Canterbury Brewers Collective is New Zealand’s smallest tavern and is located in the hip Riverside Market. They serve up some top-notch brews and are a boutique fill station, so you'll never go thirsty. Cityscape chat with owner, Chris Ruske, about the new digs and his recommendations for the perfect summer suds.
How have things been going since you opened in Riverside Market? The market has been awesome. We've had great support from our local and international customers. The various breweries that make up the Canterbury Brewers Collective have been a huge help as well.
As well as being a fillery, customers can take a seat at the booth and sample a brew – that must be proving popular? The seats at our bar have been really popular. Many of our guests are international travellers. They sit and have a beer and share their stories of their trip through New Zealand.
Your tasting trays encourage people to try something new – how adventurous are they proving to be? Many of our customers are new to the beers of Canterbury so they usually get our staff to pick the beers. We always throw in a more strange beer to challenge their taste-buds.
What are your top 5 recommendations for this summer? Scoundrels and Rogues’ Morally Bankrupt Pear Cider, Southpaw Stablemate Hazy IPA, Brewmoon El Citrico APA, Three Boys Sour & Salt Gose, Wilderness Brewing’s Rustic Pale Ale.
What are some interesting trends in beer? The Gose/sour style beers and super-hazy IPAs have been really popular.
How willing are consumers to try these new beer styles, or is it still IPA all the way? Our customers are always keen to have a go with a new style of beer but many go for a classic IPA as that's a beer they know and love.
What is a typical week for you? The market environment is always different. Every day has something new and no two days are the same.
What do you enjoy most about your work? Sharing the beers from Canterbury with our customers and promoting the small local breweries that make up the Canterbury Brewers Collective.
Are there any perks to the job? One of my favourite things to do is to try all the interesting new beer samples that the breweries drop off to me.
What excites you about Christchurch in the summer? Just to see the people of Christchurch out and enjoying the new city has been a thrill. We have a new heart in downtown Christchurch and it's pounding.
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