After ‘one of those days’, there is nothing better than heading in the opposite direction to the crowds of galoots leaving work to go to a hoachin’ city bar for a wine spritzer, and instead stepping into one of those secretive wee bars that easily go unnoticed, and better still, instantly transport you to another country (in mind and spirit, if not body).

Feeling slightly cross-eyed and gagging for a beer after a hard day’s slog at the office, I dragged Em (blatant lie here, where beer is concerned this girl never needs her arm twisted) out to Brunswick Street to check out Little Hop.

This cute craft beer bar has hopped onto the pop-up cuisine train, and is currently hosting Los Hermanos Mexican Taqueria from Brunswick. With a delicious smell wafting out the door onto the street, I was more than up for jumping aboard that bad boy – tacos were made for munching with beer.

The bar is long and skinny, with two-tone orange and blue walls, pretty mosaic tiles, big murals and green plants, and the dim lighting and cool reggae beats provided just the right kind of relaxed Spanish-style atmosphere for unwinding after a pure mental day.

There are little tables inside and on the street but we opted to be as near to the booze and food as possible, so sat perched at the bar, which was a double bonus because we got to watch the chef at work while sipping on our beers, just like two tired, gurny auld codgers.

But first we had the task of choosing a beer from a mammoth selection. We tried the two on tap – the first being a “house

brew” made by brewer friends of the bar, who preferred to remain anonymous. It was a kashmiri curry pilsner, which can really only be described as bizarre, with a spicy kick that would make it difficult to drink in quantity. God only knows what the next day’s backlash would be if you managed to get guttered on that stuff.

The second one was Cucumber Hippy by Kiwi brewers 8 Wired. Initially refreshing, it fast became a mouthful akin to cucumber reflux. And that’s just minging. Fair play to Little Hop for tapping into experimental beers outside the bog-standard box though! Changing weekly, it’s all about getting creative.

Back to the beer list, which has quite a few Kiwi numbers. The list is something beer nerds could have a square go about, with a few mistakes in the details to be spotted. But the fact they stock most of the 40-plus beers is pretty damn impressive, I say.

Spoiled for choice, it took a good few minutes of debating and tossing up options, with the hoppy list luring Em in and the little hops one pulling me in.

Em settled for a Semiconductor Session IPA from 8 Wired, but after one sip she declared there was just not enough bang in the glass for her buck. “I think I underestimated my hop desires and should have gone straight to big hops section [this was merely in ‘hoppy’].”

I had more success with my Courage Blonde Ale by Cavalier Brewing. Silky smooth like Goldilocks’s luscious mane, it was just right for my sensitive palate. Gentle, inoffensive yet delicious. Luckily, it also goes with any food, because I decided to have three different kinds of tacos. With seven kinds to chose from (including three vegetarian options), I was like a fat kid in a lolly shop.

Em stuck to the De Hongos tacos – field mushrooms, corn, manchego, coriander and queso fresco – which were so good they transported her back to her travels in Costa Rica.

Meanwhile, fat bastard over here would have had one of each of the seven if she wasn’t so paranoid she would have no room left for beer. First into the hungry gub was the De Pollo – braised chicken, chipotle salsa, potatoes, cheese, lettuce, and green tomatillo salsa. Wrapped in textured taco wraps, the tender filling was tasty and juicy but very importantly, not so moist that it was falling apart … which in my opinion is the only potential pitfall of taco time.

C R A F T B E E R

NATURAL W I N E

S M A L L B A T C H C O F F E E

RESTAURANT REVIEW

L ITTLE HOP2 7 7 B R U N S W I C K S T , F I T Z R O Y

SCOTTISH-ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Words by Claire Henderson // Pics by Emily Day

Galoots: idiotsHoachin: crazy busyGurny: grumpyAuld codgers: old menGuttered: drunkMinging: disgusting

Next was the De Puerco – slow cooked pork, orange, vinegar, lime, achiote and pickled onions. It was a little on the dry side but still tasty.

Last but certainly not least, with the fanciest name and the most flavour of the lot, was the De Calabazitas – zucchini, corn, tomato, sour cream and manchego and queso fresco. Yum.

Just for experimental sake, we decided we had to try a serving of gorditas, as neither of us had experienced these wee puffy tortilla balls filled with cheese and beans. Incidentally, gordita means “little fat girl” in Spanish, and that’s exactly what you will become if you eat too many. But it’s definitely OK to share.

Our hipster barman tried to tempt us with an after-dinner nip of tequila but we were back onto that beer list. Em decided to go hard and ordered a Californicator by Big Shed Brewing.

Let’s just say the label is colourful and is not suitable for the eyes of bairns. Em described it as “being smothered by Winnie the Pooh in a pine forest”. She went to a very hoppy place. Talking of places, don’t be fooled by the name or the taste, because this “sweet and syrupy like honey” liquid is from South Australia, not California.

My final poison was a Venom Golden Ale (see what I did there!). Nowhere nearly as scary as the name, it’s fresh and easy to drink, with a little kick to it to keep the taste buds on their toes. And the disgustingly awesome label is one to collect too.

A couple of drinks and some scran later, and we were perfectly relaxed. It’s a place we could easily sit for hours to drink and eat... drink and eat. Isn’t that the best kind of bar to be in?

Verdict: The Mexicans ken whit’s whit

Gub: mouthA square go: an argumentNip: shotBairns: childrenScran: foodKen: know

“A COUPLE OF DRINKS AND SOME SCRAN LATER , AND WE WERE PERFECTLY RELAXED”“A COUPLE OF DRINKS AND SOME SCRAN LATER , AND WE WERE PERFECTLY RELAXED”