In this episode Michael and Martin talk to Ryan McArthur, festival director for Beervana, New Zealand's biggest beer festival, which is on in Wellington on August 22 & 23. Keeping a huge beer festival relevant and sustainable is no easy task but Beervana just keeps getting better and better. Plus, Ryan has some inside tips on how to make the most of your experience. The beers we review in this episode are Beervana-esque. Michael has 8 Wired's Sticky Barleywine, a lush 12% beer made with dates, plums and raisins; and Martin is drinking Hallertau's Stuntman Double IPA, rebrewed for their 20th birthday. And we spend a bit of time paying homage to Hallertau, one of the first to bring great beer to Auckland.
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59:55
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59:55
Eye of the Tiger — Brave Brewing
We head off to Hastings to visit Brave Brewing and a chat with owners Matt and Gemma Smith. We learn why they are still exclusively in bottles and discuss the power of Tigermilk, their flagship IPA. Plus, Michael and Martin share a couple of beers heavy on Riwaka hops.
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1:15:15
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1:15:15
Money For Jam — Urbanaut's Bruce Turner
Urbanaut founder Bruce Turner came back to New Zealand from England where he worked at an establishment brewery, Fuller's, and a new-wave craft brewery, Meantime. On his return to Aotearoa he wanted to brew the classic style beers he fell in love with in England, including real cask ale. Instead he's ended up brewing hazy IPAs with flavours such as Toasted Marshmallow, Raspberry Lamington and Passionfruit Cheesecake. Michael & martin met Bruce in the Urbanaut brewery and taproom to discuss how they ended up brewing such crazy beers. Plus we talk about Terpene beers, low carb beers (they have four now), the return of the Blenders and the demise of one of the original "classics" in Brixton Pale Ale.
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53:30
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53:30
Three Boys — Keeping It Local
In Episode 2 of the Third Pint Theory we talk to Three Boys founder Ralph Bungard about their status as New Zealand's reigning champion brewery from last year's NZ Beer Awards and what that meant to them. Plus we look at why they've pulled back to focus on their local area of Christchurch at the expense of bigger markets in Auckland. And finally ... is it the end of the line for their famed, multi-award-winning Oyster Stout?!
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1:04:16
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1:04:16
Keeping it local — Three Boys
This week, Martin Bridges chats with Ralph Bungard, founder of Christchurch brewery Three Boys, New Zealand's reigning champion brewery from last year's NZ Beer Awards. Ahead of this year's awards, Ralph talks about what it means to them to win such a coveted prize, why they are so locally-focused, and the possible end of Bluff oysters in their famed and multi-award-winning Oyster Stout.
People, places and pints in the New Zealand Beer scene. Michael Donaldson is the editor of Pursuit of Hoppiness, New Zealand's only dedicated craft beer magazine, author of Beer Nation — The Art & Heart of Kiwi Beer, The Hopfather and The Big Book of Home Brew. Martin Bridges is a beer judge and consultant with his business Beer Bigwig. We bring you stories about Kiwi beer, the people who make it and the places you drink it.
New Zealand