There are 147 beers currently available at Malthouse, some on tap, others in bottles.  Since opening in the new location just over three years ago, the Handsome yet Softly Spoken Scottish Proprietor Colin Mallon estimates the bar has served over 300 different beers, probably more.

They are, according to the Made from New Zealand website, “the hottest and most unusual brewing company in New Zealand right now.”  The Yeastie Boys have just released their latest pair of beers, Yakima Monster and Motueka Monster.

The Encyclopaedia of Beer

The ostensible purpose of any blog is to keep readers completely up to date with what is happening.  The topics covered can include the political (daily commentary on Ministerial credit cards), personal (who likes who the most), trivial (the exact composition of breakfast), commercial (sale starts tomorrow) and the sensible (innovative ways of silencing those wretched vuvuzelas forever).

For a writer, brewers are generally a joy to interview.  There are three primary reasons for this – brewers are passionate about their beer, they love to tell stories and joke, and they often insist the interview is conducted over a couple of frothing pints of ale. 

Croucher Brewery first came to my attention because they had created a problem.  After commercially launching their beers in January 2006, Croucher had entered their fledgling Pale Ale into the BrewNZ Beer Awards.

At the height of the Victorian gold rush in the 1850s, the high country town of Beechworth was the boisterous home of around 42,000 residents who were amply watered by 61 hotels.  The gold gradually disappeared and so too did most of the people.