Well this week has flown by faster than another Michael Clarke failure (that’s an Aussie cricket reference for those that are wondering). Much like his poor form, I thought I’d never find a place with an abundance of different beers. But alas, as sure as the rain fell in Wellington, I’ve stumbled upon my first mecca for beer: Nelson. Disappointingly not a Maori name for a town, but a great location nonetheless.
The Founders tasting tray – an excellent value at NZ$10.
Having said that I tried a few beers from nearby Blenheim that almost made the cut, but I do prefer to drink local beer in the town I’m in. We’re doing a wine tour tomorrow, but Nelson also has breweries. We visited two pubs last night that had some boutique brews and today we went to the Founders Brewery that specialises in organic beer. That’s right – I said organic beer. Organic is an over-used word in this day and age and quite frankly, I think it should be stricken from the English language (along with artsy and fartsy).
On the other hand, beer is beer. And my senses know a great tasting beer when they experience it. I thought it best to sample all six beers on offer at Founders; in small glasses of course. They have three lagers, two ales and a seasonal beer, which was my beloved wheat beer. They didn’t disappoint, but my favourite was the Generation Ale. I later discovered that this was their original offering and it’s quite clear they knew what they were doing from the start. A darkish brown, just like all good ales should be and very tasty to boot. One thing I noticed about all their brews was the fantastic aromas. The brewery is situated within a heritage park and the staff were both friendly and informative.
The winner: Founders Generation Ale
We’ve still got a few more days in Nelson and no doubt I’ll try some more of the local beers. Lots of people told us about the beauty of the South Island and even though the winds have cut through us like Jimmy Anderson through the Aussie top order, drinking beers while looking at glorious mountain ranges above is just fine with me.
Name: Founders Generation Ale
Brewery: Founders Brewery
Location: Nelson, New Zealand
Alcohol: 4.2%
