Heineken Have Taken Over A Back Country Hut For The Summer, Pouring NZ’s Most Remote Pint

The land at Welcome Rock has a long history of people travelling from far afield for a drink. Legend has it there’s a bottle of whisky hidden in the namesake rock, which was a historic meeting and trading place for early settlers. They’d crest this hill to gather at the rock, pull out the whisky to share a dram to celebrate and refuel after the journey.

It would have been hard work to get up here; its 1130 metres above sea level, through precipitous hills and farmland, and, at that time, no real trail to speak of. It makes sense why they’d choose it as a key spot though. The views are 360 degree in all directions, over rolling tussock-covered hills, down the valley to Kingston, and across to the Eyre Mountains.

Our journey here has been a little more straight forward, although hardly a hop, skip and a jump. After an early morning flight to Queenstown airport, we have driven an hour along the eastern edge of Lake Wakatipu, past sprawling fields, lambs, and the framework of burgeoning suburbs, before climbing into the back country, civilisation thinning out with every kilometre. When we hit the entryway of Welcome Rock at the foot of the Slate Mountains, we then transfer from our van to an ATV, skippered by the station’s owner, Tom O’Brien. From there, it’s a 30 minute journey up the hill, across streams, traversing tight switchbacks, and navigating boggy stretches. O’Brien’s two dogs, Bella and Witch, trot alongside us the entire way.

The view from Slate Hut

As we emerge around the final stretch of hill, Welcome Rock itself to our left, our destination finally comes into view: Slate Hut, reimagined for the summertime has the Heineken Hut, home to the country’s most remote pint of beer.

As of 9 November, the brewery’s 0% beer will be rolled out on taps across the country. Now, you can get a pint of Heineken 0.0 almost anywhere in the country, including at the top of a mountain at a remote hut with no real internal plumbing beyond some rain water for the kitchen sink.

From November until the end of summer, hikers on the Roaring Lion Trail, which cuts through Welcome Rock and was hand-hewn over two years and 5500 hours by O’Brien, will be able to indulge in the ultimate post-hike thirst-quencher; a cold, crisp, freshly poured pint of beer. All you need to do is book in for an overnight stay at the hut on your journey, and you’ll be able to finish up on the deck or in the wood fired outdoor tub, cold pint of Heineken 0.0 in hand, as the sun slips below the Eyre Mountains.

The valley on the journey up to Slate Hut

Most people take the long journey to get to Slate Hut, hiking the 21 kilometres of trail along Welcome Rock, and staying the night before finishing their walk the following day. O'Brien's parents had the forethought to put 1000 hectares of the farm under a conservation covenant, protecting it for future generations of Kiwis and visitors to experience Aotearoa's back country and its absolute best. It feels particularly apt at a time when our country's most remote and beautiful regions seem to be disappearing at rapid rates. 

All it takes is a few minutes of exploring the area around Slate Hut to realise this is New Zealand at its most impressive; the side of the country that has earned Aotearoa an international reputation as one of the most beautiful places in the world. Sitting on the deck, scratching Witch's ears, the only noise her tail thudding against the planks, the wind rustling through the grass, and the quiet natter of my companions, I decide I have probably never been anywhere quite so impressive. It's the kind of moment that can only be made better by a beer; and thankfully I had one in hand. Freshly poured, and ice cold.