Yeah the weather might be a bit chillier than southeast asia, but the beer and spirits are just as flowing. New Zealand is renowned for its world class beer, wine and quickly catching up with Russian and Scandinavian vodka via their 42 Below brand (also available in vanilla and blackcurrant).
As a beer drinker it was hard for me to go past many of the fine local brews on offer, in fact on only a couple of occasions did I try a fine pinot. 'Two Paddocks', made in the Otago region by Sam Niell's winery, is an example of the spicy, berry flavour of the region.
Living on the south island not too far from Dunedin exposed me to 'SPEIGHT'S; darker than my usual choice of beer but a flavour I soon became accustomed to. Possibly a working man or woman's beer with bitter sweet full bodied flavour. Brewed in Dunedin and great value priced at $33 NZ a carton (24 beers).
Other local beers worth a mention include: Montigues: different flavoured beer for different seasons, eg: Summer (light and fruity), Winter (heavier and creamy), as well as Pilsner, Tui and Mac's Gold.
When I was looking for something harder vodka was my choice. 42 Below was mind bending, no bitter, harsh alcohol swallow, just clean, crisp and smooth. Suprisingly cheap at just $30 NZ for a litre bottle.
There is something about the alcohol in New Zealand, it could be the beautiful fresh clean mountain water giving purity to beverages. The fresh air getting to your head, or the beauty of the environment, whatever, the hangovers are never as horrific here as they are in southeast asia and beyond.
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