Not too long ago my band (whitejacket parade, for those that are curious) played our EP release at the Dog’s Bollix. Those of you that know the place will know that it is both an Irish pub and a fairly decent music venue. However, remember that what Irish Pub means in New Zealand is that it’s a pub that serves (amongst other beers) New Zealand Brewed Guinness (and usually Kilkenny as well).

Like many international beers, Guinness is often brewed locally to a recipe from its true home. This usually leads these international beers to have some variation in flavour, as it is near impossible to have all the brewing conditions/ingredients exactly the same. A key part of this is the water used to brew the beer. The different minerals present in the water cause the yeast to behave in different ways, and it’s not necessarily a case of the purer the water the better. A lot of beers owe some of their flavour to mineral rich hard water in their brew. I’ve even heard stories of German’s exporting water to be used for brewing to try and make their beer consistent when brewed elsewhere.

Sadly I have not yet made it to Ireland to try Guinness brewed where it’s brewed best, but fortunately my friend George (who is doing a PhD in Cambridge) has. Even better he was recently back in New Zealand for the holidays and came to my band’s EP release, providing both a chance for me to catch up with him and a chance for him to compare New Zealand Guinness with the real stuff. His verdict was predictable – Irish Guinness is better. He commented that in Ireland it has a different consistency, and that it would be easier to drink in larger quantities.

It was fortunate, however, that he made this comparison earlyish in the evening. The Guinness actually ran out later that night (to the severe disappointment of some avid fans) due to the fact that New Zealand Guinness is brewed in Christchurch, and well, you can join the dots there. Aside from that, of course, it was a great evening and I really enjoyed rocking out. Beer and music do make a good combination.

P.S. If you want to buy a copy of the EP we released that night, give us an email on whitejacketparade@gmail.com. $10, and it’s really good, I promise!