Thursday, October 17, 2013

October 17, 2013

Pacific Beer Expo Update... On Tap Now or Soon... Saturday Music... New Release Tuesday... Ra Ra... Recommended Reading...

Pacific Beer Expo Update

There are just ten days to go now until the Third Pacific Beer Expo. We're encouraging breweries to supply new and even experimental beers for the event, which inevitably means that even this close to the date there are question marks over places in the lineup. It's disconcerting but all part of the fun. Nevertheless we're getting closer to a final lineup and can make a few more announcements:

From Taranaki's Mike's comes their latest hemp beer - a 5% IPA. From the sounds of things there's a lot of hemp at their disposal up there in Urenui and they're doing their darnedest to come up with a beer that can take advantage. And it seems like a nice follow-up to last year's Kava beer from Garage Project.

The nation's champion brewery - Renaissance - have a new beer that we know little about except that it's a fruit wheat beer. That will make at least three fruit-infused wheat beers on tap during the event. The other two confirmed are Baylands Brewery's Blueberry Wheat, which apparently has come out an interesting shade of pink, and Jungle Brewery's Tropical Wheat - Orange & Mango, all the way from Singapore. Having three fruit infused wheat beers on tap at the same time and place is not something we would normally embrace, but festivals are all about expanding horizons, right?

As an antidote to all the wheaty fruitiness we can also reveal that there will be at least four beers, and possibly more, that fit loosely into the Imperial Stout category, including a face off between the two biggest show ponies of the world of dark, high gravity beers - Ballast Point Victory at Sea and Southern Tier Crème Brûlée.

From Nelson's Golden Bear we have a beer they're calling an IPAL. It's essentially an IPA but fermented with a blended yeast in a fashion that puts it somewhere between an ale and a lager.

Finally (for now) we can announce a collaboration between Hamilton breweries 666 and Brewaucracy. The premise, as described to us, was to take the recipe for Brewaucracy's In Triplicate, which is a Belgian Tripel, and subject it to the kind of hopping regime that 666 specialises in. Presumably the result will resemble an Imperial Belgian IPA. It's to be called Devil In The Details.

At the time of writing our own supply of tickets here at the bar has been exhausted. We're hoping to re-stock, but in the meantime please use Ticketek. And if you go in and book in person you don't have to reveal all your personal information just to make a purchase.

On Tap Now or Soon

There are some goodies backed up, waiting to come on. But of course we'd say that. Anyway, here's the proof:

Last week's promised Epic Coffee & Fig Imperial Stout is coming, honest.

With a massive order of Californian beer about to arrive it's time to clear our stocks from the last such order. Which amounts to: about one keg of Ballast Point Dorado Imperial IPA.

Minumus is Hallertau's much-admired version of brewing's holy grail :- the hoppy session beer. On tap shortly.

We've snapped up a couple of kegs of Schippers beer - one each of Mistress Pilsner and Scallywag.

And not on tap but new and spanking fresh in bottles is this year's batch of Peckham's Elderflower Cider.

Saturday Music

This Saturday's band was particularly popular with staff last time round, so comes with an even more sincere than usual recommendation. The Digg's fusion of jazz and Hendriks-meets-Tarantino psychedelic surf rock was our idea of a good time back in June, so we're looking forward to having them back at 10pm on Saturday night. In the lounge and at no charge.

New Release Tuesday

We're following this week's sensational Spontonframboos from Mikkeller (of which a few servings remain) with another sour of a sort from the Danish gypsy brewer. It's Funky E-Star or perhaps Funky E★ if we're all writing and reading this on compatible devices.

On tap from 5pm on Tuesday.

Ra Ra

Tomorrow, being an every second Friday, is Ramen Shop Friday here at Hashigo Zake. Come in from 11:30 for lunch from the best ramen vendors in the Southern Hemisphere. (Can we say that?)

Recommended Reading

The collective known as the Thirsty Boys are paragons of both loyalty (being regular attendees at New Release Tuesday) and fine beer writing. But even they surpassed themselves this week when they handed the keys to the blog over to their own Ladies Auxiliary.

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