Their dedication, and subsequent disappointment, is testament to how serious some people are about keeping up with technology.

Others take a much more relaxed attitude, seemingly worried that the internet is just a passing fad and normal paper-based service will resume shortly.  There was a fine example of this in the introduction to “Key to Victory: the New Zealand General Election of 2008”, an academic tome edited by veteran political scientists Stephen Levine and Nigel S Roberts.  Although the term weblog was first used in 1997 and the now common description blog was coined in 1999, they insist on putting every instance of blog into quotation marks (‘blogs’) as if it is a made-up word or simply trendy slang.  It has, in fact, been an established part of our language and daily life for over a decade.

For one of those eleven years, the People’s Blog has been a semi-regular feature on this page.  Fundamentally, it is dedicated to asking real Malthouse punters about their two favourite beers though virtually no one these days follows the rules.  First up is Mike Keith, a coder:

“Despite spending over a decade surrounded by amazing beers in the UK and Northern California, it wasn’t until a trip to Ludlow (England) that I had my Beer Epiphany.  On that fateful day, we stopped by a lovely old pub for a swift pint and I decided, on a whim, to try the Timothy Taylor Landlord.  It just happened to be in perfect condition and I suddenly understood what all the fuss was about.  Since then I’ve tried numerous fantastic beers, many of which can be found at The Malthouse.  This makes having to choose just two border-line cruel. *

The New Zealand beer scene is almost unrecognisable to what it was when I moved overseas 15 years ago. It’s now vibrant, exciting and producing some excellent quality brews. I’ve only been back a short time but have thoroughly enjoyed the likes of Harrington’s Wobbly Boot, Yeastie Boys’ PKB Remix and Mussel Inn’s Captain Cooker Manuka, to name just a few.  However, it’s Epic Mayhem that I’ve
found myself drinking the most. I’m a big fan of Luke’s beers and Mayhem has quickly become my favourite.  Bursting with the fruity hoppiness you’d expect from Epic, yet beautifully balanced by a toffee malt sweetness.  At 6.2% it’s hardly a session beer, but it’s dangerously quaffable.

I love a good single malt, so it should come as no surprise that I adore whisky cask aged beer.  One of the best examples of this that I’ve come across is BrewDog’s Paradox Springbank (10%).  Some of the stunts the mischievous brewery pulls are certainly questionable, but you can’t argue with their beer – a rich, chocolatey imperial stout with the lovely flavours of the whisky coming through at just the right level.  This is definitely an excellent beer for the impending long, dark winter nights”.

That last sentence reveals that this contribution has been sitting around blog headquarters for a while.  There is a very good reason for the delay – the second scheduled writer still has not submitted his promised piece. **  Fortunately, we have found a more than adequate replacement in Martin Craig.  Martin is a Wellington journalist and researcher.  He runs the NZ Beer Blog (link below) and says he likes to visit the Malthouse on a Saturday afternoon to read the paper and help his wife with the crosswords.  Here is his piece:

“Tuatara Pilsner definitely hits the spot when Mrs Beerblog and I go to the Malthouse.  She likes it because it’s a lager and not all hoppy and bitter like those APA’s I like. I like it because it is all hoppy and bitter.  If you want to be all fussy about styles, Tuatara’s Pilsner is right out there in hopping for a pilsner.  Compare it to some of the definitive Czech pilsners from Pilsen and you’ll see what I mean.  But if you want to be innovative you can’t be all fussy about styles, and I appreciate the way Tuatara has taken something familiar and turned it up.

A Taranaki brewer commented to me that Tuatara should just call it a Pale Ale and be done with it.  I’m not so sure about that.  For one thing, brewing a beer as a lager but labelling it as a Pale Ale would be very naughty indeed, possibly illegal, and I couldn’t condone that sort of thing.***  The other reason is that Kiwis are happy to order and drink lagers and pilsners.  Do a mate a favour and buy them a Tuatara Pilsner next time they order a lager – you might convert them for life.

Winter is time for porters and stouts, and I usually try a few different ones each year.  This winter I have lapsed, and the blame falls squarely on Three Boys Oyster Stout.  I don’t know what they are doing at Three Boys, but they are doing it right.  Last summer Three Boys Golden Ale was my top beer, the one I’d grab whenever I could find it in tap.  This winter the Oyster Stout has put me off all other porters and stouts – if I can find this one the others are ignored.

There are very few beers that made me stop and say “Wow!” at first taste, but Three Boys Oyster Stout is one of them.  The flavours are as dense and intense as the appearance, and carried by a hefty 6.2% alcohol.  You get all the traditional stout flavours like coffee and the-dark-bits-on-the-edge-of-fruit-cake but there’s something more there – perhaps you can actually taste the oysters.  It’s a solid and complex stout and makes an ideal winter warmer.

And as for the work of art – the Lichtenstein pop art print is easily the coolest piece of art in any Wellington pub toilet.”

If you would like the opportunity to tell the world (or at least a little on-line part of it) about your favourite Malthouse beers, drop us a line on myfavouritebeer@themalthouse.co.nz.

Finally, a reminder, if one is needed, that Beervana is coming.  Malthouse is proud to be the official bar of Beervana and recommends people buy their tickets early.  Sales are strong and preliminary indications are there might not be many door sales.  Tickets can be ordered through the Beervana website.

* This is a common lament of contributors to the People’s Blog
** Despite an email dated 9 April absolutely promising it by 18 April…
*** The term ‘East India Pale Ale’ springs to mind here for some reason.

Cheers


Beer Writer
Real Beer New Zealand
Beer and Brewer Magazine

Links
Epic Brewery – http://epicbeer.com/
Brew Dog – http://www.brewdog.com/
NZ Beer Blog – http://nzbeerblog.blogtown.co.nz/
Tuatara Brewery – http://www.tuatarabrewing.co.nz/
Three Boys Brewery – http://www.threeboysbrewery.co.nz/
Beervana 2010 – http://brewersguild.org.nz/beervana2010
The People’s Blog – http://www.themalthouse.co.nz/index.php/blog/98-the-peoples-blog
People’s Blog Part Deux – http://www.themalthouse.co.nz/index.php/blog/108-the-peoples-blog-part-deux
People’s Blog Episode III – http://www.themalthouse.co.nz/index.php/blog/128-the-peoples-blog-episode-iii-a-new-hope
Malthouse on Twitter – http://twitter.com/malthouse
Malthouse Facebook Group – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wellington/Malthouse/7084276173
Real Beer – http://www.realbeer.co.nz/blog/blog.html
Beer and Brewer Magazine – http://www.beerandbrewer.com/