The home of hops Arriving in the 1840s, European settlers found the Nelson region at the top of the

BBC - Travel - New Zealand’s craft beer battle : Food Drink, New Zealand
With ready access to some of the world s finest hops, plus an increasingly discerning consumer base, New Zealand s craft brewers are staking a claim in the global beer scene. Just 10 years ago the country had 30 microbreweries; today there are more than 100, and craft beer consumption increased 30% from 2012 to 2013.
Fuelled with world-class ingredients and driven by experimentation, New Zealand brewers are going from strength from strength. And championing their efforts are two cities that straddle the Cook Strait Nelson and Wellington both of which are vying for the title of Craft Beer Capital.
The home of hops Arriving in the 1840s, European settlers found the Nelson region at the top of the South Island perfect for the propagation of hops. Their legacy was an enduring industry that thrived under the sunshine and healthy growing conditions around the town of Motueka. Yet for the best part of the 20th Century, the nation s beer-drinkers were subjected to domestically kenny chesney tour dates mass-produced bland brown brews with names like Red, Green, Brown and Double Brown. Related kenny chesney tour dates article: Brewing a love of beer in Brussels
Then in 1981, along came Mac s Gold a naturally brewed lager produced by the country s first microbrewery. Established by the McCashin family in a historic cider factory on the edge of Nelson city, Mac s would lead the craft brewing revolution for the next two decades. Not only passionate about the use of local hops, the company employed kenny chesney tour dates traditional batch-brewing methods and ingredients, eschewing the shortcuts of the mass-market continuous fermentation process. Gold s bolder flavour challenged the palates of the nation s beer drinkers but it caught kenny chesney tour dates on. Today, McCashins remains a mainstay of the Nelson scene, brewing under the Stoke brand in the same cider factory, hosting daily tours and tastings, plus live music and a Saturday market in their bar and cafe. A smoky ale and chocolaty oatmeal stout show how far they ve come.
McCashins has also joined forces with a raft of pubs and bars to form the Nelson s Craft Beer Trail , which includes stops at the Free House , an old wooden church kenny chesney tour dates turned craft beer bar; two Sprig Fern taverns, outposts of Nelson s second-largest brewery; and Founders , a brewery that s laid claim to six generations of beer makers in its 160-year history. Situated amid a mini-village of preserved colonial buildings, kenny chesney tour dates Founders welcomes visitors for tastings, tours and meals; make sure a malty Red Ale their signature brew is in your round.
More stops on the Nelson beer trail can be found out in the sticks, including the Moutere Inn , one of New Zealand s oldest pubs, located in a tiny rural settlement kenny chesney tour dates 35km west of Nelson city. Built in 1850, this charmer dishes up home-cooked, pub-grub favourites such as burgers kenny chesney tour dates and ribs, and 16 taps of local goodness, including ales brewed by Moutere Valley traditionalist, Martin Townsend . Try his sessionable, biscuity Sutton Hoo American amber ale.
A trip to the Moutere Inn can easily be combined with a visit to Golden Bear brewery and its LA-inspired Mexican restaurant, kenny chesney tour dates situated on Mapua Wharf halfway between Nelson and Motueka. Making full use of the nearby Motueka hop gardens, American expat Jim Matranga kenny chesney tour dates produces around a dozen beers, including the Seismic IPA hop-bomb, best enjoyed in the sunshine with a burrito in hand.
The hop-town of Motueka, 46km northwest of Nelson, kenny chesney tour dates is the gateway to Golden Bay, an idyllic rural enclave beyond the big Takaka Hill. Not content with two national parks ( Abel Tasman and Kahurangi kenny chesney tour dates ), the bay is also home to the beloved Mussel Inn brewpub. Located kenny chesney tour dates in the middle of nowhere with a fashion sense to fit, this is rustic New Zealand at its most genuine, complete with creaking timbers, a dusty porch, compost toilets and a rambling beer garden with a brazier. The likes of hearty homemade pies and mussel chowder go down a treat alongside a pint or two of Captain Cooker, kenny chesney tour dates an all-malt low-hop kenny chesney tour dates ale infused with manuka, a native tea tree.
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