Ok, make that 'tough, definitely'.
Hard work seems to be the go round here, at the Monteith's Brewing Company in Greymouth. Established in the 1800s in response to 30,000 thirsty gold prospectors who suddenly arrived on the West Coast of the South Island, Monteith's (originally known as Phoenix Brewery then Westland Brewing Company) is a regional icon.
Despite nearing its 140th birthday, Monteith's still proudly strives to retain as many original brewing practices as possible. For the brewers, this means shifts from midnight through until 3pm the next day when a batch of beer is on the go. For others, it means packing the bottled brew into 10,000 six packs every hour - by hand.
"We want to keep as many old traditions as possible," explains Leeanne as we walk along the bottling line on our evening brewery tour. Hundreds of tall brown bottles (replicas of the original style) huddle together on the still conveyor belt, waiting to be filled and capped - with the traditional crown cap, of course.Inside the brewhouse the dense smell of yeast cloys at my nose. The footsteps of our small tour group echo through enormous concrete rooms that are dank and dim. Pipes twist along the floor. The humming of arcane brewing machinery sneaks out of doorways and down stairwells.
Leeanne guides us into chilled rooms, tiny cellars and round giant steel tanks. She talks us through the intricate brewing process, matter-of-factly churning out ridiculous sounding names like "the Lauter Tun" and "the Wortboiler".
"All Monteith's beers are batch brewed," explains Leeanne as we peer into enormous tubs of dark, frothy, fermenting beer, big enough for swimming in. "Each batch takes 30 days from start to finish. After that, they're shipped around the country, and even overseas."New Zealanders' appreciation of Monteith's and other brews that fall under the 'craft beer' category has grown steadily over the past few decades. The unique style, pedantic techniques and limited batches of craft breweries tend to develop an almost cult following amongst certain beer drinkers. So much so, that when beer giant Dominion Breweries - Monteith's owners - announced the closure of the tiny Greymouth brewery in 2001, outraged customer reaction forced it to reopen.
The same year, Monteith's won 23 medals at a range of international beers awards - proving that Kiwis aren't the only ones who appreciate the Monteith's craft. Amongst the more than 70 international beer awards Monteith's has accumulated in the past 10 years are several golds at the Monde Selection in Brussels, Belgium; copious trophies and medals from the Australian International Beer Awards; and a bronze medal at the 2000 Beer World Cup Awards.
"We've won 'Best Ale' at some international beer awards in Australia. Wherever that is," boasts one framed retro-style poster on the wall in the cosy bar. All around the timber walls are throwbacks to the brewery's origins and triumphs. Through a tiny saloon door a mini museum holds even more relics from the brewery's original days.
Leeanne herself is another fount of knowledge, providing a running commentary about each beer as she pours us a taste after our brewery tour. "Brewed to the same family recipe since 1868, Stewart Monteith's Orignal Ale is 4% alcohol, brewed in a hoppy, pale ale style." We sip and search out the caramel flavours Leeanne has promised we'll find."Monteith's Black is an original recipe, based on the style of beers created to stop people drinking from the Thames. Blended from five different malts, the Black is best enjoyed at near room temperature." Sniffing then drinking, I can taste the coffee flavours she mentions.
Expertly picking the order of the tasting beers, Leeanne has ensured that each sip is enhanced by its predecessor. Subtle notes of biscuit, chocolate, honey and citrus pounce on my taste buds - flavours I would never have guessed were there.
It's this attention to detail, this subtlety and uniqueness that is the hallmark of Monteith's brewery. "It all helps keep Monteith's beer the number one craft beer in New Zealand," reminds Leeanne.
Outside, the quiet darkness of the street is a contrast to the ruckus I envisage as I think of the 300-plus pubs that lined the streets of the West Coast when Monteith's first began in the 1800s.
Time may have changed the face of this town but centuries on, the taste of Greymouth remains distinctly, deliciously the same.
Amelia Norman is Content Editor for the New Zealand travel and tourism website www.fourcorners.co.nz.
