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.

PIzzaria Orgasmica

Type: Brewpub

Location: 2 Embarcadero Center, San Francisco CA

Website:www.pizzaorgasmica.com

Cost: Reasonably priced Menu

Visit Date: 01/28/2012

Beers: Golden Ale

           4 Grain Hefeweizen

           Amber

           Blueberry

           Peach

Nearby: San Francisco

Notes: Last stop before running back to the airport.  We had a 12 hour layover enroute to New Zealand, and decided to take a quick tour of the city.  

They have a happy hour from 4-7, for $8.50 you can get pizza all-you can eat.  Pints are $3.  During non-happy hour pints are $5.  Considering the location, and being from NYC, I'd say that's pretty decent.  

They don't have sampler trays, so we shared a few pints, and the server was willing to give us a few samples for free.  The Amber kicked while he was pouring it, and he gave that to us for free too!

The Amber was malty and tasty with a little belgian kick and the Hefeweizen was great.  The Golden was full flavored, but not quite that crisp malty golden I've come to love.  The peach was terrible.  Very artificial tasting.

Steelhead Brewing Company

Type: Brewpub

Location:  333 California Drive, Burlingame CA 94010

Website: http://steelheadbrewery.com

Cost: Reasonably priced Menu

Visit Date: 11/09/2013

Beers: Hazy Hefeweizen
           Broadway Blonde
           Raging Rhino Red
           Bombay Bomber APA
           Double Play APA
           Pumpkin Pie Ale
           McFaddens Oatmeal Stout

Nearby: San Francisco, SFO

Notes: Damn, after the terrible pizza I had the previous night at Sequoia Brewing, I really, really wanted to order the vegetarian pizza.  Artichokes, mushrooms, eggplant, omg pesto.  It sounded damn good, but I was afraid it would take too long.  It needed to be a quick stop since I had a flight to catch.  

I was killing time, taking photos, walking around bay front parks, when I changed my mind.  I *should* visit that nearby brewery, what the heck is wrong with me?!  So with an hour and a half until I needed to be at the airport, I rushed over to steelhead....only to drive around looking for parking for 20 minutes.  They even have a (small, full) lot!  AND there are two municipal lots nearby, it was still tough to find a spot.  Hopping town.  

Finally found a spot, fed the meter and darted across the street.

I liked this place.  Grabbed a cozy table and sat in an armchair! Ordered my sampler, and hmmm quesadilla will probably be quick.  Quick it was and super-duper cheesy.  Not bad but not great.  White people mexican.  Adequate.  

The beers were pretty average.   Overall the light ones were better than the dark ones.  Which is unusual.  The stout was too sweet, but the blonde was pretty good.  The Pumpkin had WAY too much spice.  The Red, APA, and the Hefeweizen were ok too.  So, the top row.They were out of the seasonal so they mixed the APA and the Red.  It was ok.

Finished up pretty quickly, and caught my flight with no issues.  Don't think I've ever made it through airport security so quickly!