The Theoretical Brewer is a pub on Corbett Road in Bell Block, a short drive north of central New Plymouth, and local opinion of it is emphatic: 4.8 stars from 49 Google reviews. A good neighbourhood pub earns its place the slow way: honest pours, a welcome that covers regulars and first-timers alike, and staff who can talk you through what is actually on. Where beer is taken seriously the taps tend to shift with the seasons, so it pays to ask what has just come on rather than ordering from habit. A quiet weeknight is the best time to judge a room; a Friday tells you how it handles a crowd. For Bell Block and the northern edge of New Plymouth, this looks like the local worth building a habit around.