Requiring more We Do Not Here Represent Our Day Jobs than usual, George and I recently had a little ramble about a few potentially-controversial topics in the Beer Business: the ongoing shitfight-with-a-side-order-of-handwringing that is the Licensing Laws Debate, and the continuing evolution of the nation’s most-senior beer festival, Beervana. My apologies — again!; you are an understanding lot — for the delay in posting, though there is something appropriate about getting my Afterthoughts out on the eve of the next (much littler) festival.
There are plenty of contentious little angles in both topics, and I find myself taking unusually-middle-ground-ish positions on each to which I might have to return in fuller detail some day, but here — off the cuff, in good company, and over a few beers — are some initial thoughts, at least…
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— Show notes:
- (1.10) We’ve had a roaming dog before, when we visited Kieran’s wonderful little in-house pub. And George’s #momentsofzola really are worth it.
- (2.00) Beer of the Week #1: Speakeasy ‘Prohibition Ale’.
- (4.00) Repeal of the Licensing Laws, from first principles rather than down in the weeds of the details. This might be my best-ever excuse for not doing my homework, but it really is my main point here.
- (6.30) The usual disclaimers, and all that.
- (10.00) Don’t get me started on the soft discrimination against nocturnal people unless you’re ready for a long grumpy rant. It’s a sore point, for obvious reasons.
- (14.50) And yes, I did mean John Morrison. Wellington really dodged a bullet, there.
- (17.30) Just when I was feeling depressed and anxious, ‘Prohibition’ saved me.
- (18.30) Dominic’s blog is always worth a look, and his two rants were right on point.
- (19.20) Beervana happened, but mostly to Other People, because I’m clumsy. And it’s changed a lot, about which I’m about to get even-handedly philosophical…
- (22.06) That was Zola, not some spooky re-enactment of me flinching at curing glue.
- (27.05) It was ‘Taylor Grabs the Goose’, a kind-of-collaboration between Taylor’s on Jackson (a Petone restaurant) and the Goose Shack (a food truck).
- (34.30) [SPOILER ALERT]: It’s time for Beervana to open its books.
- (37.20) Beer of the Week #2: Black Isle ‘Hibernator’ Oatmeal Stout.
- (47.20) Rye, en Français, is apparently “seigle”. But George never gave me the photo.
- (47.40) Beervana, as a visitor. The WilliamsWarn is a pretty cool piece of kit, and now there’s a second generation of nerdier, often-Kickstarter’ed, successors coming. And the Beervana “tasting notes” are truly useless — except when the breweries take the time fuck with them.
- (1.04.00) I mean Bank’s Brewing Hardware. Also, read more Jono and eat more baking.
- (1.08.40) Beer of the Week #3: Black Isle ‘Black Run’, which is evidently an Imperial Stout, and Tomatin (which should rhyme with “satin”) is a nearby distillery.
- (1.12.50) Recommendations: The resurrected Limburg beers / recipes / notions, in their “Bach Brewing” guise are proving very tasty. They really were the Temple Of The Dog of their day, I very vaguely recall. And drink a bunch of Yeastie Boys stuff. Golding’s Free Dive needs to be added to my Usual Disclosures, since I’ve now done them a few cameo shifts, but the praise pre-dates that and is sincere. And Blacklight.
- (1.20.30) Speaking of cans, I just had a Hot Water Brewing one today and it was rad.
- (1.22.00) Three minutes of Moa News, which meanwhile wound up mentioned in a Sunday Reading — and besides, they were being silly in the paper again just today.
- (1.25.30) Neil Cross deserves a beer, for (among other things), Luther. George gave the nomination, and is chasing up the beer-delivery — since my luck’s been so bad.
- (1.30.45) Cue the music: ‘Shopping for Explosives’, by The Coconut Monkeyrocket. Audio editing done in Audacity. Habitual thanks to both.
Just a point from the pedant, as you would expect. The Epic brew was a media brew, the theme for which was back to Lets Go Native, the Festive Brews were the 3 out of 4 theme. No one is owning up to who choose 3 out of 4 but it certainly wasn’t Beervana.
George, you agree with Stu about the Fullers Brewers Reserve 4, For my part I think its one of the more subtle well integrated barrel aged beers I have had. Almost like we are drinking different beers 🙂
Ah, yes. The two themed-up challenges got muddled in my head. Always glad to have a Resident Pedant (and Friend of the Show!) to help with the annotations afterward. Somewhat mean of you to tease the existence of a minor controversy behind the choice of Three Out Of Four, though. I do love a good backstory…