2020. Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism … Read more
After years watching it unfold on social media with a growing envy, Duncan Greive finally hit the road to Beervana last year. With the 2020 edition about to kick off, he revisits a magic day. My day started early, with a beautifully balanced Westmalle Trappist Dubbel over a hearty omelette, just after 9am. It was … Read more
Everyday huge volumes of unsold supermarket food go to waste. That’s why a baker, a brewer, a chef and an innovator are collaborating to rescue as much as possible and turn it into something new and tasty. Beer is a simple product – there isn’t a whole lot you can do to improve its core … Read more
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Simon Cooke and Ryan Carville, founders of yeast company Froth Technologies. A lot goes into making good beer. … Read more
An urgent excursion to her hoppy homeland shows Alice Neville why brewers and beer drinkers the world over seek out Nelson’s pungent bounty. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, trainloads of working-class London families would temporarily migrate to Kent to work in the hop fields during harvest time. It was the closest thing many … Read more
In an impossibly crowded market, New Zealand beers are rightfully being recognised as some of the world’s best. According to one of the men behind Garage Project, that didn’t happen by accident. New Zealand grows some of the best hops in the world. New Zealand also brews some of the best beer in the world. … Read more
Madison Hamill writes with rare precision and bravery. Also she’s hilarious. This piece is extracted from her debut, Specimen, a collection of essays in which she dissects sexuality, childhood, voluntourism, and her own brain. None of us had heard of Ranfurly Draught before we met our flatmate Darren. “Are you sure other people buy this … Read more
Ever-increasing varieties of zero-alcohol beers beckon the sober or sober-curious from the supermarket shelf. But are any of them any good? We investigate. Ah, non-alcoholic beer. If your immediate thought response to that sentence is “What’s the point?”, look, we don’t blame you. But The Spinoff is nothing if not brave: we go places others … Read more
In the near decade since Sawmill Brewery’s new owners came on board, they’ve made some of the best beers in the country, won awards and watched their brewery burn down. And their former landlords at the Leigh Sawmill Cafe accuse them of acting unethically. Alice Neville reports from Matakana. Every Monday, when the Sawmill Brewery’s … Read more
House on Hood, which was criticised for promoting a deal on Corona beer with reference to the coronavirus, has discontinued the promotion after being contacted by Lion, which distributes Corona in New Zealand. A Hamilton bar’s social media promotion offering a deal on Corona beers as long as the deadly coronavirus continued to spread has … Read more
Embrace the many zero-alcohol drink options out there and stop bloody serving OJ. How many times have you been at home, or at work, or at a concert, or at a birthday party, or at a formal event, and thought, “What would go really well with this experience is some orange juice”? If your answer … Read more
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Bruce Turner and Thomas Rowe from Urbanaut Brewing Co. There are probably a few people who have kept … Read more
From a rural shed to a multimillion-dollar acquisition by DB, with a few legal battles thrown in for good measure, Tuatara’s two decades in the business have been a wild ride. Now, after revamping the beers, its talented head brewer has called it quits. Alice Neville checks in. For a while there, Tuatara Brewing seemed … Read more
Simon Day has eaten great food in iconic cities all over the world. Nothing beats Wellington’s food scene, even on a bad day. Wellington is my favourite food city in the world. I’ve eaten croissants in Paris, and pizza in Rome, and pickled herring in Copenhagen. I’ve tried modern Japanese in Melbourne, and eaten my … Read more
The Lightbulb asks innovators and entrepreneurs how they turned their ideas into reality. This week we talk to Huski co-founder Simon Huesser about developing vacuum insulated ‘coolers’ that keep beer and wine cold for hours on end. First of all, give us your elevator pitch for Huski. Huski is all about creating better drinking experiences … Read more
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand, with the interview available as both audio and a transcribed excerpt. This week he talks to Andrew Childs, founder of Behemoth Brewing. You’ll … Read more
Sam Flynn-Scott gets down with the funk of the fresh hop season. To truly understand beer you have to think of it as a fresh product. Unless you are getting into very specific variants, it is not usually meant to be aged. It’s a weird funky stew that at its peak, when made by the … Read more
Beer is a big deal in New Zealand and even as we drink less, its contribution to our economy grows. Simon Day spoke to the Brewers Association’s Dylan Firth about the industry’s growth. New Zealand loves beer – it’s been a constant and colourful part of our colonial history since the arrival of Captain Cook. The … Read more
Fermentation is having a moment, and it’s not all scobys and sauerkraut. Claire Adamson on the joys of embarking on a journey of discovery with her microbial mates. Connal Finlay is not content with waiting until the weekend to share his enthusiasm with me. Excitedly, he tells me about how cheese, pizza and coffee are … Read more
Fresh from the tap, sealed and delivered to your door – and you can drink some, reseal it and finish later. Welcome to the latest innovation in craft beer consumption. In 2006, the New Zealand Herald confidently predicted the demise of the flagon. Once a staple of the Kiwi beer drinker, the fill-your-own vessels were going … Read more
The New World Beer and Cider Awards are serious business in the industry – so why not send along a beer rookie to see what it’s all about? “Burnt butter.” “A sort of minerality.” “Quite a firm, long, furry kind of bitterness.” “Grapefruity.” These are some of the ways head judge Michael Donaldson describes the … Read more
Two beer experts share their tips for making the most of your brew, from how to store your bottles to the best kind of glasses to use. Too many of us aren’t treating our beer with the love, care and attention it deserves. It starts with the lack of respect we often have for beer, … Read more
Following on from inappropriate use of Māori-inspired imagery to promote New Zealand-hopped beers, several British craft breweries appear to think ‘Māori pale ale’ is a beer style. The United Kingdom might be half a world away from New Zealand, but it hasn’t stopped at least three British breweries from using the term ‘Māori’ to describe … Read more
A Melbourne bar that used an image of a 19th-century St Kilda mayor with tā moko drawn on to promote a New Zealand beer showcase has been accused of mocking Māori culture. This story was originally published on RNZ A Melbourne bar has been criticised for using an image of a former St Kilda mayor … Read more
Does less booze mean less flavour? Well, yes… but it’s not all bad news. All prices given were correct at the time of original publication in January 2019. Prices may have changed since. Here at The Spinoff, we’re a responsible bunch, and we know that a hoppy 8 percenter isn’t always the answer. You might … Read more
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
How much do you really know about the beer you’re holding – and how it’s different to the one your mate is drinking? Elevate your Christmas party chat with the Spinoff’s guide to beer varieties. Standing in the chilled beer fridge at your local liquor store, the cold air carries a tinge of anxiety as … Read more
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
The Spinoff asks the experts for tips on what food to match with your beer. For millennia beer was the second-class cousin of wine. Whenever people were invited over for dinner, wine would be rolled out from the rack. A fruity Spanish something to accompany the chicken marbella, a Chianti to go with the spag … Read more