OK So my
brilliant idea (well I thought it was brilliant) to review ASB
National League games along with beer from the area is probably not
quite so brilliant. There are a couple of flaws
1 – if
I stick to live games, then Auckland and Waitakere will win followed
by WaiBOP as they have the most live games. So I decided to do each game, this means 8 beers a week (I know it seems a hard job but I'm sure I can manage it!).
2 - I have been enjoying the beers so have not really got around to posting any blog about them and the football.
2 - I have been enjoying the beers so have not really got around to posting any blog about them and the football.
So
instead of a report after every game, I'll do a weekly summary. That
way I can try the beers in a couple of sessions and I can showcase the
best of others, such as the highlights or match reports
from In the back of the net
So here
are this weeks highlights from NZ Football (By highlights they mean goals). It is called Week 1 because that's what it is, you may have
thought Auckland City v Waitakere United was Week 1 but that was
actually a catch up game from week 5 as that will be in December when
Auckland City are in Japan for the Club World Cup.
Goal of
the Week : Micah Lea'alafa Auckland City v Hawke's Bay United
Goalkeeping
howler of the week – 3 to choose from,
1-Zac
Speedy (WaiBOP United) v Team Wellington, maybe a bit harsh but he
should really have held the first shot and then seemed to watch the ball being put into the net
2 –
Tom Batty (Southern United), a fine fingertip save if he had managed to
push it over the net rather than into the roof of it!
But the winner has to be
3 –
Jacob Spoonley (Auckland City), runs out and finds himself miles from nowhere, and
unluckily for him and Auckland City, the ball falls to ex ACFC
player Matsmoto one of the few players on the pitch that is composed
enough to place a perfect lob into the goal
The
Results and Beers
Auckland
City 1 Hawkes Bay United 1
Schippers
Mistress Pilsner 3 Hawkes Bay Independent Pilsner 1
Wellington
Phoenix 0 Canterbury United 3
While the young guns of Wellington Phoenix Academy struggled against a more experienced Canterbury United side, I choose Garage Projects Red Zep, a red pilsner (5%) from the vast range of their beers. Started in an Aro Valley Garage, their small scale allows them to experiment lots and they do. This nuggety pilsner was brewed for Wellington on a Plate and went down very well.
Canterbury is another big beer region of NZ with many breweries, I started with one of the older established ones, Harrington's. Voted NZ's champion brewery in 2012 their Rogue Hop Organic Pilsner (5%) was clean, crisp with a nice hoppy aftertaste. I would happily drink either of these again but couldn't decide which was better so the score is
Garage
Project Red Zep 1 Harrington's Rouge Hop Pilsner 1
Southern United 0 Waitakere United 2
Southern United while based in Dunedin, cover the South Island from Timaru down to Invercargill. Giving lots of choice of quality breweries. I started with one I hadn't seen before, Bannockburn's Killarabbit Double IPA (7.2%). This beer is a big hoppy beer and unlike Southern United strikers it has a great finish.
Hallertau is a renown West Auckland brewery and I tried their Stuntman Imperial Pale Ale (8.5%) This was another big hoppy beer with an aroma that hots you like a Chad Coombes tackle!
Both were pretty good, with Bannockburn just edging it as I could easily have had another, whereas I would have struggled with a 2nd of the Stuntman.
Bannockburn Killarabbit 4 Hallertau Stuntman IPA 3
WaiBOP United 2 Team Wellington 3
The Good George brewery is in an old church in Frankton, Hamilton. They have a good range of beers and award winning ciders. Their American Pale Ale (6.2%) has that lovely hoppy bitterness with a very dry finish.
The North End Brewery is fairly new Wellington brewer based in Waikane. The Fieldway Aotearoa Pale Ale (5.8%) has a similar hoppy bitterness as the Good George APA, but it is a bit more fruitier. I couldn't decide which was the best so its a draw here
Good George APA 2 North End Fieldways APA 2
Hallertau is a renown West Auckland brewery and I tried their Stuntman Imperial Pale Ale (8.5%) This was another big hoppy beer with an aroma that hots you like a Chad Coombes tackle!
Both were pretty good, with Bannockburn just edging it as I could easily have had another, whereas I would have struggled with a 2nd of the Stuntman.
Bannockburn Killarabbit 4 Hallertau Stuntman IPA 3
WaiBOP United 2 Team Wellington 3
The Good George brewery is in an old church in Frankton, Hamilton. They have a good range of beers and award winning ciders. Their American Pale Ale (6.2%) has that lovely hoppy bitterness with a very dry finish.The North End Brewery is fairly new Wellington brewer based in Waikane. The Fieldway Aotearoa Pale Ale (5.8%) has a similar hoppy bitterness as the Good George APA, but it is a bit more fruitier. I couldn't decide which was the best so its a draw here
Good George APA 2 North End Fieldways APA 2
So after week 1, Auckland City lead both the football and beer tables, but they have played an extra game. All I can say is this season will be fun and here's to Tasman United getting into the league next year.
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