I like beer. Coming from Belgium, I can actually say I like it a lot. So I was a bit surprised what I found on the countryside in New Zealand.

New Zealand is known for its good wines, but beer-wise it isn’t yet as far. If you like wine tasting, this country is the place, go to Napier on the North Island or Marlborough on the South Island or many more. That’s what my friends and I did. Enjoying the sun in the Marlborough region, eating great salmon and lamb and sipping on wines. A regular weekend turned into a holiday.

We were happily on our way to the third winery when we saw a sign: ‘Moa Brewery and Cellar Door”. Bye bye wine, hello beer!

The tasting costs 5 NZ dollar and is worth the while. You enter a charming bar with a quirky decor and a lovely atmosphere. And not unimportant, a nice barman willing to answer all questions. Outside you have big wooden tables and a barbecue waiting for you. Great if you want a break from all the wine and vineyards and just want to hang out with locals and tourists.

Of course you’re not only here for the fine interior, but for the beers! And they are great too! Moa Beer experiments with different flavors, which spices up the tasting (pun intended). It was for example the first time I tried a ‘smoked’ beer, a strong and hoppy beer with coffee, mocha and smoked cedar characters. My all time favorite though was ‘Moa St Josephs’, the strong spice and caramel characters did it for me.

Go and let yourself be surprised!

Cheers!