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. Oct 21

    The Beervana Sessions 6 — Craft & community with Double Vision and Abandoned

    “I just wanna make crisp German lagers; I want to fine-tune that and I want to do really well, but these (fruited smoothie sours) are quite fun to make.” Mario Lanz of Double Vision Brewing on the appeal of his Orange Creamsicle beer. Our final episode recorded live at Beervana 2026 sees Martin & Michael sit down with a couple of brewers from the nation’s capital: Tim Ward, founder of Abandoned Brewery, and Mario Lanz, co-founder of Double Vision Brewery. While Tim’s origin story is reasonably traditional, taking him from running hospitality venues across Wellington to establishing a brewery, Mario’s is a little more unusual - who would have known that there’s a path from baby stroller manufacturing to craft beer? Both breweries were established around 2016 and have grown steadily in a fairly challenging environment. Tim talks about the recent acquisition of Heyday Brewing which gives him a venue in the heart of town, as well as the importance of working with a strong team in his hospitality venues. Mario talks about the challenges of making the popular fruited smoothie sours, including the Creamsicle beer that we sampled during the session. They may not be for everyone, but they have a place in the market. Finally, Tim explains his philosophy of the importance of a bar as a community hub. It’s not just about the beer! Join us for a fascinating and wide-ranging chat with some of Wellington’s best brewers. 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.

    The Beervana Sessions 6 — Craft & community with Double Vision and Abandoned

  2. Oct 14

    The Beervana Sessions 5 — Hip to hops with Kelly Ryan

    “Super exotic citrus — you get yuzu and kumquat, lots of mandarin,” Kelly Ryan talks about why Riwaka is his favourite hop. We’re back at Beervana 2026 for this episode, where Michael & Martin sit down with Kiwi beer legend Kelly Ryan. Kelly takes us through his brewing journey, from learning his trade at one of New Zealand’s most iconic breweries, brewing at Thornbridge in the UK, working at some of New Zealand’s best craft breweries and, most recently, moving into hop sales at Freestyle Hops. In a fascinating and information-dense session Kelly takes us through the process of developing new hop varieties, including NZ-04 which is featured in two of the three beers that were sampled during the session. He also talks about the intense focus on quality that sees Freestyle Hops shipping out hops within 24 hours of picking. It’s not just about hops — we also get to hear about Freestyle’s use of kohia, NZ’s native passionfruit, which is combined with Nelson Sauvin hops in the other beer that we got to taste. If you love hops, you won’t want to miss this amazing session. Kelly is one of the most articulate and knowledgeable figures in the industry and his enthusiasm is infectious. 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.

    The Beervana Sessions 5 — Hip to hops with Kelly Ryan

  3. Oct 7

    The Beervana Sessions 4 — In Praise of Stout with Shining Peak & Mount Brewing

    “The great thing with this beer is, just before it goes into the barrels it’s almost undrinkable!” Jesse Sigurdsson of Shining Peak on the inauspicious beginnings of their Vintage Barrel-aged Imperial Stout. Hello from a raucous Friday evening at Beervana 2026, where Michael & Martin sit down with the brewers of two of New Zealand’s best (and quite different) stouts. Niall Harley from Mount Brewing talks about how he was inspired to create Harley’s Irish Stout (Trophy winner for Best Stout at the 2026 Brewers Guild of NZ awards) by his memories of a certain other stout from back home in Ireland. Niall muses on whether his beer is actually better than the classic that inspired it, and talks about the Harley’s Hundred Club which has grown up to celebrate it at the Rising Tide, Mount’s taproom. Having never been to the Emerald Isle, Jess Sigurdsson of Shining Peak feels unable to compare the two beers, but is confident that the Mount beer is better! Jesse then introduces the other beer we had available for sampling, his 2024 Vintage Barrel-aged Imperial Stout. He describes the “ball-ache” of a brewing process, and waxes lyrical about the miraculous powers of bourbon barrels which can turn a borderline undrinkable beer into a sipper’s delight. Along the way, Niall and Jesse assert that they don’t believe in “Stout Season”, saying that these dark beers are gorgeous to drink at any time of the year. Join us for a trip to the dark side! 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.

    The Beervana Sessions 4 — In Praise of Stout with Shining Peak & Mount Brewing

  4. Sep 30

    The Beervana Sessions 3 — Pink Boots, Walking The Walk

    “If you’re marketing your beer at men or at women, you’re cutting your market by 50% — it’s not a smart business decision!” Denise Garland of the NZ chapter of the Pink Boots Society on one of the many reasons why “girl’s beer” is a bad idea. Join us again at Beervana 2026, with Michael & Martin chatting to Aynslee Rodger and Denise Garland from the NZ chapter of the Pink Boots Society. It’s an organisation which exists to champion the role of women and non-binary people in the fermented beverage industry, and it does great work providing networking, education and growth opportunities in the industry. This is an entertaining, erudite and informative chat with two passionate supporters of the industry. Aynslee, a brewer at Good George, talks about her route into the industry and the support that Pink Boots provides for women and non-binary people in multiple roles. Denise, a beer writer (and would-be comedian, according to Michael!) lays waste to the myth of “girl’s beer” and despairs at the dinosaur attitudes that still persist, despite the great progress that has been made. An appreciative and engaged crowd loved the chat that we had at Beervana, and we hope that you appreciate this episode as much as them. 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.

    The Beervana Sessions 3 — Pink Boots, Walking The Walk

  5. Sep 23

    The Beervana Sessions 2 — The Wonder Of One Drop

    “Creamy, custard, pineapple, cake batter…" Clay Grant of One Drop Brewing lists some of the ingredients of their ‘Aunties Pudding’ ice cream smoothie sour. We’re back at Beervana 2026 for a chat with super-hyped Aussie brewery One Drop! Michael and Martin chat to co-founder Clay Grant and his head brewer Cathal McCarthy about the weird and wonderful beers that One Drop are famous for. We get some insight into the inspiration behind some of their fruit-laden smoothie sours and sample a couple of their craziest brews. Cathal explains some of the process behind making these beers, and indeed they definitely are beer - there’s a kettle-soured base under all of that fruit, ice-cream and cake batter! Making these beers pushes some of their equipment to the limit, as Cathal explains. But it’s not all about the neon-hued smoothie beers; Clay enthuses about their lager program, pointing out the painstaking approach to water chemistry. Finally Cathal talks about the Clean Fusion process that One Drop have pioneered to make super-fresh, super-hoppy IPAs. Join us for a wild romp through the frontiers of Aussie brewing! 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.

    The Beervana Sessions 2 — The Wonder Of One Drop

  6. Sep 16

    The Beervana Sessions 1 — Bonnie Day & Neck Of The Woods

    “There’s ‘Kinky MILF’ on the walls of the Malthouse for ever, which is amazing!” Scott Taylor of Neck of the Woods Brewing on their competition-winning West Coast IPA. Join us for the first of our episodes recorded live at Beervana 2026, as we talk to Scott Taylor from Neck of the Woods Brewing (Tauranga) and Jared ‘Red’ Proudfoot from Bonnie Day (Geraldine). Both Scott and Red are beer industry veterans but have established new breweries within the last year, with great success. Neck of the Woods, in particular, has scored a bunch of awards in its first year, including the recent Malthouse West Coast IPA Challenge for their ‘Kinky MILF’ — listen in for the story behind that name! Across the interview we cover the back-story of both brewers, including Scott’s time at Deep Creek and Red’s time as the founder of Australia’s famous Pirate Life. Both are big fans of the brewpub model, although they’re not keen on filling riggers as you’ll hear from them. It’s a shorter episode than normal but we hope you enjoy this fascinating chat with two industry legends. 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.

    The Beervana Sessions 1 — Bonnie Day & Neck Of The Woods

  7. Sep 2

    Ferment & Foment — Kieran Haslett-Moore on the state of modern beer

    "If you look at the story of humans and food, we've constantly been flowing towards sweeter, less bitter flavours." Kieran Haslett-Moore on the evolution of beer and human taste. In this episode of The Third Pint Theory, hosts Michael Donaldson and Martin Bridges catch up shortly after attending Beervana. They reflect on their experiences at the festival, noting how working live Q&A sessions gave them a unique perspective compared to being regular festivalgoers. They highlight notable beers and interactive booths from the event, such as Garage Project's GG EZ Pilsner and Mean Doses' AI-driven Zoltar beer-dispensing fortune teller machine. They also discuss the New World Beer & Cider Awards, noting the surprising inclusion of Waikato Draught in the top 25, alongside notable entries like Panhead's Port Road Pilsner and Brave Brewing's Bottle Rocket. The main segment of the episode features Michael interviewing brewer and writer Kieran Haslett-Moore in Waikanae. Kieran shares his extensive career journey, from his early working life as a postie and cheesemonger to his time running beer tastings at Regional Wines & Spirits. He reflects on co-founding North End Brewing, his departure from the company after a breakdown in business relationships, and his decision to revive his brand, Southstar Brewing. He details his brewing philosophy, which focuses on small-batch, top-fermented European, Belgian, and British styles that emphasize traditional hops, multi-strain yeast fermentations, and noticeable bitterness over modern sweet or fruit-forward trends. The episode concludes with Michael and Martin reflecting on the interview and discussing Kieran's "cuckoo brewing" setup at Mean Doses, where he physically brews his own recipes using their equipment. Martin shares his experience tasting some of Kieran's latest Southstar offerings at Wellington pop-up events, including a cask ESB and an oaked Scotch ale paired with homemade haggis. Finally, the hosts preview upcoming festival Q&A recordings that will be released in future episodes, featuring interviews with various regional New Zealand craft 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.

    Ferment & Foment — Kieran Haslett-Moore on the state of modern beer

  8. Aug 12

    Pioneer of Pints — Yeastie Boys founder Stu McKinlay

    "It's one of those things: sort of it's like the first Sex Pistols gig, you know, everyone says they were there but really there were only,I don't know, probably a dozen of us actually there!" Stu McKinlay talks about the legendary meeting at the Malthouse in Wellington that led to the foundation of the Society of Beer Advocates (SOBA). In this special transatlantic episode, Martin catches up with Stu McKinlay, the founder of Yeastie Boys, who calls in on a summer morning from the UK. Stu reflects on his deep foundational roots in the New Zealand craft beer scene, recounting his early days on the Real Beer forum and his attendance at the legendary first SOBA (Society of Beer Advocates) meeting at the Malthouse. He even shares a fantastic, little-known piece of trivia: before officially launching Yeastie Boys in 2008, he actually founded the Liberty Brewing homebrew business, eventually selling it to Joe and Christina Wood. The conversation then explores Stu's pioneering approach to the business of beer, particularly his massive, early success with equity crowdfunding. He recounts how Yeastie Boys became one of the very first New Zealand companies to utilize the PledgeMe model, famously raising half a million dollars in just 33 minutes back in 2015 to fund their expansion to the UK. Stu also dives into his absolute passion for collaboration and breaking traditional brewing rules, sharing brilliant stories of working alongside winemakers to create unique hybrids like PushMe and PullYu, and the wild experiments they did utilizing different yeast strains and candy sugar. Finally, the episode tackles the harsh realities of the current international beer market. Stu explains how the landscape drastically shifted post-COVID, with heavy price competition from multinational breweries driving prices down and making supermarket distribution incredibly tough for independent brands. To adapt, Yeastie Boys completely overhauled their model, with Stu stepping away from the day-to-day business in the UK, having already transitioned to a brew-under-licence model in NZ. Stu also talks about how his new business, Liquid Sky Drinks, has started importing Garage Project beers into the UK, with phenomenal early success.. Grab a pint and enjoy this fascinating look at the global journey of a craft beer pioneer! 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.

    Pioneer of Pints — Yeastie Boys founder Stu McKinlay
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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
    41
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    The Third Pint Theory

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