Shakespeare Brewery and Hotel

Type: Brewery

Location: Auckland, South Island, New Zealand

Website: http://www.shakespearehotel.co.nz
Cost: $8.50 pints
Visit Date: 02/26/2012
Beers: Wheat

Nearby: Auckland

Notes: This seemed like the perfect spot for our last night in New Zealand.  We stayed in a nice, tiny, but tidy room.  OMGYAYSHOWER.  The only house beer they had was a wheat.  It was ok.

The Brewery Britomart

Type: Brewery

Location: Auckland, North Island, New Zealand

Website: http://www.thebrewerybritomart.co.nz
Cost: $9 pints, $7 Happy Hour, $14 4-beer sampler
Visit Date: 02/26/2012

Beers: Gold Rush- Golden Ale
           Anchors Aweigh - "California" Lager
           Witful- Belgian Wheat
           Element 5 - Pale Ale
           Customs 69 - IPA
           Old Fort - "Old Style Ale"
           Black Rose

Nearby: Auckland, short walk to the ferry to Rangitoto Island

Notes: This brewery was in a neat old building.  Seemed like a good spot, all the beers were very good.  The IPA was the best I'd had in New Zealand.  The Anchors Aweigh was dark for a lager, but still light in flavor.  Very smooth, and clean.  The Old Fort was a rich malty brown, and the Black Rose was very good, malty and yum.

Brew Moon

Type: Brewpub

Location: Amberley, South Island, New Zealand

Website: http://www.brewmooncafe.co.nz

Cost: $12 NZD Sampler

Visit Date: 02/17/2012

Beers: Amberley Pale Ale

           Broomfield Brown Ale

           Hophead Organic

           Dark Side (of the moon) Stout

Nearby: Christchurch

Notes: This was another great spot.  Tiny brewing system, outdoor garden, local artwork on the walls for sale, baked goods, and a coffee shop.  I wish I lived near a place like this!

Harrington's

Type: Brewpub

Location: Belfast, South Island, New Zealand

Website: http://harringtonsbreweries.co.nz

Cost: Cheapest restaurant food I saw on South Island

Visit Date: 02/17/2012

Beers: Best Botter

           Stout

           Dark

           Wobbly Boot

           Big John

Nearby: Christchurch

Notes: They had 14 beers on tap, but don't offer a sampler tray.  The food was pretty good- and cheap! But service was abysmal.  Our food was delivered and we never saw the waitress again.

Stoke by the McCashin Family

Type: Brewpub

Location: Nelson, South Island, New Zealand

Website: http://mccashins.co.nz

Cost: $14NZD 8-beer 200ml Sampler

Visit Date: 02/04/2012

Beers: Gamber - A golden/amber mix

           Lemon Cider

           Stoke Lager

           Stoke Gold

           Stoke Amber

           Stoke Dark

           Bomber Smoky

           Bomber Biscuit

           Bomber KPA

           Bomber Stout

Nearby: Abel Tasman National Park

Notes: This spot was great.  Cozy and relaxed with couches.  Beer garden in the backyard, artists selling their work out front.  We sat by an outlet and charged my phone and took advantage of the free WiFi.  They had homemade ice cream and pastries and a coffee shop.  Games and books.  If I were going to open a brewpub, this is exactly what I'd aim for.  

If I had to pick a favorite, I'd go with the Bomber Biscuit.  Theirs that biscuit word again.  Very fitting.  Just the right unique maltiness.  

Bays Brewery

Type: Brewery

Location: Nelson, South Island, New Zealand

Website: http://baysbrewery.co.nz

Visit Date: 02/04/2012

Beers: IPA

           Light

           Lager

           Draught

           Dark Ale

           Dopplebock

           Pilsener

           Cider

Nearby: Abel Tasman National Park

Notes: Overall the beers were pleasant, and easy drinking session beers.  We had a nice chat with the guy working here about differences between US, and Kiwi craft brewing, and his brewery in general.  The Dopplebock or the Dark were my favorite.

Founder's Brewery

Type: Brewpub

Location: Nelson, South Island NZ

Website: http://foundersbrewery.co.nz/brewery/index.html

Cost: $10NZD sampler, $6.50 1/2 pint, $8.50 pint + $7 park entry

Visit Date: 02/04/2012

Beers: Tall Blonde

           Fair Maiden

           Weizen (seasonal)

           Red Head

           Generation Ale

           Long Black

Nearby: Founders Park, Abel Tasman National Park

Notes: This brewpub is within a little historical park, founders park.  Wouldn't have minded wandering around a bit, but somebody I happened to be traveling with objected to paying $7 for entry to the park.  So he pled with the girl at the entrance to let us in for free, promising we'd go straight to the brewery.  So that we did.

It was a pleasant stop, we sat outside and enjoyed a sampler.  They were all pretty good.  The Blonde was nice and malty with a slight saaz kick.  The Red Head was my favorite with rich biscuity malt flavors.  Biscuity seems to be a britishism but it is a very fitting description.  The Generation was a bit peppery, and nice, although being a Brown could have been maltier.  The Long Black was a dark lager, rather than a stout, but very nice.