Beer of the season

I recently wrote in my SPOKE magazine column the joys of riding in a New Zealand winter. While I employed a fair bit of 'artistic licence', most of what I wrote was from the heart, or at least the mind. One of the plusses I extolled was "a warm drink and a tot of rum" after returning from a winter night ride. I can't remember the last time, if ever, I've enjoyed a tot of rum after a ride. What I do like though, is a beer. And this one is made for such an occasion. Monteiths released this little beauty a couple of months ago now, with free pints being passed out at the Occidental Hotel in Welly. Unfortunately I arrived too late to sample it without handing over my coin, but I liked what I imbibed. I never gave the Doppelbock Winter Ale another thought until Saturday afternoon, when offered one by my champion landlady Noeline while her champion partner Roman kindly set up my new laptop's internet connection. As a gesture of thanks, I sought out a sixer for him the next day. Imagine my serendipitous delight when I found the last two sixers at Woolworths, for ten bucks each! After downing a couple while watching another frustrating performance by the Phoenix, I felt somewhat lightheaded and not overly concerned that the team contains the world's only Brazillian with absolutely no football skills whatsoever. Glancing at the bottle, I saw the explanation, albeit in a blurred font; 6%. I think I had another one after that. Mmmmmmalty.