Anyway, I have a small issue... a pet peeve if you want to call it that. Although we have many, many wonderful beers here in Aotearoa, we have a tendency to make beer that's not true to style. This isn't to say that we don't have some wonderful examples of craft beers that are true to form or an exciting evolution of an accepted style. It's a reflection of the market - we like Lagers and Hoppy Pilsners; therefore that's what the brewers make.
Australia too has a slightly unfortunate habit of doing the same - the "mainstream" breweries in both markets rightfully cater to the tastes of the public. And dammit the public want lager!
Forgiving the local pallet and forgiving the flavour of the ingredients... but some beers (I'm looking at you Tui and Speights) even claim to be Ale's when they are in fact Lagers. But beer is beer and beer is good.
So it was with a pleasant surprise that I popped open my Coopers Sparkling Ale and smelt the delicious aroma of top fermentation and bittering hops.
A real ale! Probably a little light in bitterness for the English and maybe lacking the complexity of a Belgian... but an ale none the less. In fact it's delicate flavour and effervescent sparkle make this a great companion to the southern summer. Coopers Sparkling Ale is a breath of fresh Ale in a Lager world - and from a mainstream brewer none-the-less!
As a note to beermaker's in our corner of the world - it's ok to make a traditional Ale, Bitter, Bock, Helles or Weizen. With the current increase in craft brewing I hope to see a lot more of these and more, but for now it's nice to know that there is a delicious alternative to lager at hand.
I lament the demise of the New Zealand 'draught' style beer. I like my lager amber and sweet and in a brown bottle. It's the only New Zealand specific beer style I've seen mentioned by people like the late Michael Jackson. More and more I find people here won't drink beer unless it's in a green bottle and 'imported' (i.e. made in South Auckland under license with mostly New Zealand ingredients.) Cultural cringe I guess.
ReplyDeleteHi Randolf von Stagg, thanks for your comment. NZ Draught might just be the first "classic" New Zealand beer. It took Draught from being a method of serving to being a beer style.
ReplyDeleteI don't judge a beer by it's bottle, but I know what you're saying - long neck, label out, international swill. The "Beer Hunter" did indeed note our unique style, but I'm heartened by the increase in craft and home brewing at the moment - a lot of people are starting to demand more from our beer than a European brand name.