Beer Review: Parrot Dog's Bitter Bitch

GOOD DOG: Parrot Dog's Bitter Bitch IPA. The new normal. PHOTO/SUPPLIED 311014BB1

MOST of us over 30 grew up sipping our dad's Lion Brown and making some spontaneous decision on whether we'd shake our heads, grimace or retch.

Like our dads, we got more sophisticated and graduated to Steinlager (substitute Heineken or Stella) and we could share a beer without any trace of nausea.

This was normal. But the beer was boring. Beer served no purpose other than it was a flavourless inoffensive source of alcohol.

Then along came the craft beer revolution. Brewers were putting peanut butter and bacon in over hopped flavour bombs and it wasn't for all. But, among the clutter a few skilled brewers came up with some great beers that don't need to be the centre of conversation, but deserve to be our first beer of choice.

One of the picks for me is Parrot Dog's Bitter Bitch. It's aroma character is all New Zealand hops meaning tropical fruit, passionfruit and citrus (along with the funky characters New Zealand hops are infamous for) but underpinned with a silky smooth malt base that I reckon you can only get with the best UK malts.

Parrot Dog is a small Wellington based brewery started by three twenty-somethings each called Matt. They're perched (excuse the pun) on Vivian St in the craft beer capital of New Zealand. If you want a beer with street cred, you can't go past this controversially named offering.

Prost!