Welcome to New Zealand!
A few weeks ago I attended the Arrowtown Pints and Pies Festival on a weekend off from winemaking. I caught a ride from strangers who work at a vineyard, but thanks to a mutual friend's disinterest in attending (he was worried about getting too drunk, again, with a pair of kiwi girls) I secured a spot in their vehicle for the beautiful drive through the Gibbston Valley.
Upon arrival, I lost them immediately. First things first. Beer. Then a pie. Being already familiar with Emerson's, a brewery I visited in Dunedin last go-around to New Zealand, I went for all the other ones I could find, washing down rabbit and mushroom pies, venison and cranberry pies, marsala chicken pies with a wide selection of local brews, mostly pilsners. It was a warm day and it just felt right. I felt kind of bad, though, for completely ignoring the Emerson's booth.
Today, though, I had the afternoon to relax and read. During my trip to the grocery, I spied the perfect compliment: the Bookbinder English-style ale. And it sorted me right out.
The Bookbinder is a smooth, mild, not-too-fancy beer with good balance, good weight and a surprisingly low alcohol percentage of just 3.7%, which meant I could focus on my reading without getting too buzzed after a 500ml bottle.
Beermigos Rating: Dinner with the in-laws brew. Easy, refreshing with enough structure to stand up to a meal. Bonus: Dad will think he's cool for keeping up with your drinking skills and you can have about nine of them without hitting on your girlfriend's sister even once.
Glad to be back on the wagon.
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