City beer rekindles anger on the Coast

West Coasters have called for a renewed boycott of DB products after claims that the brewery has been slipping Auckland-made Monteith's to local drinkers.

Latest shipments of the beer to Greymouth carried local labels and packaging, but were apparently made at the company's Waitemata brewery.

The "hoax" was exposed by former Hokitika man Gerry Morris, who said that the imposter beer was different to "true Monteith's" in taste, head and smell.

DB announced last month the immediate closure of the Greymouth Monteith's brewery because it intended to move all production to Auckland.

Within a week the company was forced to backtrack, and the brewery reopened five days later after nationwide condemnation of the move and a boycott of the company's products.

DB has admitted to brewing its limited edition Monteith's Saison beer in Auckland.

But Mr Morris said it had also been quietly brewing and bottling at least three of the main Monteith's beers there, including the original brew.

Each bottle and box carry the stamp marks "MB" in front of the batch number for Greymouth-made, and more recently a smaller "W" for Waitemata-made.

DB communications consultant Jo Jalfon said yesterday that the brewery would not talk about anything to do with the Monteith's brewery until consultation between staff, their union and DB management over its future was completed.

DB managing director Brian Blake said brewing at both breweries was necessary to keep up with demand during the consultation.

"Since we reversed our decision [to close the Greymouth brewery] we have been in the process of getting beer brewed again at Greymouth.

"However, it takes time to produce beer and you can't simply turn the tap back on," he said.

Where the beer was brewed was an issue being addressed in the consultation process.

- NZPA