The Twisted Hop Woolston

Love this place. So chill, great beer and guests. Would be the perfect local.

2016-05-20. Our visit was probably the worst way to experience this place. We had a long morning hike and spent much of the afternoon at Cassels & Sons, and arrived here just in time for a what seemed like a busy after work crowd. It feels like a ’proper pub’ as some might say. The bar itself feels very English with hand pumps and decor, nice mix of tables including a fireplace area and some seats out back on the patio if my memory is not mistaken. We opted for a table near the bar, and a sampler flight of mostly their house beers. The bartender came by later to chat and talk to us about the beers which seemed congenial. Solid tap list with their house offerings being generally pretty good, and some interesting guest taps. I’d like to come back at a quieter time and relax for a longer visit. Nice spot.

Was very impressed during my first visit to this venue. The selection was good (albeit no foreign brews on tap) and the service left nothing to be desired. What food I had was fine and seemed to be all one would want in a brewpub. I’d be happy to have this as my local - but alas, I live elsewhere.

The original Twisted Hop on Poplar Lane is sorely missed but the beer lives on. The brewery can be found out in Wigram and this location is their pub showcasing the full Twisted Hop range. As always the beers are some of the best in NZ served on cask. A few guest taps complete the range. Nice place to sup a few ales on a warm Saturday afternoon. The ladies working behind the bar gave prompt service. Tasty bar snacks and pub meals can be ordered. Good stuff.

This place has a large L-shaped bar with tables and booths. Nearly a dozen taps made for two tasting trays with no repeats. Beers were among the tastied I have had on my NZ trip so far. Food was very tasty as well. Matthew and staff were very friendly and knowledgeable, and very accomodating tomus as we did a small tasting. One of my favorite places in CHCH.

This rating will be re-done several times mainly because this bar has just opened and it is my experience that a bar will go through teething issues and bedding in before it can truly be assessed accurately. In this case the walls were a little stark, everything was a bit sterile and clean, the menu a little short as they await the arrival of a head chef but otherwise this place has a fantastic base to build from. Mrs Jimthechap and I had garlic bread and a pizza from the limited menu which we both enjoyed. Three beers that I hadn’t tried before from the range went down well and two ciders for the Mrs which she enjoyed (unusually for her as she’s the first to criticise). Swift, friendly service and a well-spent hour or so leaning on the bar. Hopefully, the first hour of many. Worth a visit for the good selection of Twisted Hop beers and a couple of guest beer taps. I’m sure my rating will only climb.