Tim Newman
It’s taken some doing, but Christchurch has finally shaken off its reputation as a place for unfashionable and behind the times brewing, producing beers that are now every bit as good, and as modern as their glamorous North Island counterparts.
While the traditional city bound breweries have made their own strides in innovation and development, much of the credit for the region’s elevated status is due to the flourishing community of rural producers that have sprung up across the vast hinterland of greater Canterbury. Here’s a brief flyover of rural Canterbury brewing, including some of it’s best visits.
TEST LAB BREWERY: Halswell
Closest to the city, Test Lab is a small brewery that sits right on the very edge of Halswell district’s sprawling suburbs. Although, as the seemingly insatiable housing developments of the area continue to march unstoppably south, they may not be considered rural for much longer. They balance highly experimental beers against a core range of superb IPA, including one of the best West Coast styles in the region. While not yet open to the public, their cans are getting easier to find.
THE LABORATORY: Lincoln
Further south in the township of Lincoln (and also continuing the laboratory theme) you’ll find this full service brewpub. Though it’s existed in one form or another since the pre 2000’s, it’s current identity was born out of the 2012 earthquakes. With the famous Twisted Hop brewery written off along with much of the rest of the central city, the brewery equipment was transplanted to The Laboratory and brought back into service. While they don’t produce packaged beer, they remain one of the very last brewers of real cask ale, so well worth the visit just to taste this near extinct style of beer.
THIEF BREWING: Taitapu
The Thief brewery is perched on a remote and picturesque hilltop deep in the foothills of Banks Peninsula. It’s uniquely isolated spot necessitates rigorous self-sufficiency, which along with state of the art energy and waste reclamation technology, is achieved by the brewery’s Unitank fermenters. These tanks carry the beer from fermentation all the way through to eventual canning, using nothing but naturally produced CO2 and tank pressure to carbonate. Tragically, this beautiful spot isn’t open to the public, but Thief’s quirky cans are now in broad circulation.
CHINCHILLER BREWING: Kaiapoi
Switching back north to Kaiapoi you’ll find the Chinchiller brewery, situated right on the riverside esplanade. Before Chinchiller took ownership in 2023, this magnificent production scale brewery sat practically unused after only two years of operation under it’s first owner. Chinchiller are known for their broad core range as well as rapidly iterating seasonal releases that typically explore the IPA spectrum. Their beer is broadly available in cans, or in the restaurant just downstairs from the brewery itself, for those in closer proximity.
BREW MOON: Amberly
Representing some of the very earliest craft brewing in the region, some of Brew Moon’s beers like Amberly Pale Ale have been available continuously for more than two decades. Alongside these long time drops, Brew Moon also produces plenty of modern styles like their heavily awarded hazy IPA. With a major upgrade to the brewery and bar just complete, Brew Moon is an even more essential stop if you’re traveling through Amberly..
