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Thread ID: 150343 2021-12-13 07:33:00 Former NZ Beers Memories / Nostalgia Neil F (14248) PC World Chat
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1482865 2021-12-13 07:33:00 I have always been a fanatic for trying new beers - long before Craft Breweries came into being.
My first Christmas in London 1972 we had some Leopard (not sure what type) and found it rather sweet.
3 years later on my first night back in NZ , my Dad offered me a beer . I braced myself for a sweet taste but was delighted instead -Bavarian Bitter. I now/still have a Bavarian Bitter mirror showing the castle. It remained a favourite and i was delighted in Jan 1983 to find it on tap at Greta Point Tavern Wellington.
I had for many years been told how good Wesbrew was and finally found it in a Greymouth Pub. At my workplace in Penrose, Auckland our Stationery Supplier was Wickliffe Press, Dunedin . Their local Sales Rep was a great guy . i would pay him and he would organise 1 or 2 crates of McGavins Pale Ale to be loaded into the shipping container of stationery. I was also quite a fan of Wards Pale Ale - a pink label brewed at Washdyke. Later I discovered Tui Pale Ale, Taranaki Bitter and Tenants lager -all brewed at DB Mangatainoka.. If any one was travelling to those regions I would ask them to bring back some of those local brews.
Many other varieties have ceased to be brewed e.g. DB Diploma
Who else has "forgotten favourites"?

I would love to hear your own opinions
Neil F (14248)
1482866 2021-12-13 18:35:00 When they breifly bought back DB Export (the original recipe), I was a big fan of that. Nowhere near as sweet and weak tasting as the Export Gold they sell nowadays.
Emersons Bookbinder when it first came out, loved it. Very fruity and quite a low alcohol percentage. Then as Emersons expanded, the taste changed. What I think of as a prime example of happens when you go from small batches to mass produced.
Lion Longbrew, I was a youngster when I last tasted that, but from momory it was pretty good.
Leopard Black Label, I think I was the only one in Wellington who drank that.
the_bogan (9949)
1482867 2021-12-13 18:54:00 I recall back in the 80's the divide between DB draught drinkers, and Lion Brown. It was like vaccinated/non-vaccinated today.

We'd have work drinks every Friday night and the DB/Lion cliques were all on, down to not sharing tables.

Seems nuts now, but then it made sense, just like anything alcohol-related did to a teenager.
allblack (6574)
1482868 2021-12-13 19:15:00 I recall back in the 80's the divide between DB draught drinkers, and Lion Brown. It was like vaccinated/non-vaccinated today.

We'd have work drinks every Friday night and the DB/Lion cliques were all on, down to not sharing tables.

Seems nuts now, but then it made sense, just like anything alcohol-related did to a teenager.

The Hotel I live at, it's very much a case of it you want craft beer, go elswewhere. We are a prodimantly Lion bar, but it's maybe 40% DB stocked as well
the_bogan (9949)
1482869 2021-12-13 21:50:00 Would have sucked it through a sweaty sock in my youth! :) Steinlager Cellar? at the foot of Wellesley Street opposite the Civic Theatre in late 50's early 60's. Underage of course :) Howick pub was another. Then to Napier in 1963 where I met SWMBO and she quietened me down a bit. Almost stopped when the kids arrived as building a house and kids cost a lot. Don't drink at all these days, medical reasons.


Ken
kenj (9738)
1482870 2021-12-13 22:32:00 ...Many other varieties have ceased to be brewed e.g. DB Diploma ...

The downstairs bar at the DB Tavern in Wellesley Street used to have Diploma on tap - wonderful days !
decibel (11645)
1482871 2021-12-13 22:35:00 In my early 60's I found myself really disliking the after effects of over indulging so I gave up completely, very occasionally have a small glass of wine.

I used to like drinking a Lion beer but I can't remember the name of it at the moment. It was hard to find only a few bars had it, I think it may have been called Lion Export, not certain.

I used to like going out to the pubs, drinking beer and smoking cigarettes, listening to bands, meeting people, drink driving ban and smoking ban put paid to that, night-life effectively ended when that legislation came in, at least for me it did.
zqwerty (97)
1482872 2021-12-13 23:38:00 [QUOTE=zqwerty;1312724]going out to the pubs, drinking beer and smoking cigarettes[QUOTE]

Some cash for drinks, a 20 pack of Rothmans, and happy days. I'd go back to that.
allblack (6574)
1482873 2021-12-14 01:14:00 The most unforgettable beer I've ever tried - unsuccessfully - was Harleys, from Nelson. Couldn't give it away, so 95% of a flagon hit the drain where it doubtless killed any bacteria in the next mile or two of pipe. I did not add that transfer to any of my flagons! A common phrase of the time was that if you unscrewed the cap of your flagon, and the cork got sucked in, it was genuine Harleys. Some hardy souls with iron taste buds claimed it COULD be consumed but that was a waste. The liquid could be sprayed on your paddocks to kill grass grub and stamp out roundworms while the sediment made a great combined compost and insecticide. (Breaking up the sediment was a seriously healthy cardio-vascular workout.)
:yuck:
R2x1 (4628)
1482874 2021-12-14 01:45:00 drink driving ban and smoking ban put paid to that, night-life effectively ended when that legislation came in, at least for me it did.

My local pubs are pretty much dead now , the pubs still hanging in there are relying on Pokies I guess
They used to be packed out Thursday , Friday, Sat nights . Now their car parks are almost empty .

Cant go to the pub if you cant drink & drive I guess .

I remember the days of Crates & big bottles of beer . That was staring to phase out when I got to legal drinking age , my generation would buy cans
or the smaller size bottles .
1101 (13337)
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