Savour the real flavour of American wheat ale

Jim Matranga of the Golden Bear brewery in the little township of Mapua. Photo / Jim Eagles

When Jim Matranga came to New Zealand on holiday from his native California in 1994 he thought the beer was awful.

"I went into a pub down on the West Coast and had a pint and it was terrible. I went into another pub and it was terrible too. So I decided these Kiwis have a beautiful country and they're nice people but they obviously don't know how to make beer."

Musing over a couple more bad pints, Jim came up with a plan. "I decided I would go home, learn how to make beer and come back and start a brewery."

And, in 2005, he did just that, selling his successful joinery business in Santa Monica, moving with his family to Nelson and starting the Golden Bear Brewery - named after the symbol of his home state - and an associated bar in an old apple box factory in the township of Mapua.

So how has the dream worked out? "Even better than I had hoped. It's been fantastic. We've only been brewing for four months and I can only just keep up with the demand."

The brewery produces seven kinds of ale at present, although Jim has plans for more, but "by far the most popular is the American wheat beer, it outsells the others five to one ... would you like to try a pint?"

I would. And it was superb. Lighter and less chewy than the European wheat beers I've enjoyed in the past, but still very flavoursome.

It's no great surprise that an American with a love of beer should settle in Nelson because, apart from having a great climate, the district is the hop capital of New Zealand and it can lay a reasonable claim to being the brewing capital as well.

The first known commercial brewery in the young colony was opened in Kororareka (Russell) in 1835 but the second started in Nelson in 1842 and the third was started there soon after.

Mac's brewery - now owned by Lion - began the boom in specialist beers when it was started by Nelson brewer Terry McCashin in 1981. These days there are more breweries per head of population in the Nelson region than anywhere else.

Locals I spoke to were able to compile a list of nine breweries - Founders, Tasman, Lighthouse, McCashins, Mussel Inn, Nelson Bays, Monkey Wizard Brewery, Townshend's and the Golden Bear - but several felt sure there were a couple of places they had forgotten.

If you want to get a taste of Nelson's beers, there are plenty of great pubs that sell them or you could try the Marchfest festival (which this year will be held on March 28).

Jim Matranga is producing a special beer for the occasion. "I'm experimenting with a beer made from local blackboy peaches," he says. "It's a lovely deep purple colour and it tastes great. You should come down for the Marchfest and try a pint."