Bob Campbell is one of only 264 Masters of Wine in the world. An international wine judge, Bob judges wine professionally in ten countries and contributes regularly to publications around the world. His specialty is New Zealand wine which he reviews from an international perspective.
A wine drinkers’ beer
A wine drinker's beer
They say it takes a lot of beer to make wine. Beer sales must certainly rise during vintage when winemakers gather with their fellow winery workers at the end of eachlong, hard day. What brand of beer do winemakers drink? In Australia Coopers Pale Ale is a clear favourite. It’s harder to pick a favourite in this country.
Keith Galbraith, owner of Galbraith’s Brewing Co., was a winemaker before he became a brewer. Keith hasn’t substituted his love of wine for a love of beer – he loves and understands both. Anyone who enjoys a pint or three of English bitter must visit Galbraith’s Alehouse (in the unlikely event they haven’t done so already) at 2 Mt Eden Road, Auckland.
Keith’s justifiably proud of his recently released Munich lager. To make it he imports malt from the Czech Republic and whole hops from Germany (Keith holds the only licence to import whole hops in this country – other breweries use hops processed into pellet form which Keith believes results in a loss of essential oils). Keith also replicates the water used by breweries in Munich.
The result is a full-flavoured lager with plenty of hop influence and a hint of malt. The flavours are delicate and intense at the same time while the lager finishes with a satisfying hint of hoppy bitterness. The cost is a reasonable $13-$14 for a 4-pack.
Keith Galbraith - a brewer who loves wine