Easter tends to be a good excuse for a lot
of people to get away to the bach and enjoy the last long weekend before winter
really sets in. Coming as it does at the turn of the seasons Easter can offer
up either the best settled weather of late ‘Indian Summer’ or the first bracing
southerly chill of winter. Accordingly it’s wise to pack a range of food and
drinks to suit either the warm or the cold.
I myself will be getting away the week
after Easter this year and enjoying a few days at a bach at Waikanae Beach.
If it’s warm the BBQ will be going, if it’s cold the log burner will be roaring.
Here are a few beers that I think perfectly suit Easter:
Renaissance Elemental
A fantastic porter with a big rich dark
chocolate character and supporting spicy fruity New Zealand hop notes. Elemental
Porter pairs perfectly with robust red meat dishes like seared steak, or
roasted field mushrooms. Definitely the first port pint of call if the
weather turns cold.
Epic Lager
Created as a gateway beer by Epic brewer
Luke Nicholas, Epic Lager is crisp, refreshing and aromatically hoppy
particularly in comparison to the mainstream lagers it’s attempting to woo
people away from. A great beer for the
bach if the weather ends up warm and the BBQ makes an appearance
Emerson’s Bookbinder
Emerson’s New World Bitter combines that
high drinkibility of an English bitter with the overt fruitiness of New Zealand
hops. An inherently sociable brew that I thinks is perfect for sharing with
friends around the fire before dinner or by the BBQ in the sun.
Boon Kriek
Chocolate. All this talk of Easter couldn’t
pass without a mention of the c word. While chocolaty dark beers often contain
chocolate flavours I think they tend to clash with chocolate based foods. Fruit
beers however go down a treat offering up contrasting flavours. Boon Kriek is a
Lambic that has been aged over cherries giving it a big almond and ripe red
fruit character and a tart finish that works brilliantly with rich chocolate.
Sierra Nevada Celebration
Brewed for the colder months each year
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale is cross between an English Strong Ale and an
American I.P.A. Pouring a dark reddish
amber Celebration combines an assertive piny resinous hop character with a
solid rich body. Fruity hops, and caramel malt notes give way to a fresh dry
finish. An autumn warmer for hop heads!
Townshend Number 9 Stout
A dark dry stout
designed for relaxed sociable drinking. With far
more character than the big name Irish Stouts but at a similar strength Number
9 is the perfect accompaniment to the fresh briny Bluff Oysters which are
currently in season. Aromas of coffee, toffee and chocolate lead into a rich nutty
malt character and a long dry finish.
Emerson’s Taieri George
Perhaps the ultimate Easter beer is
Emerson’s Taieri George. This spiced dark ale is often described as being like
‘liquid hot cross buns’ . Spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, a secret spice and organic
central Otago clover honey, Taieri George presents a big spicy aroma with all
the stated spices but also suggestions of cola, ginger and chocolate before a
spicy medium bodied finish. Grab some while you can as this beer was released
on the 6th of March and at the rate it’s selling looks like it might
be gone by Easter!
Kieran Haslett-Moore