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. 5d ago

    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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. Jul 29

    Home Town Heroics — Emerson's Dominate NZ Beer Awards

    Michael and Martin sit down to run the rule over the results from this year's Brewers Guild of New Zealand Awards. They start by covering off the big winners on the night, including Karamu Barrelworks taking out the overall Champion Brewery title. There is some discussion of the scoring process used to calculate the winner of that title. The duo then dig into the other major winners, including Emerson’s Brewing taking out the Champion Large Brewery crown as well as multiple trophies and medals. There is some reflection on the growing stature of the Bay of Plenty as a beer region, with Mount Brewing taking out Champion Medium Brewery (in their 30th anniversary year) and Neck of the Woods taking out Champion Micro Brewery, less than a year after opening. The conversation takes in most of the trophy winners, as well as some surprises amongst the results and some personal favourites. Grab a beer and listen to some in-depth analysis of this year’s BGONZAs! 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.

    Home Town Heroics — Emerson's Dominate NZ Beer Awards

  7. Jul 16

    Wonder Woman — How one person's drive created Auckland Beer Week

    Welcome back to another episode of The Third Pint Theory! In this session, host Martin sits down with Maree Shaw, founder and organiser of Auckland Beer Week. Maree shares her origin story in the beer world, humorously admitting that before meeting her partner in 2004, she thought all beer tasted "disgusting." Her perspective shifted when he introduced her to Mac's Copper Hop and Monteith's Celtic Red, but a limited-release Monteith's Tripel served as the true turning point that introduced her to Belgian styles and inspired them to start homebrewing. By 2009, Maree was attending her first Beervana at the Wellington Town Hall, where she expanded her palate with a fresh hop Mac's brew and Yeastie Boys' His or Her Majesty. Maree’s passion quickly translated into active community involvement when she began attending Friday night beer catch-ups in Auckland and joined the Society of Beer Advocates (SOBA). Frustrated by the lack of Auckland representation on the national committee, she volunteered to step up, eventually taking on the roles of general committee member and Auckland regional coordinator. Her dedication to the community continued to grow, and after Dave Wood stepped down, she was convinced by her peers to take the reins, officially becoming the first female president of SOBA. The conversation culminates with Maree's pivotal role in founding and running Auckland Beer Week. Inspired by the arrival of the GABS festival in Auckland, she launched the inaugural week in 2016 with about a dozen events on a very tight turnaround. Fast forward ten years, and the festival continues to be a much-loved fixture in the Auckland beer calendar. Maree describes the entirely volunteer-run operation—where she acts as the "chief cat herder" alongside friends Nick on design and Phil on the website—as a second full-time job, but remains dedicated to bringing the local beer community together. 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.

    Wonder Woman — How one person's drive created Auckland Beer Week

  8. Jul 1

    Zero Hero — How Bach Brewing led the non-alcoholic beer revolution

    "I had this outside looking in view of New Zealand on many different levels but one of them was this nostalgia and beautiful memories of the coastal lifestyle... I missed that, you know, being able to go to the seaside and that really resonated with me and in how I wanted to build a brand and so it was about the coast and and the quintessential Kiwi bach represented that." — Craig Cooper on the nostalgic inspiration behind Bach Brewing In this episode, host Michael Donaldson sits down with Craig Cooper, a 38-year veteran of the liquor industry and the founder of Bach Brewing. Craig reflects on his extensive career, which began as a marketing graduate trainee for Lion and took him across Australia and Amsterdam before he returned to New Zealand to buy into Hawke's Bay's Limburg Brewery in 2005. Thirteen years ago, he launched his own venture, designing a brand that captured his nostalgia for the quintessential coastal Kiwi "bach" lifestyle, brought to life through the vibrant watercolor label art of renowned illustrator Donovan Bixley. The conversation then shifts to the logistical realities of building a major craft beer brand without owning a physical brewery. Craig explains his long-standing partnership with Steam Brewing, who have contract brewed his beers for the entire 13-year lifespan of the company. Because the contract model involves paying a manufacturer's margin, Craig candidly discusses how impossible it became to compete on price in the traditional six-pack market. As a result, Bach Brewing made the strategic decision to avoid six-packs, focusing their efforts on premium 440ml cans and single serves to maintain a sustainable, competitive business. Finally, the episode dives deep into the booming non-alcoholic beer sector, a category where Bach Brewing has established itself as an early pioneer. Craig details the technical evolution of brewing their non-alcoholic range, highlighting their shift toward specialty yeast strains and the heavy use of cryo hops and hop oils to extract maximum flavor and aroma without the alcohol. This relentless focus on quality paid off massively when they won the trophy for the best non-alcoholic beer at the prestigious Australian International Beer Awards for their All Day Hazy. Grab a fresh can and tune in for an incredible masterclass on branding, contract brewing, and surviving a tough industry! 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.

    Zero Hero — How Bach Brewing led the non-alcoholic beer revolution
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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
    38
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    The Third Pint Theory

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