Michael and Martin give you a run-down of Beervana, including their picks of the annual festival, held in Wellington last weekend ... which may, or may not, include an ice cream made from beer! Plus they take a look at the just announced New World Beer & Cider Awards, running through the list of the Top 25 beers and giving their recommendations on what to try first.

Michael and Martin give you a run-down of Beervana, including their picks of the annual festival, held in Wellington last weekend ... which may, or may not, include an ice cream made from beer! Plus they take a look at the just announced New World Beer & Cider Awards, running through the list of the Top 25 beers and giving their recommendations on what to try first.

Ten years brewers Jason Bathgate and Andrew Childs were severely burned in a workplace accident when boiling wort exploded from a brew kettle as they were adding hops. They suffered burns to 30% and 40% of their bodies respectively. Martin chats with Jason, formerly of McLeod's and now running his own brewery, Aliment, and Andrew of Behemoth Brewing about that day and how it changed their lives.

Michael and Martin delve deep into the New Zealand Beer Awards announced last weekend in Christchurch. We run through all the trophy categories, picking out trends, analysing results and looking at some surprise results. Congratulations to Brave Brewing who took out Champion Brewery, and to Garage Project who took out Champion Beer with Chance Luck & Magic 2021.

In this episode Martin catches up with Lee-Ann Scotti and Michael O'Brien, the couple behind Oamaru's cult Belgian-inspired brewery, Craftwork. Michael and Lee-Ann talk about why they love Belgian beer, how they created their wonderful bar in Oamaru's delightful Victorian precinct, and they reflect on their first Bruxelles Oamaru festival. Michael and Martin also wrap up the Malthouse West Coast IPA Challenge, with Michael drinking the runner-up beer Zeus Skis In Jeans by Altitude Brewing in collaboration with Colorado's Westbound & Down. Martin is also drinking a collab, between Brave Brewing and Sawmill. Enjoy.

In this episode Michael and Martin talk to Ryan McArthur, festival director for Beervana, New Zealand's biggest beer festival, which is on in Wellington on August 22 & 23. Keeping a huge beer festival relevant and sustainable is no easy task but Beervana just keeps getting better and better. Plus, Ryan has some inside tips on how to make the most of your experience. The beers we review in this episode are Beervana-esque. Michael has 8 Wired's Sticky Barleywine, a lush 12% beer made with dates, plums and raisins; and Martin is drinking Hallertau's Stuntman Double IPA, rebrewed for their 20th birthday. And we spend a bit of time paying homage to Hallertau, one of the first to bring great beer to Auckland.

We head off to Hastings to visit Brave Brewing and a chat with owners Matt and Gemma Smith. We learn why they are still exclusively in bottles and discuss the power of Tigermilk, their flagship IPA. Plus, Michael and Martin share a couple of beers heavy on Riwaka hops.

Urbanaut founder Bruce Turner came back to New Zealand from England where he worked at an establishment brewery, Fuller's, and a new-wave craft brewery, Meantime. On his return to Aotearoa he wanted to brew the classic style beers he fell in love with in England, including real cask ale. Instead he's ended up brewing hazy IPAs with flavours such as Toasted Marshmallow, Raspberry Lamington and Passionfruit Cheesecake. Michael & martin met Bruce in the Urbanaut brewery and taproom to discuss how they ended up brewing such crazy beers. Plus we talk about Terpene beers, low carb beers (they have four now), the return of the Blenders and the demise of one of the original "classics" in Brixton Pale Ale.

In Episode 2 of the Third Pint Theory we talk to Three Boys founder Ralph Bungard about their status as New Zealand's reigning champion brewery from last year's NZ Beer Awards and what that meant to them. Plus we look at why they've pulled back to focus on their local area of Christchurch at the expense of bigger markets in Auckland. And finally ... is it the end of the line for their famed, multi-award-winning Oyster Stout?!

The Third Pint Theory is a podcast dedicated New Zealand craft beer — focusing on the people who brew it and the places you drink it. Hosted by Michael Donaldson and Martin Bridges.

Michael is the editor of Pursuit of Hoppiness, New Zealand's only dedicated craft beer magazine, author of Beer Nation — The Art & Heart of Kiwi Beer, The Hopfather and The Big Book of Home Brew. Martin is a beer judge and consultant with his business Beer Bigwig. We bring you stories about Kiwi beer, the people who make it and the places you drink it.