The Beer Spot

About The Beer Spot

The Beer Spot in Kingsland is the Morningside outpost of The Tap 40 — a craft beer tavern where forty rotating taps pour a wide range of New Zealand beer, as fresh as the day the local brewers put them in the keg. It is part of a small Auckland family of Beer Spots (Northcote, Huapai, Morningside, Whangaparāoa, Panmure and Papakura), each built around the same simple idea: try great beer on site, then take home what you loved.

The venue operates as both a tavern and an off licence. You can work through a tasting paddle or a glass on site, then fill a one-litre purged and pressure-filled Roadie to go. And it is not only beer — there are ciders, wines, spirits and non-alcoholic options too, 'but don't tell anyone because the sign says BEER.'

There is no need to eat before you arrive: a different food truck parks up each week to keep tummies satisfied, and at Morningside the current truck is Pasta Masta, serving Italian. Regular events such as The Beer Spot Quiz on Tuesdays from 6:30pm give regulars a reason to keep coming back.

As the self-described Home of The Tap 40, the team takes the fear out of beer — the tap list is grouped into friendly, pun-filled categories from Hazed & Confused to Hour of Sour, so hop heads, lager loyalists and designated drivers (there is a 2.5% hazy for them) can all find a pour. Open 7 days a week.

The Beer Spot Morningside: 40 Rotating Craft Beer Taps in Kingsland, Auckland

On New North Road in Kingsland, The Beer Spot Morningside is what happens when a tavern and an off licence have a very good idea at the same time. The wall holds forty taps, pouring what the team calls 'forty rotating flavours of convenient take-home, beerilicious greatness, as fresh as the day the local brewers put them in the keg.' It is the self-declared Home of The Tap 40, and its stated mission is disarmingly friendly: to take the fear out of beer.

Forty taps, no fear

Craft beer lists can be intimidating — walls of unfamiliar names, styles and percentages. The Beer Spot defuses all of that with grouping and humour. On the tap list, beers are sorted into pun-filled categories like Lager Than Life, Hazed & Confused, Ale In A Days Work, Malt Teasers, Wheat As, Totes Sessionable, Hour of Sour and Hey There Hop Stuff, so whether you are a hop head, a lager loyalist or completely new to the stuff, there is an obvious place to start.

Rotation is the whole point. On any given day the board might pour Garage Project's Hapi Daze pale ale, Parrotdog's Thunderbird IPA, an Easy Ten Czech lager from Brave, McLeods Brewing's 7.2% Harvest Moon black IPA, or Epic's Dolcita hazy IPA. Big New Zealand names share space with smaller outfits — Isthmus, Cassels, Three Sisters, Two Fold, Volstead, Puhoi, Riverhead Cottage — and when a keg kicks, something new takes its place. If you can't decide, order a tasting paddle and try before committing to a full glass.

From the tap to your fridge

The clever bit is the dual licence. Because The Beer Spot operates as both a tavern and an off licence, anything you taste onsite can go home with you: the team fills one-litre purged and pressure-filled Roadies straight from the tap, so the beer travels away as fresh as it poured.

And despite the sign, it is not only about beer. There are ciders — Good George's Bright Cider Life, Bohemian's Rhubarb and Raspberry, Morningcider's Apple IPA — plus wines, spirits and non-alcoholic options, 'but don't tell anyone because the sign says BEER.' Designated drivers even get their own tap category: Grasshopper from Neck of the Woods, a 2.5% hazy pale ale, alongside Crimson Badger's Ginger Bear, New Zealand's famous craft ginger beer, which is vegan and gluten-intolerant friendly, and Liberty's fizzy Peached Az and Lemon Aye.

Food trucks and quiz nights

There is no kitchen here; instead, a different food truck parks up each week to keep tummies satisfied. At Morningside the current truck is Pasta Masta, dishing out Italian, while sister venues host the likes of Hanoi Kitchen (Vietnamese) in Northcote, The White Lady in Huapai, Crispy Coop in Whangaparāoa and Proper Doner Kebab in Panmure — one more reason the events calendar is worth checking before you visit. At Morningside, The Beer Spot Quiz lands on Tuesdays from 6:30pm, live music pops up across the family of venues, and the spaces can be booked for private functions through venue hire.

One of the family

The Kingsland bar is the Morningside branch of a small, proudly local group — alongside Northcote, Huapai, Whangaparāoa, Panmure and Papakura — all built around the same Tap 40 formula and open 7 days a week. Because the tap list rotates constantly, it pays to check the online drinks menu to see exactly what is pouring on the day. Then do as the regulars do: a paddle to start, a glass of whatever surprises you, and a Roadie for the ride home.

Signature items

• The Tap 40
• Tasting Paddle
• The Roadie
• Weekly Food Truck
• Ginger Bear
• Quiz Night

Menu

Not Beer

• Ginger Bear — Crimson Badger's original NZ craft ginger beer; vegan and gluten-intolerant friendly, 4.0% ABV.
• Dark and Grizzly — Crimson Badger darker-style ginger beer, 5.8% ABV.
• Peached Az — Liberty fizzy peach 'not beer', 4.0% ABV.
• Lemon Aye — Liberty alcoholic lemonade, 5.0% ABV.
• Sangria — Liberty red sangria, 6.0% ABV.

Wheat As

• Oakura Blonde — Three Sisters blonde ale, 4.8% ABV.
• Justine — Riverhead Cottage weiss beer, 4.5% ABV.

Happy Pills

• Puhoi Pilsner — Puhoi pilsner, 4.6% ABV.
• Thunderbird — Parrotdog IPA, 5.8% ABV.
• Sundog — Parrotdog pilsner, 5.2% ABV.

Hour Of Sour

• Elixir Eye of Newt (Passionfruit Sour) — Neck of the Woods passionfruit sour, 4.9% ABV.
• Tropical Cyclone — McLeod's double IPA, 8.0% ABV.
• Pineapple & Lime sour — Isthmus pineapple and lime sour, 3.8% ABV.

Malt Teasers

• Rhino Chaser — McLeods Brewing imperial lager, 7.8% ABV.
• Yorkshire Bitter Handpull — Two Thumbs bitter served on handpull, 4.4% ABV.

Lager Than Life

• #8 Mr Yakimoto — Hallertau rice lager, 5.0% ABV.
• Hoogah — Two Fold dark lager, 4.6% ABV.
• Harvest Moon — McLeods Brewing black IPA, 7.2% ABV.
• Easy Ten Czech Lager — Brave Czech-style lager, 4.0% ABV.
• Bling Golden Lager — Brothers Beer golden lager, 4.0% ABV.
• Beer Beer Birria Mexican Lager — Mexican-style lager from Beer Beer Birria, 4.7% ABV.

Hazed & Confused

• Joose Party — Epic hazy pale ale, 5.3% ABV.
• Good Shout hazy — Garage Project low-carb hazy pale ale, 4.0% ABV.
• Little Hazy Sir — Volstead hazy pale ale, 3.5% ABV.
• Dolcita — Epic hazy IPA, 6.2% ABV.
• Bright Static — Two Fold hazy IPA, 6.4% ABV.

American Graffiti

• Skyline — Isthmus American pale ale, 5.4% ABV.
• Raptor — Parrotdog American pale ale, 5.7% ABV.

Bright Cider Life

• Extra Dry Apple Cider — Good George extra dry apple cider, 4.5% ABV.
• Rhubarb and Raspberry Cider — Bohemian fruit cider, 5.0% ABV.
• Apple IPA Cider — Morningcider cider with an IPA twist, 6.0% ABV.

Designated Driver

• Grasshopper — Neck of the Woods low-ABV hazy pale ale, 2.5% ABV.

Pint Of No Return

• Bathgate — Aliment pale ale, 5.0% ABV.

Totes Sessionable

• Chufty Badge Golden Mild — Garage Project golden mild ale, 3.5% ABV.

Ale In A Days Work

• Hapi Daze — Garage Project pale ale, 4.6% ABV.
• Sea Spray - Dry Hopped — McLeod's dry-hopped pilsner, 5.3% ABV.
• Hop Turtle Low Carb — Te Aro low-carb XPA, 4.4% ABV.

Hey There Hop Stuff

• Underworld — Cassels IPA, 6.0% ABV.
• 3D IPA — Isthmus IPA, 6.6% ABV.
• Garagista — Garage Project IPA, 5.8% ABV.

Tall Dark & Handsome

• Black Beard Coffee Stout — Mount Brewing Co coffee stout, 6.0% ABV.
• Feijoa Fling — Thief feijoa sour ale, 5.0% ABV.
• Lug Lift London Porter — Two Fold London-style porter, 4.2% ABV.

Frequently asked questions

How many beers are on tap?

Forty rotating taps — the Tap 40 — pouring a wide range of New Zealand craft beer. The lineup changes as kegs are replaced.

Can I buy beer to take home?

Yes. The Beer Spot operates as both a tavern and an off licence, so you can fill a one-litre purged and pressure-filled Roadie to take away.

Does The Beer Spot serve food?

There is no kitchen — a different food truck visits each week. At Morningside the current truck is Pasta Masta, serving Italian.

What if I don't drink beer?

There are ciders, wines, spirits and non-alcoholic options, including Crimson Badger's Ginger Bear ginger beer (vegan and gluten-intolerant friendly) and Liberty's Peached Az and Lemon Aye.

When is quiz night?

The Beer Spot Quiz runs on Tuesdays from 6:30pm.

How do I book the venue or ask a question?

For the Morningside venue email morningside@thebeerspot.co.nz; venue hire is available across The Beer Spot locations.

What are the opening hours?

The Beer Spot is open 7 days a week. Check the website or social channels for the Morningside bar's daily hours.

Tips

• {"body":"With forty taps, a tasting paddle is the easiest way to find your favourite before committing to a glass.","title":"Start with a paddle"}
• {"body":"Take home a one-litre purged and pressure-filled Roadie, filled fresh from the tap.","title":"Grab a Roadie"}
• {"body":"A different truck visits each week — Morningside currently hosts Pasta Masta (Italian). Check the events page for updates.","title":"Time it with the food truck"}
• {"body":"The Beer Spot Quiz runs Tuesdays from 6:30pm, so arrive early if you want a good table.","title":"Turn up for the quiz"}
• {"body":"The forty taps rotate constantly, so peek at the online drinks menu to see what's pouring before you go.","title":"Check the tap list first"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Non-alcoholic and low-carb options; Ginger Bear ginger beer is vegan and gluten-intolerant friendly."}