The emergence of a couple of breakfast beers in the past couple of months has had the health police reaching for their tasers, saying drinking in the morning is an indicator of alcoholism.
One, by Marlborough brewery Moa - which claims its Breakfast beer is a world first - is a cherry-flavoured wheat beer promoted as an alternative to breakfast Champagne.
Its label refers to the Continental custom of breakfast beer.
The "custom" does not, in fact, exist. The nearest is brunch, called Fruhschoppen, in Germany, of a wheat beer, pretzels and sausages dipped in mustard and horseradish. However, the label concedes its brew would be "more commonly enjoyed as a mid-afternoon beverage".
The second brew, Morning Glory, by Christchurch brewer Wigram, has six cereals in it. Wheat, oats and rye were also fermented along with the usual barley, then flaked rice (instead of rice bubbles) and flaked corn (cornflakes) added, along with a pail of golden syrup (instead of pouring it on porridge or crumpets).
Wigram does not intend the beer to be poured on cereals or to be drunk at breakfast but sees it, rather, as a fun way of getting away from the bitterness of hops to something sweeter - but it still has plenty of hop which tends to mask the cereal characters.
Moa's distribution is wider than Wigram's - its breakfast beer is in my New World, for example.
Alternatively, Wigram's range is about $61 for a dozen 500ml bottles, freighted, ordered through the Wigram Brewing website.
It is getting a bit chilly to stand outside to cook a steak on the barbecue.
Stay inside, instead, for a hit of charcoal from Emerson's Oreti Red ale. It has a richness from four malts (two caramelised to give a burnt character), plenty of hop as usual, and warmth from 6% alcohol.
The brew is available until at least the end of this month from the Dunedin brewery for $9 in 1.25-litre plastic.
Another winter warmer, released for its eighth season, is Monteith's Doppelbock Winter Ale (also 6%) - a smooth, rich malty brew with six malts to deliver a nice creamy head and chocolate aroma and flavour. It is about $15 a six-pack.
Doppelbock first appeared in the 1600s in Germany to offer some nourishment during an annual fasting period, becoming known as "liquid bread".
• Shaken not stirred
Three breweries have combined to produce Rescue Red Ale - dedicated to volunteers who helped in the Christchurch earthquake and Queensland floods - to raise funds for the Brewers Guild earthquake fund to help damaged Christchurch breweries.
Blenheim-based Renaissance and 8 Wired breweries and Wellington-based Yeastie Boys (who brew at Invercargill Brewery) concocted the brew with donated malt and hops and put it in donated kegs.
Kegs are available through distributor BeerNZ (www.beernz.co.nz)
• Extra medals
Renaissance was one of three medal-winning breweries missed in last column's list of Australian International Beers Awards.
It won a gold and a trophy for its Craftsman Oatmeal Stout.
Fellow Marlborough brewery Moa and Auckland Steam Brewing also won golds.
