Wellington is the Capital City… and it is also the country’s Capital of Beer. Every winter the Windy City hosts Beervana, New Zealand’s Craft Beer Festival so Mark and I got tickets this August.
We flew down on Friday night and got to our hotel around 10:30pm. Mark splurged and got us a room at the InterContinental which is the only 5 star hotel in Wellington. When we arrived we got a free drink and then decided to hit some bars on Courtenay Place. Our first stop was Malthouse. With over 50 beers on tap, Malthouse ended up having an English themed night with a lot of British beers.
Our next stop was Hashigo Zake, a Japanese basement bar with, you guessed it, more craft beer. The setting was ideal in the cold weather.
In the morning we slept in, used the sauna and ordered breakfast in bed! After a relaxing, unwinding morning we bundled up and walked to Cuba St. We got some coffee, another thing Wellington is known for, and headed to our first brewery of the day.
Our first stop was Heyday Beer Co. Toward the top of Cuba Street, this is a newer Brewery with minimal decor yet games scattered on tables to play. I got a flight and then we headed to grunge bar Goldings Free Dive. It was packed with people who did the early morning Beervana session.
Our final stop before calling an Uber was The Rouge & Vagabond. Known for their oven baked pizzas we each got a pie before heading to Westpac Stadium.
Your ticket included a small sample glass that you took with you to each stand and a wristband with $30 NZD preloaded. You would need to re-load it as each beer sample or full size drink, and food trucks, deducted from your AWOP band. The festival was somewhat of a blur but I will say that the app was really interactive. It was connected to Untappd as well as allowed you to favorite beer and breweries. I downloaded it the weekend prior to check out the breweries that would be attending. I was mainly drawn to South Island beers, as I hit a lot of the Wellington one’s in town. During our bar hop beforehand we also got some tips from Beervana participants about the best beers to sample. The app also included a map and list of food trucks.
On Sunday we went to the Farmers Market. Mainly produce, it was cool to see how prices, and the produce itself, were so different compared to Auckland. We then walked back downtown to an amazing brunch spot called Nikau Cafe. Connected to the City Gallery Wellington, this free range spot has a roof top garden that feeds guests with all was super healthy options.
We then stopped in the Gallery and had a walk around as it was free. Afterward we headed to Te Papa, New Zealand’s National Museum. Another free activity, it was nice to get out of the rain and see exhibits about Kiwi plants and animals.
Our final beer rounds before heading to the airport were:
- LBQ aka Little Beer Quarter: a homey, hipster bar with comfy chairs and a fireplace
- Fortune Favours: another brewery that had a cheese & meat counter
- HUSK: part brewery, part distillery, this venue also had a full menu to order off of
TIP: For a list of the best beer pubs across the country, get this book. It makes a great Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day or holiday gift… it’s even a great coffee table book!
Have you been to a beer festival before?