The Third Pint Theory

Michael Donaldson & Martin Bridges

People, places and pints in the New Zealand Beer scene. Michael Donaldson is the editor of Pursuit of Hoppiness, New Zealand's only dedicated craft beer magazine, author of Beer Nation — The Art & Heart of Kiwi Beer, The Hopfather and The Big Book of Home Brew. Martin Bridges is a beer judge and consultant with his business Beer Bigwig. We bring you stories about Kiwi beer, the people who make it and the places you drink it.

  1. Is it dank? The best of fresh hop beers — so far

    7 MAY

    Is it dank? The best of fresh hop beers — so far

    "I think it's a little bugbear of mine that a lot of people demand or seem to want 'dank'. I think dank is not necessarily a fresh hop characteristic and to expect lots of it in a fresh hop beer is, I think, sometimes misguided." Michael Donaldson on one of the common misconceptions of fresh hop beers. Welcome to a special, guest-free episode of The Third Pint Theory podcast! In this session, hosts Michael Donaldson and Martin Bridges are flying solo—accompanied only by Martin's dog, Luna—to dive headfirst into an extensive fresh hop tasting. Fresh off his experience judging the Behemoth fresh hop competition, where he sampled more than 10 different fresh hop beers back-to-back, Martin boldly declares that, despite the sheer volume of releases flooding the market, this is the best year he has ever seen in terms of overall quality. The episode serves as a masterclass in understanding what makes a fresh hop beer truly great. The hosts kick things off by praising the ParrotDog Fresh Hop Pilsner and a weighty, oily New Zealand IPA from Duncan's called Kemical Romance, before tackling a common misconception in the craft beer community. Michael expresses his frustration with consumers who constantly demand "dank" characteristics, explaining that true fresh hop magic is more about a unique, sticky mouthfeel and a vibrant flavor integration rather than harsh, grassy chlorophyll. The duo highlights how the best beers this year, like the competition-winning St. Leonards Riwaka West Coast Pilsner, perfectly balance these elements without becoming astringent. Beyond the tasting notes, Michael and Martin pull back the curtain on the harsh logistical realities of the fresh hop season. They reveal a massive hurdle breweries faced this year: a sudden change in how air freight pricing is calculated, shifting from weight-based to volumetric. Because fresh hop cones are very light but take up massive amounts of physical space, shipping them across the country has become exorbitantly expensive, putting a massive financial strain on brewers trying to participate in the season. Grab your favorite seasonal release and enjoy this deep dive into the fleeting magic of fresh hops! The beers that the team tasted in this episode were: Parrotdog Fresh Hop Pilsner Duncan’s Kemical Romance NZ IPA Three Sisters Wayward Son NZ Pale Ale Behemoth Cheech & Chong Hazy IPA McLeods Harvest Cold IPA Brave Brewing Helping Hands IPA If you enjoy this episode please like, subscribe and comment on your favourite podcast platform. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for future topics/guests feel free to drop us an email at michael@hoppiness.co.nz or martin.bridges@beerbigwig.com.

    1hr 3min
  2. From menswear to beer — how McLeod's Brewing was born

    22 APR

    From menswear to beer — how McLeod's Brewing was born

    "In essence we’re a country pub where people come together, brought together mostly by food and sociability” founder Geoff Gwynne on the magic of the McLeod's Pizza Barn. In this episode Martin makes a pilgrimage to his “spiritual home”, the McLeods Pizza Barn in Waipu, Northland, to sit down with Geoff Gwynne, co-owner of the venue and McLeods Brewery. Geoff takes us through the origin story of the restaurant, talking about how he and his brother Clayton made the not-so-obvious jump from fashion retail into hospitality. Deciding to open a brewery in the craft beer boom of the 2010s might have been a good idea, but McLeods had to overcome commercial difficulties and personal tragedy before finding success with award-winning beers brewed by their (now former) brewer Jason Bathgate. Geoff talks about their search for Jason’s successor and happily describes how Gav Williams has quickly settled into life in Northland. Along the way Geoff expounds on the McLeods ethos of delivering quality food and drink to a diverse crowd in their own slice of paradise. Grab a beer and settle in for an anecdote-filled romp through the backstory of one of New Zealand’s most-beloved breweries. If you enjoy this episode please like, subscribe and comment on your favourite podcast platform. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for future topics/guests feel free to drop us an email at michael@hoppiness.co.nz or martin.bridges@beerbigwig.com.

    1hr 9min
  3. Oh Brother — Dylan Adams from Brothers Beer

    1 APR

    Oh Brother — Dylan Adams from Brothers Beer

    Welcome to another episode of the podcast! This time, Martin sits down for a morning pint with Dylan from Brothers Beer at their impressive Mount Eden taproom, built right around a full-size 2,000-litre production brewery. The conversation kicks off with a look back at Dylan's brewing journey, starting with his nearly eight-year stint at Deep Creek. Dylan reflects on the "golden age" of the brewery, sharing the creative process behind award-winning brews like the Undercurrent Pilsner and their spontaneous sour program, before candidly discussing the perfect storm of expansion costs and COVID-19 that ultimately led to the brewery's sudden liquidation. The story takes a dramatic turn as Dylan details his transition to Brothers Beer, arriving just before the brewery faced its own economic hurdles and went into voluntary administration. In a fascinating twist, Brothers Beer was saved from liquidation by a Chinese beer distributor. Dylan opens up about the massive scale and importance of the Chinese export market, explaining how this unexpected lifeline transformed their business model and kept the brewery alive during a severe local economic downturn that saw craft beer sales plummet in New Zealand. Finally, we get a deep dive into the highly specific and demanding tastes of the Chinese craft beer market. Dylan reveals that "Hazy is king" in China, with a massive demand for incredibly strong, sweet beers, prompting Brothers to brew multiple triple and even quadruple IPAs clocking in at 10% to 12% ABV. He explains the unique technical challenges of brewing these behemoths—from managing exhausted yeast and massive dry-hopping rates to tweaking recipes to hit the exact pale mango color their export customers demand. It's a fantastic, behind-the-scenes look at the realities of the modern brewing business. Grab a beer (even if it's morning) and tune in! If you enjoy this episode please like, subscribe and comment on your favourite podcast platform. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for future topics/guests feel free to drop us an email at michael@hoppiness.co.nz or martin.bridges@beerbigwig.com.

    1hr 17min
  4. Winter Wonderland — Inside the Winter Ales Festival

    18 MAR

    Winter Wonderland — Inside the Winter Ales Festival

    Michael & Martin are joined by Denise Garland and Dave Wood, who own Wellington's Winter Ales Festival. They talk to us about what's involved in running a boutique beer festival and what fans can expect from this year's event. Plus Dave and Denise are veterans of the Wellington beer and hospitality scene, so are well-placed to discuss whether the Wellington hospo scene is as bad as it's made out to to be. And with experience of the Scottish beer industry we talk also delve into the BrewDog debacle.

    1hr 3min
  5. Sweet 16 — Inside Auckland's 16Tun freehouse

    4 MAR

    Sweet 16 — Inside Auckland's 16Tun freehouse

    The annual Rare Beer Challenge, designed to raise money for Rare Disorders NZ, is on this year at Auckland's 16Tun, which takes over from the defunct Fortune Favours as the show host. Martin visits 16Tun owner Ewen Thorpe to find out how a one-time member of the Team NZ yachting crew ended up owning a waterside bar. Ewen also has great insights into the state of the beer economy from the POV of a bar owner.

    1hr 7min
  6. Bay Watch Part 2 — Mount Brewing's Pawel Lewandowski

    18 FEB

    Bay Watch Part 2 — Mount Brewing's Pawel Lewandowski

    Mount Brewing are celebrating 30 years in business — quite an achievement for the small Bay of Plenty operation. Michael and Martin look back at Mount Brewing's history and Martin chats with head brewer Pawel Lewandowski about how a young Polish tuniversity graduate ended up brewing beer in New Zealand.

    1hr 8min
  7. Bay Watch Part 1 — Neck Of The Woods opens in Tauranga

    4 FEB

    Bay Watch Part 1 — Neck Of The Woods opens in Tauranga

    Martin visits the just-opened Neck Of The Woods brew pub in Tauriko, just outside Tauranga, and talks to owner Scott Taylor about his journey home to the Bay of Plenty and his years at the ill-fated Deep Creek. This is the first of two pods from the Bay of Plenty, with Mount Brewing next up. Michael and Martin also discuss the recent Rising Tide Lagerfest, and dissect the winners.

    1hr 14min
  8. Smooth Operator — Three Sisters go from strength to strength

    16 JAN

    Smooth Operator — Three Sisters go from strength to strength

    New Plymouth brewery Three Sisters are expanding in to Wellington and raising new capital to further grow their production. It's on the back of strong growth both within New Zealand and overseas in 2025, driven by their unique smoothie sour offerings. Martin and Michael usher in 2026 by looking at the success of Three Sisters and analysing the problems facing Behemoth, who are taking on a private equity raise to cover long-term debt.

    1hr 18min
See All (27)

4.6
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

People, places and pints in the New Zealand Beer scene. Michael Donaldson is the editor of Pursuit of Hoppiness, New Zealand's only dedicated craft beer magazine, author of Beer Nation — The Art & Heart of Kiwi Beer, The Hopfather and The Big Book of Home Brew. Martin Bridges is a beer judge and consultant with his business Beer Bigwig. We bring you stories about Kiwi beer, the people who make it and the places you drink it.

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Donaldson & Martin Bridges
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    The Third Pint Theory

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