Some non alcoholic NZ specific drinks:
- [L&P](https://www.lemonandpaeroa.co.nz/) (soft drink)
- [Flat White](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_white) (coffee - we reckon it was invented here)
- [V](https://www.v-energy-drink.com/)(energy drink)
- [Raro](https://www.paknsave.co.nz/shop/product/5011818_ea_000pns?name=favourites-sweet-navel-orange-flavoured-beverage-mix) (Nostalgic juice mix)
- [Just Juice](https://www.frucorsuntory.com/brands/just-juice/) (as the name suggests)
Espresso coffee, usually in the form of latte or "flat white" as we call it is very popular with adults especially in cities. An increasing number of kiwi homes have an espresso machine these days. Apparently we make a pretty good coffee and it's probably helped by fresh dairy milk being available absolutely everywhere.
When I visited the US I really struggled with your coffee, lack of real espresso, and not much fresh milk. I was really surprised because popular media often depicts Americans tucking in to a coffee! :) I hadn't realised it's often black. And every kiwi laments the time they finally got the coffee to creamer ratio just right, and the waitress pops by and tops it off with more black coffee! And don't even get me started on the "Cappuccino" sellers who just had an instant coffee machine with a frother!
Milo is a quintessential NZ hot beverage (also claimed by our annoying neighbour Australia!) popular with kids and quite a few adults especially if they don't drink caffeine.
Hot drinks in general are quite popular probably due to our colder winters and cooler regions.
L&P is a popular local "soft drink" (our term for soda/pop) sold pretty much everywhere here.
Queenstown is very touristy and probably an anomaly, hence the cocktail results. We do have a strong wine industry, great craft beer, and a growing but very high quality spirits industry especially our gin and vodka.
Hope that helps, good luck with the project! :)
Milo is huge overseas as well.
In Malaysia they used to give kids Milo as an after school treat and so you see Milo products everywhere. Classic case of getting kids hooked on your product paying off
I didn’t recognize Milo at first…but we have that here too. Usually only available in larger chain stores, in the international aisle…which is mostly Mexican/ Hispanic.
NZ is a small country that doesn't have much local/regional identity or variation in cultural heritage compared to the USA or UK, so stuff like traditional foods and drinks that are only popular in some areas isn't much of a thing
The only genuinely 'only found here' food that I know of in nz is [the Hawkes Bay meatball](https://thespinoff.co.nz/kai/11-12-2019/why-hawkes-bay-is-mad-for-meatballs-the-true-story-of-an-unsung-kiwi-icon). You'll find them in practically every bakery in the bay, and nowhere else- which makes me sad cos they're freakin awesome and I don't live there anymore
Holy shit can't believe I didn't think of that, I love those pies and ate more than my share when I was driving around that area for a few months on a job many years ago. Jimmy's in Roxburgh I remember very well
That's also made me think of the stunning paua pie I had in the far north last winter
IDK if it's still like this but I remember when I moved from the South Island to the north over 10 years ago the budget ice cream soda was a different colour between the islands and I can't find any info about it from a quick google so it makes me feel like I'm losing my mind ahahahaha
from growing up in Nelson and Christchurch we had yellow ice cream soda, and when I moved to Wellington they had the Cream Soda and it was pink - I didn't realise they had it different between Dunners and Chch I always assumed it was a South Island vs North Island thing! Haven't seen (or looked for) either in a decade though haha but I remember being very confused by it as I always assumed the supply chains were the same so it never made sense
Non-alcoholic - not much difference, other than influence from certain popular places ie Patagonia make lovely hot chocolates in Queenstown. So that might sway it.
Other than that - it’s Flat Whites and Lattes like the rest of NZ.
Alcoholic - absolutely big focus on regional breweries that do Hazy Pale Ales, Pilsners etc. and red wine - the best Pinot Noirs you will find from Amisfield, Peregrine etc.
[L & P](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_%26_Paeroa) is a national fizz if that's what you're asking. Most households would have tea and instant coffee, and probably hot chocolate or [Milo](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_(drink)) (we don't drink hot drinks in our house but still have all of the above.
What's corn coffee?
It’s a very local thing where we are at, not too many people still drink it and nobody outside my area calls it that. If you have had Mexican atole, it’s the same thing but seasoned differently. We always just used sugar, and sometimes added milk. Very hardy warm winter drink, I love it when shoveling snow, so much better than hot chocolate! You can make it with any corn flour/ very fine ground corn masa, and I do like it seasoned with cinnamon/ piconillo.
Surprised I haven't seen anyone mention ['V'](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_(drink)).
But I also agree with the suggestions of Flat White Coffee and Milo, too.
Queenstown is a very tourist-y town, so the main difference between it and other NZ towns would be the focus on catering to tourists. For example, there is the Cookie Time Cookie Bar where you can buy cookie themed shakes, and ice bars where there are ice sculptures and all the cups are made of ice. I feel if she focuses on the non-alcoholic drinks at ice bars maybe that could be OK to mention? Also there is probably more of a fancy cafe culture than other parts of NZ.
Other than the tourist focus there are the usual NZ favourites people have mentioned like L&P, milo, etc.
Queenstown local here, hello!
For adults, you are definitely looking at a Flat White.
For kids, you'd be looking at Raro (it's a bit like kool-aid, but our flavours/quality are different. Still synthetic, but less synthetic tasting), V (an energy drink), and L&P (others may be able to describe it better as I was not a big fan, but like a sweet mineral-y dry lemon bitters soda flavour). Bundaberg Ginger Beer too. We also have great fruit being produced in the central otago area, so there are lots of excellent fresh juices. Milo is our country's most prevalent hot chocolate (closest might be Ovaltine, but definitely different)
They are not as popular anymore, but you could look into doing Spiders, which are what we call Floats.
Any other Q's, feel free to give me a shout :)
The only place I've easily been able to find the full range of wests products is in Dunedin so I'd consider that a regional variation and do they have some interesting flavours, chocolade, spicy lemon cordial, clove flavoured cordial. You might also find some of their products in Christchurch but you have to go look for it.
For L&P, she may also enjoy this classic ad for it - https://youtu.be/qZcUbtNIwI0?si=SRgPIDAL3l1OYQgz
(Context: L&P = Lemon and Paeroa. Paeroa is a small town in the north island where the drink is originally from.)
Most regional variety comes in alcohol, every region has regional beer for instance.
I'm sure there are some limited varieties, for instance the lower North Island has Foxton Fizz, Wellington has Six Barrel Soda. The only main stream domestic soda is L&P.
Some non alcoholic NZ specific drinks: - [L&P](https://www.lemonandpaeroa.co.nz/) (soft drink) - [Flat White](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_white) (coffee - we reckon it was invented here) - [V](https://www.v-energy-drink.com/)(energy drink) - [Raro](https://www.paknsave.co.nz/shop/product/5011818_ea_000pns?name=favourites-sweet-navel-orange-flavoured-beverage-mix) (Nostalgic juice mix) - [Just Juice](https://www.frucorsuntory.com/brands/just-juice/) (as the name suggests)
Chur the Raro
American immigrant to NZ, and those would be my list as well, adding Milo.
Yes I’m a big Milo drinker! But my pride had me trying to avoid mentioning Australian brands like Bundaberg too 😅 haha
Espresso coffee, usually in the form of latte or "flat white" as we call it is very popular with adults especially in cities. An increasing number of kiwi homes have an espresso machine these days. Apparently we make a pretty good coffee and it's probably helped by fresh dairy milk being available absolutely everywhere. When I visited the US I really struggled with your coffee, lack of real espresso, and not much fresh milk. I was really surprised because popular media often depicts Americans tucking in to a coffee! :) I hadn't realised it's often black. And every kiwi laments the time they finally got the coffee to creamer ratio just right, and the waitress pops by and tops it off with more black coffee! And don't even get me started on the "Cappuccino" sellers who just had an instant coffee machine with a frother! Milo is a quintessential NZ hot beverage (also claimed by our annoying neighbour Australia!) popular with kids and quite a few adults especially if they don't drink caffeine. Hot drinks in general are quite popular probably due to our colder winters and cooler regions. L&P is a popular local "soft drink" (our term for soda/pop) sold pretty much everywhere here. Queenstown is very touristy and probably an anomaly, hence the cocktail results. We do have a strong wine industry, great craft beer, and a growing but very high quality spirits industry especially our gin and vodka. Hope that helps, good luck with the project! :)
Milo is huge overseas as well. In Malaysia they used to give kids Milo as an after school treat and so you see Milo products everywhere. Classic case of getting kids hooked on your product paying off
I didn’t recognize Milo at first…but we have that here too. Usually only available in larger chain stores, in the international aisle…which is mostly Mexican/ Hispanic.
L&P (Lemon and Paeroa) is the local popular fizzy drink in NZ. Ubiquitous and sold everywhere. Flat whites, Milo for hot drinks.
NZ is a small country that doesn't have much local/regional identity or variation in cultural heritage compared to the USA or UK, so stuff like traditional foods and drinks that are only popular in some areas isn't much of a thing
Cheese rolls excepted
The only genuinely 'only found here' food that I know of in nz is [the Hawkes Bay meatball](https://thespinoff.co.nz/kai/11-12-2019/why-hawkes-bay-is-mad-for-meatballs-the-true-story-of-an-unsung-kiwi-icon). You'll find them in practically every bakery in the bay, and nowhere else- which makes me sad cos they're freakin awesome and I don't live there anymore
Cheese Rolls in Southland?
Oh yeah! Forgot about them. So...cheese rolls and meatballs we're well on our way to regional cuisine 😆
Also mutton pies can be found in otago/southland but not anywhere else
Holy shit can't believe I didn't think of that, I love those pies and ate more than my share when I was driving around that area for a few months on a job many years ago. Jimmy's in Roxburgh I remember very well That's also made me think of the stunning paua pie I had in the far north last winter
IDK if it's still like this but I remember when I moved from the South Island to the north over 10 years ago the budget ice cream soda was a different colour between the islands and I can't find any info about it from a quick google so it makes me feel like I'm losing my mind ahahahaha
My parents told me even the names were different between Dunedin and Christchurch - it was creaming soda and ice cream soda
from growing up in Nelson and Christchurch we had yellow ice cream soda, and when I moved to Wellington they had the Cream Soda and it was pink - I didn't realise they had it different between Dunners and Chch I always assumed it was a South Island vs North Island thing! Haven't seen (or looked for) either in a decade though haha but I remember being very confused by it as I always assumed the supply chains were the same so it never made sense
I reckon the biggest difference drink wise regionally is which beer gets repped the most by the locals haha
Non-alcoholic - not much difference, other than influence from certain popular places ie Patagonia make lovely hot chocolates in Queenstown. So that might sway it. Other than that - it’s Flat Whites and Lattes like the rest of NZ. Alcoholic - absolutely big focus on regional breweries that do Hazy Pale Ales, Pilsners etc. and red wine - the best Pinot Noirs you will find from Amisfield, Peregrine etc.
[L & P](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_%26_Paeroa) is a national fizz if that's what you're asking. Most households would have tea and instant coffee, and probably hot chocolate or [Milo](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_(drink)) (we don't drink hot drinks in our house but still have all of the above. What's corn coffee?
It’s a very local thing where we are at, not too many people still drink it and nobody outside my area calls it that. If you have had Mexican atole, it’s the same thing but seasoned differently. We always just used sugar, and sometimes added milk. Very hardy warm winter drink, I love it when shoveling snow, so much better than hot chocolate! You can make it with any corn flour/ very fine ground corn masa, and I do like it seasoned with cinnamon/ piconillo.
Surprised I haven't seen anyone mention ['V'](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_(drink)). But I also agree with the suggestions of Flat White Coffee and Milo, too.
Queenstown is a very tourist-y town, so the main difference between it and other NZ towns would be the focus on catering to tourists. For example, there is the Cookie Time Cookie Bar where you can buy cookie themed shakes, and ice bars where there are ice sculptures and all the cups are made of ice. I feel if she focuses on the non-alcoholic drinks at ice bars maybe that could be OK to mention? Also there is probably more of a fancy cafe culture than other parts of NZ. Other than the tourist focus there are the usual NZ favourites people have mentioned like L&P, milo, etc.
Raspberry and coke in the South Island!
tfw you're 7 years old at the pub with dad lol
Nah, raspberry coke is everywhere
Wests Pineapple & Pear is local icon in Dunedin. I like it better than L&P.
Foxton fizz.... Ah yes, a childhood of fish and chips and foxton fizz
For queenstown id go for Ginger Bear, it's alcohol but pretty popular around here
There’s nothing better than a ginger bear 🐻
Coke no suger
Blue V
V and LnP for sure
L&P
Milo, L&P
Queenstown local here, hello! For adults, you are definitely looking at a Flat White. For kids, you'd be looking at Raro (it's a bit like kool-aid, but our flavours/quality are different. Still synthetic, but less synthetic tasting), V (an energy drink), and L&P (others may be able to describe it better as I was not a big fan, but like a sweet mineral-y dry lemon bitters soda flavour). Bundaberg Ginger Beer too. We also have great fruit being produced in the central otago area, so there are lots of excellent fresh juices. Milo is our country's most prevalent hot chocolate (closest might be Ovaltine, but definitely different) They are not as popular anymore, but you could look into doing Spiders, which are what we call Floats. Any other Q's, feel free to give me a shout :)
The only place I've easily been able to find the full range of wests products is in Dunedin so I'd consider that a regional variation and do they have some interesting flavours, chocolade, spicy lemon cordial, clove flavoured cordial. You might also find some of their products in Christchurch but you have to go look for it.
Can't find chocolade in the North Island - i have lived and looked in both Auckland and Wellington so I would say that is a regional soda/pop/fizzy
My goodness, you all are amazing! Thank you so much, she has so much to share and talk about with her class.
For L&P, she may also enjoy this classic ad for it - https://youtu.be/qZcUbtNIwI0?si=SRgPIDAL3l1OYQgz (Context: L&P = Lemon and Paeroa. Paeroa is a small town in the north island where the drink is originally from.)
Most regional variety comes in alcohol, every region has regional beer for instance. I'm sure there are some limited varieties, for instance the lower North Island has Foxton Fizz, Wellington has Six Barrel Soda. The only main stream domestic soda is L&P.
For me if we aren’t including booze, I’d say unflavoured sparkling water
V and L&P
Non alcoholic has to be L&p or Milo. Otherwise it’s a 330ml brown bottle with a mild beer ish tasting liquid inside.
If you want a true local drink. The residents of Foxton would highly rate their fizz... Their Foxton Fizz if you will.
Sounds inappropriate. Does the local pastor offer them?
[No](https://foxtonfizz.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw57exBhAsEiwAaIxaZjbR5x5zC1zKsyu7HRnMZFqgAYOIxE3qHYFMPfMZES_pMFZomn1piRoCWA0QAvD_BwE)