Everyone has an opinion on ‘lager’, whether you’re a green bottle hero or you scoff at the thought of drinking something so boring, you’ve probably still got some room to appreciate just what makes lager, well lager.
First of all, what actually defines a lager? Lager is simply fermented using a strain of lager yeast (Saccharomyces pastorianus for the nerds) ,these yeast strains can tolerate lower fermentation temperatures, temperatures at which fewer fermentation derived flavours are produced; simply put, the cool, slow fermentation results in a crisper, cleaner beer.
“So if lager beer is just dictated by the yeast, why is lager so bland?” It simply comes down to tradition and the style guidelines that most brewers choose to follow. In fact, due to the cleaner flavour profile, lagers actually allow many of the carefully selected hops, malts, and adjuncts to really shine through and deliver a full flavoured, yet still crisp beverages.
One of our personal favourites is Hallertau #4 ‘Deception’, a Schwarzbier or dark lager style that features flavours of crusty brown bread, biscuits, and bittersweet chocolate all while being crisp enough to drink on a 30+ day in the midst of summer. Or if you don’t dig the dark stuff you ought to have a whack at Urbanaut’s Miami Brut, a super dry IPL (India Pale Lager) that certainly holds its own against any classic IPA – think peach, passionfruit, and lime out the wazoo!
There’s a hell of a lot more history and depth to lager so if you’re still not convinced come in and talk to Jack, he’ll happily challenge your preconceptions over a few tasters.
Once again Beervana 2019 has been and gone and what a weekend it was! We often find it easy to feel overwhelmed with choices in Wellington, especially if you’re trying to cram as much as possible into just a couple of days. The ‘craft beer trail’ makes things so accessible but what about the gems that aren’t so central? These are a few of Ms Whites’ favourites.
PARROTDOG http://parrotdog.co.nz/
Situated in Lyall bay, the bar and brewery is always our first stop, being only a hop and a skip from the airport means you can walk if you please. The Parrotdog bar is a tribute to the classic kiwi pubs that we all love, the beer selection however, is something else; with loads of rotating taps and the full core-range you’re always spoilt for choice. Once you’ve caught a pint and a sandwich you can peer into the brewery and get a full whiff of the incredible brew kit, play a round of pool, or even catch one the awesome bands that regularly fill the place out.
Beer recommendation : Janice Double IPA
DOUBLE VISION https://doublevisionbrewing.com/
At the opposite side of the airport, in Miramar, you can find the Double Vision team; some of the friendliest folk we’ve had the pleasure to work with, with some of the tastiest brews we’ve poured. With rotating food trucks, more stainless steel porn, and constant seasonals including the new small release: ‘Old Bird’ a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout that sits at an even 13% – not one to miss out on!
Beer recommendation : Old Bird BBA Imperial Stout
BREWTOWN UPPER HUTT https://www.facebook.com/BrewTownUpperHutt/
A 40 minute train ride from central Wellington lands you in a bit of beer paradise that is so worth the trip. Brewtown is Boneface, Kereru, Panhead, and Te Aro all in one place; you’ve got Boneface’s famous fried chicken, Kereru’s incredible barrel series, Panhead’s unbeatable barbecue, Te Aro’s homebrew kits, and enough beer for a festival any day of the year.
Beer recommendation : Take home a bottle of anything barrel-aged by Kereru and save it for a special occasion.
So when you’re out and about stop by one of our friends and say Ms White sent you, you never know what you might hear back.
It’s not uncommon that my beer recommendations are met with an ever-so-frustrating ‘Oh no, I won’t like that, it’s in a can.’ In fact, I hear this daily. So why is it that people hate the thought of consuming beer from the trusty tin?
The most common reasoning I hear is that the beer leaches a metallic flavour from the can, however, modern cans have an inner lining to stop just this. In fact, if we’re worried about beer in metal containers why is no one concerned about ordering a pint from a big old keg that has been ferried up and down the country hundreds of times?
The reality is that beer is probably at it’s best when served from a can – I can feel the eyes rolling already, but it’s true! Beer truly is a fragile potion and two of its biggest weaknesses are UV light and Oxygen.
UV rays react with the isomerised alpha-acids(The bittering component found in the common hop)in a beer, creating a chemical reaction that is often referred to as skunking or as I like to call it,’The green bottle effect’; the resulting compound is almost identical to what skunks use to ward off predators. Cans avoid the terrors of skunking with their opaque walls, thus allowing you to enjoy your super-duper, triple dry-hopped, tongue flaying, double IPA without inducing flashbacks to the time you tried to impress a girl at camp but only received a faceful of skunk blurt.
While oxidation can be desirable in a few particularly robust styles, it poses a number of threats to most styles of beer, not only as a myriad of off flavours but also in muting existing flavours. The list of possible off flavours is extensive, ranging from paper and cardboard, all the way through lipstick, corn, green apple, butter and in very particular cases burnt rubber!
But that’s not the half of it. Can you imagine popping the cap off of your favourite IPA, expecting to greeted by a wave of fruit so ripe, and pine so intense that your eyes damn near roll back into your head in satisfaction, only to be greeted by a pathetically mild aroma of, well, just ‘beer. Oxidation truly can take an outstanding beer down to the kind of beer you wouldn’t even gift to your in-laws but because cans have a considerably more airtight seal than a bottle this proves to be far less of a problem.
And it’s not just the taste and smell of your beer that cans are great for. Because of their lightweight construction, cans prove to be far cheaper than bottles, create a considerably smaller carbon footprint and are much easier and safer to take on-the-go. Who wants to take a clunky, heavy bottle up a mountain when they can easily take a can, and then crush it and toss it in their pack without adding any significant weight or taking up valuable space?
So as you can tell I am a big advocate of beer being packaged in cans and I think you should be too. Go ahead, give it a try – I promise it won’t bite. You might even find you prefer it that way.
Come in and check out our fabulous can selection, you’d be crazy to miss out on the chance of trying North End’s Pitboss; a fantastic, malty lager style with the just the right amount of smokiness to compliment the beer without overruling all the other subtleties this beer exhibits. If Doppelbocks aren’t to your taste though, fear not, I’ve got plenty of variety to go round. Garage Project’s Death From Above IPA takes influence from a Vietnamese mango salad and includes mint, mango, lime and chilli to really kick the beer up a notch. Sunny day? Hard to go past a tin of Urbanaut’s perfectly crisp, Kingsland Pilsner. And if you prefer something dark you’d be hard-pressed to find something more exciting than Garage Project’s Cereal Milk Stout; now carbonated with nitrogen as opposed to carbon dioxide(but only in the cans!), it’s the creamiest, smoothest stout that I’ve tried from a New Zealand based brewery.
In the great land of Taranaki, it would be revelled and revealed. The opening of Ms. White would certainly yield, to the power of the mighty hop.
But, stop! Not all brews would be overpowered over-the-top by hop! Turning their habit into some kind of funny bunny rabbit, who zig-zags their way through the rest of their forest day.
Some would be neat, with the flavour of sweet wheat. While others would be lagers, to be enjoyed by joggers and bloggers, fearful of the mighty hop and its overpowering skunk. Hop or not, when Ms. White felt alight, she could even pull a pilsner out of her magic trunk. Why, there was even a citrus sour from the estates of Funk!
Ale’s more pale than a veil, without fail. IIPAs that could take you out with a mighty clout! Although your list is shorter, you forgot to try this porter.
Seeking something different and strange? Perhaps you’ll find your range amongst the other ales, not to be forgotten because its for you that they’ve specifically been brought in!
Pizzas cooked on a stone of clay, for here or take-away. Our chef’s Tom and Joe know how to make dough. 420 degrees is the temperature that’s best, when their dough comes to rest. Baking away on the hot stone, you’ll be shown our pizza throne, where Ms. White honorably sits.
The seeds have been sewn, just pick up the phone, when the skies might be grey and you want takeaway. There is no door to keep you from pizza #13 Pork & fennel, just look for the smoke plume emanating from the heart of the White Hart Hotel Courtyard. Just take our card and make the number starred!
from ‘Bart’ender
Once upon a time, on a distant island far away from all others, new life was brought forth, one of druthers.
She was a mother to one another, sister & brother. Twas a magical game of Cluedo, played by the powers that be, you see.. Its what brought forth this new life, filled with glee. And so on this night, an idea would incite, and her name burned into all our consciousnesses as it might, would be Ms. White. Sought out by the meek, she would ease the troubles of yet another work week.
Casting a spell of liquid fun, only some would turn into Attila the HopHun. Her best spells make you as calm as a lake. Beers like cake. Making her followers feel light, bestowing upon them traditional Italian pizza might in every scrumptious bite.
They were to be served alongside her special brew’s, unnerved. Delights that could make one take flights into the night. Her dream upon inception was quite alright:”Beer has become boring you see, and so I will create a place where beer is a beverage, liberated & free. Beer will once again be great, living up to its utmost potential to ferment-ate, Pizza alongside will be ate! and, shared among-st every mate. And, all will be agreed as the delicious goey pies are accompanied by only the finest brew!. It will be somewhere new and true!”
A refuge for hop head, brother or sister, from near or far, never sexist. Ms. White would make all of her potions available after breakfast – at the end of the workweek. Tis not the tale of a crazed loon, on Friday through Sunday she would open from NOON! So, to the masses we bellow come one, come all. Just be sure to stay mellow and not fall. We know how patient you’ve been and how long you’ve waited, but unfortunately, its illegal to serve the intoxicated!
from ‘Bart’ender