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Earthquakes have, in the past year, destroyed much of the brewing capacity in Christchurch for big and small breweries alike.
One of Harrington's two plants finally succumbed in December, but a big hoppy number survived to be, appropriately, called Hop Tremor. At 7.4%, it is powerful enough to make anyone sleep through the next shake.
This is a serious beer, and a must for hop-lovers: a big head, lots of hop aroma and flavours overlaying the malt flavour, and a richness imparted by the alcohol and lees left from bottle fermentation.
The quake damage means there is not much of it around: try Cableways, New World in Dunedin or Oamaru or Fresh Choice in Te Anau.
Further north, Tuatara Brewery's APA started life as a seasonal release but is now more widely available. APA is not an American pale ale but, rather, Aotearoa pale ale with New Zealand hop varieties instead of American (or English, in its IPA).
The APA is stronger (5.8%) than the IPA and a bit more herbaceous because of the local hops. It is all hop aroma and flavour, but not too bitter. Try Castle Macadam in Dunedin or your nearest New World or Liquorland.
• Wedding present
If you missed out on an invitation last month to the wedding of Invercargill brewer Gina Huggins (now Kearney), she has a leftover from the wedding breakfast awaiting you at Invercargill Brewery - and its worth the visit!In October, Gina started on a Trappist ale which was matured in the cellar for three months before the unveiling at her wedding. Sister Gina, as it is called, is as beautiful as the bride on her big day: malty with a touch of toast and fruit flavours, and rich because of its 7% alcohol.
It is available in plastic at Invercargill Brewery. A keg of it sounds better.
• The real thing
Equally, Dunedin pilsner-lovers should head down to Emerson's Brewery where there is probably another fortnight's worth of North by North - its latest brewer's reserve available only in 1.25lt plastic for $9.27 at the brewery.
Pilsner is named after the Czech town of Pilsen where lager yeast was first used in 1842 (and where Pilsner Urquell, the original lager, is still made) and, apart from the water, this Emerson's brew comes from there: all of the malt, hops and yeast. It is a lovely beer (5.4%) with a layer of hop over the malt.
(The brew is named after the hit by Christchurch band Bats from its recent Free all the Monsters album.)
• Arty labels
Beck's, the German lager made here by DB Breweries, is sporting for the next three months or so artistic new labels featuring designs by four Auckland artists - all inspired by bands and songs (Hollowed Out by Cut Off Your Hands; Juices, by Parallel Dance Ensemble and Hippy, by Ghost Wave).
The German brewery fosters the arts with limited-edition labels in Europe each year. The first 10 local designs are in the six- and 12-packs (the latter providing four free music downloads) and the final two will appear next month. Which labels are in packs is random.