Review: Can I have some Moa?

Flying in the face of wowsers up and down the country, an Auckland bar hosted the launch of a breakfast beer this week and the sky did not fall.
Moa Brewing Company released the Moa Premium Breakfast Lager by putting on an early morning meal and entertainment at Quay St Cafe. A colleague enjoyed the big brekkie and I the eggs benedict with mushrooms, accompanied by a glass or three of the lager.
The launch party suggested pairing it with pain perdu (a posh French toast) with crispy bacon, toasted almonds, caramelised banana and cherry compote.
Brewer Josh Scott describes his latest release as "a blend of premium wheat malt, floral Nelson hops and cherries. A very refreshing and fruity lager specifically designed as a European-style breakfast beer, but more commonly enjoyed as a mid-afternoon beverage here in New Zealand. Although not always."
The launch got off a flying start after invitations went out to selected trade and media. One newspaper responded with an article titled "Experts' breakfast beer worry".
National Addiction Centre director Doug Sellman described the marketing as "a completely irresponsible stunt from a health and addiction perspective, because it is normalising pathological behaviour."
Alcohol Healthwatch advisor Christine Rogan said drinking in the morning was an indicator of an alcohol problem. "Here we have fools seeking to profit from encouraging the behaviour."
While these experts are perfectly entitled to share their opinions on the idea of a breakfast beer, let me share mine: "Delicious."
To elaborate a little more, I can say the alcohol content - known as "alcohol by volume" or ABV - is quite high for a beer at 5.5 per cent. That's a smidgen over the so-called premium lagers such as Heineken and Steinlager Pure, both at 5 per cent. Therefore, it's certainly better taken with breakfast, rather than as breakfast.
Like champagne, it is bottle-fermented and conditioned - sealed with a cork, muselet and foil.
The bottle-fermenting process leaves a cloudy residue at the bottom of the botttle, so the first pour is clearer than the second. It's not overly fizzy either, more resembling the subtle sizzle of a wheat beer than your other lagers.
One fellow in my office reckons the muselet and foil stopper will help persuade leery women partners that the tipple is classy enough for an early starter. It does lend a champagne-like ceremony to opening the beer.
On the palate, it is undoubtedly a beer-flavoured beer. Plenty of hops and yeasty notes fill the mouth, although a mouthful of streaky bacon or hollandaise sauce soon puts paid to it.
It's not every person's ideal brekkie beverage and the cost reflects that. Moa Breakfast is available in 375ml bottles in some stores, cafes, bars and restaurants. Four packs of Moa Breakfast have a recommended retail price of $33.99.
But, for a special morning, there is now a very enjoyable ersatz for those who find bubbles get up one's nose.
- Edward Rooney is the chief reporter at The Aucklander and usually prefers grapefruit juice with his breakfast.