The Christchurch earthquake has forced Lion Breweries to revert to the 1960s, when beer was transported in bulk by truck, like today's petrol tankers, to be pumped into underground tanks in pubs.
The introduction of the aluminium keg changed all that.
While damage to Lion's Christchurch brewery is being assessed, the company is trucking recovered beer by tanker to its Speight's brewery in Dunedin for bottling and putting in kegs.
The quake damage means there is unlikely to be any production in Christchurch for at least three months.
One casualty seems to be the annual short-term release of the brewery's Mac's Brewjolais (named after the first French wine release of the season, an unwooded red called Beaujolais).
Brewjolais is a hoppy brew from the first hops of the annual harvest, now nearing an end, using them green instead of waiting for the usual drying process.
It is usually available only on tap in the North Island.
The country's biggest independently owned brewery in Christchurch, Harrington's, is now back in production after three weeks without water or sewerage.
The home plant in the city of boutique brewery Dux de Lux will need to be demolished, but it has limited production under contract at another local brewery.
It has enough stock to supply its small brewery-restaurant in Queenstown (which is producing a pilsner) for a couple of months.
Hair of the dog?
Dunedin brewery Emerson's this week releases the last in a series of brewer's reserve brews which honour the Flying Nun record label which fostered Dunedin bands in the 1980s.
Bird Dog Pale Ale (5.5%) is named after The Verlaines' album released in 1987.
It has heaps of one variety of hops (cascade) to give plenty of bitterness and a spicy aroma.
A slightly maltier version will come out in a couple of weeks before nice malty warming reserve brews appear for the rest of autumn and winter that follows.
Reserve brews are available at the brewery ($8.95 in 1.25-litre plastic) and on tap at a few city bars.
Coming and going
Nearly six months ago, DB Breweries reproduced DB Export (5.35%) in 750ml twin-packs to mark the beer's 50th anniversary. (It was replaced in 1987 by Export Gold and Export Dry).
The twin packs disappear at the end of this month when Export will, instead, be available in crates.
