Booze Review: Speight’s Gold Medal

Posted 9:43pm Sunday 6th April 2025 by Gin Swigmore

Speight’s is culture. It was the first beer I ever had. Being underage, it was acquired through messaging unemployed 25-year-olds on the Dunedin Sober Driver’s Facebook page, where I and two other borderline prepubescent teens climbed into a random’s clapped-out Subaru Impreza to Read more...

Booze Review: Gonster

Posted 10:16pm Sunday 23rd March 2025 by Gin Swigmore

A Gonster in its ideal state (ideal is used loosely here) looks like a slightly disturbing black and green traffic light drink, with the two substances separating like oil and water. Critic’s first attempt at making one didn’t go quite to plan; we weren’t able to get our grubby Read more...

Booze Review: Protein Beer

Posted 6:01pm Sunday 16th March 2025 by Gin Swigmore

“Bro, my business creating 0 calorie lemon-flavoured RTDs has gone under, who knew the market was so flooded?”   “Bro, my DJing career has failed and my dad has cut me out of the trust fund because of my crippling weed dependency. How are we going to fuel this Read more...

Booze Review: Bay & Barnes Chardonnay

Posted 11:39pm Sunday 9th March 2025 by Gin Swigmore

A wise man once said to never start your wine drinking journey with expensive wines, because then the cheap shit will taste even worse.  Upon ignoring this advice, I quickly learned that the only thing better than an expensive bottle was a free one, especially when it’s stolen from Read more...

Booze Review: Woodstock Whiskey Lemonade

Posted 4:19pm Sunday 2nd March 2025 by Gin Swigmore

Woodstock have officially hopped on the ‘soft drinks made alcoholic’ bandwagon with the release of their Ginger Ale and Whiskey Lemonade. This move seems to follow on from the trend of brands making ‘healthy’ RTDs, which just taste like water that’s been left in your Read more...

Debatable: Chasers: Yay or Nay?

Posted 4:31pm Sunday 2nd March 2025 by Gryffin Blockley

Chasers: Yay First of all, just because you want to have a chaser doesn’t mean that you can’t handle a shot at all. Let’s dispel that common myth. Pres are meant to be a wholesome experience; if there’s a way to decrease the grossness, why not go for it?  Nights Read more...

Girl Power, Girl ... Pilsner?: Critic's rejected booze reviewers

Posted 3:44pm Sunday 23rd February 2025 by Lotto Ramsay

Critic Te Ārohi just found out about all this "feminism" stuff, and we think it's pretty neat. To show what great allies we are, for our hundredth year of publication Critic has our first ever female booze review moniker! Sometimes the reviewer behind the pseudonym is female, too. Read more...

Booze Review: Emerson’s Dirty Bird IPA

Posted 6:49pm Sunday 23rd February 2025 by Gin Swigmore

Welcome back to another year of booze. We’re kicking things off with a bang thanks to the new Emerson’s Dirty Bird, the latest member of the Bird Dog family for all you IPA nerds. Though new on the scene, Dirty Bird is sure to become a household name with its captivating taste, one Read more...

Booze Review: Vote Hoiho NZ Pale Ale

Posted 3:58am Monday 16th September 2024 by Chunny Bill Swilliams

There are many pleasures in life. In Dunedin, it’s the Peninsula wildlife and alcohol. Put ‘em together and what do you get? Penguin piss. In honour of this year’s Bird of the Year election, the master brewers at Emerson’s have made a limited edition ‘Vote Hoiho’ Read more...

Objectors Stall Opening of ‘DropKicks’ Venue

Posted 3:11pm Saturday 7th September 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Plans for a new venue, ‘DropKicks,’ above Sal’s (where Dive Bar was) have been hit with a curveball. Two community groups objected to the building’s liquor licence application, meaning their grand opening will have to wait until after a hearing. The hearing has caused a rift Read more...