A whopping 18 beers and none of them local

BY GEOFF GRIGGS

It's been a week of ironic contrasts: on the one hand I found myself dining at a Blenheim restaurant that offers no local beers, while on the other I was contacted by an American beer importer who wants to import a range of Kiwi craft beers into the United States.

It seems that while news of New Zealand's craft beer revolution has been heard halfway across the world, it's not yet filtered through to some local ears.

In recent weeks Pip and I have heard many good reports about Quench, the smart new restaurant at Chateau Marlborough in central Blenheim.

Last week a family get-together gave us the perfect opportunity to check it out. The restaurant is airy and comfortable, the service friendly and attentive and the food, as we had been told, tasty and good value for money.

As for the beer list, well, that's another story. Quench could be in the running for Blenheim's worst – and, believe me, that's saying something!

The range, which comprises 18 industrially brewed lagers and no ales, extends from DB Draught to Corona, Heineken and Monteith's – all served direct from the chiller, regardless of colour or style. Despite having award-winning brewers of the calibre of Moa, Renaissance and Pink Elephant right on their doorstep, the folk at Quench studiously ignore them.

When asked why, our enthusiastic young waiter informed me that their beers were deemed "too expensive".

On that basis, you might expect Quench's selection of wines to be equally low-brow, but you'd be wrong.

The wine list is reasonably comprehensive, both stylistically and price-wise, with wines ranging up to $90 and even $130.

Unlike the beer list, there are plenty of Marlborough products, each with detailed tasting notes.

Having given up on the idea of having a beer with our meal, our group chose a pinot noir and a gewurztraminer from Johanneshof, one of the region's smaller, quality-driven producers. Both are on the Quench wine list at $50, a markup of about 60 per cent over their retail price (around $30).

Assuming a similar margin was applied to craft beers (and why shouldn't it be?), a bottle of Moa, Pink Elephant or Renaissance would sell for about $12.50 – a reasonable price in a restaurant such as Quench, where a stubbie of Steinlager or Heineken will set you back $7.50.

While many in our hospitality industry continue to ignore this country's finest brews, it's ironic that the United States, the world's leading producer of craft beers, is currently turning its attention towards Kiwiland.

To my knowledge, at least two American distributors are currently in negotiation with New Zealand craft brewers with a view to importing a range of our best beers. Claiming "the world's best beers ... imported by hand", one such company is Massachusetts-based importer and distributor Shelton Brothers.

I first met Dan Shelton last September at BrewNZ in Wellington and was immediately impressed by his passion for, and knowledge of, beer styles.

Perhaps I shouldn't have been; his company's website clearly sets out its selection criteria: "There's no miracle to importing good beer – just hard work and a lot of travel. We specifically seek out unmanipulated beer, generally looking to small breweries with craftsmen taking seriously their passion for a natural, traditionally made product."

I wish more people in our hospitality industry were as passionate about their choice of beers.

Cheers!

There's no miracle to importing good beer – just hard work and a lot of travel. We specifically seek out unmanipulated beer, generally looking to small breweries with craftsmen taking seriously their passion for a natural, traditionally made product - Dan Shelton

- The Marlborough Express