#drinklocal in Christchurch
Whether you’re going in for a coffee fix, a cheeky brewsky, an afternoon glass of Waipara’s finest wine, a sundowner gin, or a healthy dose of kombucha, we’ve got such a sweet selection of Canterbury beverages available there’s no excuse not to #drinklocal.
Coffee
The Coffee Monster Cold Brew is brewed in the CBD using two types of the finest single origin coffee beans. A dark and rich coffee, the double 48-hour batch brewing brings out a chocolate profile with hints of earthy flavours and a sweet, clear finish. Perfect for cocktails, black over ice, or with your choice of milk. The Coffee Monster is the passion project of local caffiend Chris Meyer whose mission is to supply establishments and good humans with a local product that exceeds expectations.
Epiphany by Prima Roastery is an ethical and tasty coffee roasted in Sydenham. The roast came about when Good Habit and Foundation cafés were looking for a local supplier with good values and quality coffee, and Prima took the opportunity to develop a Fairtrade, organic blend that hit the mark. The name Epiphany references the Anglican history of Good Habit’s space, and suggests that upon consumption, this coffee will be inspiring and revelatory. Bold with notes of stonefruit and almond.
Beer
Captain Fantastic Morning Glory Hazy IPA is Wigram Brewing Co.’s crack at 2020’s trendiest beer – a hazy. The first brew’s intense fruity citrus hoppy aromas wafted from the brewery, enticing the non-brewers in the team to head down and demand to know what just hit their olfactory systems. The beer’s bangin’ flavour profiles, its hazy orange hue and intense fruity aromas conjure up the idea anyone can be Captain Fantastic.
Smokey the Manuka Beer by Three Boys Brewery is the peatey Islay or the lapsang souchong of beers – a hit to the senses that has you reaching for the growler to pour another in no time. This independent brewery is over 15 years old, one of Ōtautahi’s original (and most awarded) crafties.
Uncle Charlie APA was inspired by American pale ales the Southpaw Brewing Company crew drank while traveling through North America. They were incited to produce their own back in Christchurch with the best of local ingredients. It’s a classic APA with a full body to cushion the intense hop flavours.
Read about how Christchurch has become a craft beer mecca, over here.
GIN
Concept Gin is a branch away from the norm thanks to the crew at Concept Brewing, whose bread and butter is beers named after Scottish pirate rock songs like ‘Wolves of the Sea’ and ‘Zombies Ate My Pirate Ship’. Their gin-drinking mates told them they wanted a serious pink gin, so they delivered this bespoke hot pink pleasure for people who think other pink gins are too sweet. It packs ‘true gin’ flavour with tasty botanicals including rosehip, hibiscus, juniper, cardamom and angelica, with a mesmerising, dark, deep fuscia colour.
Nine Fathoms gin follows Christchurch whisky and moonshine distillery Herrick Creek’s running theme: the tale of the Fiordland moose. Ten moose were released in 1910 in the hopes they would breed. There have been no confirmed sightings since 1952 but folks swear they’re still around. The gin is named after Nine Fathoms, a small passage of water in Fiordland, and uses nine botanicals. Distilled from scratch with Canterbury barley, it’s a heavy hitter at 57% alcohol – ‘navy strength’ – which locks in the body and richness of the botanicals.
Peninsula Gin is what made Lyttelton Distillery famous. In 2019, founder Peter Hall was on holiday in Turkey, wearing a t-shirt he’d had made with the distillery’s logo. Not long after, someone popped into Vino Fino, saying they’d seen a Lyttelton Distillery shirt in Turkey and they wanted to try the Peninsula Gin. Vino Fino had never heard of it, but the crew tracked it down and placed an order – the rest is history. Distilled from potatoes and flavoured with juniper, cardamom, Banks Peninsula mānuka, and Central Otago wild thyme and rosehip.
Curiosity Gin Ruby has become The Spirits Workshop’s most popular drop. Pink gin is trending hot, so following its motto of ‘curious by nature’, The Spirits Workshop ordered some rhubarb and set about crafting its own. This authentic pink gin is based on a family recipe – one of the partners had a work colleague with a recipe for rhubarb gin handed down from his English grandmother. It’s refreshingly sweet and zesty, with a full fresh-and-fruity rhubarb aroma and flavour – great with a simple Indian tonic or even soda water.
kombucha
Lemon, Ginger, Turmeric & Kawakawa kombucha by The Kombucha Girls tastes like a lemon fizzy drink, minus the bad stuff, plus beneficial probiotics. Creator Toni has always loved lemon ginger drinks, and adding kawakawa to the mix was to add medicinal value for her daughter who has severe eczema. It’s also packing turmeric, containing curcumin which helps with inflammation. The symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) used to brew it was gifted to Toni by a dear friend studying rongoā Māori medicine. A welcoming drink made with whānau in mind, it feels like a warm hug from grandma in the winter as you sit in front of an open fire cooking marshmallows.
Wild Strawberry Kombucha is a brand new drop from Three Boys Brewery. The team have been brewing kombucha for years, and even made kombucha-beer blends. Their interest was recently re-sparked when they got hold of a delicious tea and used it to make a kombucha for their own consumption. They liked it so much they decided to upscale and launch it to the public. It’s a traditional kombucha: tart with a good acidic bite balanced with a small amount of residual sugar and a good tea flavour. There’s an underlying strawberry flavour that makes it very refreshing on a hot day.
Ginger & Kawakawa kombucha is the brainchild of Tamara and Natalia from Mauriora Kombucha. Kawakawa is traditionally used by Māori as medicine and as a part of many ceremonies like christenings, unveilings, and tangihanga funerals. They wanted to combine it with ginger, which also has healthy benefits – it’s packed with antioxidants and helps with indigestion. As a bonus, the flavour duo is a match made in heaven, tasting like ginger beer without the sugar. It’s lively and effervescent, giving off soft bubbles with a dash of pepper seasoning left lingering on the back of your tongue. Made with the tikanga Māori values of manaakitanga hospitality, rangatiratanga leadership and kaitiakitanga guardianship.
Wine
Vergence White MK1 by Pegasus Bay is made keeping an open mind, looking outside the square, even when it’s untraditional, experimental or downright quirky. Along with its partner, Vergence Red, this wine will change from vintage to vintage following the winemaker’s desires – next year’s will be called MK2. This one is made using Sémillon grapes with Chardonnay, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer. Generous and refreshing with stone fruit, citrus, mineral notes and a touch of funk.
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