I’ll be there

WHAT: Drinking Liberally Auckland City
WHO: You and any of your left-leaning comrades
WHEN: 7.30pm, Wed 24th September
WHERE: London Bar, cnr Wellesley & Queen Sts (opposite Civic). The entrance to the bar is around on Wellesley St, you need to go up the stairs and we will probably be congregating at the far end by the stage, fiddling with the sound and setting up video.
WITH: Margaret Wilson – retiring Speaker of the House, architect of the Employment Relations Act, and down-right interesting person. She’ll be sharing her thoughts and observations from her 30 years at the sharp-end of NZ’s political scene.
COST: Free, just need to keep yourself fed and watered.

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Drinking Liberally in Auckland tonight

Don’t forget! Drinking Liberally is on in Auckland tonight with Laila Harre as the speaker. These are always fun to listen to the speaker and you get to do some networking.

WHAT: Drinking Liberally Auckland City
WHO: You and any of your left-leaning companeros
WHEN: 7.30pm, Wednesday 27th August
WHERE: London Bar, cnr Wellesley & Queen Sts (opposite Civic). The entrance to the bar is around on Wellesley St, you need to go up the stairs and we will probably be congregating at the far end by the stage, fiddling with the sounds.
WITH: Laila Harre – prominent union leader, well-known leftie and feminist, bane of Matthew Hooton’s Mondays, and former Cabinet Minister in the early days of the current Labour-led government.
COST: Free, just need to keep yourself fed and watered.

Harre at next week’s drinking liberally

A reminder…

WHAT: Drinking Liberally Auckland City
WHO: You and any of your left-leaning companeros

WHEN: 7.30pm, Wednesday 27th August
WHERE: London Bar, cnr Wellesley & Queen Sts (opposite Civic). The entrance to the bar is around on Wellesley St, you need to go up the stairs and we will probably be congregating at the far end by the stage, fiddling with the sounds.

WITH: Laila Harre – prominent union leader, well-known leftie and feminist, bane of Matthew Hooton’s Mondays, and former Cabinet Minister in the early days of the current Labour-led government.

COST: Free, you’ll just need to keep yourself fed and watered.

CONTACT: drinkingliberallyauckland@gmail.com

Reminder to drink liberally, tonight

WHEN: Wednesday 23rd July from 7.30pm
WHERE: London Bar, cnr Wellesley St and Queen St, opposite the Civic.
WHAT: Regular event for Drinking Liberally’s Auckland City chapter
WHO: You and any of your friends who may be interested
THIS MONTH: Mix and mingle, a great chance to meet fab new people, have a beverage or two, and talk politics if you are so inclined.
COST: Free, you will just need to buy your own drinks.

Or, you could always join me at the Takács Quartet concert.

Reminder: Drinking Liberally tomorrow @ 7.30pm

Don’t forget that Drinking Liberally Auckland launches tomorrow.

WHEN: 7:30pm, Wednesday 2 July
WHERE: London Bar, cnr Queen & Wellesley Streets, Auckland City
GUEST SPEAKER: David Slack on ‘New Zealand the way you want it’

The best brew-pub in town

I see that the Herald’s Canvas magazine reviews Galbraiths Alehouse this week. It is scored 7 for the food, 8 for service, 8 for value and 9 for ambience. Spot on, in my opinion.

As the reviewer enthuses, “Galbraiths is beer-drinker’s bliss”, listing the range of beers brewed on-site and noting the wide selection of bottled beers (and wine) and guest beers available on tap.

For those unfamiliar with the establishment, it’s to be found at the top of Mt Eden Rd, right next to the convenient carpark on the corner (with Symonds St). The building housed the Grafton Library for many years, and provides a comfortable setting, very reminiscent of your traditional English pub. It’s a must for English tourists missing the comforts of home.

I’ve been frequenting Galbraiths since some time in the last century. Mostly I go there to discuss politics with friends, most recently on Friday and Sunday evenings. This blog is in some ways an extension of these pub debates, so you can judge the quality of the discourse for yourselves.

A New Zealand Liberally Drinking has been started in Wellington. Galbraiths already plays this role for many lefties in Auckland, and is an obvious place to base Drinking Liberally in this town. Anybody interested leave a comment below.

Oh, the beer? Bellringers Best is usually, er, the best. It’s named for the campanologists from a local church who decamp to Galbraiths after practice. For something bitter, there’s Bitter & Twisted, and then there’s Bob Hudson’s for those watching alchohol levels. The latter is named for the man who taught brewmaster Keith Hancock his trade.

I see it’s 4.30pm. Only another hour and I know where I’ll be. Feel free to join me sometime.