We all have that one Cantabrian dickhead in the group who swears Canterbury Draught (CD) is the one thing in life they live for. But fuck them. There is no way a self-respecting person would admit anything from Canterbury was good. What’s there to like? The Crusaders? Richard Hadlee? Phar Lap? They all sound about as good as Wyatt Crockett looks.
CD was originally named Wards Beer in 1854, after the brewer James Hamilton Ward, but was rebranded Canterbury Draught in 1990. It was a pale lager that stood as one of the true Canterbury icons, up there with the colours red and black, the Christchurch Cathedral and the disabled toilet on the second floor of the Christchurch airport right next to the Burger King.
Since the February earthquake, CD has dried up around the country. It can still be found on tap in some rural pubs, but it only reveals itself to the most honourable seekers of the golden drop.
CD is an interesting beer. On the nose you can pick up about as much scent as the Tactix pick up away game wins (yeah that’s a netball reference – equality!). But the flavour is something different. It’s actually pretty good. It’s light, but with a hard enough aftertaste to let you know who’s who. It’s a bitter hard man’s beer that will put balls on your hairs and make the Speight’s Southern Man weak at the knees. However, it is only 4% beer and therefore scientifically cannot get you drunk, but drinking it goes down faster than a team challenging the Crusaders (especially the Hurricanes).
Tasting Notes: Shaken not stirred and the bitterness/envy of the rest of the country
Taste Rating: As satisfying as Mitch Hunt’s drop kick against the Highlanders in 2017
Froth Level: Liquefaction
Pairs Well With: Eight Super Rugby Championships and the motivation to rebuild