102 Quay Street,
Auckland Central
Auckland,
1010

09 302 2085 

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Two months sampling the best beers in the Czech Republic has given me a taste for the good stuff, so it’s no surprise my first pub upon arriving home was the newly opened Brew on Quay. With eight different beers on tap, and almost 100 more by the bottle, the waterfront pub is pretty much Beervana for a curious hophead like me.

The heritage building on the corner of Quay St and Britomart Lane hasn’t always been a pub. Former incarnations include a police station, and most recently, an ad agency. I locate my drinking partner in the Friday night buzz, and the first thing he says is “I used to work under that window in the corner’. There’s not much art direction going on now though, and Brew On Quay’s status as the CBD’s newest drinking establishment is reflected with a full house.

The presence of Speight’s and Mac’s Gold on tap indicates a link with NZ Breweries, but the owners have also wisely formed alliances with a few of New Zealand’s better microbreweries. The gloriously hoppy Epic Pale Ale and Tuatara’s excellent Pilsener are also both on tap, and lurking behind the bar are bottled brews from the likes of Dux de Lux, Founders, Emersons, Harringtons, Renaissance and the Invercargill Brewing Company – all relatively easy to find in the far flung reaches of the South Island, but pretty rare in Auckland. Wine and cocktails are also available, but really, why would you bother?

We kick off with a Tuatara Pilsner and survey the bar. It’s a relatively small area, but clever design has maximised the space. A couple of separate rooms provide better opportunities for conversation, and apparently there’s a New York-style roof terrace that will come in handy on long summer nights. (The remaining days of winter will be best enjoyed with one of Brew on Quay’s obscure Belgian beers).

Décor is best described as Gentlemen’s Club-chic – all dramatic dark wood, polished wooden floors and the quirky addition of a stuffed merino’ head (looking somewhat surprised…), and another stuffed animal resembling a springbok. Food on offer includes tasting platters, burgers, and beer-friendly mains like beef and ale pie and homemade sausages. It all sounds pretty tasty, but tonight’s simply too busy to consider ordering food.

With more than 100 other beers to try, there should be plenty more opportunities in the future.