We actually went to the location on Colombo since Manchester St was having their ticketed Fresh Hop…read moreFestival. We did debate on attending that, but the offerings and accompanying special event glassware didn't look that appealing. Manchester St looked to be more a typical brewery, housed among some warehouses, while Colombo was more a bustling beer bar with an energetic atmosphere (as a live music venue) and adjoining outdoor beer garden. We ordered a flight offered with 5 tasters. Other than the Fresh Hop which was a Pilsner, the other beers were lackluster at best, especially after already traversing the South Island for many a fresh hop and IPA. Just very dull in flavor, not as bright, and almost old and creaky-like. I was more entertained by the stag party shenanigans outside which the staff were in good spirits about -- cheehoo! Chill brewery, nonetheless, and beers did seem a little cheaper... despite their foot print across the South Island, though, know that you will find significantly better beer at the smaller breweries!

After a long day being shown around Christchurch and the countryside, all I wanted was to quietly…read moretry some new beers. Thankfully Two Thumb was right around the corner from our hotel, so I braved the frigid air and walked there about half an hour before closing. The brewery was easy to find at the back of a small business plaza down a private driveway; they have free parking here and the entrance to the brewery. Inside it was warm and cozy. It felt like a cross between a barn, working brewery, stage, and living room. They had plenty of seating of various types for groups of all sizes. Offices were along the left, with the brewing equipment in the dark behind the bar. The bar had a selection of all their beers offered on draught, as well as glass case with bottles to-go. Be sure to check this out as some of the offerings are bottles only. Two Thumb has a unique distinction for breweries on my trip: they offered 4 of their UK-centric beers on hand-pulled beer engine. This serving style physically pulls the beer from the kegs into your glass instead of using gas. Carbonation is lower leading to a creamy mouthfeel and clean full head. This isn't for everyone, but it went well on a cold night. I had a flight of beer; the glasses were generous and prices were low. I explained why I was there and disappointed it was so late, but the bartender graciously offered to let me try all their beers and said I could stay as long as I wanted. These little things mean so much. I enjoyed their beer, and took one special bottle to-go. I recommend coming here if you love beer and are in the Christchurch area!

Located decently close to central Christchurch, the size of this brewery is substantial offering…read morepatrons a place to sit in a downstairs area, or traverse upstairs to get a birds eye view of the brewery. A mix of tables and plenty of lounge-like seating. Tap board had all the core beers with lots of variety. Easy sippers Pils and Lager and their IPA was outstanding, so much so that we took a 4-pack of 330mL cans for take away. These were packed so neatly into a small box, convenient for just throwing into the luggage later. Sweet vibes with the view of the brewery which gives it a WOW factor, and a great way to relax and just hang out.

The range of beer, wine, and spirits is impressive. The prices are generally competitive; although…read morebetter prices for beer can often be found at grocery stores that have sales. Hours are also good to support last minute needs that may occur during the middle of a party.

Need a reprieve from a day of sightseeing? Come enjoy a cold drink and a hot meal overlooking the…read morequaint town of Lyttleton! There is plenty of seating dispersed through three levels and plenty of opportunity to soak up the sun on the roof deck. The menu offers a variety of hearty meals such as Fish & Chips, Pickle Tacos, Nachos, and burgers. The beverage selection is great and goes beyond beers, so it's a great place to bring people who prefer wine or cocktails - a little bit of something for everyone!

They were open as early as 10am when the Lyttelton Farmer's Market was in full force on a Saturday,…read morebut we didn't wander in until around noon following our perusal of said open air market and nearby site of interest, the Lyttelton "time ball" station. Lytellton is rather "little", no joke, this brewery's location on the main drive hard to miss. Having ate our way through the market already, we weren't keen on ordering any food. We opted for 2 pints which we enjoyed on the 3rd floor landing. The benefit of this area is that it gave an outstanding view of the harbor and surrounding mountain tops. It does not offer a view of the happenings of the street below though. That view is to be had from the 2nd landing. I speak on the environment primarily because our beers were nothing to write home about, whomp. Honestly, I only remembered that they were nearly room temp which is a no-no. The environment, again, with the ocean breeze sailing in, was a rather choice place to post up and rest after a morning stroll.

Many moons ago, in 1995, we were caught off-guard on Christmas Day in Christchurch when everything…read morewas about to close. After being ably helped with our wine selection by Liquorland, we asked where we could find a good Christmas lunch. The answer was: nowhere - everything will be closed. But the friendly manager and staff agreed we should accompany them to their private Christmas Party which had fabulous food and wine pairings as a store promotion at a gourmet restaurant. I just love those New Zealand Chardonnays, and the Liquorland crew of course knew the right wine pairings for the different delicious foods! One of the great moments of NZ hospitality and thank you Christchurch Liquorland. Very friendly people then, and I bet they still have a friendly bunch now. I've generally found Kiwis to be very nice, except of course the All Blacks rugby team players who will grind you into the dirt if you let them.

Hoppy beer hoppy life. Loved visiting this Brewery. It's been around for 6 years and has a small…read morearea to purchase beers. It is a takeaway Brewery so there is no taproom. However, we were able to sample some beers before we decided to take away! Most of the beers have a good healthy hop forward taste. If you love hops you must try these beers! Also walked away with a couple t shirts ! Will rock them in California!

A lovely winery tasting room attached to a family owned vineyard. What a great tasting of 6 wines…read more The bottles are very reasonably priced between 10-20 dollars. Mary and James the owners great all customers.

Liquorland is New Zealand's version of BevMo…read more.. It is not as crazy large as the US types...but they have a nice selection of Kiwi wines and beers...plus the usual liquor suspects. Prices are very high even factoring in the exchange rate They do have Havana club which is illegal to buy in the US.