New Zealand’s craft beer seen has grown tremendously with over 250 beers brewed in New Zealand. Late last year, we visited New Zealand and learned that Wellington is the country’s Craft Beer capital. In Wellington alone, there are over a dozen craft and boutique breweries, nanobreweries and brewpubs. And up to a quarter of all beer sold on tap in Wellington is craft ale.
Among the best-known breweries in New Zealand are Black Dog, Form and Brewer, ParrotDog and Tuatara on the Kapiti Coast north of the city. Many of these breweries work closely with specialty pubs and bars including Golding’s Free Dive, Hashigo Zake, Malthouse, Little Beer Quarter, Rogue and Vagabond.
Last year, for two days in August, some 10,000 people headed to Wellington for Beervana, the biggest event on New Zealand’s beer calendar. Over 200 different ales from about 60 breweries were available. Beer was brewed onsite. Beervana is the biggest fixture of the fortnight-long Wellington on a Plate festival of food and dining.
With the help of the guide from craftbeercollege.co.nz, we got to tour the country’s best hops. These tours are priced from NZD125. I love my beer so this visit was rather exciting and informative for me.
Craft Beer Garage Project
One of the stops is Garage Project. Looking rather nondescript on the outside, I first thought we were headed to a rather artsy and colourful garage. The exteriors are decorated with graffiti art. Garage Project was born in 2011 when the Gillespie brothers Pete and Ian got together with Jos Ruffell moved into the Garage, a derelict petrol station and Jaguar car workshop run by Sybil Lupp, a female race driver and mechanic.
Pete Gillespie is the Head Brewer at Garage Project. Garage Project is famous for its quirky brews and choice of ingredients. Can you imagine a beer with dried fermented bonito flakes, smoked malt and sea water or kelp? Well that’s exactly what Garage Project has created for the Umami Monster.
The cellar door is open daily from 12pm Mondays to Thursdays and 10am from Fridays to Sundays. Closing time ranges from 6.30pm to 9pm. Here you can try different types of beer and take away bottles. You can even bring your own plastic or glass flagons to fill up straight from the taps. Other merchandise such as T shirts and posters are also available on sale here.
I like the beer bottle labels here. They are quite artistic and some have been blown up to poster size and are on sale. The bottles on sale here include Madam Mahvash, Wolfman, Angry Peaches, Chateau Aro, Death from Above, La Calavera Catrina Limited Edition, Sauvin Nouveau and Touch Wood.
Their can beers also come in plain or fanciful cans. Just a join drinking from these cans. There’s the Pan Pacific, White Mischief, Aro Noir, Death from Above, Garagista, Hap Daze, Hops on Pointe, Beer, Orange Sunshine, Pernicious Weed, Pils ‘N’ Thrills and a larger 440ml White Thrash can.
A taproom is located across from Garage Project. Taproom at 91 Aro offers 18 taps and two cask lines as well as in cans and bottles.
Garage Project
68 Aro Street
Wellington, New Zealand
Craft Beer Little Beer Quarter
The Little beer Quarter is tucked in the Edward Street Precinct and is within walking distance from Garage Project. Here you can get 14 rotating taps, two handpulls and over 100 beers from New Zealand as well as from around the world. The place to be for happy hour every day of the week.
Little Beer Quarter
6 Edward Street
Te Aro
Wellington 6011, New Zealand
Getting to New Zealand
If you are flying from Singapore, we highly recommend the comfortable Premium Economy cabins of Air New Zealand which offers daily flights between Singapore and Auckland.
Air New Zealand operates a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on the nine hour 40 minute flight from Changi Airport at 8.40am and arrives in Auckland at 10.20pm. The return flight departs Auckland at 11.50pm and arrives in Singapore at 6.40am the next day.
When you fly on Air New Zealand’s Premium Economy, enjoy Business Class meals and selection of wines, extra legroom and more recline than in Economy. It also comes with an amenity kit with toothbrush, hand cream, socks and other useful items to help you feel comfortable for your flight. The seats are configured a 2-3-2 a row offering slightly more comfort and space than in Economy. The cabin is located between the Business Class cabin and the Economy cabins and is also much smaller so the cabin is not cluttered with too many people.
There are 16+ direct flights between Auckland and Wellington. The flight takes 1 hour 5 minutes. Air New Zealand operates most of the flights between the two cities. Low cost carrier Jetstar also operates flights between the two cities.
