Alcohol is getting weird(er)

Treehouse goes "boujee" and buys a golf course. Will the real West Coast IPA please stand up. A tour of Wellington's best bars with Fat Freddy's Drop. Wigram celebrate 20 years.

Friday is upon us beer lovers, and no doubt many of you will be where I am today: Sky Stadium in Wellington, sampling the delights of Beervana.

There’s always plenty of “imagine that” thinking on the part of breweries attending this festival. I know I’m always drawn to the weird and the wonderful but even I would draw the line at some of the developments going on in the wider booze world.

And with what follows, I think beer has to take some responsibility. Craft beer has been the primary innovator in the alcoholic drinks space over the past 20 years, taking people to constantly new and crazy places. But if brewers had never dreamed up raspberry donut cream stouts, or brightly-coloured fruit slushie beers then maybe the rest of the world wouldn’t be making hard soft drinks and alcoholic iced coffees.

Alcohol is going in weird directions, and I mean really weird. I also use the word alcohol, not beverage … beverage is the word choice for those who want to confuse alcohol with tea and coffee. And well … that’s exactly what’s happening and it’s not far from landing here. All in all, with what follows, I am not against what these companies are doing (who doesn’t love a sweet alcoholic drink … Bailey’s anyone?) but it does feel morally grey in terms of who it’s appealing to.

Across the ditch there’s outrage at the alcoholisation of the popular soft drink Solo. In the wake of Hard Mountain Dew, it’s inevitable, really. But as the Independent Brewers Association points out if anything can appeal to kids it’s an ethanol-pimped soft drink.

Craft beer: Independent Brewers Association boss on BrewCon, Hard Solo and cost of living | Daily Telegraph

And in America, Dunkin Donuts — yeah them that makes treats that kids love — are making alcoholic iced coffees and iced teas.

This isn’t Dunkin’s first venture into alcohol: Over the past few years, it has created several beers with fellow New England-based company Harpoon Brewery — which also helped Dunkin’ develop and manufacture its Spiked lineup. In 2020, Dunkin’ and Harpoon released a doughnut-infused beer and last year sold a coffee roll cream ale, plus a cold brew coffee porter. The Dunkin’ Pumpkin Ale is also coming back this fall.

“We knew we had the opportunity to create something special when we saw the positive response to our previous seasonal collaborations for Dunkin’-inspired beers,” Brian Gilbert, Vice President of retail business development at Dunkin’, told CNN. He added that the privately held brand noticed the “growing appetite for adult beverages,” which inspired Dunkin’ to continue adding to its alcohol portfolio.

Dunkin is releasing spiked versions of their iced coffees and teas | CNN Business

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Beer of the week No 1

The trophy-winning beer in the wood and barrel-aged category at the NZ Beer Awards the other week was Wilderness Russet, a pinot noir barrel-aged Flemish Red. And this is one of the most sublime examples of a Flemish Red Ale that I have tried. It’s got all the layers you’d expect, from a light balsamic acetic quality to prunes and apple skin fruit notes with a ribbon of red wine running through it. There’s real depth here and the balance tends to be relatively sweet for the style possibly from the 8% ABV pushing past the traditional higher limits, creating quite a well-rounded complex but integrated drink. I splashed some in a mushroom risotto and the finished dish was the best risotto I’ve ever had.

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Still flying high

Wigram Brewing are having a very long 20^th birthday celebration. They officially opened in December 2002, so their birthday was last year, but given the first beers didn’t get out until 2003, it makes sense to celebrate the milestone this year. And they got some icing on the birthday cake when their Ace Smoky Porter won gold at the recent NZ Beer Awards. We paid them a visit to see what’s changed in two decades.

Wigram Still Flying High 20 years on | Pursuit of Hoppiness

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New taproom & restaurant for Eddyline

Nelson brewery Eddyline have, at long last, got their new taproom open. For those who were familiar with the old Eddyline Pizzeria & Bar, this is a completely new operation just up the road from the original. Certainly looks worth a visit. And rather than pizza they are going for New Mexican cuisine, and that cap N as in the state in America, where Mic and Molley Heynekamp started their first brewpub. So expect some authentic vibes there.

As Mic posted on Facebook: “Finally! Finally we're open! Took us a few years but we wanted this to be the last pub we built and opened, wanted it to be a legacy of Molley and I. Feeling pretty happy and proud of what we've done knowing there's been so many that have contributed along the way! We want this place to be small, intimate, and focused on creating memories while enjoying amazing beers that we've worked on for over thirty years and tasty food that we love to share! Not looking to make a statement but looking to demonstrate our passion!

Can't wait to see all our friends pass through! Can't wait to show some of the amazing innovation we've accomplished. Can't wait to demonstrate how sustainable we are!”

Good things come to those that... - Eddyline Brewery New Zealand | Facebook

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The best 19th hole in the world

Now here’s a story I’m here for…