February 27th, 2014

Get Wired this Tuesday

If you're reading this, then you're probably a fan of 8 Wired beers. You know their history of consistent, polished and challenging beers - and that they were named champion brewery of New Zealand in 2012.

It's exciting then, for us to host 8 Wired head brewer, Soren Eriksen, at the bar this Tuesday. Soren will be here with a brand new beer, 'BlackWired IPA'.

While we've got him here we're putting on a few others from the 8 Wired stable: The classic ReWired Brown Ale & SemiConductor Pale Ale and the more insane Brettanomyces Pilsner & Ice Distilled Bumaye! (weighing in at 27%!)

The tap takeover starts at 5pm this Tuesday, but Soren will be a bit late - he's gotta brew fresh Hopwired first (we'll forgive him). So he'll be answering questions, signing your paraphernalia and accepting your admiration from 6.30pm. Don't miss your chance to rub shoulders with one of our best brewers.

Black Spider Stomp

Black Spider Stomp are back this Saturday, with their swinging gypsy mix of original compositions and Django Reinhardt classics.

Catch them in the lounge from 10pm this Saturday! As always, for free.

Staffie Series

The first beer in our 'Staffie Series' - my Beetnik IPA - will be launching on Tuesday, March 11th. Save the date! More info next week.

A Fridgefull

The latest shipment from Beer Without Borders contained so many new and exciting beers, we weren't able to fit all of them in our fridges.

Over time we've been running down a few lines to make space for these newbies and over the last week we've crammed in quite a few.

Look out for: Lakefront Klish Pils & Imperial Pumpkin; Baird Dark Sky Imperial Stout; Rogue Voodoo Dougnuts Pretzel, Raspberry & Chocolate; St Bernadus Abt 12; Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus; Funk Estate Super Afrodisiac and Peckham's new Homeblock Cider.

The new Voodoo tastes like liquified raspberry chocolate, while the amazingly rich and spicy Lakefront Imperial Pumpkin will certainly satisfy those who miss Southern Tier's Pumpking.

And Finally

A big thank you from the HZ staff to all SOBA members who voted us “Best Wellington Bar”. We really appreciate it, and will keep doing our best!

February 20th, 2014

Expletive Imbibed

This Tuesday's new release has a slightly controversial name - but surprisingly neither Moa or Brew Dog had anything to do with it.

This new release comes from the Danish To Øl, a brewery started by students taught by Mikkel Borg Bjergsø (of Mikkeller fame) in high school.

Fuck Art - This is Architecture is part of To Øl's 'Fuck Art' series of beers, which add a twist to classic Belgian styles and try to make people "stop taking themselves so serious and start to relax and maybe dance a bit instead".

Fuck Art - This is Architecture is a hopped up 5% Belgian pale ale, fermented with the wild yeast Brettanomyces. Sounds like Orval on steroids... On tap from 5pm Tuesday.

Dinramen Tomorrow!

We love the Ramen Shop for so many reasons, one is because it's like having chefs tending our little cupboard of a kitchen. But most of all because the staff all get delicious ramen (extra pork belly, shiitake, chilli & spring onion is the way to go).

Tomorrow Ramen shop are setting up for dinner, and will be available from 5pm.

Carlos Navae Returns

This Saturday the sensual Carlos Navae Quartet returns to our lounge to throw down some Afro-Cuban Jazz, Soul, Funk and Reggae. Catch him in the lounge from 10pm this Saturday! For free, of course.

Society Of Beer Advocates Awards

One thing I've always loved about the Wellington beer scene is the sense of camaraderie and friendship between competing businesses. It's not an uncommon sight to see staff from various beery bars out together at another beery bar. The rising tide in full effect.

Next Wednesday SOBA will be celebrating the Wellington beer industry at Hashigo Zake as they present the Wellington section of the 2013 SOBA awards.

If you'd like to come and congratulate the people who make Wellington the best beer city in NZ, the presentation begins at 6pm Wednesday. Anyone is welcome to attend the presentation, but if you're a member SOBA might shout you a beer...

February 6, 2014

The Big Weekend

This weekend’s big event is upon us, X-Ale, our extreme beer festival kicks off at 1pm on Saturday.

Annoyingly the annual Costumed Binge Drinker Conference is on the same weekend, meaning the attendees of CBDC will be rampaging through town on Friday and Saturday nights demanding cheap beer and shots. To combat this we are limiting our hours on Friday opening at 3pm and closing at 8pm, with security on the door the whole time to keep out stray conference-goers.

Saturday being the day of X-Ale, only ticket holders will be permitted, from 1pm to 6pm.

We’re hoping the organisers of said conference contact us next year so we can avoid such conflicts, but this year we’ll have to make do.

Noodle Bunker

Catering our bastion of sanity this Friday will be the always delicious Ramen Shop, slinging noodles out of our little cupboard of a ‘kitchen’ with immense skill.

As we’re running limited hours on Friday, Ramen Shop will be available all day from open till close (that is, 3pm-8pm).

New & Release

In a shocking change from their normal naming formula, our new release from De Molen next Tuesday is two words with an ampersand between. Alive & Kicking is an India Pale Lager (aren’t they all the rage at the moment?), brewed in the Netherlands using beer-geek-friendly hops Simcoe, Citra and Cascade. Grab it on tap from 5pm this Tuesday.

Trademark Tussle

If you were paying attention to the social networks this week, you may have noticed another beer related trademark stouch unfolding.

The latest cheeky trademark to try and slip by eagle-eyed beer geeks comes from Schippers Beer co, attempting to trademark the term ‘Chinook’. Chinook IPA is part of Schippers’ range, named after the main hop used in the beer - Chinook. Chinook hops were developed in the states by the USDA in 1985, and have recently begun to be grown by NZ Hops in Riwaka. NZ grown Chinook was first used by Liberty in his High Carb Ale.

How then, that Shippers thought that they could own the term Chinook is beyond me. It’s an ingredient in your beer, not a term distinctive to your brand.

One would hope that IPONZ would have the common sense to do a Google search and quickly deny the application, but don’t forget Radler®.

Thankfully, after hearing the concerns of passionate beer lovers, Schippers gracefully reversed the application for the mark (unlike other brewers in the past).

For quickly responding to the community’s concerns, we applaud Schippers. For trying in the first place, we give Schippers a big thumbs down.

New & Coming soon

Shifting into our new storage facility up the road uncovered a few hidden gems in our keg stock.

On tap now is the rare Hallertau Suntman IIPA (8.5%) and from Sydney Doctors Orders Plasma IPA. For cider lovers we have Zeffer’s lovely new Red Apple Cider, or if you’re after a session beer, 8 Wired Semi-Conductor is on.

We’ve organised a shipment from some new up-and-comers from Christchurch, Two Thumb Brewing. They brew their NZ Pale Ale and Oatmeal Stout out at the Three Boys Brewery, and both will be on tap soon.