Hopful Thinking

I do love writing about beer, but it doesn’t exactly pay the bills.  Not so far anyway.  And so, like most beer enthusiasts, I have a day job. It just so happens that my day job is at the very awesome Orcon.

And it just so happens that Richard, a like-minded team mate, suggested that Orcon should do an Awesome beer; with none other than our local hop-head, Luke Nicholas of Epic.

I guess the powers-that-be liked the idea because the next minute we were hanging out with Luke at Steam, laying down a mash, designing a killer label, and making a youtube video about it. I gotta say, we had a great time, and I reckon we’ve done a pretty good job on the beer too.

Epic Orcon Pale Ale pours a bright golden hue and just a little white head.  The subtle aroma of passionfruit greets you and from the first sip, caramel malt characters fade out to a bitter hop finish.  The mouthfeel is velvety with just a hint of effervescence to remind you it’s there.

At 5.6%, Epic Orcon ale makes for a refreshing session beer, perfect for a late night gaming session or just a quiet afternoon, you know, checking Facebook.

Epic Orcon Ale wants to be your friend – you should totally accept this request.

epicorcon.co.nz

There can be no doubt that New Zealand is one nation under Beer.  Since its very beginnings as a settled colony, Beer has been an essential part of our culture and history – indeed one of the first things that Captain Cook did upon landing in our beautiful country … was to make a fresh batch of beer.  So it’s little wonder that more than a few books have been written on the subject.

However, there’s always room for a fresh approach, and I was delighted when Michael Donaldson offered to send a review copy of the appropriately titled “Beer Nation: The Art and Heart of Kiwi beer”.

Right from the outset, the book has an air of quality to it, but the temptation to make a “coffee table” book too bulky to read has been tactfully avoided.  Beer Nation is a book that looks great in a way that invites you to pick it up and start reading.

Michael’s warm and flowing narrative immediately draws you in with a very personal story of his relationship with beer, and carries on to cover a broad range of topics; from the ancient origins of our favourite fermented beverage to a “who’s who” of New Zealand’s vibrant beer community.  A lot of ground is covered without becoming dry or boring.  Backing up the enjoyable narrative, there are enough tables of facts and figures to satisfy the geekiest of beer geeks, and the rich imagery throughout makes Beer Nation a great visual experience too.

I can’t recommend this book enough for anyone interested in Beer, or just New Zealand history; and with its wonderful presentation it would make a great gift for most any Kiwi Dad on Father’s Day.  The history of boutique beer in New Zealand is a real rollercoaster, and I can think of no better way to ride than to grab yourself a great Kiwi beer or three and plonk yourself in a comfy armchair with a copy of this book.

And if it’s not enough to cover history, Beer Nation may well be making history – as the first book being launched along with a companion beer, Message in a Bottle, a brew which pays homage to the early New Zealand IPAs inspired by those from the Motherland.  If you happen to be in the City of Sails (that’s Auckland, by the way) on Wednesday the 1st of August, be sure to drop in at O’Carrolls Freehouse, 6pm onwards, for the grand launch of these two fine commentaries on New Zealand beer history.

BEER NATION: The Art and Heart of Kiwi Beer by Michael Donaldson / Penguin Books / Available from 27th July 2012 / RRP $44.99 (NZD)

Message in a Bottle / Epic Brewing Company / English-style IPA / 7.5abv / Available from the 1st August 2012 / $TBA

Attend a Beer Tasting + Book Launch near you:

O’Carrolls Irish Bar, 10 Vulcan Lane, Auckland CBD / 6pm onwards, 1st August 2012 / Free admission

The Malthouse, 48 Courtenay Place, Wellington / 8pm onwards, 2nd August 2012 / Free admission

Pomeroy’s Old Brewery Inn, 292 Kilmore St, Christchurch City / 7pm onwards, 6th August 2012 / $55 with book, $30 without, call +64 3 365 1523 for more information

Michael Jackson (not to be confused with the pop star) was an English writer and commentator on beer and whisky.

He authored a number of fantastic books that have been big sellers worldwide and he is credited with the idea of defining beer styles.

In 1989 he presented a TV series called The Beer Hunter which was shown in fifteen different countries. I recently discovered the 6 episode series on YouTube. I have really enjoyed watching them and the episodes are a treasure for the beer lover as well as being an awesome time capsule of the 1980’s.

Jackson passed away in 2007 at the age of 65.

Here is the series in it’s entirety. It’s a VHS transfer from the series screening in the Netherlands so enjoy the Dutch subtitles 🙂

The Burgundies of Belgium

Part 1  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jb0gnnDJnM
Part 2  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCZEqHkeQts
Part 3  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06h5QVazN8Y

The Fifth Element

Part 1  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHthB-FOhuQ
Part 2  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCqPSoTMcV4
Part 3  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXnFMefcUqs

The Bohemian Connection

Part 1  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhI06uGzQzM
Part 2  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm40bMUfl44
Part 3  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDeHxAy4nuw

Our Daily Beer

Part 1  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NpI-LI-E_Q
Part 2  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmWDVbuK9kU
Part 3  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjBY4bYuKck

California Pilgrimage

Part 1  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtmxXgKU1o0
Part 2  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36BUK7lv-iU
Part 3  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsZK6Or5CH4

The Best of the British

Part 1  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-IF4xx2QkI
Part 2  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSKI63RFPJo
Part 3  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqftaoqDulc

Because it is …

Epic Brewing Company – Larger

Couldn’t agree more…  in fact I warmed up with one before the Beer Fest.  But definitely not a session beer (unless it’s a very, very serious session!)

Anyone try Larger for the first time on Saturday?  Mind blown?

Achievement unlocked – Survived NZ Beer Festival 2012. Just. Having failed to follow my own advice… and wishing I’d noticed the free water stands earlier in the day!

What a great venue the Cloud proved to be for this event. Everyone together in one space, big enough but not too big for the sell-out crowd. I don’t think you could have asked for more. There were still the usual wimps, sticking with their Carlsberg or whatever, but we managed to steer a few of them towards Epic Armageddon or a Brewery Britomart Customs 69. I am sure minds were blown. And the nice security lady I spoke to said that there had really been very little trouble at all. Which is great to hear. You see, we Aucklanders CAN have a successful beer event. Sure it’s no Beervana, but a good event nonetheless. Everyone I ran into seemed to be enjoying themselves, and surely that is “the main thing”.

But now it’s the day after the night before. And it’s looking pretty sombre (not just the Auckland weather). At least drinking proper craft beer, there is none of that steinbomb thumping headache stuff going on (you know what I’m talking about), but I’m still feeling a bit the worse for wear. How to get ship-shape to face the day? Like all adventures, coming out the other side of a hangover requires preparation. The best cure of all is to not drink to excess in the first place, however as we all know, it’s too easy for “one quiet” to turn into something quite different, if you and your mates are of a certain persuasion, and there are just so many delicious craft beers to try. Hell, they ain’t gonna drink themselves, right??

Well, here’s my “Never-Fail” tips for superior hangover management.

1. Preparation
   Before heading out, make sure you have a big glass of water within reach of your sleeping place. If it’s going to be a big one, some panadol might not hurt either.
2. Pre-Loading
   Take a good multivitamin before you go out. Alcohol, or more, your body’s way of processing alcohol, tends to strip you of precious antioxidants and minerals (although beer does contain a good dose of them as well), so you had better have some spares floating around. That, and it makes your pee flouro green! Which is always kind of cool I think.
3. Pace thyself
   The old trick of a water or a soft drink between beers is not a bad idea, especially when venturing into the >;6% categories. It not only slows you down but it keeps you hydrated too. Of course it doesn’t always happen… which brings us to…
4. Homecoming
   You climb out of the cab and mutter something resembling “thanks” at the driver. Things are a bit hazy. Use the bathroom. Find your way to bed and lie down. Reach out for that glass and take a good sip. Dehydration is the main cause for a hangover, so get the jump on it.
5. Hydrate
   Unless you’ve managed to drink yourself into a coma, you’ll probably wake up a few times. Each time you wake up, reach for that water again. Just a sip each time is fine. The more water you can get down before the booze wears off, the better. As well as helping with dehydration, it will help your liver to process the alcohol. At this stage, your liver needs all the help it can get.
6. Headache
   If you just know you’re going to have a thumping headache in the morning, pre-empt it. Pop some Panadol (paracetemol) during the night. That way you won’t even get the headache to begin with! see comments.. Maybe better to wait till morning… Not having a headache will also help with nausea…
7. Breakfast
   If you can stomach some food, get an early breakfast into you once you can drag yourself out of bed. And if you can’t, try anyway. The food helps to settle things down and gives your stomach something to process so that it’s not churning away empty and producing bile, which tends to make one sick, and there is some evidence it helps with hydration, too. Bacon butties have been scientifically proven* to be a superior hangover breakfast, or scrambled eggs, but if you are not one who dines on the swine, and you couldn’t stomach cooking an egg, toast will work too.
   *not really, but it does work wonders. Trust me on this one.
8. Vite up
   Once you’ve eaten something, pop another multivitamin. All that diuresis (increased urine production) will have depleted your body of pretty much anything good. If you’ve been sick, all the more so. Get that good stuff back into you.
9. Gonna Vom
   Still feel like throwing up? If the nausea is really getting to you, go and get it out of your system, but if you can, fight it, it will pass, besides – throwing up this late in the game is not really going to help you. If you do, brush your teeth to get rid of the stomach acid, and make sure you try and drink more water, and eat again as soon as you can.

Now I’m no doctor, but I can verify that these tips have served me very well on the rare occasion that I’ve needed them. So I hope they can help some of our fellow beer enthusiasts as well! Although they may be coming too late for some today…

Now just like politics, beer, and religion – I’m sure everyone has an opinion on this one… So what’s your never-fail hangover cure? Oh yeah, and what’d you think of the Beer Festival!?