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Too long beer has lingered in the shadows, banished from its rightful spot on the fine dining tables of Australia. With the increasing popularity of beer in gourmet circles, Stefanie Collins takes a look at the mechanics of beer and food matching, and chats to the experts about how to bring beer into the kitchen at home.

36

F

ood, restaurants and the upper echelons of “good taste” were once seen as solely the preserve of wine buffs. Wine matched degustation meals were the height of chic, while having a wine and cheese soiree at home was meant to show your sophistication.

Now, however, restaurants and foodies are cottoning on to what beer fanatics have known for years: beer and food make excellent bedfellows, in some cases better than food and wine. Just ask James Squire Master Brewer Chuck Hahn.

“Many people say beer is too gassy, and therefore wine is better with a meal,” he says.

“However, when beer is consumed in moderation – and not so fast – it goes well with foods. Taste rather than just drink; savour the flavours.”

While some pairings follow much the same path as wine pairings – i.e. light coloured wines with light coloured foods, and dark coloured wines with dark coloured foods – there is certainly a lot more nuance to beer and food pairings, thanks to the fact that the flavour spectrum in beer is far more varied than that of its grapy relative.

THE THREE CS

James Adams checks in on the booming Aussie cider industry to get the low down on the 2013 apple and pear harvest.

When it comes to pairing anything – beer/ cheese, beer/dessert, or beer/barbeque – there are three general rules to follow. Unlike the light-with-light or dark-with-dark rules, the Three Cs provide much more room for creativity: compare, contrast, and cleanse.

The first two concepts are easy enough to understand. With comparative flavours, you pair a beer and a dish that have similar flavour profiles – a classic example would be a rich, chocolate pudding with a Porter or Stout.

With contrasting matches, the flavours of the brew and the meal are juxtaposed in such a way as to complement each other. A great example from a recent Bistrode CBD menu was James Squire’s Four Wives Pilsener with a fig and almond cake and honey ice cream. The bitterness of the hops contrasted perfectly with the slightly too sweet combination of the figs and honey to enhance the dessert and make the combination more delicious than the sum of its parts.

The final concept is not one traditionally found in wine matches – unless one is holding a champagne matching, an entirely

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46

LIFESTYLE

Beer Etiquette

HOW TO DRINK LIKE A LOCAL Don’t know your ponies from your pots? Ever been disappointed by a South Australian pint?

Don’t want the locals to know you’re ‘not from around here’? Here’s our guide to ordering a beer like a local. By Gregor Stronach.

I

t’s a well-known fact that pubs can be pretty tribal places at times. But that shouldn’t put you off stopping in somewhere new for a beer, should the need arise. So we’ve put together this handy guide to ordering a beer anywhere in Australia and New Zealand, so you’ll get what you want (a beer) and the locals won’t twig to the fact that you’re an out-of-towner.

The basics are almost universal. “I’ll have a [glass] of [beer], thanks…” will usually suffice.

But filling in those blanks with the appropriate terminology and brand name can be baffling if you’re not sure of the local customs.

Sure, there’s the age-old ‘ponder-and-point’ maneuver, which is useful when you’re standing within coo-ee of the taps and you’re quietly certain that you can see what you’re after.

But, from state to state – and, more and more these days – from pub to pub, there’s been a strange divide in the names and sizes of beers, which has tripped up more than a couple of unwary punters over the years.

If you already know your ponies from your pots, and what to expect when you order a pint in New South Wales, versus a pint in South Australia, then you can probably skip over most of this, but for those who aren’t sure (and, let’s be frank, it’s a hard task to remember them all), this is the definitive guide to making sure you get what you want over the bar.

Before we begin, a small piece of housekeeping: For non-tap beers, we’re now spoiled for choice in Australia and New Zealand.

Which makes ordering what you want an almost universal procedure, achieved through the simple expedience of asking for what you want, or gesturing mutely at the fridge. But even that can present a challenge in some parts of the country – and we’ll get to that later.

46

NSW AND ACT

The good news for cross-border drinkers between NSW and the ACT is that the beer sizes, and names, are all standardised – hardly surprising, considering that the Australian Capital Territory was nominally part of New South Wales until its formation in 1911. Plus the locals were drinking beer in and around Canberra long before Canberra even existed.

The upshot of this is that you can comfortably wander into just about any pub in NSW or the ACT and tell your friend behind the bar “I’ll have a schooner of [beer]” – in return, you’ll be blessed by the

we got a way of measuring distances that didn’t require being able to count past ten.

A middy is a 285ml glass, so-called because it’s the midway point between having loads of beer (a pint) and being sad about having no beer at all.

Slumbering quietly below the middy is the almost-mythical “Seven”, a seven-ounce glass that most barkeeps haven’t served a beer into in many years. And at the bottom of the volume ladder is the Pony – a 140ml glass which, in the mostly temperate climate of NSW, has no place behind the bar at all.

As for a “local” drink… it was always a Tooheys. Declaring loudly at the bar that you’ll have “A schooner of New, thanks” will brand you as a local in two seconds flat.

QUEENSLAND

presence of 425ml, or 15 fluid ounces, of pure, unadulterated joy in a glass.

But it hasn’t always been that way.

Nominally, the schooner is meant to be two-thirds of a pint, which adds up to 426ml. Drinkers were robbed of 1ml by the introduction of the metric system, but in return

It’s the home of XXXX, and for decades it was considered treason, bordering on heresy, to drink anything that didn’t hail from the Castlemaine Perkins brewery. Times, thankfully, have changed a bit, and the locals tell us that it’s not unusual to be able to find two, and sometimes even three, different beers on tap in Queensland pubs.

We jest, of course, but there’s something to that tribal attitude of years gone by that bears thinking about – and that’s the taste for particular beers based not on state borders, but the actual geography and climate of the area itself.

Down the southern end of Queensland, you should order your beer by the pot, pint or jug.

Further north, up in the tropics, ordering by the volume of the glass is fairly standard – so you’d ask for a ten, a seven or a five. If you don’t specify what you want in the glass, it’ll come loaded up with XXXX. Up north, if you can’t find XXXX on tap where you’re standing, then you’re either in church or hospital – it’s available pretty much everywhere else. And the locals drink it by the “pot”, which is Queenslandese for a half pint.

Historically, it’s the biggest container of beer you could buy without purchasing an entire jug – and you don’t order a jug to drink on your own unless you’ve just won the State of Origin and there are no photographers lurking about.

But why, I hear you think, would Queenslanders prefer a smaller glass than their southern counterparts? It’s because of the climate. In tropical areas, with high humidity,

(and, again, you can now buy beers by the pint in many locations), but historically-speaking, you can ask the barkeep for a pot, a handle or a ten… and get precisely the same thing: a half-pint of beer.

They call it a ‘ten’ because it’s ten fluid ounces – which explains that the next sizes down in Tassie are an ‘eight’ (8oz) and a ‘six’ (6oz). What comes next on the list is a curiosity that the locals call a ‘small beer’ – four fluid ounces, or 115ml.

When you consider that a recent study performed by lab coat-wearing boffins concluded that the average ‘mouthful’ of beer consumed by

TASMANIA

There’s an exception to every single rule in the universe – and when it comes to ordering beers, Tasmania is the one state that bucks the ‘cold weather, bigger beers’ trend.

The lexicon will vary from pub to pub,

Not sure what to order... listen in to the guy in the footy shorts – he’s got to be local dressed like that.

Order a beer like a local to win over the bar staff.

an average male is a scant 85ml, we are left to ponder why anyone would purchase less than one and a half mouthfuls of beer.

When it comes to the local brew, these days you’re so spoilt for choice that it’s hard to put a generic name to it – but Cascade’s always a safe bet if you want to look like you belong.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Western Australia is so far geographically removed from most of the rest of Australia that there’s a certain parochialism attached to that state. As a result, many of its quirks make ordering a beer in WA a potential minefield.

For starters, anyone from Victoria, Tasmania or Queensland who wandered into a WA pub and instinctively ordered a ‘pot’ will be in for a shock. Firstly, it’ll be vastly more expensive than they’re used to. Secondly, it’ll be twice as big.

In WA, a ‘pot’ is what the rest of the country calls a pint – with the exception of South Australia, which we’ll get to in a minute.

In decreasing order of size, WA then pretty much conforms with New South Wales before making an abrupt, inexplicable departure for Victorian measures.

Schooners are the same as they are in NSW, as are the middies. Those are followed by the Glass (200ml) and the Bobbie (170ml / 6oz).

From the Bobbie, we find the Pony, the same as Victoria.

Lagging last on the list is the same woefully inadequate measure as a ‘small beer’ from Tasmania – 140ml of miserable short-changing.

Except they don’t call it a ‘small beer’ – it’s a Small Pony, which morphed linguistically into the Shetland. Of course.

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All the latest for 2013.

50 ITALY

Everything beer, bars and breweries from the region.

18PROFILE

54 WEEKEND AWAY

We tour the burgeoning Brisbane beer scene that is perfect for a getaway.

We chat with Two Brothers Brewing from Victoria.

FATHERS DAY

The Boot may be better known for its lagers, but a new wave of inventive brewers are coming through.

58 BREWERY DIRECTORY 60 BREWERY TOUR

Three sons who work in the beer industry with their dads dish the dirt on what it is like.

The Auckland beer scene has gotten a lot richer with the arrival of Brothers Brewery, a brewpub and craft beer bar with an epic selection.

& CIDER 22BEER SALES STATS 26STYLE NOTES 61EVENTS CALENDAR

Roger Protz looks at the art of brewing a Saison.

& FOOD 36 BEER MATCHING

Stefanie Collins & Neil Miller jump on the bandwagon to find out from the experts just what is what when it comes to the art of beer and food matching.

TO 46 HOW DRINK LOCAL

YOU DON’T ORDER A JUG TO DRINK ON YOUR OWN UNLESS YOU’VE JUST WON THE STATE OF ORIGIN ...” once beer is in a glass it goes flat a lot quicker than in colder climes. So it makes sense, then, to serve it in little glasses – you’re better off making frequent trips to the bar for little drinks than getting one big one and churning your way through a half a pint of dud suds.

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AND 10NEWS AWARDS 12 B&B UPDATE

MICROBREWERY

37

LIFESTYLE

Beer Etiquette

BEER TALK TRAVELLER GOURMET

20

32HARVEST REPORT

0 3

47

Gregor Stronach gives you the low down on how to order a beer interstate without looking like a twat.

THE FRIDGE

HAS 10 FOR 66 SPRING 70 TOP SPRUNG WINTER Create the best chicken parma of your life with the folk at Mrs Parma’s and whip up some Italian flair with regional cuisine to knock your socks off.

Ian Kingham gives you the low-down on what’s best in a bottle this season.

BEER & FOOD MATCHING

All the latest and greatest brews to hit fridges and bars in the past few months.

69

Jeremy Strode (NSW) matches some classic and inventive brews – and one cider – with some of his favourite dishes, as well as a few he invented on the spot.

HOT 72 WHAT’S OFF THE DOCK

73

CELEB PICK

Get to know SA newspaperman and editor David Penberthy as he road tests a handful of beers that are on sale this season.

74 TASTING NOTES

Looking for something new to try? We’ve lined up a stack of beer, cider and whisky from near and far.

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3

SPRING HAS SPRUNG...OUT OF NOWHERE!

D

id anyone else blink and see half the year disappear? It is hard to believe we’re into spring already! For both Aussies and Kiwis that means things are warming up a little, and it also means a whole slew of new beers styles are suddenly just perfect for this seasonal combination weather. As such we’ve put Saison in the limelight for spring. This fascinating style – sometimes referred to as a Farmhouse Ale – has its roots in Belgian history and once stood a very real chance of becoming extinct.

From Belgium we’re travelling to Italy to get an update on why and how this history-rich country is sitting on the cutting edge of the craft beer revolution.

And we stay in Italy for some traditional, yet certainly not your average Italian cuisine from the Umbrian region.

As always we have plenty of beers – both new and not so new – up for tasting as well as a ‘what’s hot’ list of everything new and interesting in the world of beer.

A U S T R A L I A

&

N E W

Z E A L A N D

Editor Stefanie Collins editor@beerandbrewer.com

Deputy Editor Gregor Stronach Art Director Jenny Cowan Consulting Editor Ian Kingham NZ Editor-at-Large Neil Miller Photography iStockphoto.com, Singapore Tourism, Stefanie Collins, Gregor Stronach, David Lipman Valued Contributors James Adams, Drew Beechum, Andrew Childs, Ian Kingham, Neil Miller, John Palmer, Tina Panoutsos, Colin Penrose, John Preston, Roger Protz, Jeremy Sambrooks, Gregor Stronach, Bill Taylor, Chris Thomas, Brian Watson, Graham Wright, Jamil Zainasheff.

Ad Design Matt Burns Accounts Isha Kalia Publisher David Lipman david@beerandbrewer.com, 0415 081 284 Advertising David Lipman +61 (0)2 9660 2113 Mob: +61 (0) 415 081 285 david@beerandbrewer.com Media Kit available for download at www.beerandbrewer.com/advertise

Cheers, Stefanie Collins Editor, Beer & Brewer

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Subscription Rates Australia $79.99 3 years (12 issues) saving $39.41 (33%), $54.99 2 years (8 issues) saving $24.61 (31%), $29.99 1 year (4 issues) saving $9.81 (25%), New Zealand $88.99 3 years (12 issues) saving $30.41 (25%), $60.99 2 years (8 issues) saving $18.61 (23%), $32.99 1 year (4 issues) saving $6.81 (17%), International $132.99 3 years (12 issues), $89.99 2 years (8 issues), $47.99 1 year (4 issues). Rates in AUD and incl. 10% GST for Australia, excluding GST for NZ and International.

Printing Webstar Sydney

GREGOR STRONACH

One of the original members of the Chaser team, Gregor is a Sydneybased journalist with a deep and abiding passion for all things gastronomic. A firm believer that there’s nothing wrong with pairing a good beer with fine food, he can often be found sampling all of the bounteous offerings of Sydney.

See pages 31 & 54-57.

ROGER PROTZ

Roger Protz is a British beer writer who travels the world in search of fine beer. He is the author of more than 20 books on the subject, hosts regular tastings and talks, and has lectured to the Friends of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. He has a Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Guild of Beer Writers Awards. See pages 26-29.

Distribution Network Services (Aus) & NetLink (NZ), D & D Mailing, 8 Point Distribution (Overseas), Dan Murphy’s, imake, The Beverage Food Group (VIC) ISSN 1834 5115 Published By Beer & Brewer Media Pty Ltd ABN 90 155 638 494 Ph: +61 2 9660 2113, Fax: +61 2 8078 0645, 41 Bridge Rd, Glebe NSW 2037 www.beerandbrewer.com

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Nominated, Le Cordon Bleu World Food Media Awards 2010, Best Drink Magazine, Best Food and/ or Drink Section in a Magazine BELL Award, Highly Commended, Best Consumer Magazine Launch 2007, Best Consumer Magazine Cover 2008 DISCLAIMER The opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Although all material is checked for accuracy, no liability is assumed by the publisher for any losses due to the use of material in this magazine. Copyright 2012 by Beer & Brewer Media Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior permission of Beer & Brewer Media Pty Ltd. Selected images copyright Getty Images, iStockphoto, 123rf.com. All rights reserved.

JAMES ADAMS

James Adams is a cider enthusiast and writer known for his work on his cider-related blog: All About Cider. A fourth generation Barossa Valley wine maker, his day job might be in a winery but his passion for all aspects of cider making and drinking is certainly evident in his written work.

See pages 32-34.

4

NEIL MILLER

Neil is a beer writer who combines a strong knowledge of beer with extensive research, interview skills, a passable palate, pop culture references and a dry wit. Neil’s work has also appeared in Cuisine, The Dominion Post, Dish, BEER and The Wellingtonian.

See pages 29, & 44-45.

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www.twitter.com/beerandbrewer, or on our forums at www.beerandbrewer.com/forum and tell us your thoughts!

We’ll publish the best letters and posts right here and send you a prize.

Each letter submitted this issue has won a copy of our new book Beer Buyers Guide (RRP$24.99). A beer lover’s must-have companion to buying beer in Australia and New Zealand, including beer history, beer ingredients, how to taste and judge beer, buying beer, glassware, food matching, 100 beer style notes, 330 tasting notes from 53 countries, and a directory of 3000 local and imported beers and ciders. For more information see www.beerbuyersguide.com.au The lucky winner of the Editor's Pick has also won a Tap King from Lion. The pack includes a Tap King dispenser along with two 3.2L bottles of James Squire The Chancer Golden Ale (RRP$82.98), www.tapking.com.

Editor’s Pick HAPPY BIRTHDAY BREW! ’Hi B&B, It is hard to think that you have had me hooked on your magazine now for six years. After the first edition release in May 2007 my wife and little boy must have found the last copy in the newsagency and presented it to me as a Fathers Day gift in September. I continued to harass the newsagent every three months for a few years until I signed for my first subscription and just yesterday I signed for my second subscription.

As an avid homebrewer the best change was the addition of the Homebrewer section added to celebrate your 3rd Birthday in May 2010. Love to read the interviews with the brewers from around the country and brew their suggested recipes.

Best Regards,

HOPS AWAY!

tremendously full of great product that it is difficult to fit them all in to only four issues!

Hi B&B, Was looking at the winter mag in the What’s Hot Off The Dock section and saw the fleeting mention of Southern Bays Hop Bazooka and was really disappointed there was not more of a description of this beer. Firstly its not exactly new, I think it has been around for about a year.

I am a big fan of the guys at Southern Bay and this beer is awesome. The hops coming off it are massive, but are pushed all to the aroma end.

You can pick each of the hop varieties as you taste, some passionfruit from the galaxy, floral from the Stella and citrus and pine from the Citra.

It is not aggressively bitter just nicely balanced.

I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who is interested in understanding aroma hops.

CHEERS ROB, VIA FORUM

ANDREW, VIA FORUM

Thanks for the birthday wishes mate – time certainly has flown here too! I wonder how many other lucky dads woke up to subscriptions this Fathers Day? Thanks again for the support and hope you continue to enjoy the mag for the next six years!

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Hey Rob, I’m sure you’ll be pleased to see that Hop Bazooka has got a run in our Buyer’s Guide this issue! You’re right, it is a great beer from a cracking Victorian craft brewer. We were a little late getting it in I agree – the beer officially launched at the end of 2012 – but better late than never right? The new beers pages are always

THESE TAXING TIMES!

Hi B&B, It was great to see the Australian Real Craft Beer Association release their white paper “Australian Real Craft Brewers and the need for excise relief and Government support”. It is clear from the paper that a significant body of work has gone into the preparation of the paper. The call for excise relief is an important one and action needs to be taken and it’s fantastic to see an industry body lead the way.

As highlighted in the white paper there are many reasons for excise reform that go beyond simply providing support to small craft breweries around Australia. Some of the key points from the paper are — Excise reform needs to be undertaken to support small independent brewers to address the differences in taxation: N Of alcohol in Australia versus other OECD nations and this is hurting local small breweries and N Between beer and wine in Australia Further funding to support small independent breweries should be provided by:

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YOUR SHOUT Letters to the Editor

Offering excise relief to small breweries beyond the current excise rebate N Providing funding for quality training and testing N Providing investment grants offering matched funding N Further funding to support and develop export markets N

While it is clear that excise reform is required the above points unfortunately miss some key information. At its very base level, the taxation of alcohol in Australia versus other OECD nations is largely irrelevant for the domestic market and for exports. Imports are subject to the same levels of taxation as local products and they have the additional cost of freight to get here. To suggest that importation of craft beers is damaging the local market on the basis of taxation misses the point. However, a key point that can be made, and is made in the white paper, is that if a small brewery has more funds to spend on its capital equipment, quality testing and growth it will be a stronger business. A stronger business is then

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Blog – Stefanie Collins, Editor HOPS ARE RUINING BEER: DISCUSS A friend sent me an article during the week and truth be told, it echoes a little with a few things that have been swirling around in the back of my brain recently. It actually started at a wedding I attended back in March where I was lamenting the lack of something interesting to drink. The food was amazing, as was the location, but not being a huge lager drinker the choice between full strength lager and light lager wasn’t really ticking me over. As I bemoaned my first world issues I was treated to a lecture by the boyfriend of a good friend. According to him craft beer was all bitter rubbish and while he liked his wines to be complex and worth discussing, he wanted his beer “bland” and “uncomplicated” (his words not mine).

Blog – Neil Miller NZ Editor-at-Large

100 NOT OUT: REFLECTING ON 100 POSTS My first blog on Beer and Brewer appeared in late January 2010 and was, appropriately enough, entitled “First!” Given this is the 100th blog post, it seemed appropriate to reflect on what has happened here over the past three and a half years and where the blog might be heading in the future. There has been a distinct change in

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better able to compete.

But it is important to note they are not competing on price because of excise alone, they compete on the quality of the product and with the Australian dollar as it is now. Great beer will win the consumers heart regardless of its origins.

I know from my own personal experience that any problems with the beer you sell hurts your brand, and venues and consumers will quickly return to what they ‘know’.

On the issue of the disparity between taxation of beer and the taxation of wine there is a clear case for reform. But it must be acknowledged that the support for the wine industry remains because of the importance of the wine industry to the Australian economy as a whole. The wine industry has done a very good job over the years of outlining its importance. A large portion of wine produced is exported. It is a significant employer in rural areas and it has a strong political voice with clear statistics to support its claims.

Interestingly, it is this same point that supports the claim for an excise rebate/relief for small breweries. However, that is somewhat simplistic

at this point. Supporting small businesses in any area will build a network of small business employers well placed to grow. There needs to be a strong case for reform on this point. Highlighting that wineries received a benefit that breweries don’t get won’t be enough.

Taxation of alcohol as a whole is a complex matter and there are many threads that impact the whole…

Read the rest of Jared’s response on www. beerandbrewer.com/forum in the Beer Talk section, under Excise.

writing style. While I have consistently used quirky and (hopefully) attention grabbing headlines – a necessity in the crowded world of internet blogging – earlier articles were more journalistic in style. They tended to simply report factually on events rather than comment, judge or opine.

That has gradually changed over time. While still based on facts, I have increasingly integrated my opinions and my personality into the posts.

respected and much loved on the national craft brewing stage, Watkins has helmed the brewery for the last 17 years, turning the venue into both a craft beer and tourism icon. Watkins says that the decision to leave was not a simple one, and was motivated by a variety of factors, including a desire to open his own brewery. Additionally there is some insecurity regarding the future of the building which currently houses the Wig and Pen, further fuelling his decision to go it alone.“There is a lot of uncertainty with the building,” says Watkins. “Nobody knows what’s going to happen so I figured it is the right time for me, difficult as it is to leave the place, to embark on something for myself.”

News – NEW ZEALAND HOP HARVEST “A LITTLE DISAPPOINTING” Unfavourable weather conditions have impacted the harvest yield of the highly sought after New Zealand hop crop. The New Zealand Hop Industry 2013 Crop Report has reported that the harvest weighed in approximately 30 metric tonne lower than expected, with the two major varieties of hop – Wakatu and Nelson Sauvin – being the worst hit.

The 2013 yield came in at 682,500kg and was comprised of 15 unique New Zealand varieties, eight traditional varieties and a mix of certified organic varieties. While the harvest itself took place under ideal conditions, from mid February and until the end of March, the growing season was impacted by the cool spring and dry summer weather patterns.

News – RICHARD WATKINS LEAVES WIG & PEN (ACT) Richard Watkins has decided to move on from his award-winning stint at the iconic Canberra microbrewery and tavern Wig and Pen. Well-

JARED, VIA FORUM

Thanks Jared, an insightful analysis as always! For those of you that haven't been on the Excise forum recently, there is some great stuff in there – not too dry either – about the state of the beer excise game in Australia.

Chatting with brewers about tax is always an interesting conversation and certainly gets the blood pressure rising! I encourage everyone to head over to the website and read the rest of the arguments before posting their own opinions.

News – Beer Fridge Takes Down Telstra A rogue beer fridge has been named by telecommunications giant Telstra as the source of a mobile signal disruption affecting several neighbourhoods in its vicinity. The guilty fridge was picked up by increasingly sophisticated software used by Telstra to identify points of interference in the network so that they can be isolated and fixed.

There is no word as yet on the model of the fridge or even the type of beer contained inside, however it was revealed that the technologically savvy whitegoods item was discovered in the garage of a man who lives in Wangaratta, a town of 17,000, which is about 230km from Melbourne. So next time your signal is playing up, maybe check your beer fridge isn't feeling neglected or disgruntled.

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BEER TALK AIBA

AIBA 2013

PRESENTATION DINNER T

he brewing industry of Australia donned their best duds to celebrate the Australian International Beer Awards for 2013 at the Peninsula Room in Melbourne’s Docklands.

Chris Badenoch from Josie Bones again created the menu for the evening, a delicious affair with matched beers from last year’s winners list. The 2013 Collaborator – a “Free-range Ale� – garnered some interesting comments regarding the wild fermentation technique employed by Brendan Varis of Feral (WA) and Richard Watkins of Wig & Pen (ACT) in the brewing process.

Congratulations again to all the trophy winners.

The Matilda Bay team.

Pre-Dinner drinks.

2 Brothers’ Andrew (L) and David (R) Ong with Daryl MacGraw (BrewPack).

The entree.

Enjoying the food and matched beers.

B&B Editor Stefanie Collins with Dr Tim Cooper and his daughter.

Will Irving and Brendan Varis of Feral Brewing with their Champion Medium Brewery Trophy.

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BEERTALK Awards

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Stout made by students at TAFE SA’s Regency Park campus was named Champion Exhibit at the RABA. Campus Brewery – an educational facility headed by brewer Stephen Nelson – also snagged Champion SA Exhibit, Champion Small Brewery Exhibit and Champion Stout for their aptly named 10/10 Stout.

SA locals Brewboys’ Seeing Double took out both the Champion Ale and Celebrity Choice titles – with B&B publisher David Lipman on the judging panel for the latter. Local legends Coopers were named Champion Large Brewery Exhibit for their Best Extra Stout.

TROPHY WINNERS 2013 CHAMPION REDUCED ALCOHOL BEER Generous Squire Brewhouse Shafto’s Reward CHAMPION LAGER McLaren Vale Beer Company Vale Dark Lager CHAMPION ALE Brewboys Seeing Double CHAMPION WHEAT BEER Goodieson Brewery Goodieson Wheat Beer CHAMPION STOUT Campus Brewery 10/10 CHAMPION SMALL BREWERY EXHIBIT Campus Brewery 10/10 CHAMPION LARGE BREWERY EXHIBIT Coopers Brewery Ltd Coopers Best Extra Stout CHAMPION SOUTH ing Stephen Nelson accept phy.

AUSTRALIAN EXHIBIT n Exhibit Tro pio am Ch Campus Brewery 10/10 CHAMPION EXHIBIT Campus Brewery 10/10 CELEBRITY CHOICE Brewboys Seeing Double

TICKETS ON SALE! BEER & BREWER CONFERENCE

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s well as featuring industry experts presenting on a range of topics regarding beer, cider, brewing, excise, retail and wholesale, there will be a Trade Show for industry suppliers to network with delegates throughout the day.

WHEN: 9am-4pm, October 24, 2013 WHERE: The Sebel Hotel, 28 Albion St, Surry Hills NSW Proposed session topics include: packaging; canning; kegs and draught beer; beer styles and taste training; excise administration; hops; malt; yeast; distribution, marketing – wholesale, retail; the business of brewing; starting a microbrewery; tourism for the cellar door; retail – building a beer list and staff training; cider – trends, recipe development; homebrewing – trends, equipment.

Delegates can sign up now at the conference website. Expressions of interest to exhibit, sponsor or present can be made to David Lipman on 0415 081 285 or david@beerandbrewer.com

Visit www.beerandbrewer.com/conference

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BEER TALK What’s Brewing

BEER & BREWER UPDATE See the New Releases in the Buyers’ Guide for new beers, cider and whisky from local and imported suppliers.

Beer & Brewer reports on what’s brewing in new and existing breweries, news in beer bars and bottle shops.

VIC

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atilda Bay Brewing Co has released two new tap only offerings: Ruby Tuesday Amber Ale and Little Ripper Sparkling Lager. Ruby Tuesday weighs in at 4.7% ABV and features Pride of Ringwood and Hallertau Hersbrucker hops, along with four specialty malts. Little Ripper, a 4.7% ABV Sparkling Lager, is a malt-driven brew featuring Pacifica hops for a fruity aroma.

US brewer Kyle Trammell has taken over the head brewer position at Southern Bay Brewing Co. Having been working in the U.S. craft brewing industry for the past six years – most recently at Red Rock Brewing Co, Salt Lake City, Utah – Trammell is reportedly excited to make Australia his new home.

Additionally, Trammell is a certified Cicerone or beer sommelier – currently only one of two Australia wide.

Bridge Road Brewers have released their new B2 beer – brewed on their eighth birthday no less. The Mach 3 version is described by brewer Ben Kraus as a pimped out version of the original beer. It is again a Black India Belgian Ale. Two Birds Brewing Company has turned two. This year has also seen the release of two new limited edition beers – Taco (brewed for GABS) and the Avian Collab, co-brewed with 3 Ravens (VIC) and ParrotDog (NZ).

The biggest cider brand in the world, Kopparberg, has moved its Australian distribution over to CUB as part of a broader deal with SABMiller, effective 1 October 2013.

The deal will add to CUB’s already impressive

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cider portfolio which includes well-know brands such as Bulmers, Mercury, Strongbow and Dirty Granny (Matilda Bay).

The Craft Beer Industry Association Conference successfully ran in Melbourne during Good Beer Week. Taking place at the Lithuanian Club, the conference was well attended by members of the brewing industry in Australia.

CBIA Chairperson Brad Rogers was pleased with how the event ran and commented that the Association had also learned a lot for next year.

Broo has launched a new beer with Australia Draught hitting the market. Designed to compete with traditional lagers such as VB, TooheysNew and XXXX, the beer comes in full strength and mid-strength varieties. Broo is hoping the beer will be able to compete on an international level.

NSW

Lion has released their revolutionary new home draught beer system, Tap King. Apart from allowing drinkers to indulge in draught-style beer out of their own fridge, the installation of the new machinery required to bottle the beer was nothing short of a mammoth effort, The Avian Collab team.

with the roof having to be removed from the brewery for the bottling line to be craned in. The PET bottled beer – and not just any PET plastic either, Lion spent a fair bit on research and development – is kept fresh and in prime condition for 21 days thanks to a CO2 dispenser in the lid.

The unit itself is infinitely reusable, with a selection of beers from the core range on sale in two packs of compatible Tap King bottles.

While publicans have gone on record as saying the system will threaten their industry, Lion maintains that their product will grow the category, in much the same way as Nepresso machines have been shown to grow the café sector rather than take away from it. And though Beer & Brewer made a case for both draught Stout or Porter (as well as draught Little Creatures Pale Ale) Lion are keeping mum on what possible expansions to the range might be seen in coming months.

Readers should also keep an eye out for the hilarious ad of Lionel Ritchie serving beer to a man from inside a fridge, while playing a piano – it has our vote for beer ad of the year so far.

The beer club that formerly found its home at the Roxbury Hotel in Glebe has a new home in the same area, at the newly revamped Forest Lodge Hotel just around the corner. The sessions feature three breweries presenting two beers each, followed by a quick and casual Q&A, hosted

by Sydney comedian Nick Capper. The beer club usually attracts 35-60 beer fans, and interested folk can reserve their seat on the Facebook page.

Speaking of the Flodge, as it is affectionately known, the pub has been revamped after 12 months hard slog from owner Matt Sen and manager Heath Carter. Their Aussie craft selection is now outselling the mainstream tap offerings by three to one, and the pub now has a bank of six taps exclusively for craft beer, along with two taps for boutique cider.

There is also a bank of six taps dedicated to mainstream offerings (for those that aren’t quite ready to make the jump). And the pub is set to up-the-ante in coming months by rotating their craft taps more regularly, as well as introducing tasting paddles and craft beer info on blackboards.

King Street Brewhouse, located at King Street Wharf in Sydney has gone up for sale due to health reasons. The well-known spot is famous for launching the James Squire Brewhouse concept and with the coming development of the Barangaroo project the

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BEER TALK What’s Brewing

venue is set to benefit from the $6 billion development project – with 23,000 employees set to be located there – and a coming $2.5 billion Darling Harbour redevelopment. The site is being sold in its entirety, including the microbrewery and license that the current owner recently had approved after years of red tape – incidentally the cheeky name of the beer brand on the site is Red Tape.

In the wake of a massive Good Beer Week in Melbourne, the dates for Sydney Craft Beer Week have been announced.

This year the festival of all things beer will run from Saturday 19 October to Saturday 26 October.

At the time of print no other information has been made available, however updates can be found on the website.

Beer and rock and roll is an age old association, and Young Henrys have been at it again, this time teaming up with local music legends You Am I to create a signature brew to accompany the band’s re-release vinyls.

Brew Am I is the latest in a series of beer collaborations that have seen Young Henrys team up with musicians from around their local area in Sydney. According to brewer Richard Adamson, distilling such an iconic band into beer-form was a challenge, but one the brewing team felt equal to. The beer is a new world Pale Ale clocking in at 5.0% ABV, made with ingredients sourced from parts of the world that each band member calls home – rolled wheat from WA, Victorian malt, and Kiwi hops. Brew Am I has been available since mid July.

In order to commemorate the first voyage to Australia – and ergo the arrival of the brewery’s namesake – James Squire has launched new 568mL pint bottles of some of their best selling brews. Designed to mark the anniversary of the man himself being plonked onto the convict ship ‘Friendship’, and bound for the British penal colony of Australia, the bottles – based on an authentic imperial measure – are meant to be of a size that is conducive to sharing. Three different styles from the range – Nine Tales Amber Ale, The Chancer Golden Ale and One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale – are now available in friendship size.

Much loved Manly-based craft brewers 4 Pines celebrated their fifth birthday in style with a bash at the new Brookvale brewery as well as releasing their first Keller Door in packaged form. On sale now, the brew is an India Pale Ale called The Independence Day El Dorado IPA. The 100 per cent American

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hopped beer – using El Dorado Hops – is the latest in their series of beers brewed to celebrate American Independence Day. This is the first beer in the Keller Door range that has been bottled an occurrence made possible by the opening of the new brewery.

Murray’s Craft Brewing Co has once again unleashed their portfolio of Stouts, Imperial Stouts and Belgio Stouts for the cold season. This season will also see a Smoked Belgio Imperial Mussel and Oyster Stout and the brewery’s first Strong Dark Belgian Ale. Murray’s Dark Beer Month runs across June and July every year and incorporates four dark beer releases, dark beer-inspired dishes at its restaurants and special events at its venues. This year’s four releases include the always popular Wild Thing Imperial Stout, in the bottle and draught, and the classic Heart of Darkness Belgio Imperial Stout, in the bottle and draught. The two additional beers will be Auld Bulgin’ Boysterous Bicep Imperial Stout, in the bottle and draught, and Hell of the North Strong Dark Belgio Ale, which will be draught only.

The boys at Rocks Brewing have big things planned for their new brewery complex.

Releasing the plans via social media, the brewery will be located in the Sydney suburb of Alexandria. With their flagship Hangman Pale Ale now available in bottles and increasing demand for their products on tap throughout the state – and interstate too – the higher capacity brewery will help the brand keep up production to match that demand. Stay tuned for more.

St Peters Brewery in the inner west of Sydney is to be put up for sale. Owner Matt Donelan says that though it was a difficult decision he is in search of a new brewing adventure. Interested parties can contact him through the website.

The Australian Brewery has named its Canbassador competition winner, with amateur photographer Alex Taylor taking out the $10,000 cash prize. Taylor’s photo featured a Pale Ale can as a pylon on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Rumour has it the competition will be on again, so start polishing those lenses.

Macarthur Grange Brewery has released its first beer – Stockade Premium Draught.

Founded in 2013, by contract brewer BrewPack, it is an independent, family-owned Australian brewery that is focused on creating original, handcrafted beers utilising all-natural ingredients. Stockade Premium Draught is described as a highly sessionable, Europeanstyle Lager with an Australian finish.

ACT

Richard Watkins has decided to move on from his award-winning stint at the iconic Canberra microbrewery and tavern Wig and Pen. Well-

respected and much loved on the national craft brewing stage, Watkins has helmed the brewery for the last 17 years, turning the venue into a craft beer icon. Watkins says that the decision to leave was not a simple one, and was motivated by a variety of factors, including a desire to open his own brewery.

QLD

The Big Pineapple on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast is set to draw craft beer fans with the opening of Brewbake a microbrewery and gourmet, locally baked pie outlet. Ex-Blue Sky (QLD) head brewer Hayden Mokaraka is the man behind the concept. With 20 years in the commercial brewing world, including a stint at Tooheys, Mokaraka is pretty excited about his new venture, and his new home. As well as providing the refillable/ reusable one litre takeaways at the cellar door, Brewbake will also be wholesaling thirty litre kegs of their brews. With an eye on the future, Brewbake plans to expand their beer/ pie empire with more outlets set to pop up in the near future. There will also be franchising opportunities, potentially in the next 12 months.

According to the company’s information target franchisees “would be existing operations looking for a point of difference or start-ups looking for a low entry price into the brewing industry with a big brother teaching them the ropes and assisting with support and experience from a specialist parent company.”

Queensland Beer Week for 2013 has been another huge success, with brewers from all over the state – and the country – taking part in events around Brisbane and beyond. The infinitely popular Queensland Homebrewers Conference also took place with homebrew fans flocking from around the state to hear from brewers and homebrewers that have turned pro.

SA

The 2013 limited edition Coopers Extra Strong Vintage Ale hit the market on 5 July with a special launch at the Coopers Alehouse in Adelaide. According to Chief Brewer Dr Tim Cooper, the yearly release of the Vintage Ale is a highly anticipated event, and that the release would be no different.

Hops feature strongly in this year’s Vintage, with Centennial, Chinook, Citra and Styrian Golding hops all being used. The first three to create strong citrus, grapefruit, melon, lime and passionfruit aromas, and the latter to provide spicy and floral flavours. And with the ABV remaining at 7.5%, the thirteenth permutation of the vintage is as big as the previous year.

To balance the big hop profile a combination of Australian malted barley, wheat and crystal malt was used. The addition of the wheat malt is reportedly to not only enhance the creaminess of the head on the beer, but also to complement the sharper nature of the crystal

BEER TALK What’s Brewing

malt and increase drinkability. The 2013 Vintage Ale will again be on sale in a 355ml bottle – similarly the Celebration Ale is available in the slightly larger style bottle.

Empire Liquor, the South Australia-based wine and beer distributor/importer, has been appointed by iconic UK brewery Fullers as their official importer for Australia. While Fuller’s key labels are available in Australia – including London Pride, ESB, London Porter, IPA, Organic Honey Dew, 1845 and Golden Pride – Empire is looking to extend the brand’s presence to include the limited release Past Masters Ale and the annually released Vintage Ale. Empire is also now importing Fuller’s London Pride in kegs, and is looking to also import other Fuller’s keg products including ESB,

London Porter, Organic Honey Dew and Black Cab Stout.

While winter may not spring to mind as optimal cider drinking weather, the team at The Hills Cider Co has unveiled a schedule of “complex and adventurous” limited release ciders, created just for the cooler months.

The dedicatedly traditional brand uses 100 per cent fresh, locally grown, Adelaide Hills fruit, which means they are free to explore the parameters of traditional cider making. The winter line-up will include the 100 per cent Oak Aged Nashi Pear cider that was tasted by the Beer & Brewer team on their trip to the Hills. The cider has spent the last three years aging in old Chardonnay oak barrels, and regular tastings have “given a glimpse into a cider with delicious integrated oak, delicate but complex pear flavour profiles and an intense acid backbone to combine these elements”. There is only a handful of kegs of the Oak Aged Nashi Pear to be released, with distribution to be limited to the “most passionate” cider lovers. More mainstream releases this season will include the release of a Cloudy Oaked Apple Cider – with full-bodied apple complexity and subtle oak

influences – as well as the second addition to The Hybrid Series – begun by the rather popular Apple and Ginger cider – Honey Mead Cider. Created with the idea of mulled cider, the drink is a co-fermentation of Adelaide Hills apples and local McLaren Vale bush honey. The Mallee bush honey flavours reportedly add “a slightly sweeter yet rich and spicy depth to the blend”.

The recently opened Wilkadene-Woolshed Brewery has been riding on a new wave of grants that are potentially opening up to small breweries across the country. As well as grants like T-Qual, there are state based grants programs that can be utilised by breweries that fall into the ‘tourist attraction’ category. The newly opened Riverland-based brewery scored not only $18,000 in funding from the SA Government’s Tourism Development Support Program – for production support – but was also granted $50,000 by the SA Government in 2009 to put toward brewing facilities. The SA government has acknowledged that the impact of craft brewing on tourism and tourism dollars has been steadily increasing and is likely to become a major reason for people to visit certain regions of South Australia.

BEER TALK What’s Brewing

TAS

Only 5,000 cases of the highly regarded First Harvest Ale from Cascade have been released onto the market for 2013. The 2013 permutation of the brew marks the twelfth year of the First Harvest’s production and was again overseen this year by head brewer Mike Unsworth. Following the tradition that was begun back in 2002, the beer has been brewed with new, experimental hops that have been added to the kettle within hours of being picked.

This year the hops have been named for the mountains that surround the Derwent Valley: Wellington (bitterness hop), Belmont (flavour hop) and Field (aroma hop). Additionally, this year Ben Milbourne from MasterChef joined up with the team for the hop harvest.

He then designed a number of dishes featuring Tasmanian produce – such as abalone, Huon Valley Salmon, Freycinet Shellfish and Cape Grim Beef – to match with the brew.

Tasmanian-based whisky distiller, Nant, had capitalised on recent success to convert to a public company, with plans to not only expand, but also float on the stock market in the next five years. Now known as The Nant Distilling Company Limited (NDCL), the brand is ready to move to the next level, investing in 20 new Nant Whisky Cellars & Bars within the next two years - both nationally and abroad – while also expanding their distribution channels. To go with the recent openings of Nant Whisky Cellar & Bars in Brisbane and Salamanca, Hobart, there are plans to include a third Nant Whisky Cellar & Bar in Melbourne, as well as an exclusive members-only Nant Whisky Lounge to open in Brisbane’s CBD. Closer to home, the NDCL is planning to develop an onsite malting plant, as well as expanding its brewing and distilling operations. This will enable the full “barley-to-bottle” production of a single estate malt whisky.

Tasmania’s Sullivans Cove recently scored a gold medal from the Beverage Testing Institute in Chicago. The Institute is one of the world’s leading independent beverage reviewers and it saw fit to award the distillery’s Double Cask expression with the honour of a gold medal.

This latest bit of gilding is just the latest in the Sullivans Cove trophy cabinet, which is already full of prestigious international awards – including three Liquid Gold Awards from Jim Murray, and Best Australian Single Malt from the World Whisky Awards in London. According to chief distiller Patrick Maguire, a large part of the domestic and international success currently being enjoyed

by Sullivans Cove stems from recognition from organisations such as the Beverage Testing Institute. The sharp rise in demand for the Tasmanian whisky has meant that the distillery

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is now working flat out to produce enough product.

Willie Smith’s Organic Cider has bought the Apple Museum in the Huon Valley. Less than a year after launching their purpose-built organic cidery, the business has bought the adjacent property, planning to transform it with a $250,000 redevelopment – with a grant of $150,000 from the state government – that will be completed in time for summer. The brand deems the development necessary to cope with the growing number of visitors keen to learn more about the increasingly popular beverage.

The museum development will include detailed history exhibitions about the apple industry, as well as cider displays, a tasting bar and a provedore-style shop. The next stage of the project will also include a copper still for the production of apple brandy.

WA

By Jeremy Sambrooks Little Creatures has announced a new permanent addition to their line-up. At the time of print there was scant detail about the forcoming India Pale Ale, however excitement is pretty high. Their latest single batch release is also out, a Rye Porter called Mr Obadiah.

The beer is named after an 18th century London brewer who published a letter in the London Chronicle under the pen name of Obadiah Poundage. The letter has since been used by beer historians as a basis for information on the Porter style. Mr Obadiah is described by Little Creatures as being a silky, chocolaty brew with some dark nutty notes and a decent hit of spiciness from the rye.

In May, several of the state’s best brewers headed east for the Australian International Beer Awards and Good Beer Week. The state’s strongest performing brewery was Feral Brewing, which was judged Champion Medium Australian Brewery and won the trophy for best Porter with Boris. Other gold medal winners from WA were The Monk for the Citra edition of their Chief IPA and Nail’s Clout Stout, the latter making it five consecutive years that Nail Brewing has taken home gold.

Although it was entered as a Porter at the AIBAs, Feral Boris is really a big bruiser of a Russian Imperial Stout. The mighty 9.1% ABV brew is the second in Feral’s Brewpub series which sees the brewery’s specialty beers released in bottles for a limited time. Brewed with five specialty malts, Boris was deemed the perfect beer to warm the cockles on a cold winter’s night.

The brewers at Mash have been keeping

busy, recently releasing two new beers. Fresh from the Great Australasian Spectapular is Grasscutter, a ‘Lawnmower Ale’ brewed with US hops, fermented on French oak and weighing in at a sessionable 4.4% ABV. Replacing the Tank 8 Farmhouse Ale for the cooler months was Dubbel Brown – a malty 7.0% Brown Ale brewed with English-style (though American grown) hops and a Belgian yeast strain. Mash also recently launched their Illustrated Ales series, which sees some of the brewery’s special beers released in bottles with labels that feature the work of local artists.

First off the line is Challenger IPA. Woolworths-owned beer brand Sail & Anchor has released its first limited edition beer, an Imperial Stout going by the name of Jack Tar. Exclusive to BWS, Dan Murphy and Woolworths Liquor stores, the 9.5% ABV Stout is being sold in 640mL bottles.

Bootleg Brewery has released barrel-aged versions of two of their core range beers.

Oaked Amber is based on Tom’s Amber Ale and ‘Bucking Bull’ is the Raging Bull Strong Ale aged in French Cognac barrels.

The Perth Royal Beer Show judging is to take place at Claremont Showgrounds from Monday 28th October to Wednesday 30th October. Winners will be announced at the awards presentation on Friday 1 November at the Parmelia Hilton, followed by an invitation-only Exhibitors Tasting on Saturday 2 November. With the PRBS being moved back to October, the event no longer coincides with WA Beer Week, which will run from 8-17 November this year.

NZ

By Neil Miller In sad news for hopheads the Kiwi hop harvest has been described as “disappointing” by the head of New Zealand Hops, Doug Donelan.

Adverse weather conditions had an impact though Donelan says the results could have been much worse considering the persistently dry summer weather. The New Zealand Hop Industry 2013 Crop Report reported that the harvest weighed in approximately 30 metric tonnes lower than expected, with two major varieties of hop – Wakatu and Nelson Sauvin – the worst hit. The 2013 yield came in at 682,500kg and included 15 unique New Zealand varieties, eight traditional varieties and a mix of certified organic varieties. Demand for New Zealand hops remains high and the crop is virtually sold with 85 per cent heading

®

overseas, mainly to America, Britain and Europe.

New Zealand brewers hit the headlines with a public debate about whether the industry needed a formal definition of ‘craft’ brewing.

Moa Brewery founder Josh Scott said a definition was required because “there used to be a genuine story behind the brewer and the process and that’s what people think craft beer is. Not big breweries inventing stories to try and fool consumers about what they are.”

He called a meeting and more than 20 people attended including brewers from Yeastie Boys, 8 Wired, Tuatara, Stoke and Middlemiss.

After an extended debate, the group could not agree on what defined a ‘craft’ beer but there was consensus that consumers deserved more education about how their beers are made.

A significant number of craft brewers took to social media to argue that a definition of ‘craft’ was not practical and to suggest that the Brewer’s Guild of New Zealand was the more

VIC

Matilda Bay www.matildabay.com.au Southern Bay Brewing Co www.southernbay.com.au Bridge Road Brewers www.bridgeroadbrewers.com.au Two Birds Brewing http://twobirdsbrewing.com.au CUB http://cub.com.au CBIA www.australiancraftbeer.org.au

NSW

Tap King www.tapking.com Sydney Royal www.sydneyroyal.com.au Beer Club www.facebook.com/beer.club.90

appropriate body to facilitate any discussion.

Current Champion Brewery of New Zealand, Harrington’s Breweries, has entered an ambitious period of expansion. They are launching a new range of high end beers, moving from the Ferry Road brewery they have occupied for 20 years to a purpose built site in the Christchurch suburb of Wigram early next year. There, they will become one of the first craft breweries in New Zealand to can their beers.

Moa turned 10 this year and released a beer to celebrate.

Only 100 three litre bottles of the brew were made, with first stab at the stockpile offered to those who bought a stake in the company when it floated not long ago. The Saison was brewed, bottled, and bottle conditioned in Marlborough.

QLD

Brewbake www.facebook.com/brewbakeau

SA

Coopers www.coopers.com.au Empire Liquor www.empireliquor.com.au The Hills Cider Co www.thehillscidercompany.com.au Wilkadene-Woolshed Brewery www.aboverenmark.com.au/micro_ brewery

TAS

Cascade www.cascadebreweryco.com.au Nant http://nantdistillery.com.au Sullivans Cove www.sullivanscovewhisky.com

WA

Forest Lodge Hotel www.forestlodgehotel.com.au

Feral Brewing Company www.feralbrewing.com.au

King St Brewhouse www.kingstbrewhouse.com.au

Mash Brewing www.mashbrewing.com.au

Sydney Craft Beer Week http://sydneycraftbeerweek.com

Little Creatures www.littlecreatures.com.au

Brew Am I brewami.com

Bootleg Brewery www.bootlegbrewery.com.au

4 Pines www.4pinesbeer.com.au

NZ

Murray’s Craft Brewing Co www.murraysbrewingco.com.au Rocks Brewing Co http://hartspub.com/rocksbrewing Australian Brewery www.australianbrewery.com

Harrington’s Breweries www.harringtonsbreweries.co.nz NZ Hops www.nzhops.co.nz Moa www.moabeer.com

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BEER TALK Microbrewery Profile

2 BROTHERS BREWERY Fresh from their Champion Trophy winning outing at the 2013 AIBA, Andrew Ong of 2 Brothers chats with Beer & Brewer about life in the beer lane.

FIRST OFF, CONGRATULATIONS, AND HOW DID IT FEEL TO SCORE CHAMPION SMALL BREWERY AT THIS YEAR’S AIBA?

Thanks! Yes we were ecstatic and very grateful to win the award. It is a large competition and the judging is conducted very rigorously.

It’s also very humbling to receive this kind of credit considering the excellent quality and quantity of beers that other small Australian breweries are producing today.

HOW DID YOU GUYS GET STARTED IN THE BREWING INDUSTRY?

Both Dave and I followed unrelated career paths until the early 2000s. We both spent a number of years working in the United States where we came to enjoy the diverse range of small batch, independently produced beer that was widely available. When we returned to Australia, we missed the variety and also saw a potential market opportunity. We also happened to both be ready for a career change, and in

2005 committed ourselves to starting a small commercial brewery.

Not having any industry knowledge and with few commercial examples to study in Australia, we had a massive amount of research and planning ahead of us. At that point we parted ways – I went back to America. With its abundance of small breweries, it seemed like the right place to go to get the groundwork done. Dave stayed in Melbourne to get a grip on the multitude of compliance issues that needed to be satisfied, along with finding a suitable site.

During my time in America, I joined a homebrewing club called the Cascade Brewer’s Guild and through them passed the BJCP examination to qualify as a Certified Beer Judge. I also completed the Graduate Certificate of Brewing course remotely at Ballarat University – sometimes leaning on resources at the University of Washington and the University of British Columbia.

A fellow Aerospace scientist happened to be the owner of Diamond Knott Brewery

David and Andrew Ong with their AIBA haul for 2013.

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(Seattle, Washington). Brian Sollenberger kindly took me under his wing and introduced me to the practical side of craft brewing and the technicalities of a microbrewery set up.

I spent many hours as a volunteer at Diamond Knot Brewery and will always be grateful.

WHAT SORT OF BUSINESS DO YOU RUN AND CAN YOU GIVE US A SHORT HISTORY?

Our brewery is a combination of microbrewery (wholesale small batch production) and beer hall. The Beer Hall opens to the public Thursdays and Fridays – it’s not a pub, and you won’t be able to buy a triple skinny latte cappuccino while the kids paint their faces.

We offer simple beer food, full bar service, live music and our range of beers dispensed directly from the tank. The rest of the time, the site is dedicated to producing beer. On weekends we host private functions.

There’s a bit of a history to our brewhouse.

Instead of asking the bank for a bunch of cash, Dave and I took a longer and somewhat more risky approach. Part of my task in Seattle was to find a good quality secondhand brewing system. After six months of searching, I got in touch with Times Square Brewery, Manhattan – the business was bankrupt and being wound up. When the dust settled the Walt Disney Corporation had bought the assets in order to take over the lease for the prime Manhattan retail space. So we negotiated to buy the equipment from Disney. Then we just had to move five shipping containers worth of heavy equipment from the heart of Times Square back to Melbourne. Hurdles included traffic compliance with the City of New York and their refusal to permit our heavy haulage trucks past the New Jersey Bridge, a trade union standoff due to our welding and crating trades not being ticketed, and noise complaints from the accounting firm on the floor above which restricted our building access. Not to mention the fact that the brewhouse was sitting on the third floor and wouldn’t fit through the front door.

BEER TALK Microbrewery Profile

new right now. But our recent single batch beer The Magic Pudding was well received at the 2013 GABS – taking third place in the popularity stakes. It’s a dessert beer, with a Barley Wine-base that was dry spiced and herbed the Colonel’s way.

Beerhall at the 2 Brothe

rs Brewery.

The beer gods shone upon us and with the help of friends, family, more money and some extra good luck, the system was relocated to our Moorabbin Brewery. Our first beer was sold in 2007.

repeatability into our process. We’ve been at capacity for a while now but we’ve chosen to forgo further expansion and growth in favour of trading with a small but carefully selected set of wholesale customers.

WHAT EQUIPMENT ARE YOU CURRENTLY RUNNING IN THE BREWERY?

WHAT INSPIRES YOU WHEN YOU’RE CREATING RECIPES?

Our equipment was manufactured by Specific Mechanical Systems. The first vessel in the copper clad brewhouse is a combination mash tun/kettle fitted with steam jackets and mixing paddle. This allows us to incorporate several temperature steps into our mash program.

The second vessel is a combination lauter tun/hot liquor tank fitted with mechanical rakes and plough. Specific Mechanical Systems manufactures beautiful equipment that makes brewing a pleasure, and despite having second hand gear we still get first class support.

Inspiration often comes from our travels abroad.

We’ve always looked for styles that are not locally made at the time. We like to innovate, providing the final product is approachable enough for the ordinary person, so for that reason we’ll never make an American Pale Ale.

WHAT ARE YOUR BEST SELLERS/ OLD FAVOURITES?

Taxi, which is made to Munich Helles specifications and Kung Foo our hybrid Rice Lager definitely have the broadest market appeal, though we think the industry views Growler American Brown as our flagship beer.

And James (Belgian) Brown would definitely be our most popular specialty beer.

WHAT IS THE BREWERY’S CAPACITY IN HECTOLITRES AND HOW MUCH HAVE YOU EXPANDED SINCE THE BEGINNING? ARE YOU WORKING ON ANY LIMITED RELEASES OR HAVE We can make about 36 hectolitres of beer per YOU HAD ONE ON THE MARKET week. We’ve added a couple of fermenters RECENTLY? since we started. Most of our expenditure has gone into building redundancy, robustness and

We don’t have capacity to introduce anything

WHAT SORT OF REACTION DO YOU GET TO YOUR LIMITED RELEASES?

We haven’t mastered the art of promoting limited releases, and because we mainly focus on draught beer, our seasonals are only available at a small number of retail outlets.

We generally get good feedback, but are always open to suggestions. Our Voodoo Baltic Porter and Guvnor Extra Strong Ale won AIBA trophies for Best Victorian Beer in 2010 and 2011 respectively.

DO YOU HAVE ANY HOBBIES OUTSIDE OF BEER? WHAT ARE THEY?

I like catching fish, playing music, and anything with wings and an engine, but a small family expansion has bumped all that off the program (for now).

2 Brothers Brewery 4 Joyner St. Moorabbin, 3189 Vic Open Thursday 4pm-10pm and Friday 12pm-12am (03) 9553 1177 beer@2brothers.com.au www.2brothers.com.au www.facebook.com/2brothersbrewery Tours of the 2 Brothers Brewery are run every Thursday night at 6.30pm and are free of charge.

BEER TALK Father’s Day

FATHER’S DAY SPECIAL Beer & Brewer decided that in order to show some appreciation for the time-honoured position of ‘dad’ that they would chat to some blokes about just what it is like to work with your dad in the brewing industry.

Stefanie Collins posed some tough questions to the sons of a brewer, a publican and a beer ingredient supplier.

Nathan and Ian Carter at the Earl of Leicester.

S

eeing as though Fathers Day is just around the corner we thought we would celebrate the time honoured tradition of sinking a few cold ones with your dad by chatting to three blokes whose job it is to hang around and talk about beer with their dads all day.

We’re sure they do something else in there as well, however, it is the beer industry that got

From there Carter progressed to working behind the bar in his teens and the rest, as they say, is history. For the Carters – they’ve owned the Earl for a good few years now – life is pretty sweet, though Nathan Carter says that his father can be a bit of a grumpy bugger at times. And though there is the inevitable friction between a son who is a craft beer fanatic, and believes in rotating taps and new things for people to try, and a father who grew up in the old school of punters only drinking ‘their beer’, anyone who has been to the Earl can attest that they are running a pretty tight ship.

From SA we ventured across the border into Victoria to chat to Phil Meddings from Bintani, who has the great fortune of not only working with his father Peter, but also his brother Dale.

The Bintani team are well known and liked in the industry as suppliers of malt, yeast and hops to breweries. According to Meddings working with his dad is not even close to being a hardship, such is the nature of their relationship.

“Dad and I talk about work all the time, we always have,” he says. “We have a lot of fun too.”

For Meddings he never really planned on joining the family business, starting a career in

PEOPLE LOVE THE FACT THAT THEY ARE DEALING WITH A FATHER AND SON TEAM.” these unlikely pairs (one is not so unlikely but we’ll come back to that) working together in their own little dream teams.

First cab off the rank is Nathan Carter, manager at the Earl of Leicester Hotel in Adelaide. His dad Ian is the publican and the father/son duo has been working together since Nathan was a kid.

“I started helping Dad with pallets when I was about nine,” he says. “After a little while he just started leaving them for me to unpack on my own.”

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accounting before deciding that he would be able to contribute something of substance to the business and moving across.

As for dishing any dirt on his dad, Phil just laughs and mutters something about him, his brother and his dad knowing how to have a good time.

Finally, we trekked across the border into NSW to have a chat with the dynamic beer duo that is Dad & Dave’s Brewing. Dave Dumay says that though he never imagined working with his father he really enjoys it.

“Being a locally focused brand people love the fact that they are dealing with a father and son team,” he says.

Dumay first began brewing as an apprentice chef, mainly because a case of beer took a large chunk of his weekly pay. He enlisted his dad’s help – as well as some professional instruction through the University of Ballarat’s Graduate Certificate of Brewing. The pair have found a niche for their #1 Pale Ale, though Dumay says that sometimes his old man likes to think he knows better about certain brewing related issues (Dumay assures us he doesn’t).

So here’s to dads of all ages, professions, and beer preferences – cheers!

Phil and Peter Meddings of Bintani.

FROTH

DON’T GO THIRSTY OVERSEAS WITH THIS NEW FOREIGN LANGUAGE BEER ORDERING APP

E

ver experienced the horror of having to mime drinking a beer in a foreign country and been given water instead? Neither have we. But imagine the tears of frustration if you did.

Well, never fear as Pivo is the first app in the world that will actively help you to order a beer in 59 languages.

The idea was born after a fateful trip to Prague where the app’s English inventors, Justin Amey and Ollie Hepworth, realised that neither of them could order a beer in Czech.

Not wanting others to suffer their predicament, the pair launched Pivo, which is appropriately named after the Czech word for beer.

The app isn’t just a very short foreign language dictionary either; it features written phonetic instructions for how to order, as well as a short video tutorial for each language featuring a native speaker to teach the exact pronunciation. And apparently the rather enthusiastic Welsh tutor is a highlight that is not to be missed.

According to Amey, he and Hepworth were mortified to realise they couldn’t order the Czech Republic’s most famous export.

“We couldn’t believe it when we landed in Prague and couldn’t find the help we needed,” he says.

“We’re really proud of Pivo, which we hope will prove invaluable to travellers this summer, whether they’re heading off to exotic locations or holidaying closer to home. Whether it’s a beer in Burma, an ale in Argentina or a lager in Latvia, Pivo really is a must-have for thirsty holidaymakers.”

And with an amazing five star rating from 73 reviews since the launch on June 13, it seems beer loving holiday makers have been crying out for help.

To see a video of the app in action head to http://pivoapp.com/ for more information.

TRIVIA TEASERS!

Think you’re a beer expert? Try these ten trivia teasers to see where you really stand.

1 What is the name of the first Keller Door release bottled by 4 Pines?

2 Which anniversary is Moa Brewery celebrating this year?

3 What very Anglo-Saxon sounding beer brand is actually based in France?

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4 5 6

Which New Zealand craft brewery attracted some media criticism of the artwork for their beer called Death From Above?

Beer / Cider / Other Alcoholic Beverages / Non Alcoholic Beverages

Which beer and brewery took out the top ranking at the recent GABS festival in Melbourne?

Glass bottling line

8

Which waterfront brewpub in Auckland was recently closed after a change in ownership?

In what year did DB relinquish their misguided trademark on “Saison” in New Zealand?

7 According to Paul Mercurio, what beer should you never cook with?

9 Which beer took out Champion Australian Beer at the AIBA 2013.

Which brewery took home Champion New Zealand Brewery at the Brewers of New Zealand Awards in August?

10 Guild

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Answers 1 El Dorado. 2 10 years in business. 3 Craig Allen. 4 Garage Project. 5 Raspberry White Chocolate Pils by Bacchus Brewing. 6 2009. 7 Light beer. 8 The Brewery Britomart. 9 Alpha Pale Ale, Matilda Bay. 10 Renaissance Brewing.

BEER XXXXX TALK Bottle Shop Sales xxxxxxxxx

What’s selling at your bottlo?

bottle speaks to specialty beerdoor. er ew Br & er Be ue iss ch Ea brews are flying out the shops to find out which

NSW

Beer Cartel 9 / 87 Reserve Rd, Artarmon 1300 808 254 www.beercartel.com.au

WA

International Beer Shop 69 McCourt Street, West Leederville (08) 9381 1202 www.internationalbeershop. com.au

LOCAL BEER (TOP 15) 1 Feral Hop Hog LOCAL BEER 2 Holgate Temptress 1 Feral Hop Hog 3 Bridge Road Chevalier 2 Coopers Sparkling Ale Saison 3 Stone & Wood Pacific Ale 4 Murray’s Whale Ale 4 Little Creatures Pale Ale 5 Stone & Wood Stone Beer 5 Feral White 6 Kooinda Black IPA 6 Two Birds Golden Ale 7 Riverside 77 IPA 7 Mountain Goat IPA 8 Hargreaves Hill ESB 9 Mountain Goat Steam Ale 8 Kooinda APA 9 Knappstein Lager 10 Two Birds Golden Ale 10 Nail Ale 11 Moo Brew Dark Ale 12 Lord Nelson 3 Sheets IMPORTED BEER 13 4 Pines Kolsch 1 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 14 Mad Abbott Tripel 2 Founders All Day IPA 15 Little Creatures Single 3 Weihenstephan Hefe Batch Mr Obadiah 4 Brooklyn Lager 5 Sierra Nevada Torpedo IMPORTED BEER (TOP 15) 6 Speight’s Gold Medal 1 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 7 Desperados 2 BrewDog Punk IPA 8 Founders Pale Ale 3 MOA Original Pilsner 9 Alhambra 1925 Reserva 4 Epic Hop Zombie 10 Hofbrau Original 5 Franziskaner Hefeweizen 6 Birra Del Borgo/Dogfish CIDER Head My Antonia 1 Black Pig Cider 7 Trumer Pils 2 Custard Original 8 Rodenbach Grand Cru 3 Gwynt y Drraig Black 9 Tripel Karmeliet Dragon 10 Brasserie Dupont Saison 4 Henney’s Dry Dupont 5 Custard Scrumpy 11 Duvel 6 Thatchers Gold 12 Chimay Blue 7 Core Sparkling Apple 13 Brooklyn Lager 8 Lobo Pear 14 Green Flash West Coast 9 Gwynt y Drraig Orchard IPA Gold 15 Mikkeller Single Hop IPA 10 Hunter’s Dry

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NSW

SA

LOCAL BEER 1 Stone & Wood Pacific Ale 2 Little Creatures Pale Ale 3 Matso’s Mango Beer 4 Lord Nelson 3 Sheets 5 Burleigh 28 Pale Ale 6 Murray’s Angry Man 7 Burleigh Bighead 8 Wilde Gluten-Free Pale Ale 9 Little Creature Rogers’ 10 Feral Hop Hog

LOCAL BEER 1 Coopers Pale Ale 2 Coopers Sparkling Ale 3 Coopers Stout 4 Birbeck’s The Captain Mild Ale 5 Stone & Wood Pacific Ale 6 Feral Hop Hog 7 McLaren Vale Vale Ale 8 Feral Boris Imperial Stout 9 Mountain Goat/Brooklyn Brewery Cross Breed Hopfweizenbock 10 Coopers Vintage Ale

Warners At The Bay 320 Hillsborough Rd, Warners Bay (02) 4956 6066 www.warnersatthebay. com.au

IMPORTED BEER 1 Hoegaarden White 2 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 3 Desperados 4 Leffe Blonde 5 Franziskaner Hefe 6 Speights Gold Medal 7 Paulaner Hefe 8 Carlsberg Elephant Lager 9 Erdinger Hefe 10 Samuel Adams Lager CIDER 1 Rekorderlig Strawberry & Lime 2 Monteith’s Crushed Apple 3 Rekorderlig Wild Berries 4 Tilse Apple Truck 5 Old Mout Scrumpy 6 Magners Original 330 7 Batlow Premium 8 Pipsqueak Original 9 James Squire Orchard Crush 10 Hills Cider Co Apple & Ginger

Edinburgh Cellars 1-7 High Street, Mitcham (08) 8373 2753 www.edinburgh.com.au

IMPORTED BEER 1 8 Wired iStout 2 Birra Del Borgo My Antonia Imperial Pilsner 3 Tuatara Aoteroa Pale Ale 4 8 Wired Superconductor IIPA 5 Renaissance Craftsman Chocolate Oatmeal Stout 6 Mc Chouffe Strong Dark Ale 7 Liberty Brewing Yakima Monster APA 8 8 Wired Bumaye Imperial Stout 9 Southern Tier IPA 10 To Ol Baltic Frontier IPA CIDER 1 Hills Cider Co Apple 2 Hills Cider Co Pear 3 Rekorderlig Strawberry & Lime 4 Monteith’s Apple 5 Le Pere Jules Poire 6 8 Wired Apple Oak Cider 7 Pipsqueak Cider Apple & Pear 8 Napoleone & Co Pear 9 Magners Pear & Ginger 10 Mercury Dry

BEER TALK Bars & Pub Sales

What’s selling at your local?

Each issue Beer & Brewer speaks to bar pubs to find out which brews are flying s and out the fridges and flowing out of the taps.

VIC

The Fox Hotel 351 Wellington St, Collingwood (03) 9416 4957 http://thefoxhotel.com.au

WA

Sail & Anchor 64 South Tce, Fremantle (08) 9431 1666 www.sailandanchor.com. au

QLD

Archive Beer Boutique 100 Boundary St, West End (07) 3844 3419 www.archivebeerboutique .com.au

LOCAL BEER LOCAL BEER 1 Sail & Anchor Dry Dock 1 Fox Lager 2 Killer Sprocket Amber Ale 2 Sail & Anchor Monkey’s Fist Pale Ale 3 4 Pine ESB 3 Sail & Anchor IPA 4 Two Birds Golden Ale 4 Last Drop Pils 5 Little Creatures Bright Ale 5 Nail Ale 6 Cooper Pale Ale 6 Feral Hop Hog 7 Mountain Goat Hightail 7 Mash Freo Doctor Ale 8 Sail & Anchor Lark’s Foot 8 Cavalier Nut Brown Ale Golden Ale 9 Feral White 9 Red Hill Pilsner 10 Sail & Anchor Cat’s Shank 10 Grand Ridge Moonshine Kölsch Scotch Ale

LOCAL BEER 1 Feral Hop Hog 2 Stone & Wood Pacific Ale 3 Holgate Mount Macedon 4 Little Creatures Rogers’ 5 Kooinda American Pale Ale 6 Two Birds Golden Ale 7 Cavalier Brown Ale 8 Bridge Road Bling IPA 9 Mornington Penisula Imperial IPA 10 Holgate Temptress

IMPORTED BEER IMPORTED BEER 1 Corona 1 Duvel 2 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 2 Peroni 3 Sierra Nevada Torpedo 3 Erdinger Dunkel 4 BridgePort IPA 4 Schofferhofer Hefeweizen 5 BridgePort Hop Czar 5 Yeastie Boys IPA 6 BridgePort King Pin 7 Sierra Nevada Porter 6 Bear Republic Red Ale 7 Young’s Double Chocolate 8 Sierra Nevada Stout 9 Rogue Dead Guy 8 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 10 Rogue Yellow Snow 9 Monteiths Summer Ale 10 Renaissance Perfection CIDER English-Style Pale Ale 1 Mash Crush 2 Rekorderlig Lime & CIDER Strawberry 1 Little Creatures Pipsqueak 3 Strongbow Original 2 Matilda Bay Dirty Granny 4 Monteith’s Pear 3 Monteith’s Crushed Apple 5 Kopparberg Lime & Elderflower 4 Monteith’s Crushed Pear 6 Monteith’s Apple 5 Rekorderlig Wild Berries 7 Rekorderlig Wild Berry 6 Rekorderlig Strawberry & 8 Matso’s Desert Lime & Lime Mango 7 Old Mout Boysencider 9 Mountain Goat Two Step 10 Custard Original Apple

IMPORTED BEER 1 Sierra Nevada Hoptimum 2 Founders Breakfast Stout 3 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 4 Brooklyn Lager 5 Timmermans Gueze 6 Acme IPA 7 Yoho Aooni 8 Moylans Hopsickle 9 Nøgne Ø #100 10 8 Wired HopWired IPA

CIDER 1 Hills Cider Co Apple 2 Lobo Cloudy Cider 3 Batlow Apple Cider 4 Hills Cider Co Pear 5 Napoleone & Co Apple 6 Kelly Brothers Apple 7 Rochdale Apple 8 Kelly Brothers Pear 9 Mountain Goat Two Step

BEER TALK Beer Club

THE PENRITH BEER CLUB This new kid on the beer club block is bringing the joy of beer, brewing and a touch of charity work to the suburbs of Western Sydney. Stefanie Collins takes a look at this multi-faceted club.

S

et up by Scott Welsh the Penrith Beer Appreciation Club is pretty new on the beer scene in Sydney. So new in fact that they held their very successful launch event – they raised over $750 for Masonicare – on 1 June this year, though the club technically launched online back in January.

Not that that means the club is any less enthusiastic about their beer or their brewing.

In fact, the organisation is what one could term a beer club for the ‘modern era’. Which basically means that it is based around the Penrith Beer Appreciation Club website. And it is through this website that Welsh is aiming to educate his fellow members about tasting and enjoying beer as well as homebrewing and more.

The organisation is not a physical club – located at a clubhouse, pub or bar – so much as it is a socially connected group of people from the western suburbs – as well as a few people who, according to Welsh, “wish they belong to [this] wonderful part of Sydney”.

Welsh says the aim of the organisation is to tailor news and information specifically for beer lovers and homebrewers around the Penrith Valley area. He says that the website is the lynchpin of the operation, offering information on beer in Penrith, along with announcements in relation to beer and food venues in the Penrith Valley.

“We also aim to provide detailed information on venue, shops and business that relate to beer in Penrith,” he says.

More than that, the website is an interactive tool for club members to interact with. Welsh says the club is aiming to be an integral service to the Penrith Valley beer community and, as such, is always open to suggestions and information from readers, which can be included on the three blogs on the site that cover beer appreciation, homebrewing, and the influence of brewing practices and ingredients on the flavour of beer.

With a core group of 30 active members, and an extended membership of 180 – those with

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an online presence in the club – the Penrith Beer Appreciation Club has been attracting beer lovers from all walks of life.

“We have a varied membership base, covering lovers of craft beer and homebrewers,” says Welsh. “Ages are varied and we even have a few ladies.”

The club holds a monthly get together in the form of a casual barbeque and there are plans for a quarterly, larger event to also take place.

In the meantime, the club has plenty of beer tasting – they have already teamed up with Riverside Brewing from Parramatta – and brewing events lined up in the next six to nine months. Those interested in attending should keep an eye on the events blog for more information.

The Penrith Beer Appreciation Club does not charge membership fees, and anyone interested in joining should contact the club via their website or Facebook page.

The Riverside Brewing

h PBAC.

crew has teamed up wit

Members at the launch bash.

PBAC has attracted members from all over.

Penrith Beer Appreciation Club www.penrithbeerclub.com.au penrithbeerclub@gmail.com. www.facebook.com/penrithbeerclub Phone: 0413 086 658

Membership of the club has grown exponentially since its inception.

T S O M E H T H T I W S T S O H s to some of our

Beer & Brewer talk ockists to share valued bottleshop st retail sales their experiences in

BEER TALK Interviews

BEN HAYMAN OWNER

ROBERT DALGLISH CO-MANAGER

MICHAEL CROFTS STORE MANAGER

Denman Cellars Beer Cafe Shop G15, 33 Port Drive, Airlie Beach QLD (07) 4948 1333 www.facebook.com/DenmanCellers

Leura Cellars 169/171 The Mall, Leura NSW (02) 4784 1122 | www.leuracellars.com.au

Dan Murphy’s Traralgon 60-64 Princes St, Traralgon VIC 1300 723 388 | www.danmurphys.com.au

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE PAID TO WORK WITH BEER? One of the greatest jobs going and the shop is so close to home.

DO YOU LIKE WORKING WITH BEER? What a great question, well who wouldn’t love it? Beer is such a tradition in Australian culture. Few other categories can inspire such loyalty and passion on a such a large scale.

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE VENUE? Denman Cellars got started after my brother Daniel and I decided to venture out of just doing bottle shops and try our hand at pairing great bear from around the world with food. One night we were sitting at Daniel’s place eating blue cheese and drinking Sagres Bohemia – a dark beer from Portugal – and were overwhelmed by just how good they tasted together. From there the idea got bigger and bigger.

TELL US ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE STORE AND HOW IT GOT STARTED? The license was granted in 1946. Since 1992 we have stocked a good range of beers. In the last six years we have ramped it up. We now stock a large selection of beer from all over the place.

WHY BEER? We’ve always loved beer, especially trying beers from all around the world.

HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN IN RETAIL? I was 13 when I started in retail. I was then offered the job at Leura Cellars when I was 18.

HOW MANY BEERS DO YOU SELL? Our list goes to about 1200 long, we can stock 700 at a time – some of them are specialty and limited release beers. They are a mixture of craft and mainstream from all over the world.

We also have around 200 ciders from around the world.

HOW MANY BEERS DO YOU SELL IN YOUR STORE? ARE THEY MOSTLY CRAFT OR MAINSTREAM? Around 600 different types, we mostly focus on craft beers, but we do stock mainstream.

WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST SELLERS? Matso’s Mango beer from Western Australia is a big hit, also Chili Beer from Mexico (it actually has a chilli in the beer), Desperados which is a Tequila beer from France. We also sell a lot of the Belgian and German favourites such as Chimay and Erdinger.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST SELLERS IN THE CRAFT BEER SECTION? Australia: Badlands, Happy Goblin, Ekim, Moondog, Little Creatures Single Batch, Mountain Goat, Red Duck. US: Sierra Nevada, Moylans, Rogue, Green Flash. UK: Badgers, Wychwood, Sam Smith, Youngs. Cider: Hillbilly, Bilpin, The Goose from Simon Gilbert, Small Acres, Apple Thief.

HOW MANY BEERS DO YOU SELL? How many grains of sand on a beach? I don’t really know the number because we are always expanding our range, but it’s safe to say that there are hundreds to choose from.

The mainstream beers are always going to be the big sellers, but it’s been really exciting to see more and more people branching out and experimenting with the finer side of the category.

WHAT ARE COMMON QUESTIONS? Most customers want to know what we think of a beer and what we’ve tasted, and they love the various opinions we offer. It’s really satisfying to get repeat customers who say they enjoyed what you recommended and ask what else to try.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CRAFT SELLERS? James Squire and Matilda Bay have the largest share, however, more people are starting to experiment. The smaller case sizes are starting to grab traction too. Knappstein, McLaren Vale and Little Creatures with their 12- or 16-packs and Sail & Anchor – which allows you to mix cases with different 4-packs – are great.

Sales & installation of top quality new, and secondhand German-made bottling equipment

Bottle range from 330ml to 2 litre www.beerandbrewer.com 25

BEER TALK Style Notes

‘TIS THE SAISON Saison may be an easy drinking beer, but it’s history is anything but. And with the craft beer revolution, this beer has a new lease on life as “Farmhouse Beer”. Roger Protz investigates the origins of this intriguing style.

Photos courtesy of © Joris Bulckens Tourism Flemish Brabant.

S

aison means ‘season’ in French – that’s the easy part. As a style of beer, Saison is rooted in the complex and linguistically divided culture and history of Belgium, with French speakers in Wallonia and Dutch speakers in Flanders.

Even within Wallonia, the production of Saison is mainly confined to one province, Hainaut. It’s such a minor beer style that it’s remarkable it is even known outside of Hainaut. Yet production has seeped over the border into Flanders while in Australia and the United States brewers have taken to brewing Saison, often renaming it Farmhouse Beer.

Farmhouse is a good descriptor, for it emphasises the origins of the style in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. As you approach the best-known producer of Saison, Brasserie Dupont, its farm origins are clear. It stands alongside a narrow road in the village of Tourpes, a dozen or so kilometres from the cathedral city of Tournai. The main buildings, fashioned from characteristic small red-brown bricks, are set round a cobbled courtyard. The site was a farm since 1844 and possibly earlier.

In common with most brewers of Saison, the farm produced beer in the winter months and stored it for drinking in the summer – before the development of refrigeration, it was not possible to brew in the summer as temperatures could not be controlled.

But beer was needed to refresh the farmer, his family and workers, especially during the backbreaking work of bringing in the harvest.

Beer was made with ingredients from the surrounding fields – grain and hops. Several strengths were produced, including ‘family’, ‘double’ and ‘royal’, with even a ‘children’s beer’ thrown in for good measure. The

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nutritious beers played an important role in the diet and health of the farming community. The workers were employed on a seasonal basis and their reward was beer for the season.

The farm was bought in 1920 by Louis Dupont who passed it on to his son. Farming ceased many decades ago and today a large sign – a glass of beer – on one wall and a statue of Saint Arnold, the patron saint of Belgian brewers, make it clear this is a working brewery. Marc Rosier, the grandson of Louis Dupont, runs the business with his sisters and members of the extended family.

The main beer is labelled simply Saison Dupont and is a classic of the style, a bottleconditioned, hazy orange-gold beer, high in

e on Temperature gaug ssel. mashing ve

alcohol (6.5%) and rich in hops, with a dry, fruity and acidic palate designed to quench the thirst of the busiest farm worker.

Today beer is brewed all year round but traditional methods are still used. In common with most Belgian farm breweries, the mashing vessel at Dupont doubles as the boiling copper.

The brewhouse fills with steam from the open vessel when mashing is underway. The sweet extract – the wort – is filtered in a second vessel and is then returned to the mash tun where it’s boiled with hops.

The beer is brewed with Pilsner malt only and is hopped with East Kent Goldings and Styrian Goldings. Hard water comes from a spring on the site. Mashing temperature is

Crates of beer ready to leave Hof ten Dormaal.

BEER TALK Style Notes

Dries Hanssens in the brewhouse at Hof ten Dormaal.

high at 32°C, creating the rich perfumy note that’s typical of many Belgian Ales. A robust yeast strain is used and it’s rumoured that old man Dupont acquired it from a French wine maker, though this has never been confirmed.

Fermentation is in open square vessels that Marc Rosier feels bring out the correct balance of flavours created by the yeast. The beer is then filtered and re-seeded with the same yeast culture and warm-conditioned for six to eight weeks.

The beer that finally emerges from this lengthy process has a big peppery Goldings hop bouquet, with tart fruit and toasted malt.

The palate is a fine balance of biscuit malt, tangy fruit and spicy hop resins, followed by a long dry, quenching finish with a powerful presence of bitter hops.

Dupont makes a second Saison that started life as a Christmas beer called Avec les Bons Voeux de la Brasserie Dupont – literally ‘with the good wishes of the brewery Dupont’. It’s a mouthful in every way, 9.5% ABV, and brewed with the addition of caramalt. The beer is also dry hopped to counter the richness of the malt and it has a superb lemon/citrus fruit note.

The village of Pipaix is a short drive from Dupont and is home to the Brasserie à Vapeur, the Steam Brewery, which is as much a small

museum of ninteenth-century industrial technology as it is a working unit. Pistons clank and pulleys heave, driven by a steam engine installed in 1885 that provides power for the mash mixer and its rakes. The site was a farm in the eighteenth century and once had its own maltings. The brewery closed in the 1980s and was rescued by a school teacher, Jean-Louis Dits, who worked in the brewery at weekends before becoming a full-time commercial brewer.

His first beer and still his main one is Saison

These shiny tanks are a modern setting for this ancient beer style.

Andre Hanssens checks the latest brew.

SEVERAL STRENGTHS WERE PRODUCED, INCLUDING “FAMILY”, “DOUBLE” AND “ROYAL”, WITH EVEN A “CHILDREN’S BEER”.” de Pipaix (6.5% ABV) that has revived an old Belgian tradition of using herbs and spices in brewing. Jean-Louis’ Saison includes six botanicals, including anis, black pepper, orange peel and medicinal lichen. He uses two or three malts in the beer and one hop, East Kent Goldings. He allows the mash in an open tun

The mash underway in a Saison brewery

to gain some lactic character before the copper boil with hops. The beer is unfiltered and will improve with age – Jean-Louis has some 10 year-old vintages. It has a tart orange and lemon fruit note, the ‘horse blanket’ aroma of wild yeasts and rich malty sweetness in the mouth that leaves you unprepared for a shatteringly dry finish dominated by hops, spices and sour fruit.

The Silly Brewery causes a chuckle to visitors but it’s a perfectly sensible name, based in the village of Silly alongside the river Sille.

The Meynsbrughen family started brewing on their farm in the 1850s, using their own grain and hops, and they still own the site. Farming stopped following World War II but the site is firmly agricultural, with its low-slung buildings based around a cobbled courtyard.

Silly’s 5.0% ABV Saison is brewed in a similar fashion to Dupont’s, with the mashing vessel doubling as the boiling copper. It’s a darker interpretation of the style, using some caramalt blended with pale malt. The hops used are English Challenger and German Hallertauer. The beer has a long, 15-day fermentation followed by two weeks for conditioning. Silly’s version of Saison is based on another old Belgian tradition of blending, with young beer combined with an older one that has matured in a metal tank for a year.

www.beerandbrewer.com

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BEER TALK Style Notes

The finished beer is copper-coloured with a massive aroma and palate of tart, vinous fruit and spicy hops, with a solid base of toasted malt.

Deep in wind-swept countryside a few kilometres from the university city of Leuven, farmhouse brewing has been revived with great verve by André Janssens and his sons at Hof ten Dormaal in the village of Tildonk. This is a working farm: after showing me round the tiny, cramped brewhouse, Dries Janssens excused himself as he had to round up the sheep in an adjoining field. Horses are also reared and barley is grown, but the main work is producing chicory – known as ‘white gold’ in the area as it’s the backbone of the local farming community.

André Janssens started brewing four years ago and says he’s the only working farmer

Old image of

aal farm.

Hof ten Dorm

followed by a bittersweet finish rich in herbal hops, tart fruit and cookie malt. A 7.5% ABV beer, Donker, is made with dark malt blended with pale, while Wit Goud is the Blond made with the addition chicory roots and is called a Witloofbier. The roots are added 30 minutes before the end of the copper boil and the bronze beer has a herbal, spicy, vinous aroma and palate, with bitterness coming from the chicory as well as the hops.

The brewing kit in a barn opposite the farmhouse came from Bute, Montana, in the US and it can produce 1,500 litres per brew.

There are seven fermenters and André plans

Horses graze in the field alongside a Saison brewery.

HIS MAIN BEER IS AN 8% BLOND, BREWED WITH PALE MALT ONLY AND MAGNUM HOPS .” in Belgium who grows his own malting barley and hops: there’s a small orchard of Magnum hops on the land. Water comes from a spring. André won’t use the word Saison, as he’s proudly Flemish, and says he makes Farmhouse Beer, which is undeniably true.

His main beer is an 8.0% Blond, brewed with pale malt only and Magnum hops. It has a big spicy/herbal aroma, with creamy malt, tart fruit and spicy hop resins on the palate,

to add more to keep pace with demand: as well as his farmhouse beers, he brews a 12.0% Blond Ale that’s then aged in oak casks for six months. The casks come from the Scottish whisky industry and from wine, port and sherry makers in France, Spain and Portugal.

The barn is packed with oak barrels but most of the oak-aged beers are stored in the cellars of a monastery in Tildonk: Farmhouse Beer meets Abbey Beer in the fields of Flanders.

Blonde is Hof ten Dormaal’s main beer.

The Brewhouse at Hof ten Dormaal overlooks the farm.

AUSTRALIAN EXAMPLES: La Sirene Saison www.lasirene.com.au Temple Saison de Miel www.templebrewing.com.au Moo Brew Saison http://moobrew.com.au Bottling line in a Saison brewery

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Bridge Road Chevalier Saison http://bridgeroadbrewers.com.au

NZ BREWERS PUT A SPIN ON SAISON Although still very much a niche style, Neil Miller reports on the growing number of Kiwi brewers who are embracing Saison and taking it in bold new directions.

B

The most decorated Saison is Golden Bear Pirate Peach Saison which took the trophy for the Other European Ale Styles category in the 2012 Brewerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guild of New Zealand Beer Awards. In addition to Belgian yeast, this bottle-conditioned beer uses fresh local peaches for a unique flavour profile and dry finish.

8 Wired Sauvin Saison uses a French Saison yeast but a heap of punchy Nelson Sauvin hops puts what brewer Søren Eriksen calls a â&#x20AC;&#x153;new

etween 2002 and 2009, it was illegal to brew a Saison in New Zealand or to import a beer called Saison, including classics such as Saison Dupont. Brewing giant DB had quietly trademarked the name in 2002 and kept the trademark long after they stopped brewing Monteithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Saison in 2003. In 2009, DB voluntarily relinquished the trademark under pressure from the Society of Beer Advocates.

Invercargill Brewery Sa!son was the earliest

IT MAY BE THE ONLY BEER TO EVER USE BOTH BELGIAN SAISON YEAST AND NEW ZEALAND BEETROOT.â&#x20AC;? world interpretation on the style.â&#x20AC;? Traditional Belgian brewers would never have a used Nelson Sauvin as it is a very modern New Zealand hop.

After moving from New Plymouth to Auckland to expand his brewing operations, Joe Wood from Liberty supersized the style with his 10.0% ABV Strong Saison called La

modern Kiwi Saison with the strange spelling dictated by DBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trademark at the time it was first released. The beer, which spends two weeks on orange peel, is slightly sour and slightly sweet courtesy of what beer writer Geoff Griggs describes as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;notably funky semi-wild ale yeast of French origin.â&#x20AC;?

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BEER TALK Style Notes

Fin Du Temps. It was released on the date the Mayans allegedly predicted the world would end. Of course, the world survived but the beer certainly knocked around a few drinkers on the UnTappd app.

The Yeastie Boys know their beer styles but love breaking the rules more. They made Her Majesty (2011) which the Boys described as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;New World Marzen-Saisony sort of thingâ&#x20AC;? and Golden Age of Bloodshed which may be the only beer to ever use both Belgian Saison yeast and New Zealand beetroot.

The prolific Garage Project has a Saison in their portfolio called Mon Pâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;tit Chu â&#x20AC;&#x201C; literally My Little Cabbage â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which is apparently a French term of endearment. The brewers say that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Belgian malt, French hops, zero cabbages were used in the brew.â&#x20AC;?

At any given time, it is unlikely that more than half a dozen New Zealand Saisons will be available. Most are seasonal or limited edition but there are signs it is becoming more established. Craft brewers appear determined to put their own spin on the classic style through the creative use of fruit, vegetables and distinctive New Zealand hops.

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HALL OF FAME Inductee #26

st e happie old – th epreneur. tz a P d tr Bern beer en

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thirty year veteran of the beer industry in Australia, Bernd Patzold has built his company – Beach Avenue Wholesalers – from the ground up. And although he was more than a little stunned by Beer & Brewer wanting to write about him Patzold rose to the challenge (albeit after suggesting we write that he had just gotten out of jail).

BERND PATZOLD Hall of Fame inductee number 26 has been working the Australian beer industry for decades. Since the old days when no one drank imported beer and the craft beer industry was just a dream, Bernd Patzold has been working to bring the world’s best into the hands of Aussie drinkers, and for that Beer & Brewer salutes him. beer and he just looked at me and he said look we’re buying 80 cartons of Becks beer, do you want me to split it in half and take your funny named beer? And he told me to leave,” he says. “I was nearly in tears when I left.”

That was 32 years ago, and as Patzold points out, the market has certainly changed drastically since.

BUT THE TRUTH IS OKTOBERFEST HELPED TO MAKE THE BEERS POPULAR IN AUSTRALIA.” When Patzold first started his career in the beer industry, the Australian market was a very different place. He describes in detail trying to break into a market where every punter drank “their beer” – be that VB, XXXX or another classic local lager – and both publicans and retailers were extremely unwilling to introduce variety to their drinkers.

It’s hard to think of the Australian beer scene without the classic brews that Patzold brings into the country – like Budjevecky Budvar, DAB, Erdinger, Schöfferhoffer, Grimbergen, Delirium Tremens, Gosser and Bitburger.

However, Patzold assures us that for the first 10 years – the company was established in 1981, establishing a network of buyers was an extremely hard slog.

“One of my favourite stories that I tell people is about the time I had an appointment to see a Mr Harris who was the buyer for Coles Myer – that’s what it was called in those days – and I marched in there with a nice six-pack of

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Luckily for drinkers and beer lovers around the country, in the wake of his fateful meeting at Coles Myer, Patzold persevered with his mission to expand the drinking repertoire of Australians. And after 10 years hard works, Beach Avenue Wholesalers expanded its range and certainly created a niche in the market for quality imported beers from Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic and more.

According to Patzold the real change in the industry came with the arrival of a new generation of buyers – he throws in a shout out to Ian Kingham, Beer & Brewer consulting editor here – that were interested in trying new beers, especially beers from the international breweries in the Beach Avenue portfolio.

With a new generation of drinkers that weren’t afraid to challenge their tastebuds Patzold says that the business went from strength to strength – moving from just one

brand though to the broad portfolio that the company represents today.

Funnily enough, a lot of the interest in imported beer sprung from the celebration of Oktoberfest around the country. According to Patzold, Australians were overly enthusiastic adopters of the tradition.

“It got banned,” he says. “The police were against it because of the fights and they had some good points about that kind of behaviour.

But the truth is Oktoberfest helped to make the beers popular in Australia.”

Then of course once Coles and Woolworths realised the potential earnings to be had selling imported beer, the rest is history.

There has been a lot of changes since the beer industry began and Patzold is right behind the development of the craft beer industry in Australia – in moderation however as he believes growing too fast could undo the good work the craft brewers have achieved.

Nowadays, with business booming, this legend of the brewing industry says that he is still surprised by what people want to drink. He gives a recent example of a beer he brought in – only 60 cartons – by an English craft brewery called The Celt Experience, which he spoke about on the radio in Melbourne with Julie Hancock.

“I said to him [Tom Newman, the brewer] I bet in six months it is still sitting there,” he says. “But after speaking about it on the radio, people called up and within an hour it was all gone.”

As Patzold says, no matter how long you’ve been in the industry it can still surprise you.

Cheers to that, and cheers to this stalwart of the industry.

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MAGIC FROM OVER THE DITCH

INDUSTRY LEADERS FOR OVER 25 YEARS

WHISKY News

Already famed for its beer industry New Zealand is also conquering the whisky world, reports Gregor Stronach.

I

’ve got a spiritual connection with the small coastal Kiwi town of Oamaru – the Stronach family settled there a few generations back, and it’s the birthplace of my father.

He has told me countless times that there were “two good things to come out of Oamaru. Our family, and the road out of town”. It’s not that he dislikes the place – but for a young man who wanted to make his way in the world, Oamaru probably wasn’t really the place to do it.

Dad tells me that Oamaru’s history with alcohol has been a rocky one – a real love/hate relationship. In the earliest settler periods, the region was popular with the Scottish folk, who moved there from the motherland.

Naturally, where there’s Scottish folk, you’ll find whisky – and Oamaru and its surrounds were no different. By the late 1800s, the region was notorious for its alcohol production and consumption, which prompted the unthinkable.

The result: award-winning legacy whiskies from a nation that doesn’t currently boast its own commercial distilling operation.

I was lucky enough to land a couple of samples: The South Island Single Malt and the jaw-dropping Dunedin Doublewood. If the names sound familiar, it’s because when I say “awardwinning”, I’m talking about some serious hardware in the trophy room.

The Single Malt picked up the gong for Best Australian/ NZ Single Malt 13 to 20 Years at the World Whisky Awards, while the Doublewood won Best Australian/NZ Blended.

That’s on top of a host of other

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trophies, where the tiny town of Oamaru has toppled some of the giants of the industry, including winning medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

The Single Malt is bottled at 40% ABV, which – if anything – is fractionally too low.

But even so, it’s a marvellous whisky, with an impressive depth and spice that belies its bottling strength.

The Doublewood, 40% ABV, is soft, sweet and floral on the nose, and gives way to a warm vanilla and sweetened nut finish – absolutely perfect for a winter’s evening by the fire, or sharing with the Vicar on a Sunday afternoon.

The only sad part is that once the current stock is gone, it’ll be gone for good. We’re hearing whispers that distilling could once again be on the cards for New Zealand, but for the moment, this wonderful legacy spirit is all that’s left.

And even through my grandfather would never have touched a drop of it, he’d probably still be bloody proud of the whisky magic his home town had produced.

ES

In 1906, Prohibition (I can barely even type the word) came into force. Oamaru was a ‘dry’ town.

The forces of ‘temperance’ would keep the little township as dry as a bone for years and, even when my Dad was growing up there in the 40s and 50s, procuring liquor of any sort was a mission. Even when prohibition officially ended, our family’s home was dry.

I was as shocked as anyone to learn that my grandfather was a teetotaller – even more amazing, considering how passionate my old man is about his wines and his whiskies.

When distilling returned to the area, it came in the guise of the Willowbank Distillery, which opened its doors in 1974. Run by the Baker family, it turned out some reasonable drops – namely Wilsons and 45 South.

That operation was bought out by Seagrams in the 80s, which increased production and started to distill a drop called Lammerlaw, named after a local mountain range. They continued until 1997, when the doors were closed on New Zealand’s last commercial still.

And that’s where the New Zealand Whisky Company came to the rescue. 600 barrels of Lammerlaw lay dormant in the bond store, waiting for someone with a keen palate to show them some love, let them lie for a few more years and treat the spirit with the respect it deserved.

A few cold snaps and the right amount of rain has created a bumper fruit season in most orchards.

CIDER Harvest Report – Part I

2013 APPLE AND PEAR HARVEST REPORT

PART I

There are plenty of factors that can influence cider fruit growing in Australia and New Zealand, as James Adams discovered. Here he reports on the 2013 harvest season.

G

rowers and cider producers are currently rejoicing as the 2013 apple and pear harvest has been and gone.

All around Australia and New Zealand, the precious fruit, which has been meticulously tended to over the past year, has been picked, graded and safely put into cold storage or pressed for cider. In this past growing season, factors of extreme weather, disease pressures and complicated growing patterns were a constant reminder of how unforgiving primary producing can be. But in the eyes of local cider producers, the 2013 growing season and subsequent harvest was, overall, very promising, with good quality fruit produced thanks to favourable growing conditions.

However, to understand the rigours of growing apples and pears to a high standard for cider, a Harvest Report covering the major fruit growing regions of Australia is a valuable and educational exercise.

ORANGE – NSW

The apple growing district of Orange is located 250 kilometres west of Sydney, in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales. The region itself is characterised by lower than average temperatures in both the summer and winter months, but higher than average rainfall makes it perfect for growing apples. James and Gail Kendall, from Small Acres Cyder, are cider producers who grow a wide array of semi dwarfed rootstock traditional cider apples on their property located in the foothills of

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Mt Canobolas. According to James Kendall, the elevation of 984 metres, with rich red basalt soil, is the ideal environment for growing cool climate cider fruit. He adds that the 2013 growing season was a “cracker”. Previous years in Orange have not been so favourable for apple growers, with heatwaves, wet summers and dust storms all adding their own challenges. But this growing season saw winter days dipping below zero, which aided in the breaking of dormancy for the cider apple fruit. Warm spring temperatures saw good bee activity, and the resulting fruit set was promising. Finally, late summer had above average rainfall which gave the tress a healthy amount of moisture and nutrients, and finished off the ripening. A good blend of varieties of sweets, bittersweets, sharps and bittersharps – Kingston Black, Yarlington Mill, Somerset Red Streak, Sweet Alford, Reine des Hatives, Browns Apple and Michelin – are all grown in the Small Acres orchards.

The fruit used for Small Acres Cyder was picked earlier than usual and at a balanced 6.5 to 8 baume of fruit sweetness. Kendall believes the fruit showed great intensity, was crisp and clean with great acidity. Even with fruit thinning carried out in summer, 15 to 20 kilograms of fruit off each tree was still recorded in the Small Acres orchards.

BILPIN – NSW

Bilpin, located in the New South Wales Blue Mountains, is a small growing region just 90 kilometres north west of Sydney. To the

lbilly Cider with Shane McLaughlin of Hilits of his harvest. some of the fru

local dwellers, Bilpin is known as the Land of the Mountain Apple, as apples and pears flourish in the fertile mountain soils. Shane and Tessa McLaughlin, makers of Hillbilly Cider, use only eating apples and pears sourced from the orchard on their 35 acre property, located on the edge of the Wollemi National Park. They describe the climate in Bilpin as “sometimes seeing all four season in one day”.

The 2013 growing season for Bilpin and Hillbilly was of high-quality, with Shane McLaughlin saying that “all the stars lined up for Bilpin in 2013”. The season first begun with a normal bud burst in the crisp Bilpin spring, followed by a good flowering in the lead up to a plentiful crop. Bilpin, as a whole, saw good winter chill which was perfect for longer ripening periods, higher sugars and acidity. The lower diurnal temperatures did offset colour formation in some varieties, but it did help with longer ripening. Summer did throw down some challenges with hot spells late in the season, which hindered sugar formation and hydration of the trees.

CIDER Harvest Report – Part I

Most Hillbilly fruit performed well in the growing season with Pink Lady being the standout variety. Gala ripened first, as well as Hillbilly’s new apple variety Julie. Golden Delicious performed great with the fruit being juicy and luscious, Sundowners showed great acidity and delicacy of flavours, and

Rich Coombes from Batlow Cider believes this year’s growing season in Batlow was generally good with relatively high crop levels which were slightly above average. Over fifty per cent of the crop was unfortunately “wiped out” by severe hailstorms in 2012. Batlow experienced a long hot summer, which in turn

THE 2013 SEASON AND HARVEST WAS VERY PROMISING, WITH GOOD QUALITY FRUIT PRODUCED.” Granny Smith offered good acid focus. The underperformer in The McLaughlins’ eyes was the humble Fuji, being inconsistent and lacking in fruit intensity.

BATLOW – NSW

Batlow is a town situated halfway between Sydney and Melbourne in the Snowy Mountains region of New South Wales. It is famous for being one of the premier apple growing regions in Australia, and home to Batlow Apples – a fruit co-operative, founded in 1922. Batlow is situated at the base of the Snowy Mountains approximately 900 metres above sea level.

The sub-alpine climate, high average rainfall and nutrient rich volcanic soils create ideal growing conditions, with the cold mountain air producing long ripening periods. Batlow is the coldest apple growing region in Australia and all Batlow apples are handpicked within a 30 kilometre radius of the Batlow PO Box.

impacted on the size and colour – but not quality – of the eating apple fruit from previous years. Varieties which feature in the Batlow Cider like Red Delicious, Pink Lady and Gala all produced heavier yields than usual. These apples all produced a good balance of sweet apple flavours with pronounced acid profiles, perfect for cider.

YARRA VALLEY – VIC

The Yarra Valley which is located just 50 kilometres east of Melbourne, is more noted and famous for its grape growing and wine making prowess. But apples and pears have been grown in this region since the 1930s; with the crisp cool mornings providing the necessary chill factor essential for growing cool climate fruit. Large portions of the Yarra Valley orchards are planted at an elevation of 100 to 130 metres, on red/grey sandy clay loam with broken sandstone. This soil profile

A mixture of eating variety and cider variety apples are grown in Australia and New Zealand.

is free draining and importantly allows roots to penetrate deep into the soil.

Napoleone and Co’s cidermaker Behn Payton believes the 2013 harvest was excellent with full and balanced flavours across most varieties. The growing season consisted of warm and dry growing conditions, along with healthy winter rains which kept the orchard soils well nourished. The months of February and March saw further rains, before the beneficial warm and dry conditions proved perfect for later ripening varieties like Pink Lady. Issues of sunburn did affect some varieties and their yields, with a drop of 10 per cent seen in both the apple and pear crops. The Vintage was long (from February to May) and consistent for Napoleone and Co, with balance in acidity, sugars and colour achieved in all varieties. These varieties included: Braeburn, Firmgold, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Jonathon, Pink Lady, Red Delicious, Royal Gala and Sundowner apples, along with Beurre Bosc, Packham, Williams, Corella and Josephine pears.

HARCOURT VALLEY– VIC

Most growers reported a good harvest this season despite a few seasonal mishaps along the way.

The Harcourt Valley is considered the apple centre of the state of Victoria. Located in the Central Highlands just 30 kilometres south of Bendigo, Harcourt is a major apple growing region at the foot of Mount Alexander. Recent tough times of drought and high production costs have seen this region begin to dwindle with some growers opting to cease operations.

Drew Henry of Henry of Harcourt has been able to combat the tough times, producing traditional ciders from his 40 hectare cider apple orchard since 1994.

The 2013 season has been hard work for Drew, as it was always going to be a light season. Cider apples are ‘biennial bearers’ which essentially means one year can receive a large crop, and the next significantly less.

For Henry of Harcourt, 2013 was an ‘off year’ and to make things more difficult, Harcourt experienced a scorching summer. Drew recorded average monthly temperatures being 0.7 to 2.6 degrees Celcius higher than the 2012 summer.

Maximums were also 3 to 5 degrees Celcius

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CIDER Harvest Report – Part I

Chief Cidermaker David Saxs and Merophy Hyslop from Redwood Cider (NZ) inspect the 2013 crop.

higher, while rainfall was recorded at 83mm, down from 280mm. The Henry of Harcourt trees struggled; therefore the crops were generally smaller, ripened more rapidly and slightly earlier. Drew’s Pink Lady crop also shared a similar story to the cider varietals. To make matters worse, plague proportions of kangaroos have bludgeoned his trees, especially the Pink Ladys, eating almost a third of the crop.

Of the 43 varieties grown at Henry of Harcourt, the main ones – Kingston Black, Improved Foxwhelp, Yarlington Mill and Pink Lady – all had variant degrees of losses in tonnage and yield. However the Improved Foxwhelp was out of sync with the biennial bearing, and recoded a 50 per cent increase in tonnages from the previous year. All baumes were recorded as being an increase on the last growing season due to the very hot weather.

Despite this, Drew insists that even though the tonnage and yields were down, the quality of the end products should be enhanced by the dry seasonal conditions.

HUON VALLEY – TAS

The Huon Valley is located in Tasmania, just 45 kilometres south west of Hobart.

The Valley itself encompasses a total area of 5497 square kilometres and is home to beautiful scenery, enchanting forests and the meandering Huon River. A high average rainfall, clean air, nutrient rich soils and plenty of chill hours ensures the fruit produced from the Huon Valley is of impeccable quality.

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Sam Reid of Willie Smiths Organic Cider believes this is why the Huon is perfect for growing apples and pears. He also described the 2013 growing season as “perfect” in terms of quality.

The organic fruit is grown by generational apple growers Ian and Andrew Smith on their 115 acre property. There were plenty of chill hours in the winter which meant larger blossoms, and a wet spring ensured moisture levels remained high. A dry spell from December through to late April saw perfect growing conditions in Tasmania and the Huon.

Willie Smith’s recorded a 20 per cent increase in this year’s yield, with 50 tonnes per hectare a common occurrence. Although the crop was large, the extra heat ensured quality was great. Sam explained that unlike the mainland, heat in Huon is not as extreme and there is always plenty of water to counteract it. Willie Smith’s currently utilises conventional eating apple varieties along with Beurre Bosc pears, but they are in the process of grafting over to traditional cider apples.

Dorman also explained that there are very few traditional cider varieties in the Hills, with the majority of them being used as pollinators in the commercial orchards. The Hills Cider Company is currently investigating planting cider apple varieties in the future.

MOUTERE VALLEY – NZ

The Moutere Valley is an apple growing region located near Nelson on the South Island of New Zealand. The high sunshine hours, perfect soils and cool nights in the Nelson region, which consists of the Moutere Valley, Waimea Plains and Motueka, make it the ideal place for growing fruit. The team at Redwood Cider Company, who are responsible for producing the cider labels Old Mout and Monteith’s, believes the fruit sourced from these regions is of excellent quality. Merophy Hyslop, a Cidermaker from Redwood described the 2013 season as “very good”. She noted that in Nelson summer drought affected the fruit size of some early ripening varieties, but not so much the mid to late varieties. She believes that quality was not affected, although yields were down. She is also expecting the resulting ciders to be elegant and primarily fruit driven.

Redwood generally likes to use Braeburn and Cox’s Orange for providing good acid balance and Gala, Fuji and Ambrosia to deliver sweetness. New varieties this growing season consisted of Smitten and Sonya which provided

THE GROWING SEASON MOSTLY FAVOURED PERFECT APPLE AND PEAR GROWING CONDITIONS THAN AVERAGE. ” ADELAIDE HILLS – SA

Located just a short drive east of Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills grow some of the purest fruit in Australia from approximately forty commercial growers. The Hills is characterised by higher winter rainfall, cooler night temperatures, warmer day temperatures, large topography changes, and rich heavy loam with clay based soils. Steve Dorman, cidermaker for The Hills Cider Company believes these factors are why the Adelaide Hills produces such outstanding eating apples.

He notes that the average yield for the 2013 season was medium, with fruit size slightly down due to drier weather. He also added that quality was very good, but sunburn was a big issue due to a three week period of extremely hot weather in March. The main varieties used in The Hills Apple Cider, all grown in the Adelaide Hills, are Pink Lady, Fuji, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Sundowner, Jonathons, Braeburns and Red Delicious.

For The Hills Pear Cider varieties like Nashi, Williams, Packhams, Beurre Bosc, Lemon Burgamont, Corella and Red D’Anjou are used.

great taste and extra sweetness. For the pear ciders, the varieties of Taylors Gold, Beurre Bosc, Comice and Concorde were used.

What was very evident to see was overall quality for 2013 being very high across most regions. The growing season mostly favoured perfect apple and pear growing conditions with yields generally steady to higher than average, without any compromise in quality.

But with the fruit now off the tree, it’s time for the Cidermakers to use their knowledge and differing production techniques – both modern and traditional – to produce ciders of differing styles and flavour profiles.

In Part Two of the 2013 Harvest Report, a style examination will decipher the many cider production techniques which produce the various cider styles on the market today.

COVER XXXXX Beer & Food xxxxxxxxx

BEER AND FOOD MATCHING Too long beer has lingered in the shadows, banished from its rightful spot on the ďŹ ne dining tables of Australia. With the increasing popularity of beer in gourmet circles, Stefanie Collins takes a look at the mechanics of beer and food matching, and chats to the experts about how to bring beer into the kitchen at home.

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COVER XXXXX Beer & Food xxxxxxxxx

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ood, restaurants and the upper echelons of “good taste” were once seen as solely the preserve of wine buffs. Wine matched degustation meals were the height of chic, while having a wine and cheese soiree at home was meant to show your sophistication.

Now, however, restaurants and foodies are cottoning on to what beer fanatics have known for years: beer and food make excellent bedfellows, in some cases better than food and wine. Just ask James Squire Master Brewer Chuck Hahn.

“Many people say beer is too gassy, and therefore wine is better with a meal,” he says.

“However, when beer is consumed in moderation – and not so fast – it goes well with foods. Taste rather than just drink; savour the flavours.”

While some pairings follow much the same path as wine pairings – i.e. light coloured wines with light coloured foods, and dark coloured wines with dark coloured foods – there is certainly a lot more nuance to beer and food pairings, thanks to the fact that the flavour spectrum in beer is far more varied than that of its grapy relative.

THE THREE CS

When it comes to pairing anything – beer/ cheese, beer/dessert, or beer/barbeque – there are three general rules to follow. Unlike the light-with-light or dark-with-dark rules, the Three Cs provide much more room for creativity: compare, contrast, and cleanse.

The first two concepts are easy enough to understand. With comparative flavours, you pair a beer and a dish that have similar flavour profiles – a classic example would be a rich, chocolate pudding with a Porter or Stout.

With contrasting matches, the flavours of the brew and the meal are juxtaposed in such a way as to complement each other. A great example from a recent Bistrode CBD menu was James Squire’s Four Wives Pilsener with a fig and almond cake and honey ice cream. The bitterness of the hops contrasted perfectly with the slightly too sweet combination of the figs and honey to enhance the dessert and make the combination more delicious than the sum of its parts.

The final concept is not one traditionally found in wine matches – unless one is holding a champagne matching, an entirely

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COVER XXXXX Beer xxxxxxxxx & Food

Restaurants are taking up picking up on the success of beer venues like Redoak and offering beer matches and beer-themed degustations.

TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS: t There are no hard and fast rules, it is all about personal tastes. t Balance the flavours in the dish and the beer. t Take into account that the flavour of a beer will change when it comes into contact with food on the palate. t Don’t boil beer, it drastically increases the bitterness. t Strong beers require strong foods to match up to the flavour. t It is often trial and error, so enjoy the trialling – and trial a lot. t Taste a lot of beer and then taste some more. The more aware you are of what is out there, the better your matches can become. t Start simple when it comes to cooking with beer the first time – choose a recipe that requires a fair amount of liquid and replace half that liquid with beer. t Play with flavour combinations and try things that are outside the box like Raspberry Wheat Beer batter on scallops, or Sweet Stout with stinky French blue cheese. t Finally, always keep the Three Cs in mind: Compare, Contrast and Cleanse (even if you ignore them).

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EACH EXPERIENCE IS WORTHY OF CONSIDERED THOUGHT. DID IT WORK? WAS THE COMBINATION PLEASURABLE.” different beast. Beer, being carbonated, has the wonderful ability to strip the palate of the residue left behind by richly fatty foods – like the got-to-be-tried combination of French brie and Kölsch (but more on that later). According to Bill Taylor, Chief Brewer at Lion and prolific author on the topic of beer and food, believes that it is important to consider what food you are serving and whether you want to compare, contrast or cleanse with your beer choice.

“Each experience is worthy of considered thought. Did it work? Was the combination pleasurable? Build on your experience,” says Taylor. “Remember the dishes and the beers you enjoyed. Ask the waiter about a dish so you can be sure you know what ingredient characterised the dish. Over time you will gain skill and confidence.”

While it is perfectly fine to march to the beat of your own beery drum in terms of the Three Cs, it is important to note that big beers generally match better with dishes that have a big profile – after all there is a very good reason why IPAs work well with curries. Beers with a more delicate flavour

Bill Talyor.

BARBEQUING TIPS

Paul Mercurio.

can be overwhelmed by dishes with big flavours, so pair your delicate Pilsners and lagers with seafoods and lighter dishes that will enhance the flavour and not wipe it out.

That said, renowned beer lover, and author of Cooking with Beer, Paul Mercurio reckons that simply matching the colour of the beer to the type of dish isn’t the way to go either.

“I say be creative,” he says. “Don’t go for a light beer with a piece of fish or a dark beer with red meat, because that’s not always the best match you can find. A really nice hoppy, American-style Amber Ale would go really well with a nice piece of barramundi.”

Mercurio reinforces that the important factor is that flavour strength is factored in – barramundi is a flavoursome and robust fish that can match up to the hoppy, malty flavours of the Amber Ale. The experts all agree that, while there are tried and true combinations, there is a certainly level of trial and error required when

Everyone loves a beer at a barbie.

To make sure you’re king of the grill at your next do, we’ve got some tips from the experts at the Bar-Be School (www.bbqschool.com.au). t Marinating quality meat is best done for four hours prior to cooking.

For lower grade cuts of meat, overnight is fine. t Meat is best seasoned with salt and pepper just before grilling to avoid drying out. t The most important element when cooking meat is to rest it after cooking for at least 10 to 15 minutes to relax and soften, and to allow excess bloods to run off. t When carving meat, cut against the grain to prevent meat toughening – this will also help with the aesthetics of presentation. t Turn meat only once while cooking to prevent your steak from drying out on the underside. t Don’t salt meat before cooking (unless incorporated into marinade) as this draws out the natural juices. t When your meat is almost, but not quite, done to your liking, pull it off the grill and let it sit for two-three minutes. It will continue cooking off the grill and will end up being done to perfection.

IMPORTERS OF QUALITY HOPS AND HOP PRODUCTS AGENTS FOR HANDTMANN FILTRATION AND BEER STABILIZATION EQUIPMENT

Food doesn’t need to be fancy – try using a sharp Cheddar in your burgers and matching to an APA.

– FREE FREIGHT FOR ORDERS OVER 30 KG – OVER 70 VARIETIES IN STOCK – COLD STORAGE IN MELBOURNE

COVER Beer & Food

DIY BEER & CHEESE MATCHING Matching beer with cheese has been a ‘thing’ for some time now and it’s a dangerous hobby. However, knowing what to get stuck into at home can be difficult and while we encourage you to experiment, sometimes ‘having a crack’ can lead to some rather nasty combos.

After selflessly attending several events that showcased beer and cheese, we’ve gathered together the following tips for a successful evening.

Firstly, supply some palate cleaners for your guests and have a few jugs of water around. This allows people to break up and extend their tasting session – plus adding a few carbs and maybe a bit of fruit makes your cheese platter into a legitimate meal, no need to feel guilty about overindulging.

Ideal palate cleansers: t Fresh crusty French bread t Prune and walnut log t Quince paste And remember that presentation is everything. If you’re having a select few people over to taste some exceptional brews, divvy the cheese up between individual plates so that your guests can mix and match their beers and cheeses at their own pace – and eat off their knives. Yep, you read that correctly. Pro tip: don’t taste the cheese on/with the bread as it can interfere with beer match. Indulge your inner rebel and eat right off the knife.

If you’re having too many people to make that possible, establish early on that guests should cut off a hunk of each cheese (several small servings worth) to put on their plates so that they can then happily double dip their way through their tasting session.

Now to the fun part, try these tasty combos on for size: Hefeweizen & Goats Cheese – This is the perfect match with its tangy citrus notes nicely contrasting the creamy brew. A sheep milk cheese is also great, as the saltiness contrasts the sweetness of the beer.

Kölsch & French Brie – The real French stuff has much stronger, mouthcoating flavour than the cheese you get in the supermarket fridge, so a Kölsch is the perfect palate cleanser. Brie can also work nicely with an Australianstyle Pale Ale for the same reason.

Pilsner & Castelrosso – This semi-hard Italian cheese has a fruitiness and slight saltiness to it that works perfectly with the light bitterness of the Pilsner.

If you can’t find it, try a mild English Cheddar instead.

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Experiment with beer pairings – there are no right and wrong answers.

THE END RESULT AND THE PATHWAY TO THAT RESULT ARE BOTH VERY ENJOYABLE.” Irish Red Ale & Washed Rind – Go for a middle of the range washed rind as some can be very intense.

The carbonation strips the fat off the palate and the maltiness of the beer is a nice foil for the creamy texture.

American Pale Ale & Cheddar – The flavour and saltiness of a strong, bitey English Cheddar stands up to and contrasts with the high hop bitterness of this style. Milder Cheddar would also work well with slightly milder IPAs or Pale Ales.

Belgian Strong Ale & French Blue – The strength of the darker brew and the sweet, mouldy goodness of the French Blue works a treat. Tip: try this beer with every cheese – pretty much an all-round winner – as well as with the prune log.

Imperial Stout & French Blue – Look for a Stout with chocolate and vanilla notes, which contrast perfectly with the savoury nature of the cheese. Also get stuck into the prune log with this brew. You won’t regret it.

Some ‘rules of thumb’: Creamy cheeses like brie work well with higher carbonation to help clear the palate.

Dark beers and blue cheeses make a great alternative for those who have no interest in pairing beer with dessert - lots of hops, need lots of flavour to balance them. Lastly, ignore all of these ideas and do whatever the hell you want you won’t know if it works until you have a crack at it.

investigating beer and food matching. Chuck Hahn is a well-know advocate of beer and food pairing in all walks of life, and he resoundingly recommends experimentation for one very good reason.

“The end result and the pathway to that result are both very enjoyable,” he says.

It is a sentiment that is echoed by Chris Badenoch, the MasterChef alumni and coowner of Josie Bones, the famed beer-centric Melbourne restaurant. Badenoch recommends plenty of experimentation to ensure all facets of a dish work with the chosen brew.

“Sometimes one tiny element on a dish will clash horribly with one minor flavour profile in a beer and you never would have guessed it before tasting them together,” he says. “The key is to always keep tasting and refining.”

BEER IN THE STOCKPOT As well as matching brews to food, there is also plenty of scope for putting beer into a recipe – even one that doesn’t actually have beer written into it.

Mercurio loves adding beer to recipes and reckons it is a great place to start, even for those that aren’t terribly experienced in the kitchen.

“Take a dish that you like, take a dish that you make quite often and – hopefully it’s got some liquid in it – and replace half the liquid with your favourite beer and see how it changes the dish – and see how it changes your enjoyment of the dish,” he says. “And if you don’t like it, and if you think it’s wrecked your favourite dish think about the beer you put in and consider whether or not you used the right beer.”

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COVER Beer & Food

Chris Badenoch.

CONVERTING NONBELIEVERS The best way to convert someone to the cause is with shock value. Seriously.

Do something completely unexpected and watch the wonderment dawn on their faces. Unfortunately the majority of women still fall into this category, despite the inroads being made into the market by dedicated craft beer brands. So how to make your significant other like beer?

Take a leaf out of the Barley’s Angels book and pair some cracking brews with dessert. And we’re not just talking Stout with chocolate cake either. While the Angels worked with cupcakes, the same flavour ideas can be converted to just about any style of dessert. So try some of these flavour combos on for size: Hefeweizen & Lemon Butter – Wheat Beers are often served with citrus spiked foods – seafoods especially – to cut the sweetness so lemon butter/curd is perfect.

Belgian Tripel & Salted Caramel – the sweetness in the beer and the caramel is tempered by the saltiness creating a fantastic contrast.

Dark Coffee Lager & Maple Bacon – yeah, we just suggested bacon in a dessert. The strong coffee flavours in the Dark Lager against the hotcakes-andmaple-syrup scent of the dessert flavour equals breakfast. Win. Oatmeal Stout & Red Velvet (Vanilla & Chocolate) – with a smooth creamy mouthfeel to match the creamy chocolate/vanilla goodness of this traditional American cake flavour, this combo should not be missed.

Belgian Trappist Ale & Rum/Raisin – it can only be described as Christmassy.

The spices in the dessert and the spiciness of the beer combine perfectly.

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Mercurio is adamant that even though light beers have their place in society – try living in the tropics without them – they have no business finding their way into your cooking.

“Light beer shouldn’t be used in cooking.

So just try some different beers,” he says. “I mean, I love beer scrambled eggs. That’s a really simple dish and it’s so good. So if you, for example, make it with Stone & Wood Pacific Ale, you’re going to get a really distinct character. If you make it with Coopers Stout, you’ll get a different distinct character. And if you make it with light beer you should throw it out and not eat it.”

All jokes aside, cooking with beer is a fundamental joy that shouldn’t be shied away from. Badenoch is famous for using beer and recommends a bake or braise as a great place to start for those who are a little gun-shy.

“In baking you can pretty much replace your liquid component (milk etc) with beer,” he says. “And using beer in braises instead of wine creates a beautiful depth of flavour. Keep in mind though that as a sauce reduces, flavour

intensifies so it’s better to use a maltier beer unless you want a ridiculously bitter dinner.”

As for Hahn, he suggests starting with a classic combo like pippis cooked in Pilsner or even an Amber Ale added to a rich cheese soup .

WHAT NEXT?

Despite the sudden upsurge in the popularity, the trend is still in its relative infancy – especially when compared to places like Belgium and Germany where it is practically a sport.

However, according to our experts, there is a great future ahead for beer on dining tables around the country. Both Paul Mercurio and Chris Badenoch firmly believe that beer and food matching will cease to have the novelty factor that it currently has – occasionally to its detriment – instead existing as an accepted and loved tradition.

In the meantime, enjoy the journey and remember that over researching really is the best policy when it comes to matters of taste.

“THE KEY IS TO ALWAYS KEEP TASTING AND REFINING.”

Stout and chocolate is a tried and true combo.

Chuck Hahn.

BEER & FOOD – GETTING AN EDUCATION With an upswing in popularity of beer and food matching, the Australian hospitality industry has finally come to the party, acknowledging that beer has a rightful place on dinner tables across the country – in the proper glassware of course.

With breweries and pubs teaming up it is now easier than ever to get an education about beer and food. Keep an eye on the events page on www. beerandbrewer.com and subscribe to updates from breweries in your area to find out when they are holding events. Trying as many different matches as you can, as well as listening to the chef/brewer discuss a match, is the best way to get tips regarding matches you can recreate or taste profiles that you can adapt in your own cooking and drinking.

Try a Belgian Trappist Ale with a rum and raisin flavoured dessert.

COVER

Posh restaurants are coming to the beer party, actively encouraging diners to experiment.

Beer & Food

BEER PUSHES FOR A PLACE AT THE TABLE New Zealand consumers and chefs are increasingly appreciating what craft beer can do with food. Neil Miller charts the exponential growth of beer and food matching in the Land of the Long White Cloud.

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here is a pub in Wellington which, until very recently, offered a three course beer and food matching lunch of two pints of Tui and a mince pie. Sadly, that rather summed up the traditional Kiwi attitude – beer went with pies, sausage rolls, chips, and crisps.

One of the first promotions to champion beer and food matching was the Monteith’s Wild Food Challenge which is now in its sixteenth year. Chefs are invited to use wild ingredients or wild cooking styles to create dishes which are then matched with beers

Beer and pies – a good match but not the only one out there.

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from the largely mainstream Monteith’s range.

The contest has become bigger each year with prize money now topping $15,000 and finalists appearing in a Food Channel series.

slowly becoming accepted as part of the dining experience. The upcoming Wellington on a Plate food festival has a number of beer and food events, including dinners in breweries and beer degustations.

Celebrity chef and author Al Brown, founder of Logan Brown and owner of Depot, is fronting a major beer and food matching campaign called “Made to Match”. However, concerns have been raised that all the beers he recommends as food matches are exclusively Lion products or imported by Lion – a fact that is not prominently disclosed in the promotions.

Beer and food matching in New Zealand has come a long way in a short time. A genuinely

HE ADMITTED THAT HIS ‘NARROWMINDED OPINION WAS ALTERED TO ONE OF BROAD VISION’. ” The most influential figure in the rise of beer and food matching over the last five years has been Martin Bosley, one of New Zealand’s best known and celebrated chefs. Approached to run beer and food matching sessions at one of the early Beervanas, the country’s premier beer festival, Bosley was adamant he was the “wrong guy.” He told organisers that he rarely drank beer, had never heard of Beervana and his eponymous restaurant was proudly all about wine and food.

After trying around 40 New Zealand craft beers during a marathon afternoon session at his five-star waterfront restaurant he admitted that his “narrow-minded opinion was altered to one of broad vision. I had received my beer enlightenment.” Bosley started stocking a wide range of beers, ran beer and food matching seminars and dinners, wrote about beer in his food articles, and eventually became the Culinary Director for Beervana.

His championing of beer and food pairing had an enormous impact on the general public.

Cuisine, New Zealand’s foremost foodie magazine, introduced a craft beer column after Bosley presented a beer and food matching session to their staff.

Increasingly, bars, cafes and restaurants are recommending beer matches for their dishes and running beer and food events.

These include chilli and beer, chocolate and beer, cheese and beer and degustation events.

While not yet commonplace, craft beer is

independent beer and food matching campaign fronted by a prominent chef or brewer may well be the next big step.

Beer and chocolate is now on the menu in NZ venues.

Beervana – www.beervana.co.nz Made to Match – www.madetomatch.co.nz Martin Bosley’s – www.martin-bosley.com Monteith’s Wild Food Challenge – www.monteiths.co.nz

THERE ARE THREE OPTIONS TO PARTICIPATE AT THIS YEARS BEER & BREWER AWARDS & CONFERENCE (BBAC) 2013.

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LIFESTYLE Beer Etiquette

HOW TO DRINK LIKE A LOCAL Don’t know your ponies from your pots? Ever been disappointed by a South Australian pint?

Don’t want the locals to know you’re ‘not from around here’? Here’s our guide to ordering a beer like a local. By Gregor Stronach.

I

t’s a well-known fact that pubs can be pretty tribal places at times. But that shouldn’t put you off stopping in somewhere new for a beer, should the need arise. So we’ve put together this handy guide to ordering a beer anywhere in Australia and New Zealand, so you’ll get what you want (a beer) and the locals won’t twig to the fact that you’re an out-of-towner.

The basics are almost universal. “I’ll have a [glass] of [beer], thanks…” will usually suffice.

But filling in those blanks with the appropriate terminology and brand name can be baffling if you’re not sure of the local customs.

Sure, there’s the age-old ‘ponder-and-point’ maneuver, which is useful when you’re standing within coo-ee of the taps and you’re quietly certain that you can see what you’re after.

But, from state to state – and, more and more these days – from pub to pub, there’s been a strange divide in the names and sizes of beers, which has tripped up more than a couple of unwary punters over the years.

If you already know your ponies from your pots, and what to expect when you order a pint in New South Wales, versus a pint in South Australia, then you can probably skip over most of this, but for those who aren’t sure (and, let’s be frank, it’s a hard task to remember them all), this is the definitive guide to making sure you get what you want over the bar.

Before we begin, a small piece of housekeeping: For non-tap beers, we’re now spoiled for choice in Australia and New Zealand.

Which makes ordering what you want an almost universal procedure, achieved through the simple expedience of asking for what you want, or gesturing mutely at the fridge. But even that can present a challenge in some parts of the country – and we’ll get to that later.

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NSW AND ACT

The good news for cross-border drinkers between NSW and the ACT is that the beer sizes, and names, are all standardised – hardly surprising, considering that the Australian Capital Territory was nominally part of New South Wales until its formation in 1911. Plus the locals were drinking beer in and around Canberra long before Canberra even existed.

The upshot of this is that you can comfortably wander into just about any pub in NSW or the ACT and tell your friend behind the bar “I’ll have a schooner of [beer]” – in return, you’ll be blessed by the

presence of 425ml, or 15 fluid ounces, of pure, unadulterated joy in a glass.

But it hasn’t always been that way.

Nominally, the schooner is meant to be two-thirds of a pint, which adds up to 426ml. Drinkers were robbed of 1ml by the introduction of the metric system, but in return

Order a beer like a local to win over the bar staff.

LIFESTYLE Beer Etiquette

we got a way of measuring distances that didn’t require being able to count past ten.

A middy is a 285ml glass, so-called because it’s the midway point between having loads of beer (a pint) and being sad about having no beer at all.

Slumbering quietly below the middy is the almost-mythical “Seven”, a seven-ounce glass that most barkeeps haven’t served a beer into in many years. And at the bottom of the volume ladder is the Pony – a 140ml glass which, in the mostly temperate climate of NSW, has no place behind the bar at all.

As for a “local” drink… it was always a Tooheys. Declaring loudly at the bar that you’ll have “A schooner of New, thanks” will brand you as a local in two seconds flat.

QUEENSLAND

It’s the home of XXXX, and for decades it was considered treason, bordering on heresy, to drink anything that didn’t hail from the Castlemaine Perkins brewery. Times, thankfully, have changed a bit, and the locals tell us that it’s not unusual to be able to find two, and sometimes even three, different beers on tap in Queensland pubs.

We jest, of course, but there’s something to that tribal attitude of years gone by that bears thinking about – and that’s the taste for particular beers based not on state borders, but the actual geography and climate of the area itself.

Down the southern end of Queensland, you should order your beer by the pot, pint or jug.

Further north, up in the tropics, ordering by the volume of the glass is fairly standard – so you’d ask for a ten, a seven or a five. If you don’t specify what you want in the glass, it’ll come loaded up with XXXX. Up north, if you can’t find XXXX on tap where you’re standing, then you’re either in church or hospital – it’s available pretty much everywhere else. And the locals drink it by the “pot”, which is Queenslandese for a half pint.

Historically, it’s the biggest container of beer you could buy without purchasing an entire jug – and you don’t order a jug to drink on your own unless you’ve just won the State of Origin and there are no photographers lurking about.

But why, I hear you think, would Queenslanders prefer a smaller glass than their southern counterparts? It’s because of the climate. In tropical areas, with high humidity,

(and, again, you can now buy beers by the pint in many locations), but historically-speaking, you can ask the barkeep for a pot, a handle or a ten… and get precisely the same thing: a half-pint of beer.

They call it a ‘ten’ because it’s ten fluid ounces – which explains that the next sizes down in Tassie are an ‘eight’ (8oz) and a ‘six’ (6oz). What comes next on the list is a curiosity that the locals call a ‘small beer’ – four fluid ounces, or 115ml.

When you consider that a recent study performed by lab coat-wearing boffins concluded that the average ‘mouthful’ of beer consumed by

YOU DON’T ORDER A JUG TO DRINK ON YOUR OWN UNLESS YOU’VE JUST WON THE STATE OF ORIGIN ...” once beer is in a glass it goes flat a lot quicker than in colder climes. So it makes sense, then, to serve it in little glasses – you’re better off making frequent trips to the bar for little drinks than getting one big one and churning your way through a half a pint of dud suds.

TASMANIA

There’s an exception to every single rule in the universe – and when it comes to ordering beers, Tasmania is the one state that bucks the ‘cold weather, bigger beers’ trend.

The lexicon will vary from pub to pub,

Not sure what to order... listen in to the guy in the footy shorts – he’s got to be local dressed like that.

an average male is a scant 85ml, we are left to ponder why anyone would purchase less than one and a half mouthfuls of beer.

When it comes to the local brew, these days you’re so spoilt for choice that it’s hard to put a generic name to it – but Cascade’s always a safe bet if you want to look like you belong.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Western Australia is so far geographically removed from most of the rest of Australia that there’s a certain parochialism attached to that state. As a result, many of its quirks make ordering a beer in WA a potential minefield.

For starters, anyone from Victoria, Tasmania or Queensland who wandered into a WA pub and instinctively ordered a ‘pot’ will be in for a shock. Firstly, it’ll be vastly more expensive than they’re used to. Secondly, it’ll be twice as big.

In WA, a ‘pot’ is what the rest of the country calls a pint – with the exception of South Australia, which we’ll get to in a minute.

In decreasing order of size, WA then pretty much conforms with New South Wales before making an abrupt, inexplicable departure for Victorian measures.

Schooners are the same as they are in NSW, as are the middies. Those are followed by the Glass (200ml) and the Bobbie (170ml / 6oz).

From the Bobbie, we find the Pony, the same as Victoria.

Lagging last on the list is the same woefully inadequate measure as a ‘small beer’ from Tasmania – 140ml of miserable short-changing.

Except they don’t call it a ‘small beer’ – it’s a Small Pony, which morphed linguistically into the Shetland. Of course.

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LIFESTYLE Beer Etiquette

THE NORTHERN TERRITORY

The Territory is one of those areas where you’re going to stick out as a non-local, no matter what you do. Luckily, for tap beers, the nomenclature’s pretty much the same as the rest of the country – you can get beers in a schooner, a handle or a seven. But it’s ordering away from the taps in the NT where things get interesting.

It’s not unusual to hear beer being ordered by the colour of the can – glass bottles present a few difficulties in a heavydrinking environment. The most common expressions, to an outsider’s ear, are “I’ll have a green can, thanks” or a “red can, thanks” – resulting in a tinnie of VB or MB.

VICTORIA

When it comes to Pints and Pots, the Victorians have it mastered. Traditionally, they’ve followed the conventions laid down by our English forebears, and served their beers in pints and half-pints since time immemorial.

Recent forays into the heady world of the schooner glass have seen it rising in popularity in Victorian pubs, but from what I’ve seen over the years, it’s the punters who know what they want: big glasses of beer, and plenty of ‘em.

glass (170ml / 6oz) or a pony (140ml / 5oz).

As for what to order, it depends on where in Victoria you are… Anywhere outside of Melbourne, juggernaut brand Victoria Bitter is a safe bet, but the Victorians aren’t quite as parochial as the Queenslanders when it comes to drinking a local brew.

In the trendier parts of Melbourne, if you don’t want to stand out from the crowd, try ordering the most difficult to pronounce item on the beer menu. If that doesn’t work, you’ll earn local-cred by making sure you’re the only person in the place with a particular brand of beer in your hand – it doesn’t matter what it is, just be sure you’re the only one drinking it.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

South Australia’s a lovely place, but for an out-of-towner, ordering a tap beer can be a nightmare. “I’ll have a schooner of VB, thanks” will earn you what the rest of Australia calls a middy or a pot.

If you order “a pint”… well, that’s what the rest of the country calls a schooner. If you want an actual, no-nonsense ‘pint’ of beer, you’ll need to ask for the impressive-sounding ‘imperial pint’.

In years gone by, South Australians referred to their 200ml ‘seven’ or ‘beer’ glasses as ‘butchers’, and the only standard-sized beer you could buy was the dreaded ‘pony’.

IT’S THE PUNTERS WHO KNOW WHAT THEY WANT: BIG GLASSES OF BEER, AND PLENTY OF ‘EM.” Your best bet in Victoria – just ask for a pint, pot or a schooner… it’s odds-on that you’ll get what you’ve asked for without standing out from the crowd. However, if you want to get fancy – nothing unusual in a Melbourne bar – you can ask for a glass (200ml / 7oz), a small

However, our locals tell us that no-one orders either of these sizes in anything more than a whisper, if ever at all.

On the positive side of this coin, if you’re travelling from South Australia to anywhere else in Oz, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find

With a bit of research you won’t stand out like the proverbial sore thumb.

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Stick with tradition and order a pint in Victoria.

that the schooners and pints you buy anywhere else will be massive by comparison.

The other positive: as if to make up for short-changing their interstate visitors, the South Australians aren’t fussy about what you put in your glass.

“A schooner of New or VB” will get you a cold beer, no questions asked.

NEW ZEALAND

Getting a beer over the bar in New Zealand, we’re told, is a pretty simple affair. Handles or Pints are the go – and it’s easy enough to remember. But, depending on where you are in NZ, there are a couple of pitfalls to watch out for.

It’s pretty much a case of pot luck in NZ when you’re ordering a glass of beer over the bar – and unless you specifically ask for a ‘handle’ (425ml / 15oz), which is the same as a schooner in Australia (or a South Australian pint), there’s no hard-and-fast rule on the size of beer you’ll get.

That’s because a few years back, the NZ government scrapped its laws regulating the size of glassware in pubs. And while most (but not all) bars and pubs in NZ will sell you a fairly standard handle of beer, when you ask for a pint you could get anything from 400mL to 570mL of beer.

Of course, questions of value for money aside, the huge variance in serving size can play havoc with your ability to drive home, so it’s worth asking the barman (as quietly as possible if you don’t want to look out of place) what size the pints are before you order.

Kiwis like their beer in jugs, so if there’s more than one of you at the pub, buying by the jug is a safe bet. If you’re not sure what the glass sizes are, a simple “I’ll have a Lion Brown, thanks” should see you right.

TRAVELLER International

“UN VIAGGIO PER BIRRA”

HITTING THE ROAD FOR ITALY’S BIRRA ARTIGIANALE http://upload.w

Think Italian beer and most people will automatically think of Peroni. But, as Ben Keene discovers, there is an existing tradition of artisanal beers that are well worth tripping to The Boot for.

I

n Italy, brands matter and style counts.

Yet, as all of the best designers in Milan know, fashions come and go. Style isn’t static and tastes change over time. For some reason though, nobody thought to tell Moretti, Chiesa delle Steccata.

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Peroni, and Poretti, three of the big brands that are synonymous with beer in this country of 60 million people. Heavily influenced by the Pale Lagers of Southern Germany, they’ve dominated the domestic market for well over a century, each producing their own light bodied, bottom fermented, and lightly hopped beer.

Beginning as family businesses during the latter half of the nineteenth century, all three now belong to huge multinational beverage companies like Heineken and SAB Miller with brands all over the world.

Nonetheless, these names and their dated beer styles have appealed to Italians for well over a century. But in the mid-1990s, a shift occurred when pioneers like Teo Musso of Le Baladin, Agostino Arioli of Birrificio Italiano, and Stefano Sausa of Vecchio Birraio became interested in brewing. They understood that they couldn’t compete with giant corporations and decided that Italy didn’t need another lager, either. They weren’t interested in beating or joining the existing beer culture. Instead, this first generation of Italian craft brewers would do something new and independent, and they would do it with panache.

Less than two decades after the debut of these original birrificios, beer tourists arriving in Italy will find a different and evolving landscape. Granted, the big three still dominate tap lines from the Alps to the Ionian Sea, but today microbreweries and brewpubs have spread beyond the mountainous north where fewer than a dozen entrepreneurs launched a movement that now has all 20 of the country’s regions electrified. Micro Birrifici, a user-driven website that catalogs Italian beer and breweries, puts the current count at 563—considerably more than even the most optimistic epicureans could have predicted as recently as 2000. So the next time you

longingly thumb through your travel guidebook for Italy, forget about Barolos and Montepulcianos and let you tastebuds lead you to Cannabis Pilsners, Chestnut Ales, Tobacco Porters, and even an occasional, surprise beerwine hybrid.

Start in the mountain town of Villar Perosa, between Turin and the French border, where brothers Enrico and Alessandro Borio founded Birra Beba in 1996. Here, their 80-seat pub, Train Robber’s Syndicate, serves both sweet and savory gofri – thin crispy waffles filled with cheese, meat, jam, or chocolate. Beers include the dark, bitter, and viscous Motor Oil, Due Gnomi, a fragrant Amber Ale flavored with juniper, and Talco, a clean, low-alcohol Weizen Lager brewed with 30 per cent rye malt. From Beba, a prolonged stop at Musso’s Birreria Le Baladin in Piozzo is a must (unless you’d rather check out one of his newer locations in

Regional ingredients like chestnuts are not uncommon in beers.

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ikipedia/en/0/0 3/Flag_of

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Unique ingredients are the order of the day in Italy’s artisan breweries.

Leonardo Di Vincenzo of Birra del Borgo.

Cinzano, Cuneo, Turin, or Rome). Due south of Turin, this famed brewpub offers free Sunday morning tours that include stops at the barrelaging room and the current brewery as well as the option of lunch at the pub itself.

LET YOUR TASTE BUDS LEAD YOU TO CANNABIS PILSNERS, CHESTNUT ALES, TOBACCO PORTERS, AND EVEN THE OCCASIONAL BEER-WINE HYBRID.” While you’re there, try Nelson, a tap-only Blonde Ale with a fine balance between malt and hops. The dry, Irish-style Stout, Brune, is another beer you won’t find in bottles, and is served on a nitrogen tap for an extra creamy pour. Whatever you choose, don’t leave without trying at least one of the special beers that have brought Musso so much notoriety: Nazionale, the first beer made with all Italian ingredients, Zucca, his Pumpkin Ale, or Xyauyù Fumè, a Barley Wine aged for a year in Scottish whisky barrels from Islay.

After a day in Piozzo (perhaps including a short hike to take in the alpine scenery), follow your compass northeast to Milan to sample the beers made at Birrificio Lambrate, another location with a twentieth anniversary on the horizon. Before you sit down for your tasting, spend some time strolling around the second largest city in Italy, making sure to squeeze in a stop at Il Duomo, Milan’s impressive fourteenth century Gothic cathedral and the namesake of Domm, Lambrate’s aromatic Hefeweizen. Imperial Ghisa, their smoked

L’Olmaia’s PV

K brew.

Baltic Porter, is also worth a try, as is Sant Ambroeus, a strong Belgian Pale Ale bittered with New Zealand hops. Next, head south to Emilia-Romagna, the land of the legendary meat and cheese. Already well known to foodies, this region has also recently fallen for craft beer or birra artigianale, with the woody, winelike ales of Birrificio Torrechiara leading the pack. Brewer Renzo Losi markets his products under the name Panil, and has received much acclaim for his complex, bottleconditioned Panil Barriqueè Sour.

The L’Olmaia brewery in Sant’Albino.

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The Birra del Borgo brewery looking picturesque in the Italian snow.

Continue south, making a detour in Prato, just before Florence. This is where you’ll find Mosto Dolce, where Francesca Torri handles the brewing, producing a Bock, a Belgian Wit, a Stout, and a Saison seasoned with grains of paradise, pink peppercorn, and bitter orange peel. In addition, she uses chestnut

Castle, a few minutes from the pub on foot.

Admission is free and from the top of the limestone ramparts you’ll enjoy some of the best views of the city. Another option is a side trip to Pisa to see the one-of-a-kind Leaning Tower. Beyond Florence, in the hills north of the town of Chianciano Terme, Birrificio L’Olmaia sells, among other things, a tart pink beer made with hibiscus flowers and an ale that takes its inspiration from the ancient Etruscans, incorporating unmalted barley, oats, wheat, and durum wheat. The brewery

THOSE IN SEARCH OF INVENTIVE AND SOPHISTICATED DRINKS WILL WANT TO DROP IN ON LEONARDO DI VICENZO’S BIRRA DEL BORGO.” flour in her seasonal Christmas Beer, an ingredient common to dozens of other beers around the country. For a bit of history, explore the thirteenth century Emperor’s

Leonardo Di Vincenzo testing one of his sought after brews.

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is only open to the public by reservation and in groups of at least six, but their beers can be found at Rome’s better beer bars, like Bir and Fud by the Ponte Sisto.

Linger in the capital for as long as your schedule allows, and then push on to a final pair of breweries east of the city. Those in search of inventive and sophisticated drinks will want to drop in on Leonardo di Vicenzo’s Birra del Borgo. Free tours, including tastings and a chance to meet the brewers, occur about once a month, while a small shop is open daily. Pick up a bottle of Keto Reporter – a peppery Porter made with Kentucky tobacco leaves – Rubus – a wild fermented Spelt Saison with raspberries – or Caos – an experimental beer fermented with Champagne yeast that also incorporates wine ‘must’ from a Sicilian grape varietal called Malvasia. Before you turn back for Rome, push on to the Adriatic coast to sample one of the fine beers made

by Jurgi Ferri at the Almond ’22 brewery.

His Pink IPA (that’s Italian Pale Ale, in case you were wondering) with Simcoe, Nelson Sauvin, Hallertau, and Saphir hops isn’t something you’re likely to come across every day. The darker Boogeyman, meanwhile, puts a twist on the English Porter by adding green pepper and relying on a Belgian yeast strain for fermentation.Track down one of his beers at Bar Caffè Belvedere in Spoltore or at L’Acquabuona in the nearby city of Pescara.

While you’re there, spend a few hours lounging

on ten miles of sandy beach, walking along the promenade, or simply watching the world go by from a seat in Piazza Rinascita.

Any one of these options is a fitting way to wind down after covering half the length of the country hunting for its best beers. Of course if eight breweries in as many days seems overly ambitious, you could also make plans to be in Milan, Rome, or Bologna when the annual traveling Italian Beer Festival hosted by the Associazione Degustatori Birra turns up. Entrance fees tend to be quite reasonable and include a glass, attendees pay for tastings as they go, and festival sites are typically accessible via public transportation.

Ben Keene is a beer journalist and travel writer. Voyageur Press will release his third book, The Great Northeast Brewery Tour, in the United States this December.

The invitingly rustic taps at Birra del Borgo.

BREWERIES PANIL Strada Pilastro 35 43013 Torrechiara (PR) www.panilbeer.com

LAMBRATE Via Adelchi 5 20131 Milano (MI) http://birrificiolambrate. com

L’OLMAIA Via delle Robinie 15 53045 Sant’Albino (SI) http://birrificioolmaia. com

MOSTO DOLCE Via dell’Arco, 6 59100 Prato (PO) www.mostodolce.it

ALMOND ‘22 Via Dietro le Mura 36/38 65010 Spoltore (PE) http://birraalmond.com

BAR CAFFE BELVEDERE Via Dietro Le Mura 15 65010 Spoltore (PE) FESTIVALS ASSOCIAZIONE DEGUSTATORI BIRRA www.degustatoribirra.it

LE BALADIN Piazza 5 Luglio 1944, 15 12060 Piozzo (CN) www.baladin.it

Birra Beba Le Baladin Birnificio Lambrate Birnificio Torrechiara (Panil) Mosto Dolce Birnificio Olmania Birra del Borgo Birra Almond 22

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Map of Italy courtesy of wikipedia.

The high quality female cones of the world-renowned Saazer hop (Humulus lupulus) are what make Budêjovický Budvar such a real treasure. They’re what give our beer its unique, smooth and slightly hoppy character that your can appreciate every time you drink our beer.

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L’ACQUABUONA Via C. De Cesaris 26/28 65122 Pescara (PE)

BREWPUBS BEBA Viale Italia, 11 10069 Villar Perosa (TO) www.birrabeba.it

Sondrio

International

BEER BARS BIR AND FUD Via Benedetta 23 00153 Roma(RM) http://birandfud.it

BIRRA DEL BORGO Loc. Piana di Spedino snc 02021 Borgorose (RI) http://birradelborgo.it

VerbanoCusioOssola

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TRAVELLER Weekend Away

BRISBANE The capital of the Sunshine State has long been derided as a one-beer town. Scratch the surface, however, and you’ll find a crew of dedicated beer lovers that are keen to make Brisvegas the craft-beer capital of the world.

By Jo Hegerty

B

arry Humphries once quipped that Australia was the Brisbane of the world, the implication being that we’re an over-grown country town where

Archive Beer Boutique and Bistro

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rugby league is considered a cultural pursuit.

These days, Brisbane has generated its own sense of laidback style and nabbed some of the best cultural and culinary talent in the

Pull your own at

the XXX Ale Hous

y g p of on the world stage. And while it once may have been a one-beer town, there is a small but dedicated crew of beer lovers in Brisbane worth checking out.

First, let’s deal with the elephant in the bottle-o. Think Queensland, think XXXX. But whatever you think of the beer itself, a trip to the XXXX Ale House is a worthwhile excursion. The tour is a little rough around the edges, but it’s interesting to see how this iconic brewery, in the trendy suburb of Milton, has weathered 130 years since it was moved from Victoria. The brewery still produces 23 wooden barrels of beer per week, three for its Ale House (open weekends only) and the rest for another Brisbane icon, The Breakfast Creek Hotel. These are the only two places you can try XXXX ‘off the wood’.

Once the Lion behemoth is ticked off the list, it’s time to turn your attention to the new beer scene in Brisbane.

Microbreweries were previously few and far between in the River City, but they are beginning to pop up. Green Beacon Brewing Co is a brewpub in Teneriffe that is run by childhood friends Adrian Slaughter and Marc Chrismas. As well as selling their Englishinspired ales on premise, Green Beacon offers

e.

TRAVELLER XXXXX Weekend Away xxxxxxxxx

Brew house Brisbane

growler and squealer takeaways. If you’re in for the long haul the venue also serves an array of dishes made with local seafood and produce.

An increasing number of establishments are demonstrating a real passion for craft beers. The standout of these is Archive Beer Boutique & Bistro. Located in funky West End, this place is heaving of an evening, with trendy Brisvegans lounging on battered sofas in the spacious newspaper-lined bar. The selection of brews is staggering: in addition to 18 rotating taps, there are more than 400 Australian and imported craft beers in the fridge, and more available from the Next Door Cellars, along with growler fills.

More intimate than Archive, but no less groovy, is The Gunshop Café. Within this petite heritage building, creative types muse and hungry types hone in on the busy kitchen serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Gunshop offers a small but well-thought out beer list, with boutique brews from every state.

Located in Milton, in the shadow of XXXX, The Scratch is at the forefront of the small bar revolution in Brisbane. With four rotating taps and a handpump – and a cracking bottled selection – these guys are all about the beer, so much so that outside of cheese platters food is strictly BYO. Two new kids on the bar block are the Tipplers Tap and Bitter Suite. The former is in Newstead and features 10 rotating taps as well as a rotating selection of over 70 beers from Australia, New Zealand and the world. There is also a good cider, Apple Wine and Apple Beer selection. The latter is in New Farm and features seven rotating taps and the occasional handpump. There is also over 60 bottled beers on offer and the venue has its own regular beer club that is proving very popular.

If you like your beer selection accompanied by

a large a la carte menu and dozens of large screen TVs, the Pig N Whistle is for you. These guys do Aussie beef appreciation nights, nose-to-tail eating events and have brews coming from everywhere, including traditional English breweries and Queensland micros like Noisy Minor.

But if you’re looking for handcrafted beers on tap and an Aussie pub feel, the Brewhouse Brisbane has staged a comeback at Woolloongabba. So far, there are six beers available from the Brewhouse’s microbrewery in Albion, including Sunshine Honey Wheat, which promises that “everyone will think the sun shines out of your glass”. This place has everything a good pub should offer – trivia nights, bar meals and a beer garden, plus fresh craft beer.

While you’re in the area, check out Brews Brothers, a brew-on-premise operation that welcomes visitors with $3 samples. These guys brew for The Bowery and you’ll find their beers in restaurants and bottleshops around town.

Brisbane’s last pub to brew beer on site is the International Hotel. The beer travels just 10 metres from brewery to bar, which makes it all worthwhile. Veteran master brewer Rudi Herget has been there for more than 10 years and is always on hand to prescribe the exact beer for your needs and to discuss his four beers. His Indian Chief Wheat Beer, Irish Red Ale, Noble Pilsener, and Belgian Gold MidStrength are all made in accordance with the German Purity Law. As well as The Black Forest German Café at Highgate Hill, traditionalists will love the Brisbane German Club, housed in a suitably formidable hall and serving the finest German brews just opposite the Gabba. On the menu are all the favourites: schnitzel, sauerkraut, pork knuckle and potato dumplings. This is a great place to watch an AFL match or partake in frühschoppen, a traditional morning pint.

For a taste of the Black Forest with a modern twist head to the city’s chic Bavarian Bier Café.

Choose a three- or five bier flight, matched with the Munich Brewers Platter and enjoy the view over Storey Bridge.

Just around the corner you’ll find the Belgian Beer Café Brussels. Buckets of mussels, big Belgian beers and Art Nouveau décor cater

Get yourself a few samples at Brews Brothers.

International Hotel

to a rowdy city crowd during the week, with a more relaxed vibe on the weekend. Also in the CBD is one of Brisbane’s standout bottleshops, Festival Cellars. This wine emporium and deli is independently owned and supports Aussie breweries. Tucked away underneath Central Station, Grand Central Hotel is full of surprises, including a selection of boutique beers in the fridge behind Platform Bar. You’ll find a more extensive range in the attached bottleshop, and if something there really takes your fancy, you can ask to drink it in the bar.

From Central, you can visit Roma Street Parklands with its collection of public art and guided walks. From the city, it’s an easy stroll to the Botanic Gardens, then across the Goodwill Bridge to South Bank, where you can cool off at Streets Beach, enjoy the weekend markets, or hit the cultural precinct.

The Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Queensland Museum and Maritime Museum are all there, and kids are invited to get creative at the Gallery of Modern Art Children’s Centre.

There also just happens to be another of Brisbane’s great beer venues in South Bank – 5th Element. This slick bar offers plates to share, plus a massive list of craft beers. A little further back from the river you’ll find Era Bistro, a casual restaurant serving fine food and drinks. Be sure to visit the adjacent shop, which has a monumental range of wines and beers.

Don’t think it’s only the central areas serving quality beers, the Brisbane ’burbs are also hungry for quality. In the trendy suburb of Bulimba, east of the city, Scales & Ales offers fish dishes matched with Australia’s national drink. The fish and chips there are the best you’ll ever taste, and the beer list is outstanding, including rare brews from owner and chef Frank Correnti’s private cellar.

If you want to see the best the southside has to offer, head to Bacchus Brewing Co at Capalaba, an all-grain on-premises brewery that welcomes visitors to try something from their 20 taps or take a sixpack home. This will no doubt help you recover from Brisbane’s family favourites such as the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Alma Park Zoo or the planetarium at the Botanical Gardens, Mount Coot-tha.

Wherever you find yourself in the River City be assured you will never be far from a quality craft beer. So kick back and relax – Brisvegas style.

www.beerandbrewer.com

55

TRAVELLER Weekend Away

BREWPUBS GREEN BEACON BREWING CO

Ashgrove Fortitude Valley XXXX ALE HOUSE

Toowong

INTERNATIONAL HOTEL

BRISBANE

BREWHOUSE BRISBANE

75 Welsby St, New Farm (07) 3254-4426

Wynnum West

BREWHOUSE BRISBANE

Morningside

601 Stanley St, Woolloongabba (07) 3891 1011

INTERNATIONAL HOTEL

BREWS BROTHERS

525 Boundary St Spring Hill (07) 3227 1999

Woolloongabba Belmont

BREWERIES Capalaba BACCHUS BREWING CO

Moorooka

BACCHUS BREWING

1/2 Christine Pl, Capalaba (07) 3823 5252

BARS

MADE IN QUEENSLAND

Australia’s second-largest malt producer now has a presence in Brisbane. Barrett Burston Malting at Pinkenba, near the airport, is a sparking new facility with the capacity to turn out 86,000 tonnes of malt a year. While much of this is gobbled up by the mammoth Carlton & United Brewery at Yalata, the remainder is distributed around the country and overseas, meaning there’s a little bit of Queensland sunshine in more of the world’s beer. .

EVENTS MARCH

Brisbane Comedy Festival www.briscomfest.com Future Music Festival www.future entertainment.com.au

MAY

Cootha Classic www.coothaclassic.com.au (date subject to change)

JUNE

Brisbane Cheese Awards www.brisbanecheeseawards. com.au Grand Central Hotel.

BOTTLESHOPS

Queensland Beer Week http://queenslandbeerweek. com.au

AUGUST

DAN MURPHY’S ALBANY CREEK 1300 723 388

Royal Queensland Show (The Ekka), www.ekka.com.au

DRINX SHORNCLIFFE

SEPTEMBER

(07) 3269 8193

DRINX WOODY POINT (07) 3284 2245

Brisbane Festival & Riverfire www.brisbanefestival.com.au

OCTOBER

ERA BISTRO & WINE STORE (07) 3255 2033

Oktoberfest Brisbane www.oktoberfestbrisbane.com. au

FESTIVAL CELLARS

NOVEMBER

(07) 3012 9880

GRAND CENTRAL HOTEL & CELLARS (07) 3220 2061 NEXT DOOR CELLARS (07) 3844 3419

56

JULY

www.beerandbrewer.com

ARCHIVE BEER BOUTIQUE

100 Boundary St, West End; (07) 3844 3419

THE SCRATCH

8/1 Park Road, Milton info@scratchbar.com

TIPPLER’S TAP

22 Masters St, Newstead info@tipplerstap.com.au

BITTER SUITE

75 Welsby St, New Farm (07) 3254 4426

PIG N WHISTLE

www.pignwhistle.com.au

BELGIAN BEER CAFÉ BRUSSELS

Cnr Mary & Edward Sts, Brisbane (07) 3221 0199

BAVARIAN BIER CAFÉ

Level 1, 45 Eagle St Eagle St Pier (07) 3221 0199

BRISBANE GERMAN CLUB

416 Vulture St, East Brisbane (07) 3391 2434

SCALES & ALES

5 Wambool St, Bulimba (07) 3899 4001

BREAKFAST CREEK HOTEL

2 Kingsford Smith Dr, Albion (07) 3262 5988

Brisbane Good Food & Wine Show www.goodfoodshow.com.au

5TH ELEMENT

Brisbane International Film Festival www.biff.com.au

THE GUNSHOP CAFÉ

1b/188 Grey St, South Brisbane (07) 3846 5584 53 Mollison St, West End (07) 3844 2241

MA D I F O D N U T O !

Y Unique handcrafted beers

For Wholesale Enquiries: WA - Dave Mullen Wines (08) 9240 1644 NSW - Vintners Merchants (03) 9872 5775

VIC - Vintners Merchants (03) 9872 5775 QLD - Beers Galore 0412 123 088

&

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY 1 Wig and Pen, CBD 2 Zierholz, Fyshwick 3 U-Brew It (BC) 1842 Beer, Fyshwick NEW SOUTH WALES 1 Lion-Nathan, Tooheys, Lidcombe 2 Lord Nelson, The Rocks 3 Scharer’s, Picton (BC) 4 Malt Shovel, Camperdown 5 Old Goulburn Brewery 6 Ironbark, Tamworth 7 St Peters Brewery 8 Paddy’s, Flemington 9 Bluetongue, Warnervale 10 Hunter Beer Co., Nulkaba 11 Redoak, CBD 12 King St Brewhouse 13 Dennis Beer Co, Newcastle 14 Brew Pack, Smeaton Grange 15 Sydney Brewhouse, CBD 16 Murray’s, Port Stephens 17 Illawarra Brewing Co, North Wollongong 18 Happy Goblin, Mt Kuringai 19 William Bull, Bilbul 20 Little Brewing Co, The, Port Macquarie 22 Mudgee Brewing Co. 23 Infusion Bar & Bistro 24 Stone & Wood, Byron Bay 25 4 Pines, Manly 26 Byron Bay Premium Brewery 27 Dalgety Brewing Company, Dalgety 28 Mountain Ridge Brewery, Shoalhaven Heads 29 Australian Hotel & Brewery Rouse Hill 30 Kosciuszko Brewing Company, Jindabyne 31 Fishrock Brewery, Mittagong 32 U-Brew It, Tweed Heads 33 U-Brew It, West Gosford 34 U-Brew It , Wollongong 35 U-Brew It, Wyong 36 U-Brew It, Hunter 37 The Beer Factory, Seven Hills 38 The Beer Factory, Wollongong 39 Thirsty Crow, Wagga Wagga 40 Black Duck Brewery, Herons Creek 42 Underground Brewing, Erskine Park 43 Badlands Brewery (BC) 44 Rocks Brewing Co, Harts Pub, The Rocks 45 Bluetongue Brewery Café, Pokolbin 46 Murray’s At Manly 47 Riverside Brewing Co, Parramatta 48 Young Henrys, Newtown 49 Casella Brewery, Griffith 50 Hop Dog Beer Works, South Nowra 51 Brewpack, Smeaton 52 Central Ranges Brewing Company 53 Steel River Brewery 54 The Beer Shed 55 Pickled Pig Brewery, Tweed Heads 56 Rebel Ant, Tamworth 57 Fish River Valley Brewing, Bathurst 58 Six String Brewing Co, Erina 59 The Grifter, Newtown (BC) Dennis Beer Co (BC) Wayward Brewing Co (BC) Mad Koala Brewery (BC) Doctor’s Orders Brewing (BC) Balmain Brewing Company (BC) Snowy Mountains Brewery (BC) Fusion Brewing (BC) Brewtopia (BC) Bowral Brewing Company (BC) Barons Brewing Company (BC) Brothers Ink (BC) Longboard Brewing Company (BC) Lovells (BC) Endeavour True Vintage Beer (BC) Ekim Brewing Co. (BC) Koala Beer/Burragumbilli (BC) St Arnou (BC) Dad & Dave’s Brewing QUEENSLAND 1 Castlemaine Perkins (Lion), Milton 2 CUB, Yatala 3 Sunshine Coast, Kunda Park 4 International Hotel 5 The Brewery, Townsville 6 Burleigh Brewing Co. 7 Blue Sky, Cairns 8 Mt Tamborine Brewing Co. 9 Brewhouse Brisbane, Woolloongabba 10 Castle Glen Brewery 11 U-Brew It, Varsity Lakes 12 U-Brew It, Portsmith 13 U-Brew It, Warana 14 U-Brew It, Nerang 15 Brew By U, Underwood 16 Brew By U, Brendale

N E W

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

Z E A L A N D

Brew By U, Labrodoor Brew By U, Clontarf Brew By U, Townsville Brew4U, Boondall Brew4U, Wacol Brew4U, Deception Bay Brew4U, Toowoomba Brew4U, Woolloongabba Brew4U, Cleveland 4 Hearts Brewing, Ipswich Bacchus Brewing Co., Capalaba 29 Granite Belt Brewery 30 Spring Hill Craft Brewery 31 Green Beacon 32 Red Bay, Cleveland 33 BrewBake, Woombye (BC) Norfolk Island Brewing Company SOUTH AUSTRALIA 1 Coopers, Regency Park 2 Lion Nathan, Southwark 3 Port Dock, Port Adelaide 4 Grumpy’s Brewhaus, Verdun 5 Holdfast Hotel, Glenelg 6 Smiling Samoyed Brewery, Myponga 7 Barossa Brewing, Greenock 8 Gulf Brewery, Hackham 9 Knappstein Enterprise, Clare 10 Steam Exchange, Goolwa 11 Campus Brewery, Regency Park TAFE 12 Lobethal Bierhaus 13 Woolshed Brewery Renmark 14 Brewboys Croydon Park 15 McLaren Vale Beer Company, Willunga 16 Goodieson Brewery McLaren Vale 17 Beard & Brau 19 Boars Rock Winery 20 Pikes Beer Company 21 Pepperjack of Barossa 22 U-Brew It, Parra Hills 23 U Brew Here, Lonsdale 24 Barossa Valley Brewing, Lyndoch 26 Clare Valley Brewing Co 27 Myponga Brewery 28 South Australian Brewing Co 29 Thorogoods Cider 30 Prancing Pony, Adelaide Hills 31 Ekhidna, McLaren Vale (BC) Swell Brewing Company (BC) Boar’s Rock Beer (BC) Swanky Beer (BC) Island Brew TASMANIA 1 Cascade, South Hobart 2 James Boag’s, Launceston 3 Moorilla, Berridale 4 Two Metre Tall, New Norfolk 5 Iron House, White Sands Estate 6 Seven Sheds, Railton 7 Van Dieman Brewing, Evandale 8 Tavener’s Brewery Launceston 9 The Squires Bounty 10 Morrison Brewery 11 Taverner’s Boutique Brewery 12 Wineglass Bay Brewing (BC) Tasmanian Chilli Beer Company VICTORIA 1 CUB, Abbotsford 2 Grand Ridge, Mirboo North 3 Southern Bay, Moolap 5 Buffalo Brewery, Boorham 6 Holgate Brewhouse, Woodend 7 Jamieson Brewery, Jamieson 8 James Squire Brewhouse, Portland Hotel, CBD 9 Ballarat University Brewery 11 Buckley’s Beers, Healesville 12 Independent Distillers, Laverton 13 Three Ravens, Thornbury 14 Lone Hand, Cassilis 15 Mildura Theatre Brewery 16 Mountain Goat, Richmond 18 Bridge Road Brewers, Beechworth 19 Red Hill Brewery 20 Bright Brewery 21 O’Briens Brewery, Ballarat 22 2 Brothers, Moorabbin 23 Otway Estate, Barongarook 24 Coldstream Brewery, Coldstream (BC) The Flying Horse, Warrnambool 27 Sweetwater, Mt Beauty 28 White Rabbit, Healesville 29 Savaraln Brewery, Sale 31 Tooborac Hotel, Heathcote 32 Hargreaves Hill Brewing Company, Yarra Glen 33 True South, Black Rock 34 Coldwater Creek Tavern & Microbrewery, Doveton 36 Hickinbotham Winery and Brewery

37 38 39

NATIONAL/REGIONAL BREWERY

9

BREW PUB

9

9

BREW ON PREMISE

(BC)

Red Duck, Camperdown Avonmore Estate Bellarine Brewing Co, Bellarine 41 Harcourt Valley Brewing Company (BC) 42 U-Brew It, Keilor Park 43 U-Brew It, Wodonga 44 The Brew Barn 45 Brew 4 U, Geelong South 46 Barleycorn Brewers, Oakleigh 47 Forrest Brewing, Forrest 48 Kooinda Boutique Brewery 49 Mornington Peninsula Brewery, Mornington 50 Thunder Road Brewing Co, Brunswick 51 Bullant Brewery, Bruthan 52 Moon Dog, Abbortsford 53 True Brew 54 Matilda Bay Port Melbourne Brewery 55 Temple Brewery & Brasserie, Brunswick 56 Dolphin Brewery, Daylesford 57 Black Heart Brewery, Brighton 58 Cavalier Brewery, Brunswick 59 Black Dog Brewery, Taminick 60 Beechworth Brewery 61 Beechworth Cider 62 Boynton’s Brewing Company 63 Mount Markey Winery and Microbrewery 64 Napoleone & Co, Coldstream 65 Rusty Water Brewery 66 Wooden Spoon Brewing 67 Two Wives Brewery, Bellarine (BC) Sideshow Brewers (BC) Purrumbete Brewing Company (BC) King Valley Brewery (BC) Broo Bee (BC) Three Troupers Brewery (BC) Hawthorn Brewing Company (BC) Boatrocker Brewing Company (BC) PI55 Brew Company (BC) Effen Enterprises (BC) Sundance Brewing International (BC) Two Birds Brewing, Melbourne WESTERN AUSTRALIA 3 Last Drop, Canning Vale 4 Bootleg Brewery, Wilyabrup 5 Matso’s, Broome 6 Bush Shack, Yallingup 7 Little Creatures, Fremantle 8 Edith Cowan University 9 Feral, Baskerville 10 Ironbark, Caversham 11 Blackwood Valley & The Cidery, Bridgetown 12 Colonial, Margaret River 13 Elmar’s, Henley Brook 14 Gage Roads, Palmyra 16 Tanglehead, Albany 17 Occy’s, Vasse 18 Mash, Henley Brook 19 Indian Ocean, Mindarie 20 Cowaramup Brewing, Cowaramup 21 Billabong, Myaree 22 The Monk, Fremantle 23 Wild Bull Brewery, Ferguson 24 Brew 42, Allanson 25 Duckstein, Wilyabrup 26 The Old Brewery, Perth 27 Mash, Bunbury 28 Old Coast Road, Myalup 29 Duckstein Brewery, Swan Valley 30 Blacksalt Brewery North Fremantle 32 Moody Cow Brewery Ferguson Valley 34 U-Brew It, Canningvale 35 U-Brew It, Joondalup 36 U-Brew It, Malaga 37 U-Brew It, Midvale 38 U-Brew It, Osborne Park 39 U-Brew It, Rockingham 40 U-Brew It, Webberton 41 Brews R Us 42 Eagle Bay Brewing Co, Eagle Bay 43 Brew ‘N’ Bottle 45 The Grove Vineyard Brewery, Willyabrup 46 Boston Brewery 47 Cheeky Monkey Brewery & Cidery, Margaret River 48 Beaten Track Brewery, Boulder 49 Cape Bouvard Winery and Brewery 50 Denmark Brews & Ales 51 Elephant Rock Cidery 52 Margaret River Ale Company 53 Old Swan Brewery 54 The Generous Squire 55 Nail Brewing Company NEW ZEALAND NORTH ISLAND 1.1 Lion-Nathan, Auckland 1.2 DB, Waitemata, Auckland 1.3 Steam Brewing, Auckland 1.4 Independent, Auckland

1.5 1.6

MICROBREWERY BREWING COMPANY

Hallertau, Auckland Galbraith’s Alehouse, Auckland 3 Roosters Brew House, Hastings 4.1 Croucher, Rotorua 5 Waiheke Island Microbrewery 6 Sawmill, Leigh 7 Brewhaus Frings, Whangerei 8 Sunshine Brewery, Gisborne 9 The Filter Room, Hawkes Bay, Napier 11 Peak, Masterton 13 DB, Tui, Mangatainoka 14 Tuatara, Waikanae 15 Mike’s Organic Brewery, Urenui 16 Aoteoroa, Kawerau 17 Brewers Bar, Mt Maunganui 19 Coromandal Brewing Company 20 Rogue Brewery, Taupo 21 Kaimai Brewing Company, Mount Manganui, Tauranga (BC) 22 Scott’s Brewing 23 Cassels & Sons, Christchurch 24 St Katherines Brewing, Auckland (BC) 25 Epic Brewing Company, Auckland (BC) 26 Island Bay Brewing, Wellington (BC) 27 BREW, Rotorua (BC) 28 Shunters Yard Brewing, Matangi (BC) 30 Zeelandt Brewery (BC) 31 Garage Project 32 Kereru Brewing Company 33 Fork and Brewer 34 Deep Creek 35 The Brewery Britomart 36 Dallow’s at Sale Street 37 ParrotDog 39 Shakespeare Tavern 40 Good George Brewing, Hamilton 41 Fat Monk Brewing Company, Hastings (BC) Liberty Brewing Company, Karaka, New Plymouth (BC) Yeastie Boys (BC) 666 Brewing, Auckland (BC) Bennett’s Beer (BC) Ben Middlemiss Brewing Co, Auckland (BC) Valkyrie Brewing Co, Auckland NEW ZEALAND SOUTH ISLAND 1.1 The Twisted Hop, Christchurch 1.2 Wigram, Christchurch 1.3 Matson’s, Christchurch 1.4 Harrington’s, Christchurch 1.5 Three Boys, Christchurch 2.1 Lion-Nathan, Speights 2.2 Emerson, Dunedin 2.3 Green Man, Dunedin 2.4 McDuff’s, Dunedin 2.5 Meenans, Dunedin 3.1 Founders, Nelson 3.2 Nelson Bays Brewery 3.3 Lighthouse, Nelson 4.1 Moa, Blenheim 4.2 Renaissance, Blenheim 4.3 Pink Elephant, Blenheim 5 Kaiapoi Brewing Co. 6 Brew Moon, Amberley 7 DB, Mainland 8 Invercargill Brewery 9 Dux de Lux, Queenstown 10 Wanaka Beerworks 11 DB, Monteith’s, Greymouth 12 West Coast, Westport 13 Mussel Inn, Onekaka 14 Arrow Brewing Company, Arrowtown 15 Townshend Brewery, Upper Moutere 16 Golden Bear Brewing 17 Monkey Wizard Brewery 18 Totara Brewing Co. 19 Sprig & Fern Brewery, Richmond 20 McCashin’s Brewery 21 Green Fern Brewery 22 Boundary Road Brewery, Red Hill 23 8 Wired, Blenheim (BC) 24 Dead Good Beers (BC) 25 Ad Lib Brewing 26 Twisted Hop 27 Four Avenues Brewing Company, Christchurch (BC) Golden Ticket Brewing, Christchurch (BC) AdLib Brewing, Christchurch

LEGEND

A U S T R A L I A

9

BROOME

NO TE

5

WESTERN AUSTRALIA 35

13 10

36

TRIGG

37

BAYSWATER

38 26

40

COTTESLOE CANNINGTON 41 9 8 PERTH 54 53 18 29 56 30 34 3 FREMANTLE 19

49 39 28

7

14 21 22 1

48

24 16 46 50

51

ALBANY

BUNBURY

27 52 43 6 23 17 45 32 4 47 25 MARAGRET 42

20

RIVER

11

12

AUGUSTA

LOOKING FOR A BREWERY’S CONTACT DETAILS? REFER TO THE BREWING DIRECTORY IN THE CLASSIFIEDS SECTION OF THE MAGAZINE

Makers of memorable, endlessly recyclable glass packaging. www.glassislife.com

7 12 CAIRNS

MAYNE

QUEENSLAND

RTHERN

5 19 TOWNSVILLE

BALMORAL

PADDINGTON

RRITORY

1 29

4

HORNSBY

24

WOOLLOONGABBA

9 37

MANLY 46 25

PARRAMATTA 47

1

42

8

15 2 11 48 44 41 59 4 12

7

BANKSTOWN

33 3 14 2218 16 30 20 27

3 23

SOUTH

23

AUSTRALIA

10

14

CRONULLA

25 32BRISBANE 15 17 8 26 21 14 GOLD COAST 11 6 55 32 24 27 2

29

1

9 29 26 20 19 17 28 7 27 30 31 6 8 22 10

ADELAIDE

56

NEW EW SOUTH WALESS 43

13

49

15

20 6

22 52

57 7

19 5

CANBERRA 39

VICTORIA 38

5 18 27 43 59 40 41 50 5866 7 20 60 63 21 53 54631 55 11 28 61 14 62 56 9 24 32 64 42 3 2 29 44 52 23 51 37 45 39 67 36 19 65 47

40

54 17 31 17 34 51 38 28 50

NORTH ISLAND AUCKLAND

27 48 13 16

5 6 10 11 8 2 7

11

14 1 2 5

8

1

46

34

49 CLARENDON

16

WANAKA 10

KAIAPOI 1.1 25 1.3 2627 23 1.2 1.4 1.5

7

2.5 2.2 2.4 2.3 2.1 QUEENSTOWN 8

INVERCARGILL CRYER MALT

Wholesale Ingredient Suppliers, www.bintani.com.au

www.nzhops.co.nz

www.hopco.com.au

TIMARU

9

14

Cryer Malt Australia www.cryermalt.com.au

41

GREYMOUTH5

TASMANIA

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

3 30

14 37 WELLINGTON 26 13 17 16 3.2 20 3.1 BLENHEIM 3.3 15 NELSON 19 24 MALBOUROUGH 18 4.1 23 4.3 4.2 WESTPORT 12 21 11 6

DANDENONG

22

1 3 9

4

32

MANAWATU 9 HASTINGS TARANAKI 33 PAHIATUA PALMERSTON 13 NORTH UPPER HUTT TAKAKA 31 11

4

12

23 15

CROYDON

12

BIRDWOOD

6 391.1 5 BAY OF PLENTY 1.4 23 1.5 3635 1.2 1.3 17 1.6 24 22 25 40 20 21 16 27 8 4.1 28 GISBORNE 15

4 33

WHANAGAREI WARKWORTH 19 WAIHEKE ISLAND 34

NAPIER R

57

SALISBURY

3

7

30

12 21

FYSHWICK

CAPITAL HILL

SYDNEY

MELBOURNE

24

2

45 10 13 16 58 9 53 36 NEWCASTLE 18 3335

Brewery Insurance Specialists www.breowan.com www.midlandinsurance.com.au

STUART ISLAND

DUNEDIN

SOUTH ISLAND

TRAVEELER Brewery xxxxxxxxx Tour

BROTHERS BREWERY Cranking up the craft beer scene in Auckland, New Zealand, Brothers Brewery is churning out a range of specialty and seasonal brews to keep the punters coming back for more. By Stefanie Collins.

O

pening in December 2012, Brothers Brewery – AKA Brothers Beer – is the latest brewpub and beer geek den to hit the scene in the New Zealand city of Auckland.

Located smack in the middle of the Auckland CBD, Brothers’ new home is in the appropriately grungy collection of warehouses

lounge and restaurant that hosts live music, tap takeovers and serves thin-crust pizza, alongside the best craft beer in the country – both brewed on premise and from leading local and international breweries.

Brothers Brewery is a joint venture between long-time beer industry expert Andrew Larson

THE MORE THAN JUST A BREWERY, THIS BEER HAVEN IS A RETAIL STORE, TASTING LOUNGE AND RESTAURANT.” known as the City Works Depot – named after their original use as council workshops – which also house a variety of hip retail, coffee and creative outlets.

More than just a brewery though, this craft beer haven is also a retail store, tasting

and beer lover Anthony Browne. Larson has fourteen years in the beer industry under his belt, both as a brewer and a brewery consultant, spending his time flying around the globe setting up breweries and working on recipe development through his firm Breowan Systems.

The brewhouse is right in the middle of the action at Brothers.

Andrew is now turning his hand to creating his own recipes, fulfilling a childhood dream to own his own brewery in his hometown.

Browne professes to have always been a beer nut; however, it was not until he trekked across to Melbourne for Good Beer Week 2012 with Larson that he admitted that his hometown may have been missing out a little on the good beer venue front – especially in light of the excellent beer culture in Kiwi cities like Christchurch, Nelson and Wellington.

And so the decision was made to create a venue that was not a let-down when on the beer list front, that served beer from the little guys and that acknowledged whole heartedly that there are a growing number of people – other than beer geeks – that want more from a venue than Golden Lagers and Brown Ales.

As such, the brand new and still very shiny system installed at Brothers is a top of the line brewery – featuring four 1200 litre fermenter/ conditioning tanks, three 600 litre storage tanks, plus a 600 litre mash/lauter and kettle.

The system churns out some pretty special beers to be served on premise and also to be taken away in 1.25L or 2L rigger bottles.

Larson is happily brewing a range of specialist craft beers including seasonal and single-batch brews such as Gronholm (Imperial Pilsner), and Panther (Black Oat IPA). Moving into summer they are planning a Raspberry Wheat Beer and a Summer Ale/Kölsch.

The front of house at the venue is handled

by Nick Anderson-Gee, manager and beer geek who helps make every punter feel at home in Brothers’ lounge room-like interior.

Decked out like a cool, retro man-cave, the venue itself hosts 18 taps and carries over 250 different bottled beers. They’re so used to punters having a tough time choosing that the front of house staff offer tasters to help people make up their minds. Still not sure? Get a recommendation from the trained beer loving staff, and wash it all down with one of the hugely popular thin-crust pizzas made fresh on site while you admire the shiny brewery tanks that are kept in full view.

Brothers Brewery (09) 366 6100 beer@brothersbeer.co.nz www.brothersbeer.co.nz City Works Depot, Shed 3D 77 Cook St, Auckland CBD. The Brewery, Retail Store and Tasting Lounge are open to the public from Tuesday through Sunday.

60

www.beerandbrewer.com

event here in list your upcoming October 2013. to om r.c we re db mmer 2013 is 31 Email editor@beeran line for Issue 27 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Su y cost of entry. the next issue. Dead me, address, contact details and an Include the event na

TRAVELLER Calendar of Events

EVENTS Australian Beer Festival.

SEPTEMBER 6 PERTH ROYAL BEER SHOW ENTRIES CLOSE Perth, WA www.perthroyalshow.com.au 6-7 SYDNEY WHISKY FAIR Oak Barrel Elizabeth St, Sydney www.oakbarrel.com.au

20 SYDNEY ROYAL BEER &

28-30 PERTH ROYAL BEER

CIDER COMPETITION AWARDS PRESENTATION

SHOW JUDGING

NOVEMBER OCTOBER

1 PERTH ROYAL BEER SHOW

18-20 THE AUSTRALIAN BEER

Parmelia Hilton, Perth, WA www.perthroyalshow.com.au

AWARDS PRESENTATION

7 BAGELS, BEERS & BEATS Helm Bar & Bistro Darling Harbour, Sydney http://bagelsandbeats.eventbrite. com.au

The Australian Heritage Hotel The Rocks, Sydney www.australianheritagehotel.com

7-8 STATE AMATEUR BREWERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

19-26 SYDNEY CRAFT BEER WEEK Venues across the city http://sydneycraftbeerweek.com

SHOW OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA (SABSOSA) Judging Adelaide www.sabsosa.com 14 THE BOTTLE-O LAMBTON

BEER FESTIVAL The Bottle-O Lambton, NSW bottlo-lambton@bigpond.com

www.perthroyalshow.com.au

Sydney Showground www.sydneyroyal.com.au

FESTIVAL

2 PERTH ROYAL BEER SHOW

EXHIBITOR TASTING

PRBA Awards Dinner 2012.

Invitation Only Perth, WA www.perthroyalshow.com.au 2-3 BITTER & TWISTED Maitland Gaol www.bitterandtwisted.com.au/

24 BEER & BREWER

CONFERENCE 2013 9AM-4PM The Sebel Hotel, Surry Hills Sydney www.beerandbrewer.com/ conference

8-17 WA BEER WEEK Various venues scross the state http://wabeerweek.com 22- 24 MARGARET RIVER

24 BEER & BREWER AWARDS

GOURMET ESCAPE

15 STATE AMATEUR BREWERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

PRESENTATION DINNER 2013

SHOW OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA (SABSOSA) The Wheatsheaf Hotel Adelaide www.sabsosa.com

6PM-10PM The Sebel Hotel, Surry Hills Sydney www.beerandbrewerawards. com.au

Margaret River, WA www.gourmetescape.com.au

16-20 DRINKTEC 2013 Munich, Germany www.drinktec.com

26 PADDYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEER FESTIVAL Flemington, Sydney www.paddysbrewery.com

18-19 SYDNEY ROYAL BEER &

26 HUNTER VALLEY CRAFT BEER

Beer & Brewer Awards Dinner 2012.

MARCH 2014 23-28 33RD IBD ASIA PACIFIC

CIDER COMPETITION JUDGING

FESTIVAL

Sydney Showground www.sydneyroyal.com.au

Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, NSW

CONVENTION Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam www.ibdasiapac.com.au

CRYER CRYER MALT CRYERMALT MALT

www.beerandbrewer.com % # $ " ' & % # $ " ' & 61 % # $ " ' & % # " ! # % # " ! # ' & ' & % # " ! # ' &

VENUE REVIEWS

TRAVELLER Reviews

BARS, PUBS, RESTAURANTS AND BOTTLE SHOPS VIC

HUXTABURGER CBD

WA

THE CLASSROOM

By Jeremy Sambrooks One of Perth’s newer and better small bars, The Classroom has been carefully designed to make you feel like you’re back at school, albeit a school where the ‘canteen’ serves up cocktails, spirits, wine, craft beer and some seriously good small plates. Two of the four beer taps are reserved for rare and limited release beers and the bottled list includes local, interstate and international craft beers, including a number of seasonally appropriate brews listed under Principal’s Choice. The Classroom regularly plays host to BEERtasters events, where the kitchen have been taking beer and food matching the next level, creating menus based around the flavours in beer.

356 Charles St North Perth WA Phone: (08) 9444 7729 www.theclassroom.com.au

is possib The Classroom

ly the coolest

school ever.

Margaret, the Golding’s stuffed stoat certainly is a talking point.

NZ

GOLDING’S FREE DIVE

By Neil Miller Opened in April, Golding’s Free Dive is a classy modern take on the famous American dive bar. Set up by former designer Sean Golding, this free house offers an ever changing range of craft beers, pizzas from the neighbouring Pizza Pomodoro kitchen and homemade gourmet sandwiches. There is a rare smoke-free outdoor area and the friendly staff certainly know their beer.

The décor is quirky – think retro stools, stuffed stoats and rubber ducks – but the beer selection is seriously well considered.

Tucked under an apartment building down an alley, Golding’s is well worth searching out.

14 Leeds Street Te Aro, Wellington Phone: (04) 381 3616 http://goldingsfreedive.co.nz

Quotes from literary greats adorn the walls at The Classroom.

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By Stefanie Collins Any place that greets weary travellers – or people heading on a night out, or parents with kids, or… you get the point – with a sign that alternately flashes Hot Beef, Cold Beer is sure to be awesome. And it doesn’t disappoint. Huxtaburger not only makes a good case for creating what could be the best burger in Australia – try the classic on their amazing brioche buns, with crinkle cut fries – and the best soup. What is their soup of choice? Beer. Best soup ever. The beer menu is short but sweet with a selection of local craft brews, like Two Birds Sunset Ale, to wash down your burger while you admire the 50s diner decor. This place is the best place to start a craft beer investigation of the city.

Don’t miss it.

Fulham Pl, off Flinders Lane Melbourne, VIC Phone: (03) 9417 6328 www.huxtaburger.com.au Soup of the Day at Huxtaburger is ...BEER!

VIC

SHEBEEN

By Stefanie Collins Ever felt like something was missing from your drinking experience? Like you would like to give something back to the far-flung country that has so generously provided you with the crisp lager you’re imbibing?

No? Doesn’t matter, at the world’s first not-for-profit bar, your choice of beverage will automatically donate money to a charity based in the country from which your beer originates. For example, if you order a Castel beer from Ethiopia, the profits will be banked for KickStart, a program that aims to increase the crop yields of rural farmers in Ethiopia by providing much needed agricultural equipment.

So now you can drink with a clear conscience. Phew.

36 Manchester Lane Melbourne, VIC Phone: (03) 9650 6931 www.shebeen.com.au

SATURDAY OCTOBER 26, 2013 — 11AM-5PM FREE ENTRY — 200ML TASTING $2.00 MEET THE BREWERS

THE PERSON WHO BREWED THE BEER IS THE PERSON WHO POURS THE BEER

CONFIRMED BREWERIES & CIDER

AUSTRALIAN BREWERY, BATLOW CIDER, DOCTOR’S ORDERS BREWING, HAPPY GOBLIN BREWERY, HOPDOG BEERWORKS, HUNTER BEER CO, LORD NELSON BREWERY, MUDGEE CRAFT BREWING, PADDY’S BREWERY, REDOAK BREWERY, RIVERSIDE BREWING PADDY’S BREWERY MARKETS HOTEL, 268 PARRAMATTA ROAD, FLEMINGTON NSW TEL: (02) 9764 3500 | WWW.PADDYSBREWERY.COM GETTING THERE: 20 MINS FROM THE CBD, 5 MINS FROM PARRAMATTA. TRAIN – QUICK WALK FROM FLEMINGTON TRAIN STATION. CAR – TAKE HOMEBUSH BAY DRIVE EXIT OFF THE M4. BUS – CALL 131 500 FOR THE QUICKEST ROUTE.

CELEBRATING 12 YEARS OF CRAFT BREWING SINCE 2001

PADDY’S SUPPORTS THE RESPONSIBLE SERVING OF ALCOHOL

Beer & Brewer promotion

13 BEERS ON TAP ALL PRODUCED ON PREMISE MULTIPLE INTERNATIONAL AWARD WINNING BEERS

WIG & PEN TAVERN & BREWERY CANBERRA HOUSE ARCADE CNR WEST ROW AND ALINGA ST CANBERRA ACT 2601 TEL: (02) 6248 0171 WWW.WIGANDPEN.COM.AU

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Now brewing Three Sheets, Old Admiral and Seasonal Ales. â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘

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â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Beer CafĂŠ in Airlie Beach North Queensland â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Currently stocking over 700 local & imported beers and ciders, plus an extensive range of wines â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Combines a Tapas-style menu, a restaurant overlooking the Marina â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A bottle shop and cafĂŠ - so anything that you try and decide you like you can purchase to take home also â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Relaxed atmosphere, enjoy the view and try something different â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Oktoberfest in October - Involves all the specialty Oktoberfest beers, German food, best dressed competitions in a big marquee with a real beer tent feel.

DS AWAR

Handcrafted, preservative free and naturally brewed for over a quarter century.

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www.dodsonstreet.co.nz

GOOD BEER VENUES

www.lordnelsonbrewery.com

Denman Cellars Beer CafĂŠ Shop 15, 33 Port Drive Airlie Beach QLD 4802 (Under the Boathouse Apartments) Ph: (07) 4948 1333 E: benhayman@bigpond.com

Not all beers are created equal.

no preservatives

no additives

no nonsense [OLTVUR JVT H\

Loving craft creations 12 rotational taps Funky functions Brand new heated Beer Garden Live music 4 nights The Stone Corner Hotel was first established in 1888, the Heritage Charm of the Stone Corner Hotel is felt right from the moment that you enter this beautifully renovated Landmark.

Honeysuckle Hotel is a premier bar and function venue located on the beautiful Newcastle harbour.

With stunning water views, state of the art facilities and historical design.

17 Tap Beers and a huge craft beer range both on tap and bottled.

The Honeysuckle Hotel offers great food, great atmosphere and fantastic location.

Lee Wharf C, Honeysuckle Drive Newcastle, NSW, 2300 Tel: (02) 4929 1499 www.honeysucklehotel.com.au

Royal Oak Hotel 123 Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connell St North Adelaide, SA, 5006 Tel: (08) 8267 2488 www.royaloakhotel.com.au

29 BEERS ON TAP HUGE CRAFT RANGE SEASONAL & LIMITED RELEASES BEERS WITH HISTORY BEER DEGUSTATIONS SPECIAL EVENTS DEDICATED CIDER BAR 9 CIDERS ON TAP www.youngandjacksons.com.au

14 Craft Beers on Tap Tasting Paddles Seasonal Beer Taps Food to compliment the Beer Meet the Brewer nights Beer Tasting Evenings Alfresco Dining Soloist 346 Logan Rd Stones Corner, QLD, 4120 Tel: (07) 3397 3727 www.stonescornerhotel.com.au

BEER MATCHES Hargreaves Hill (VIC) Extra Special Bitter Three Boys (NZ) Porter Fuller’s (UK) London Pride

GOURMET xxxxxxxxx Recipes

THE ITALIAN WAY Main VEAL SCALOPPINE WITH SMOKED CHEESE, MORELS AND BROADBEANS (Scaloppine con scamorza, spugnole e fave) SERVES 4

I

really love Australian veal from young steers – it has a great flavour, milder than that of fully mature beef and nothing like the tasteless bobby veal of the past. Scaloppine or fettine (thinly sliced meat) are the most popular items at my favourite butcher in Perugia. Every second person orders fettine of some kind, commenting on how easy it is to make something special with them when you don’t have much time. Instead of the topside, you could also use four 150 g veal cutlets, but you’ll need to cook them a little longer before returning the morels to the pan. The morels, a spring highlight in the north-east, provide depth of flavour, and the smoked cheese picks up on their earthiness

INGREDIENTS 200g smoked scamorza or other smoked melting cheese ½ small tomato, peeled, seeded and diced 20 morel mushrooms, cleaned Butter, for cooking 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 × 100g slices young topside, rump or girello Plain flour, for dusting Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 golden shallots, finely chopped 1 kg broadbeans in the pod, shelled and double-peeled* 200ml dry white wine Squeeze of lemon juice 1 tablespoon pink peppercorns (optional) Roughly chopped mint, to serve *Look for them in the freezer section, near the peas.

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METHOD 1. Put a little piece of scamorza and some tomato inside each morel.

2. Slice the remaining cheese and set aside.

3. Melt a little butter in a large frying pan over medium heat and cook the morels for 5 minutes or until tender, then set aside.

4. Melt a knob of butter with the oil in the frying pan over medium heat until sizzling.

Meanwhile, lightly dust the meat with the flour, shaking off any excess, then season with salt and pepper. Cook the meat for 2–3 minutes on each side, in batches if necessary, until coloured.

5. Add the shallot and broadbeans to the pan when you turn the meat, then put a slice of scamorza on each piece of meat.

6. Add the wine and a little lemon juice and cook for 5 minutes, then check the seasoning.

7. Return the morels to the pan to warm through.

8. Scatter on the pink peppercorns (if using), then scatter the mint over the dish and serve immediately.

BEER MATCHES James Squire (NSW) Four Wives Pilsener Invercargill (NZ) Boysenbeery Sam Adams (USA) Cherry Wheat

GOURMET Recipes

My Umbrian Kitchen.

By Patrizia Simone RRP $59.99

Dessert CHERRY AND ALMOND CROSTATA WITH DOLCETTO-POACHED CHERRIES (Crostata aperta con ciliegie METHOD al dolcetto) SERVES 8 When Maria and Giovanni uncover the sign beside the Great Alpine Road to reveal just one word, ‘Cherries’, their farm just outside Myrtleford welcomes a constant stream of locals, who know the season is short.

To poach the cherries here, I use Italian Dolcetto, a dry, fruit-driven red wine.

INGREDIENTS 100g unsalted butter, softened 100g caster sugar 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 egg yolk 100g ground almonds 500g cherries, pitted (fresh or jarred) Icing sugar, for dusting Mascarpone, to serve (optional) Lemon Sweet Pastry 150g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 100g icing sugar Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 1 egg, lightly beaten 230g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 30g cornflour Salt Dolcetto-Poached Cherries 100g unsalted butter ½ cup (110 g) caster sugar 3 cups (750 ml) Dolcetto or other dry red wine Finely grated zest of 1 lemon Finely grated zest of 1 orange 1 stick cinnamon 1 kg firm cherries, pitted

1. To make the pastry, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, icing sugar and zest for 2 minutes, then gradually beat in the egg.

2. Sift in the flour, cornflour and a pinch of salt and stir to combine – do not overwork. Form the dough into a ball and flatten into a disc, then wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. To poach the cherries, melt the butter with the caster sugar in a deep, heavy- based frying pan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil.

4. Pour in the wine, then return to a boil.

5. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until slightly reduced.

6. Add the zests, cinnamon and cherries and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the cherries with a slotted spoon, then set aside in a bowl.

7. Simmer the syrup for 15 minutes or until thick and glossy, stirring it occasionally to stop it from catching. Add to the cherries and set aside at room temperature.

8. Beat the butter and caster sugar in the clean and dry bowl of the electric mixer until thick and pale, then beat in the egg and yolk.

9. Mix in 1 tablespoon of the ground almonds, then add the rest and fold through half the cherries.

10. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and flour a 24 cm flan tin with a removable base (mine is 2 cm deep).

11. Roll the pastry on a floured workbench until 3 mm thick and use to line the prepared tin.

12. Fill the pastry case with the almond and cherry mixture, levelling it with a flexible spatula. Push the remaining cherries into the filling, leaving them exposed.

13. Bake for 40 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

14. Dust the crostata with a little icing sugar.

15. Serve slices with mascarpone, if desired, and the poached cherries.

I

taly really is the darling of the craft beer world right now. With loads of small, dedicated brewers the land of Peroni and Birra Morretti is slowly becoming synonymous with a raft of adventurous beers – some of which can be seen in our travel feature this issue.

And while the Italian beer scene is seeing a revolution, so is the Italian food scene in Australia. Gone are the days of nothing but spag bol on the menu. Instead the full breadth of the amazing, varied cuisine of Italy is on offer – and what better way to celebrate it than pairing it with some cracking beers to appreciate the depth and variety of the dishes.

The recipes this issue celebrate the simplicity and breadth of Italian food through the eyes of Patrizia Simone, UmbrianAustralian chef and advocate of eating and living by the seasons. In her book she shares the time-honoured rituals, stories and treasured family recipes from her childhood in rural Italy that inspire the dishes she serves at her celebrated restaurant, Simone’s of Bright, in Victoria’s Ovens Valley.

From the simplest pork ribs grilled over hot coals, delicate salads of spring flowers, handmade pasta and fruit-filled crostate to elegant dishes using that most Umbrian of ingredients, the truffle, this book captures the essence of Umbria and its culinary traditions. More than just a cookbook, My Umbrian Kitchen is a guide to a way of life whose traditions we can learn from and keep alive, wherever we are today.

www.beerandbrewer.com

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GOURMET Recipes

MRS PARMA’S BBQ PARMA Mrs Parma’s 25 Little Bourke St Melbourne VIC 3000 www.mrsparmas.com.au

BEER MATCHES 2 Brothers (VIC) Taxi Emerson’s (NZ) Pilsner Pilsner Urquell (Czech Republic)

Main SERVES 1 INGREDIENTS Veal or chicken fillet, or eggplant slice – depending on your preference Quality tomato pasata Barbeque Glaze (Makes 600ml & will keep in the fridge) 100ml Plum Sauce 100ml Hoisin sauce 100ml Sweet Chilli sauce 50ml Kecap Manis 200ml BBQ sauce 100ml Worchester sauce Onion Rings 1 large onion milk for soaking Beer Batter 1 cup your favourite beer 1 cup self-raising flour Salt

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METHOD 1. Barbeque Glaze: Add all – bring to the boil and allow to completely cool.

2. Onion Rings: The day before, slice a large brown onion into 5mm rings and soak in milk, stock fridge with favourite Victorian brews.

3. Beer Batter: Slowly whisk the beer into the flour until the mixture is thick enough to thoroughly coat your finger.

4. Before Frying: Remove onion rings from milk. Dust in flour straight away then dip in batter.

5. Getting Started: Remove a tasty microbrew from your fridge and pour into a clean chilled glass (you know what to do from here).

6. The Schnitzel: At Mrs. Parmas they offer three different schnitzels for their parmas: veal, chicken and eggplant. The rule for the schnitzels is they must be beaten or cut to an even thickness to ensure even cooking and once crumbed be allowed to ‘rest’ for 20 minutes in the fridge before cooking.

7. To Cook the Schnitzel: Heat the grill or pan and to test the correct temperature has been reached place a little oil in it. The oil should ‘shimmer’ – if it does not move or change it is too cold, if it smokes it is too hot.

8. Then add a little oil and generous knob of butter and swirl to cover pan. Add the schnitzel and cook till golden then turn and repeat on the other side. The schnitzel should be allowed to move freely around the pan and you should be able to see the butter bubbling at the sides and hear it cooking.

9. Once ready, dab schnitzel completely dry place on a tray and sprinkle with salt.

10. Top the schnitzel with tomato pasata and shredded mozzarella, and place under the grill.

11. The Topping: Wipe the pan clean and add enough oil to cover base by 1cm to fry the onion rings – again wait for the shimmer.

Drain excess batter off onion rings and gently place in hot oil. Once golden, dry on paper towel and sprinkle with salt.

12. Refresh beer glass.

13. The parma is ready when the mozzarella has gone a light brown.

14. Place the parma on the serving dish and zig-zag the BBQ sauce across the top. Place the onion rings on top of tha sauce and garnish with fresh chopped Italian parsley.

15. Best served with sides of chips, salad and a great Victorian microbrewery beer.

XXXXX GOURMET Beerxxxxxxxxx & Food Pairing

JEREMY STRODE

By Stefanie Collins.

J

eremy Strode’s accent is still apparent, even though the Englishman has been making waves on the Australian food scene since 1992. Known for creating cult eating spaces, Strode first worked in Melbourne before settling in Sydney’s Surry Hills and opening his original Bistrode restaurant. Now at the helm of the Merivale-backed Bistrode CBD, Strode is still bringing his signature British-style cuisine to the hungry hordes in Sydney, with dishes that include black sausage, slow roasted lamb, and marmalade pudding. Strode also has a passion for beer, and has dabbled in beer and cider dinners at his venue – a decidedly delicious affair. As such he was more than happy to help out with a few beer and food matches when we rocked up on the Bistrode CBD doorstep with some pre-lunch beers (and a cider).

Jeremy Strode is passionate about his beer as well as his food.

Napoleone & Co (VIC) Apple & Pear Cider 4.5% ABV Strode was surprised by the sweetness of the cider, but says that he loves to use cider any time of the year. He suggests a dish that uses a little bit of cider instead of wine when creating the classic French bistro dish moules frites. Instead of putting wine in with the mussels, he uses cider and a touch of curry powder (and garlic and a bay leaf) to cook the seafood down, before adding a touch of cream and a single diced Granny Smith apple.

Hargreaves Hill (VIC) Pale Ale 4.9% ABV Strode loved the aroma of this Victorian Pale Ale, and decided on the classic dish of fish and chips to accompany it. He says that he has a thing about Pale Ales in batters and loves the flavour they can impart to a simple, classic dish. Strode recommends using about 200 grams of flour to a bottle of beer to create the batter – only five to 10 minutes before you need it – then just frying your fish as usual.

Mildura Brewery (VIC) Mallee Bull Heavy 5.6% ABV Drawing on his English heritage Strode suggests serving this beer with a classic Ploughman’s Lunch.

He thinks that the fruity flavours would work well with a sharp cheddar and some traditional pickled eggs. For those who are a little wary of pickled eggs, the usual Australian variation of pickled onions or gherkins will work just as well. And don’t forget some crusty bread on the side.

Wells & Young (UK) Banana Bread Beer 5.2% ABV The intriguing smell and taste of this English brew had Strode struggling for a little while to find something with which to match it. His first thought, obviously, was bananas, however the rich caramel, maltiness, and bitter finish of the beer also demand attention. After consulting one of his other chefs, Strode settled on a dessert-style banana bread French toast with fresh sliced bananas that have been caramelised in a frypan with a little sugar.

Monteith’s (NZ) Black Beer 5.2% ABV Strode found this an interesting brew, dark but not too heavy, recommending a braised beef dish – Bistrode does a cracking version. Strode says that this is a classic combination and suggests starting with cubes of beef shoulder.

Cook it up with some carrots, onions and make a dark stock with your Black Beer, reducing it to concentrate the flavour. Strode also recommends adding some flour to thicken the gravy then braising the whole lot for two to two and a half hours.

Mad Abbot (NSW) Tripel 9.5% ABV After thinking for a while – he loved the flavour and the brew in general but struggeled to choose between sweet or savoury – Strode settled on pumpkin pie two ways.

The first filling roasted then baked in a pie and served with salad.

The second version is a sweet pie with a puréed pumpkin filling, sweetened slightly with brown sugar, and served with quality vanilla ice cream that has been spiked with nutmeg.

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BEER BUYE XXXXX

xxxxxxxxx

The following Tasting Notes are from our expert panel of Beer Judges and only include those products deemed to be of a minimum bronze-medal standard. Brewers and importers are encouraged to email editor@beerandbrewer.com to arrange delivery of products for possible inclusion in future issues. Check our website or see our Bottlos to Trust for where to buy these products.

Editor’s Choice Top 10 for Spring 1

AUSTRALIAN BREWERY THE STEAM ALE 4.5% ABV 355 ML The Australian Brewery, in Rouse Hill NSW, is operated by Neal Cameron, beer writer and respected brewer. Yellow in appearance with a fine white carbonation, Steam Ale provides a complex hop aroma including scent of mustard seed, rosemary, subtle citrus and mineral. Clean on the palate, Steam Ale provides a wonderful expression of grainy, earthy notes akin to an ancient health tonic. The beer finishes slightly dryer with a residual, fresh minerally taste.

Style: Steam Ale. Glass: Tulip.

Food Match: Lamb Cutlets.

Contact: www.australianbrewery.com

2

BIRBECK’S FOUR BROTHERS AUSTRALIAN PALE ALE 5.0% ABV 330ML Brewed in South Australia, Birbeck’s Pale Ale uses four malts and four hop additions. Gold to amber in colour with a full, proud head, it gives up a good toasty malt aroma, some fresh grassy, piney, minerally notes and some rich caramel. Upon drinking, the intricate balance extends into the taste: rich in character with some nice malt layering. Good hop oiliness and a hint of hop spice protrude, while the aftertaste includes a dance of hop bitterness and rich malt encore and some surprising, pleasant mouth warmth from alcohol. Style: Pale Ale. Glass: Tulip. Food Match: Barbecued Steak Contact: www.birbecks.com.au

THE TASTING PANEL

TINA PANOUTSOS

Tina started working for CUB in 1989 as a Quality Assurance Chemist. She currently holds the position of CUB’s Sensory Manager.

Her focus is to improve all aspects of beer and cider education as well as support CUB brewing sites through improved sensory data.

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BILL TAYLOR

Head Brewer for Lion Nathan, Bill Taylor has over 30 years experience in brewing and the beer industry.

An international beer judge, Bill is a past president of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling and a founding member of the NSW Brewers Guild.

www.beerandbrewer.com

NEAL CAMERON

Coming from starting William Bull Brewery for De Bortoli Wines, Neal Cameron is currently head brewer at The Australian Brewery. He is a beer and Cider judge, a committee member for NSW Brewers Guild and a regular contributor to Beer & Brewer magazine.

DOUG DONELAN

Doug is chief executive of New Zealand Hops and a former head brewer for Malt Shovel Brewery and James Squire Brewhouses. He is an international beer judge with 30 years experience in the brewing and beverage industry and has been known to enjoy a cold beer on a hot day.

To track these down, see our Bottlos to Trust on pages 80-81.

GRAHAM WRIGHT

Graham has had a full and varied life that has generally revolved around alcohol.

With a background in retailing, he’s currently an auctioneer at Oddbins Wine Auctions and is a director of The Odd Whisky Coy, Australia’s only specialist importer of fine, rare and hard-to-find whiskies.

IAN KINGHAM

Ian has judged at the Australian Craft Beer Awards, Royal Perth Beer Show and Sydney Royal Beer Competition.

He has also completed courses in beer and food pairing and studied food science at UWS (with a major focus on brewing).

ERS GUIDE THEXXXXX FRIDGE Buyers xxxxxxxxx Guide

3

SEVEN SHEDS SMOKING BAGPIPES 7.5% ABV 500ML This beer from Willie Simpson’s Seven Sheds Brewery in Railton, Tasmania is a limited edition barrel-aged beer. Mahogany in colour with a tan foam head, Smoking Bagpipes has a nose of peated malt, ham hock and oaked whisky. Rich in flavour, the beer showcases complex malt character, good balance and some lingering prune and plum character. A good expression of barrel-aged beer which hides the higher alcohol content well. Style: Barrel-Aged Peated Scotch Ale. Glass: Goblet.

Food Match: Pea and ham soup.

Website: www.sevensheds.com

7

QUIET DEEDS PALE ALE 4.6% ABV 330ML Quiet Deeds is contract brewed by BrewPack, and has been released by Red Island Brewing Company. Quiet Deeds is bright copper in colour with good white foam.

On aroma it offers hoppy, fruity notes and on the palate it gives way to a sweet for the style, fruity malt beer. The balance is very good and the finish delivers the right level of bitterness with a malt bill which continues to resonate after the last sip.

Style: American Pale Ale. Glass: Tulip.

Food Match: Spicy beef stir fry.

Contact: www.quietdeeds.com.au

4

HIX BEER IRISH STOUT 5.0% ABV 500ML Brewed at Hickinbotham Brewery, Dromana Victoria. Chocolate brown in colour with a light bronze hue and a medium light brown head. Hix Beer has a coffee, heathery, Irish moss nose. Dry in style, the beer offers lovely roasted malt character, as well as good grainy notes and a semi sweet finish.

Sessionable for the style and a good beer for food matching.

Style: Irish Stout.

Glass: Goblet.

Food Match: Slow cooked lamb shanks.

Website: www.hickinbotham.biz

8

COOPERS VINTAGE 2013 7.5% ABV 330ML Coopers Vintage is a beer which is building a heritage all of its own. A great beer for cellaring up to three to five years.

This Vintage is bronze in colour with a distinguished cream coloured head. On aroma it offers the scent of prunes and currants, Christmas pudding, and rum and raisin. The palate is rich and deep and has some stone fruit character. The alcohol is slightly more fuesally than previous versions. Deep malt complexity is present.

Style: Strong Ale. Glass: Goblet.

Food Match: Sticky Date Pudding.

Contact: www.coopers.com.au

5

TWO WIVES CHOCOLATE STOUT 6.5% ABV 500ML Brewed by Two Wives Brewery, Bellarine, Victoria, this Chocolate Stout is deep brown in colour with a medium tan head and liquorice legs. The beer has a black, roasted malt nose with strong accentuated coffee character. The palate has rich burnt malt character, deep toffee notes, soft vanilla, great mouth warmth and a drawn, sticky, malty, lingering finish.

Style: Chocolate Stout.

Glass: Goblet.

Food Match: Pannacotta.

Website: www.twowivesbrewery.com.au

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WICKED ELF PORTER 6.2% ABV 330ML The Wicked Elf Porter is crafted in Port Macquarie, NSW by the Little family.

This Robust Porter is dark chocolate brown in colour with a proud tan head. On the nose it offers some lovely toasty roasted meat character with a big lick of coffee and a hint of liquorice. Rich in taste with smooth texture, rolling toastiness and coffee bitterness on the finish, Wicked Elf Porter offers great subtle complexity and is easy drinking for the style.

Style: Porter. Glass: Tulip.

Food Match: Barbequed pork spare ribs.

Contact: www.thelittlebrewingcompany.com.au

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SIDESHOW TICKET BOOTH PALE ALE 4.7% ABV 330ML Brewed in Epping, Melbourne, this cloudy, unfiltered, Pale Ale has a tan head and a lovely layered aroma of malt, with some toasty, biscuity appeal, blended with light minerally, earthy subtle hop notes. Wellbalanced and rich in malt, the toasty, biscuity, caramalt quality flows into an oily, resinous, earthy hop character which finishes quite short but does leave some wonderful balance and lingering hop and malt tones on the tongue. Style: Pale Ale. Glass: Tulip. Food Match: Lamb shanks.

Contact: www.sideshowbrewers.com.au

10 MURRAY’S WHALE ALE 4.5% ABV 330ML

Murray’s is famous for award winning ales and specialty crafted brews. Whale Ale is a stock beer which provides great sessionability with its easy drinking style.

Dull gold in appearance with good white foam, Whale Ale offers an aroma of herbal grassy hop notes gently blended with soft honey tones. Light in style for a Wheat beer, Whale Ale’s uncomplicated style offers pleasant malt and honey attributes and a soft clean finish.

Style: American Wheat Beer. Glass: Tulip.

Food Match: Gnocchi Gongonzola Contact:www.murraysbrewingco.com.au

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THE FRIDGE Buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide

AUSTRALIA Little Creatures (WA) - Mr Obadiah 6.9% ABV 568mL Style: Rye Porter Retail: $10.50 / bottle Available: Australia-wide - IPA 330mL Style: IPA Retail: TAB Available: From September Contact: www.littlecreatures.com.au James Squire (NSW) - Hop Thief 5 5.0% ABV Keg Only Style: American Pale Ale Retail: Venue dependent Available: Australia-wide - Orchard Crush Pear 4.8% ABV 500mL Style: Perry Retail: $5.99 / bottle Available: Australia-wide Contact: www.jamessquire.com.au McCarthur Grange (NSW) Stockade Premium Draught Keg Only Style: Lager Retail: Venue dependent Available: Select venues Contact: www.facebook.com/ MaCarthurGrangeBrewery

NEW RELEASES Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Beer (VIC) Black Lager 5.3% ABV 330mL Style: Gluten Free Black Lager Retail: $30 / six-pack Available: Select retailers Contact: www.rebellionbrewing.com.au/ obrien-beer Burleigh Brewing Co (QLD) Black Giraffe 5.0% ABV 500mL/Keg Style: Dark Coffee Lager Retail: $12 / bottle Available: Select venues & retailers Contact: www.burleighbrewing.com.au Hawthorn Brewing Co (VIC) Australian IPA 5.8% ABV 330mL/Keg Style: Australian IPA Retail: $20 / six-pack Available: Australia-wide Contact: www.hawthornbrewing.com.au Van Dieman Brewing (TAS) Dubbel Shot 6.5% ABV 500mL/Keg Style: Belgian Abbey Coffee Dubbel Retail: $12 / bottle Available: Tasmania-only Contact: www. vandiemanbrewing.com.au Coopers (SA) Vintage 2013 7.5% ABV 355mL Style: Strong Ale. Retail: $25 / six-pack Available: Australia-wide Contact: www.coopers.com.au

Matilda Bay (VIC) - Ruby Tuesday 4.7% ABV Keg Only Style: Amber Ale Retail: Venue dependent Available: Australia-wide - Little Ripper 4.7% ABV Keg Only Style: Sparkling Lager Retail: Venue dependent Available: Australia-wide Contact: www.matildaybay.com.au Bridge Road Brewers (VIC) B2 Mach 3 8.0% ABV 750mL Style: Black Belgian IPA Retail: $32 / bottle Available: Select venues & retailers Contact: www.bridgeroadbrewers.com.au Feral Brewing (WA) Boris 9.1% ABV 330mL/Keg Style: Imperial Stout Retail: $7.50 / bottle Available: Select venues & retailers Contact: www.feralbrewing.com.au

NEW ZEALAND Monteithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brewing Co Winter Ale 6.0% ABV 330mL Style: Doppelbock Retail: $17 / six-pack Available: Country-wide Contact: www.monteiths.co.nz / Aus: www. drinkworks.com.au

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HOT OFF THE DOCK JENLAIN (FRANCE) - AMBREE

7.5% ABV 330mL Style: Biere de Garde Available: Select retailers

- BLONDE

7.5% ABV 330mL Style: Biere de Garde Available: Select retailers Contact: www.beerandcider. com.au

MARIN BREWING CO (USA) - E.S.CHI HERBAL TONIC ALE 5.0% ABV Keg Only Style: English Bitter with wild herbs Available: Select venues

- HEFE WEISS

5.0% ABV Keg Only Style: UnďŹ ltered Wheat Beer Available: Select venues

- MT TAM PALE ALE 5.5% ABV Keg Only Style: Pale Ale Available: Select venues

FULLERS (UK) - LONDON PRIDE

4.7% ABV Keg Style: English Bitter Available: Select venues

- ESB

6.0% ABV Keg Only Style: Porter Available: Select venues

5.9% ABV Keg Style: Extra Special Bitter Available: Select venues - LONDON PORTER 5.4% ABV Keg Style: Porter Available: Select venues

6.8% ABV Keg Only Style: IPA Available: Select venues Contact: www.northdown. com.au

4.5% ABV Keg Style: Stout Available: Select venues Contact: www.empireliquor. com.au

- POINT REYES PORTER - MARIN IPA

- BLACK CAB STOUT

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BEERS I CHOSE AND WHY…

XXXXX THE FRIDGE xxxxxxxxx Celeb Pick

Sail and Anchor Boa’s Bind Amber Ale 5.0% ABV A great beer with a nice brown sugar/caramel taste. Pretty big on the alcohol but still very drinkable.

Sail and Anchor Monkey’s Fist Pale Ale 4.9% ABV Maybe I drank them in the wrong order but I preferred the Amber Ale to this Pale. Maybe it’s because I was almost weaned on Coopers. It just seemed to lack a bit of traditional Pale Ale grunt.

The upside of this is that it would make a good distance beer, as it is very drinkable.

Landlord Timothy Taylor’s Strong Pale Ale 4.1% ABV Massive flavour this one, really beautiful fruitiness. Drank it with a couple of knockwursts with hot mustard, some sauerkraut and baked potatoes – terrific combo.

TOP BEER!

St Peters Ruby Red Ale 4.3% ABV Awesomely good beer, my favourite of all the ones I tried. So well balanced. Apparently it is made in a medieval hall in some remote part of Suffolk. The design of the bottle is worth a mention, it’s a really elegant shape and I have stuck a cork in it and am now using it for my salad dressing.

Theakston Old Peculiar Ale 5.6% ABV This is the sort of beer that normally overwhelms me but this was great, albeit pretty massive on the alcohol side of things. I like the fact that each bottle has a 10-word crime thriller on the back written by a drinker – mine was called The Case of the Killer Cliche (“Good grief,” exclaimed Bertie. “The butler really did do it!”).

Marston’s Oyster Stout 4.5% ABV Aside from just tasting great on what was a really cold night, this beer got me thinking a lot about food. It would be great to cook with, perhaps in a steak, kidney and oyster pie, as befits its name. A really delicious Stout.

Young’s Double Chocolate Stout 5.2% ABV I am not sure if this is a recognised sub-species of beer or just a bit of a party trick, but it actually works. The people at Young’s use chocolate malt and then add actual chocolate to it apparently, not sure how – maybe they stick a Flake in every bottle.

It tastes sublime and would make an excellent substitute for Ice Magic on some vanilla ice cream, sort of like a pisshead version of an affogato.

Kiss Beer (as in, the band Kiss) 4.7% ABV Had to buy this as the one silly novelty beer of the tasting, and boy was it silly. The beer is brewed under the supervision of something called the KissRock Brewery and the packaging has images of Gene, Paul, Ace and Peter all over it. The beer itself tastes of nothing, it’s just some garden variety lager that they’ve stuck a funny label on to entice us poor sad members of Kiss Army (like me) to buy it. To paraphrase Rock and Roll All Night this will drive you neither wild nor crazy.

DAVID PENBERTHY We all know (all too well) that journalists are fond of their beer. We gave one of Australia’s top journos, David Penberthy, the run of the Dan Murphy’s fridge in his hometown of Adelaide – here’s what he chose, and why….

W

hen he’s not running the show at the Sunday Mail in Adelaide, David Penberthy – “Penbo” to his mates – can often be found in a contemplative mood over a beer or two.

For Penbo, it’s a love affair that started when he was just 15 years of age, when his neighbour, a veteran

of Changi, went halves with him in a stubby of ice cold Southwark Bitter to take the edge off a 40 degree Celcius Adelaide summer’s day.

An admitted ‘blouse’ when it comes to the meatier end of the beer spectrum, David’s nonetheless tried to broaden his horizons a little with this outing.

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THEXXXXX FRIDGE Buyer’s xxxxxxxxx Guide Australian Beer >>

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CASTLE GLEN BREWERY GRANITE ALE 5.8% ABV 500ML

WHITE RABBIT DARK ALE 4.9% ABV 330ML

Castle Glen Brewery is situated at Thulimbah, approximately 200 kilometres south west of Brisbane, in the Granite Belt region. Granite Ale is amber in colour, dusky in appearance and has a tan head. A new world Belgian-style beer, Granite Ale has a sour plum aroma with depth of flavour resembling prune and raisin, with a hint of cinnamon. Light malt layering brings great balance and sweetness to the sour lactic character. Dry on the finish, the light subtlety of flavours highlights the beer as a great easy drinking, entry level sour.

Style: Belgian-Style Ale. Glass: Goblet.

Food Match: Selection of cured meats.

Website: www.castleglenaustralia.com.au

Nestled in Healesville, in the Dandenong Ranges, east of Melbourne.

Rich deep brown earthiness with some red hue and a cream coloured head, welcome you to this brew. Some subtle roastiness and a hint of toffee rise from the pour, although the general aroma character is low. Light coffee and roasted malt character are present as is some woody, earthy charm, albeit at very low thresholds. A very sessionable ale with little to no finish, and a great entry level Dark Ale for budding beer enthusiasts.

Style: Dark Ale. Glass: Tulip.

Food Match: Roast beef.

Website: www.whiterabbitbeer.com.au

BLACK DUCK BREWERY HERON'S CRAIC 4.0% ABV 330ML

VAN DIEMAN BREWING HEDGEROW AUTUMN BERRY ALE 5.8% ABV 500ML

Situated in the beachside town of Port Macquarie, the Black Duck Brewery offers an array of different beer styles and is worth a visit. The Irish Red Ale is one such beer, deep bronze in colour with a grey head and a higher carbonation level than many in this style. The aroma blends English Fuggle with some velvety Carame, and English malt character. On the palate the crystal malt gives body and texture and there is a hint of chocolate malt and some roastiness in the background. Layered nicely, and offering full mouthfeel, this Irish Red Ale is a good adaptation of style and quite sessionable for such a hearty beer.

Style: Irish Red Ale. Glass: Tulip.

Food Match: Bangers and mash.

Contact: www.blackduckbrewery.com.au

Van Dieman Brewery is situated in the beautiful farming district of White Hills, southeast of Launceston, Tasmania. Owner and brewer, Will Tatchell, gained much of his brewing pedigree in the UK, and this Autumn Berry Ale is a limited edition seasonal brew, reflective of many English varietal ales. Bronzey-gold in colour with a proud white head, the beer offers aroma of ripened, stewed fruits with a hint of sweet spice. Rich in body, with nice stone fruit character and a rich malty finish.

Style: Seasonal Ale. Glass: Tulip.

Food Match: Autumn berry pudding.

Website: www.vandiemanbrewing.com.au

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HOP BAZOOKA 5.6% ABV 500ML Brewed at Southern Bay Brewery, Moolap, part of the greater city of Geelong, Victoria. Peachy gold in colour with a proud white head. Hop Bazooka, as the name infers, is high in hop character. A lovely aromatic blend of Citra, Galaxy and Stella hop varietals combine to give a piney, tropical, fruity resinous nose. A rich layered malt bill keeps the hops in balance. The oily rich fullness of the beer ends with a lingering, hoppy, fruity bitterness.

Style: India Pale Ale. Glass: Tulip.

Food Match: Moroccan chicken salad.

Website: www.southernbay.com.au

LONGBOARD PALE ALE 4.5% ABV 330ML Longboard brewing company is based in the coal city of Wollongong. Inspired by the dream of relaxed living, surfing and soaking up the Australian way of life, Longboard Pale Ale is an Australian-style Pale Ale. Gold in colour with a lacy white head, Longboard has a soft pale malt nose with a hint of minerally hop character.

Light to style, with a clean palate, good malt character and a crisp, dry, slightly bitter finish. Longboard mirrors some of the characteristics of a good lager but adds more in flavour and texture, making for a good, easy drinking beer.

Style: Australian Pale Ale. Glass: Tulip.

Food Match: Beer battered fish and chips.

Contact: www.longboardbeer.com

THE FRIDGE Buyer’s Guide Australian Beer >>

COLDSTREAM REAL ORIGINAL ALE 4.8% ABV 330ML Coldstream Brewery, as the name suggests, is situated by the flowing, chilly stream waters of the Dandenong Ranges in outer eastern Melbourne. Copper in colour with a tan foam top, this ale delivers high malt aroma with a strong presence of treacle, brown sugar, caramel and molasses. Lighter to style than the aroma would suggest, this easy drinking, entry level ale has good balance, a clean, toasty malt corroboration and some lingering malt sweetness.

Style: Golden Ale. Glass: Tulip.

Food Match: Honey chicken wings.

Contact: www.coldstreambrewery.com.au

BULLANT BREWERY PIG AND WHISTLE BROWN ALE 4.7% ABV 640ML The Bullant Brewery is located in Bruthen on the Great Alpine Road, Victoria. This amber to brown coloured beer has a golden glow and a thick foamy tan head. Medium roasted malt, nuttiness and a hint of spice are present in aroma. The palate is soft, light bodied, slightly smoked with a light bitter tannic finish.

Style: Brown Ale. Glass: Tulip.

Food Match: Warm roasted chestnuts.

Website: www.bullantbrewery.com

DALGETY BLONDE ALE 4.0% ABV 330ML Dalgety was once purported to be a site earmarked for the nations capital, today it is a quaint town on the banks of the Snowy River, in south eastern NSW. Cloudy in appearance with a peachey-gold colour, the beer is low in carbonation with a light, pale malt nose. Dalgety's Blonde Ale is a sessionable ale with some subtle Belgian yeast character and a gentle, mildly vinous, malty finish. A great beer for complementing cheese, and cheese dishes.

Style: Blonde Ale. Glass: Tulip.

Food Match: Cheese fondue.

Contact: www.snowyvineyard.com

REHN BIER TRIPEL 7.2% ABV 500ML

BUCKLEY'S ORIGINAL ALE 4.5% ABV 330ML

LITTLE CREATURES PALE ALE 5.2% ABV 330ML

Rehn Bier is brewed and bottled in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, one of Australia's richest wine growing regions. This lively beer is cloudy gold in appearance with some spritely yellowness and a firm white head. The yeasty nose offers hints of grapefruit and lemon and there is light malt layering, fruit tartness and some pleasant cheesiness on the palate. The finish is a subtle balance of sourness and tart fruitiness.

Style: Belgian Tripel.

Glass: Goblet.

Food Match: Creamy blue cheese.

Website: www.rehnbier.com.au .

Buckley's is brewed at Yarra Flats Brewery, in the picturesque town of Healesville.

Buckley's Original Ale is a copper colour, with a tan head. On the nose it offers good hop character underpinned by fresh toasted malt aroma. As a beer it has pleasant, easy drinking malt layering, with some stone fruit character. The hops are well-balanced with some good, rich earthiness as well as a delightful lingering oiliness. Full in flavour and nicely balanced this beer is deceptively sessionable.

Style: India Pale Ale. Glass: Tulip.

Food Match: Spicy Indian Curry.

Contact: www.buckleysbeer.com.au

Little Creatures Brewery is nestled in the heartland of craft brewing in Western Australia and was founded in 2000. Little Creatures Pale Ale is a multiple awarding-winning Americanstyle Pale Ale. In aroma it offers some sweet floral and light fruit character emanating from a thick white head proudly sitting atop a full gold beer. The perfumed aroma is derived from the addition of hop flowers to the beer. Good malt layering offers a rich mouth feel with some floral herbaceous character and a strong hop bitterness on the finish.

Style: American Pale Ale. Glass: Tulip.

Food Match: Pork belly.

Contact: www.littlecreatures.com.au

BEER SELECTION BEER SELECTION To speak with an O-I customer service representative To speak with an bottle O-I customer service representative about O-I’s beer range contact: about O-I’s beer bottle range contact: Customer Service Customer Phone 1800Service 643 165 Fax 1800 626 986 Phonesalesaust@ap.o-i.com 1800 643 165 Fax 1800 626 986 Email Email salesaust@ap.o-i.com

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THE FRIDGE Buyer’s Guide

New Zealand Beer >>

GISBORNE GOLD 4.0% ABV 330ML Geoff Logan is one of the stalwarts of the New Zealand Brewing Industry, around since the late 80s. Gisborne Gold is the flagship beer that hails from the first part of the world to see the new day. With a lovely golden hue and robust effervescence, the white, fluffy head ensures the beer presents very well, although it does dissipate quite quickly.

The aroma is an interesting grassy and grainy mix with some subtle malt notes. Very light on the palate, with a crisp lingering bitterness, the beer punches above its 4.0% ABV weight and is very drinkable. It would ideally be served in a straight-sided Kölschstyle glass where the delicate flavours can express themselves.

Style: Pale Lager. Glass: Kölsch.

Food Match: White fish or squid.

Website: www.gisbornegold.co.nz

RAINDOGS MR CLEAN PALE ALE 5.2% ABV 500ML Another Christchurch brewery – which seems to be a bit of a hot bed area for new craft breweries in New Zealand.

Some great packaging and clean fresh labels. The beer itself is coppery brown with great head retention and a thick white head. Nice biscuit malt, good, creamy body with toffee notes and a crisp, lingering, assertive, mintlike bitterness to finish it off. This Pale Ale would be an excellent match for barbequed meats as the bitterness would cut through the grease.

Style: Pale Ale. Glass: Pilsner.

Food Match: Barbequed ribs.

Website: www.facebook.com/ raindogsbrewing

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BEN MIDDLEMISS BREWING HODGSON INDIA PALE ALE 8.8% ABV 330ML

TOWNSEND’S BLACK ARROW PILSNER 5.0% ABV 500ML

Ben Middlemiss is an icon in the New Zealand Brewing Industry. He's been making great beer since Adam was a boy.

This beer is bottle conditioned with a golden amber appearance and a nice white head that clings to the glass until the very last drop. Toffee and caramel notes dominate the aroma, with the 70 IBUs described on the bottle balanced perfectly with the thick malty flavour of the beer.

Style: India Pale Ale. Glass: Brandy balloon.

Food Match: Lamb Shanks on a cold winter's afternoon by the fire.

Website: www.benmiddlemissbrewing.co.nz

At the top of the South Island, in hop country, there is a little brewery making great beer. This one is slightly hazy with an attractive stable white foamy head.

With herbaceous and slight menthol notes, the hop character delivers beautifully.

Nice rich malt character and a smooth finish with a lengthy bitterness, makes this beer really appealing and moreish. Wellbalanced, it is more of a new world-style Pilsner, making it highly drinkable in the new world.

Style: Pilsner.

Glass: Pilsner.

Food Match: Seafood or goat’s cheese.

Website: www.townshendbrewery.co.nz

ZEELANDT PALE ALE 5.0% ABV 500ML Relatively new brewery to the New Zealand craft scene, from the beautiful Hawkes Bay. Deep amber, with a strong haze and a soft, floppy white head. This Pale Ale has a dominant malt character, subdued hop notes, and a nice chewy mouthfeel. It finishes with a touch of astringency and intense late bitterness.

A great match with a sweet nutty cheeses such as Emmental.

Style: Pale Ale. Glass: Pint.

Food Match: Cheese platter.

Website: www.zeelandt.co.nz

EAGLE vs DOG EPISODE 2 PAN GALACTIC GARGLE BLASTER IMPERIAL BROWN 7.5% ABV 500ML A collaboration between Golden Eagle and the boys at Raindogs Brewing, the name is quite long to say, but worth the effort.

With a lovely deep ruby red hue and good head, the marzipan, almond, vanilla, chocolate and cherry notes are evident in the aroma. Just a little shy in malt character and balance, there are good chocolate notes through palate, with a nice warmth and aggressive bitterness.

Style: Imperial Brown Ale. Glass: Goblet.

Food Match: Smoked kahawhai (local New Zealand fish) or mackerel.

Website: www.goldeneaglebrewery.co.nz; www.facebook.com/raindogsbrewing

THE FRIDGE Buyer’s Guide Imports >>

DUVEL 8.5% ABV 330ML Duvel started in 1871 as a family brewery at a time when lager dominated. The Moortgat family renamed the brewery Duvel after this popular brew. Pale straw in colour with a full foamy white head, Duvel offers a yeasty, cheesy, light lemony nose.

Light in body but rich in flavour, Duvel is a wonderful example of a yeast and malt driven beer. The finish is light and earthy.

Style: Belgian Strong Golden Ale. Glass: Duvel Balloon or large tulip.

Food Match: Goat's cheese tartlets.

Contact: www.bidbeer.com

PAULANER HEFE-WEISBIER 5.5% ABV 330ML

HOFBRAU HEFE WEIZEN 5.1% ABV 330ML

Originally founded by an order of monks, Paulaner hails from the Paulaner Brauhaus in Germany. Peachey-gold in colour with a thick white head, Paulaner offers traditional banana and clove aromas that are synonymous with this style. Rich malt layering and good body deliver a wellbalanced fully rounded beer. The wheat malt delivers a dry rich malt finish.

Style: Hefeweizen.

Glass: Weizen.

Food Match: Chicken satay sticks with mango salsa.

Contact: www.purebier.com

Hofbrauhaus hails from Munchen (Munich), Germany. Dull gold in colour under a stiff white head, Hofrau Hefe Weizen offers a soft Munich malt aroma. Subtle malt layering and good use of said malt delivers a light style German Wheat Beer. This easy drinking beer is refreshing by nature and the dry finish lingers with light residual malt sweetness.

Style: Hefeweizen.

Glass: Weizen.

Food Match: Seafood risotto.

Contact: www.purebier.com; www. empireliquor.com.au; www.fmliquor.com.au

STIEGL 4.9% 330ML

TRUMER PILS 5.5% ABV 330ML

CHIMAY BLUE 9.0% ABV 330ML

Stiegl Brewery is Austria's largest independent brewery. It is based in Salzburg, and dates back to 1492. The beer itself is straw gold in colour with a lacy white head. On the nose Stiegl delivers rich malt complexity. Clean in style with lovely malt layering, the beer has a honey malt character and completes with a dry, wellbalanced hop/malt finish.

Style: Lager.

Glass: Lager.

Food Match: Weiner schnitzel.

Contact: www.purebier.com

While one may look to the Czechs and the Germans to produce classic Pilsners, the Austrians are the quiet achievers. Trumer has been producing its Pilsner since Pilsners were invented and have stuck to a winning formula ever since. Brewed in Austria there’s little about this beer not to like. Overall, it exudes an almost Julie Andrews-like cleancut image. Bright as a button to look at, there's a super clean aroma with a hint of citrus and spice. An almost clinically dry and smooth palate that doesn't head into a big bitterness, but is awfully moreish.

Style: Pilsner. Glass: Pilsner.

Food Match: Weiner schnitzel and a pressed linen napkin.

Contact: www.trumer-australia.com

Chimay is the leading Trappist beer in Belgium. Brewed at Forges-les-Chimay Monastery since 1861, it was brought to prominence by the monk Pere Theodore after he studied contemporary brewing at Leuven University. Rich brown in colour with a blood red hue and a tan head, Chimay is a big alcohol beer at 9.0% ABV. The scent of cloves, star anise and rich malt give way to a warm enchanting multi-layered rich malt brew. Stewed stone fruit and raisin resonate on the finish.

Style: Tripel.

Glass: Chimay chalice or goblet.

Food Match: Asian pork curry.

Contact: www.bidbeer.com

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THE FRIDGE Buyer’s Guide

Imports >>

JENLAIN AMBREE 7.5% ABV 330/750ML Jenlain Ambree is brewed at the Duyck Brewery in northern France in a region known for its authentic Bière de Garde.

Deep gold in colour with a strong white head, Jenlain offers some floral, lavender notes and some caramel and vanilla tones.

Good malt layering gives the beer a toasty, caramel, malt sweet character before a soft, gentle, lingering malt finish.

Style: Bière de Garde.

Glass: Tulip.

Food Match: Ploughman’s lunch.

Contact: www.beerandcider.com.au

Cider >>

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THORNBRIDGE BREWERY JAIPUR INDIA PALE ALE 5.9% ABV 500ML

FULLER'S LONDON PORTER 5.4% ABV 500ML

While most breweries have humble beginnings, Thornbridge built its first brewery in a Jacobean manor house in Derbyshire, UK. Their state-of-the-art brewery has a laboratory that most craft breweries would easily fit into, and the attention to quality shows. Even with the scourge of crossing the equator this deceptively pale beer has a deeply pungent American hop aroma from Centennial, Columbus and Cascade with probably a few more thrown in. The beer is certainly bitter but it is an almost clinical cleanness of flavour expression that hides the strength well and explains why this American-style India Pale Ale has rapidly reached legendary status.

Style: India Pale Ale. Glass: Pint.

Food Match: Lamb madras with chapatis and lime pickle.

Contact: www.bravogroup.com.au

In today's search for intense flavours the modern Porter often more resembles a Stout, with heavy, astringent roasted barley character ignoring the lighter amber or brown malt character a traditional Porter should possess. Enter the classic Fuller's London Porter, which clearly has a serious charge of dark and roasted malt, but there is also a rounded softness to this beer, and smile-inducing mocha-espresso aroma and palate. Not the lightest example of the style, one could imagine this would keep the average London baggage handler on the go for a few hours quite easily – with a healthy enthusiasm to go back for more too.

Style: Robust Porter. Glass: Dimpled pint.

Food Match: Braised lamb shanks and celeric mash.

Contact: www.empireliquor.com.au

Whisky >>

ECUSSON GRAND CIDRE 5.0% ABV 750ML

MOYLAN’S AMERICAN RYE WHISKY 49.5% ABV 700ML

MOYLAN’S BOURBON WHISKY (CASK STRENGTH) 60.8% ABV 700ML

Imagine yourself in France in an old apple loft in late autumn. A musty, dusty aroma of sweet apples, perhaps a little cloying, some fresh straw and a waft of sweet, slightly fermenting cut grass and you would have some idea of what this Normandy cider evokes. Not as complex or challenging as some of its more robust and rural colleagues, this is still a good introduction to the style. It doesn't exhibit a great deal of cider apple character but there's still a depth of flavour and character that explains why this style of cider is spreading its wings outwards from northern France.

Style: French Apple Cider.

Glass: Straight half-pint.

Food Match: Seared scallops, Waldorf salad.

Contact: www.baw.com.au

Microdistilling can be a hit and miss thing, but this Moylan’s American Rye Whisky– and its bigger cask strength sibling – are excellent examples of how to do the micro bit oh so well. This rye is as classy as it sweet. So perfumed, it has loads of sweet American oak with a hint of citrus and kitchen spice. On the palate it starts surprisingly dry and intense, followed by a big wave of sweet creamy oak and honey. And the mid-palate has great mouthfeel. Lacks a little in the crunchy, grassy rye note, but a fabulous drink.

Contact: www.northdown.com.au

Wow! Cask strength bourbons should be embraced. Five minutes after tasting this dram, you will still be able to taste it. The nose is as restrained as it is intriguing, the oak is not overly sweet but there is a distinct apricot note to it. But to taste, the bourbon has a load of sweet barley, corn, and creamy oak, while the alcohol just livens it up. Very crisp, dry almost menthol finish. But the oak and grain just hangs around and around. Ace. Contact: www.northdown.com.au

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BEER & BREWER PROMOTION

RECOMMENDED THIS ISSUE… FOR THE BEER LOVER, HOMEBREWER OR READER THAT IS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING NEW TO TRY, HERE ARE SOME NEW RELEASES, NEW PRODUCTS AND ADVERTISED PRODUCTS THAT BEER & BREWER RECOMMENDS FOR YOU TO EXPERIENCE …

NEW PRODUCT Tap King Launched in July 2013, the Tap King dispenser unit is a revolutionising way Australians enjoy refreshing draught beer at home. Tap King can fit comfortably within a standard-sized fridge. Six beers are available, including XXXX GOLD, Hahn SuperDry, James Squire Golden Ale, James Boag’s Premium, Tooheys New and Tooheys Extra Dry.

Dispenser: D $32.99, 3.2L bottle $ ttw twin packs: $35 to $51.99 ((Gold) G ((Golden G Ale) A Availability: Av Major retailers AAu Australia-wide.

Contact: www.tapking.com Co C

GOLDEN ALE Sail & Anchor Lark’s Foot Golden Ale 4.6% ABV 345mL This Golden Ale deserves as much attention due to its luxurious flavours and textures that will be courted by all. Rich, light-bodied and wonderfully balanced, this new world ale has an irresistible aroma and a refreshing citrus tang.

IPA Mountain Goat India Pale Ale 6.2% ABV 330mL This is a hop-driven, malty ale with strong bitterness and spicy fruit aromas thanks to a good dose of Citra and Galaxy hops.

It’s a tough nut, but loveable all the same.

65 IBU.

$5 Per Bottle, $17 4-Pack Availability: National.

Contact: www.goatbeer.com.au

ALCOHOL FREE Holsten 0.0% ABV 330mL Holsten 0.0%. Refreshing pilsner flavour with an alcohol content of 0.0%. Fully imported and brewed in accordance with the German Purity Law of 1516 (www.holstenzero.com/ about/the-reinheitsgebot). Brewed using traditional Pilsner brewing methods, Holsten 0.0% is bottom fermented and generously hopped for full flavour. Bright gold in colour, with a lingering lacy white head, characteristic hop driven bitterness and a refreshingly clean finish typical of Premium Pilsner beers.

This golden yellow drink with an equisite aroma of local, world-acclaimed hop varieties can be found everywhere - in a glass after business has concluded, at a business meeting, during breaks at conferences ... in a glass before supper, at a billiards party, during Friday night clubbing... You hold it in your mouth for a moment or two, so its sparkling freshness embraces you fully.

$14 4-Pack

$4.50 500mL Bottle $14.99 6-Pack 330mL

Availability: Dan Murphy’s, BWS, Woolies Liquor.

Contact: www.facebook.com/ sailandanchor

Availability: Specialist Bottleshops.

For further enquires & stockists Contact: M: 0415 257 295, E: interbeer@iinet.net.au.

$9.99 6-Pack Availability: Woolworths. Store locator and buy online at www.holstenzero.com Contact: 1300 046 578

AAvailability: National w www.james-squire.com.au

HOMEBREW Australia Draught

The Nation’s Beer. A Full flavoured traditionally styled draught. Brewed with all natural ingredients and with no added preservatives, Australia Draught delivers a crisp, clean taste with a very sessionable hop experience. Australia Draught is on tap in hotels throughout Sydney metro area and making it’s way down the south coast. Australia Draught will be pouring around the country in due course. A true mainstream draught beer that’s proudly 100% Australian owned. A proud Aussie owned alternative to the regular overseas owned offerings.

Around $6 schooner Availability: On tap Sydney metro area.

Contact: enquiries@australiadraught www.australiadraught.com.au

CIDER Hills Apple Gi Hills Ginger Hybrid 8% % ABV

Sm Acres Cyder 2013 Norfolk Small Still 750mL St

This delicious cider pays homage to the This Kim m Kimberley pioneer spirit featuring a unique uni q blend of classic cider flavour with hin t of Kimberley Mango. hints

Thhe Hills Cider Company The Co Apple Ginger Hy ybrid A harmon Hybrid harmonious co-fermentation of fresh fre esh Adelaide Hills Hi Apples and Buderim Qu ueensland ginger. ging A slightly sweet Queensland and mouthfeel is balanced with an nd creamy mou ar romatic ginger sspice and clean dry aromatic apple ap pple tartness.

A winemakers w cider, Norfolk Still is one of the most food friendly ciders on the market. An excellent match with Pork ma dis dishes, Asian foods or Indian curries.

Made from only fresh picked straight off Ma the tree Australian grown apples, it has wonderful fresh cut red apple aromas, wo co complex apple characters on the palate and a clean medium dry finish. an

Avv Availability: Dan Murphy’s, Woolies Liquor, BWS. Liquorland, Vintage Liq q Cellars, Ce e 1st Choice. W.A./Thirsty Camel, Cellarbrations, Liquor Barons.

Ce e Contact: Co o www.matsos.com.au/stockists

Briess CBW Liquid Malt Extract Available in liquid or dried form, Briess CBW brewer’s grade pure malt extracts are exceptionally full flavoured and consistent. The high levels of fermentability and FAN are achieved through a multiple step infusion brewing process in the state-of-the-art 500-barrel Briess brewhouse. For recipes and more information visit www.brewingwithbriess.com or talk to your favourite home brew shop.

$13.50 1.5kg Canister Availability: Nationally.

Contact: Bintani Australia, Tel: + 61 (0)3 9580 3566, www.bintani.com.au

AMBER ALE

Maa Matso’s Mango Cider with Desert De e Lime 4% ABV 500mL

$7 $ 7.50 Per Bottle

Ja James Squire One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale 4.2% ABV La 568mL 56 La Lashes is a refreshing cloudy pale ale with restrained bitterness and a al clean, smooth finish. Malted wheat as cle w well as pale barley malt add balance to the finish, while the late addition of Nelson Sauvin & Amarillo and also some Australian grown Willamette so hops deliver a subdued fruity nose ho with hints of passionfruit, grapefruit w and citrus. an

LAGER Lasko Club 4.9% ABV 330mL/500mL

AUSTRALIAN PALE ALE

$8 Bottle $ A Availability: Nationally in bottles: Natio www.samsmith.com or kegs: www.samsmith. w www.thehillscidercompany.com.au www.thehillscide w

$17 Bottle $ A Availability: Selected independent bottle stores and restaurants or mail order from st SSmall Acres Cyder www.smallacrescyder.com.au w

Matilda Bay Ruby Tuesday 4.7% ABV It’s well known that Brewery Manager Neil Whittorn’s Walkman only has Rolling Stones tapes in it. Recently they hooked it up to the sound system at the brewery and the first song was Ruby Tuesday.

It all sort of just came together. Crafted with Hallertau Hersbrucker hops and four specialty malts - carared, melanodium, caramunich (crystal) and wheat this Amber Ale has biscuity and toffee malt flavours that linger on the front palate. The relative sweetness is perfectly balanced by a traditional ale yeast and hop combination.

Availability: On tap, nationwide.

Contact: CUB, www.matildabay.com.au

Beer & Brewer promotion

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WIN N

Australia’s #1

Frequently stocking over 100 beers from old world breweries incl. Germany, Belgium and England.

ER

11

Craft Beer Specialist

Vast selection of new world craft breweries from Australia, New Zealand and North America.

We stock only fully imported Stella Artois, Becks and Heineken.

Forever expanding new range...

Something new every week!

Always willling to search for different beers and order it for you.

Ask for Adam or Toni 169 Concord Rd, Nth Strathfield NSW 2137 PH: 02 9743 1572 25A Bellevue Rd, Bellevue Hill NSW 2023 PH: 02 9389 3875 @Platinum_Liquor www.platinumliquor.com

• We stock over 1200 Australian Craft + Imported Beers & Ciders • Awarded Best Bottleshop in Australia • Springtime is Beertime @ Plonk - IPA’s, Red Ales & Ambers • Expression Sessions – Every Saturday & Sunday 1-4pm Beer, Cider, Wine, Schnapps – how cool!

• Ciders of the World – we have Australia’s largest range • Pick and Mix – Choose any mixed 6 beers or ciders and get 10% off. Bigger discounts apply for mixed cases Fyshwick Markets, Cnr Nyrang & Mildura Sts, Fyshwick ACT 2609 Tel: (02) 6260-6336 | info@plonk.net.au | www.plonk.net.au Shop on-line | Delivery anywhere in Australia

More than 250 beers from over 30 countries.

Every Dan Murphy’s store sells over 250 beers from at least 120 Eve brands.

These range from local favourites to exceptional Craft and bra premium International beers. And just like our wines and spirits, every pre beer in every store is backed by our Lowest Liquor Price Guarantee.* bee *Conditions apply, visit www.danmurphys.com.au for details.

10% OFF PRESENT THIS VOUCHER FOR 10% OFF ANY MIXED 4 OR MORE BEERS OR CIDERS. Valid until 24/11/13.

The International Beer Shop is Australia’s premier beer store, ranging

over 900 quality beers and ciders.

Voted op eer Sh t s Be B tralia in Aus r.com tebee

by Ra 12 INTERNATIONAL BEER SHOP 20 69 McCourt Street West Leederville | WA | 6007 T: (08) 9381 1202 E: shop@internationalbeershop.com.au W: www.internationalbeershop.com.au

FIN ALIST

FIN ALIST

- Over 1000 Craft beers - 4 Tap Growler Filling Station - Over 600 Boutique Spirits - Specialty Local & Imported Wines

www.maneliquor.com - 08 94783676 237 Great Eastern Hwy, Ascot WA

FILL UP YOUR R

GROWLER Take your pick of up to 6 different beers at any one time. Coming fresh from the keg to you in 2 convenient sizes 1lt or 2lt.

For more information & beer updates visit us at ffacebook.com/cellarbrationsatwillagee facebook face aceboo book ook.com ook com/cel co com /c larb /ce lar a brati rat attio a on onsa nsa s tw ttwil w lage wil age ee Call 08 89 9337 337 33 3 37 1017 3 101 01 or come in 7 01 017 72 2A Archibald Archi r hiibald rchi rch ba S bal bald St Str Street, ttree eet, eet e Wi et W Wil Willagee, illage la ag g e, e, WA 6156

THE BREWERIES OF AUSTRALIA: A HISTORY 2ND EDITION

BY KEITH M. DEUTSHER, 384 PAGES, HARD COVER, 28OMM X 210MM

1. Mail order - Beer & Brewer Media Pty Ltd, C/o The Intermedia Group, 41 Bridge Road (PO Box 55) Glebe NSW 2037 2. Phone/Fax - Tel: 1800 651 422 | Fax: (02) 8580 6312 3. Online/Email - www.beerandbrewer.com/books | subscribe@beerandbrewer.com Available in leading bookstores.

See www.beerandbrewer.com/books for stockists.

This book gives, in minute detail, the history of every single brewery that has operated in Australia since colonisation.

Steve Vizard.

$39.95 PLUS $11.90 POSTAGE AUSTRALIA-WIDE (SAVING $20)

AUD$24.99 / NZD$26.99 Availiable vailiable from D Dan Murphy’s, leading ding bookstores, newsagents, liquor stores, homebrew shops and www.beerbuyersguide.com.au

AUSTRALIA & NZ BREWING DIRECTORY NSW

WA St Peters Brewery

15 May St, St Peters NSW 2044 Tel: (02) 9519 0191 Beer: Green Star Lager, Blonde, Killagh Stout and Cinnamon Girl www.stpetersbrewerysydney.com.au

O-BREWERY THE KIMBERLEY’S AWARD WINNING MICR

RO-BREWERY THE KIMBERLEY’S AWARD WINNING MIC

now matso’s stubbies AvailAble in perth!

The Australian Brewery

350 Annangrove Road, Rouse Hill, NSW 2155 P: (02) 9679 4555 E: beer@australianbrewery.com.au www.australianbrewery.com

WWW.MATSOS.COM.AU check online for YOUR NEAREST STOCKIST or order online WWW.MATSOS.COM.AU - check online for YOUR NEAREST STOCKIST or order online

Australia Draught

Available on tap Sydney metro area.

Contact: enquiries@australiadraught www.australiadraught.com.au

The Little Brewing Company

Unit 1, 58 Uralla Road Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Tel: (02) 6581 3949 info@thelittlebrewingcompany.com.au www.thelittlebrewingcompany.com.au

WA James Squire

99 Pyrmont Bridge Road Camperdown NSW www.james-squire.com.au

Billabong Brewing Co.

72a McCoy St, Myaree WA 6154 Tel: (08) 9317 6099 billbrew@westnet.com.au www.billabongbrewing.com.au

Murray’s Craft Brewery

3443 Nelson Bay Road Bobs Farm NSW 2316 Tel: (02) 4982 6411 Open: 7 Days 10am - 6pm www.murraysbrewingco.com.au

Bootleg Brewery

Puzey Road, Wilyabrup Margaret River WA 6285 Tel: (08) 9755 6300 brewery@bootlegbrewery.com.au www.bootlegbrewery.com.au

Paddy’s Brewery

at the Markets Hotel, 268 Parramatta Road, Flemington NSW. Tel: (02) 9764 3500 www.paddysbrewery.com

Redoak Boutique Beer Café

Colonial Brewing Company

Osmington Road, Margaret River WA Tel: (08) 9758 8177 thirsty@colonialbrewingco.com.au www.colonialbrewingco.com.au

Cowaramup Brewing Co.

North Treeton Road, Cowaramup WA 6284 Tel: (08) 9755 5822 www.cowaramupbrewing.com.au Tours available by appointment Open 7 days a week 10am – 6pm

Gage Roads Brewing Co

Beer / Cider / Other Alcoholic Beverages / Non Alcoholic Beverages Glass bottling line, Product & Liquid Development, Keg filler, HACCP Certified, Great pricing – delivered into WA or East Coast Tel: (08) 9331 2300 donald@gageroads.com.au Mobile: 0423 548 748

Elmar’s in the Valley

8731 West Swan Road Henley Brook WA 6055 Tel: (08) 9296 6354 www.elmars.com.au marketing@elmars.com.au Wed – Sun 10am - 10pm

Indian Ocean Brewing Company

Mindarie Marina, Ocean Falls Blvd Mindarie WA 6030 Tel: (08) 9400 1111 info@indibrew.com Open: 11am - late daily

The Monk Brewery & Kitchen

33 South Terrace Fremantle Tel: (08) 9336 7666 beer@themonk.com.au Open every day 11:30am ‘til late

201 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000 Tel: (02) 9262 3303 info@redoak.com.au www.redoak.com.au Open Mon – Sat 11am til late (lunch & dinner)

Stone & Wood Brewing Co

4 Boronia Place, Byron Bay NSW 2481 Tel: (02) 6685 5173 www.stoneandwood.com.au

SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW & SAVE!

SEE PAGE 21 IN HOMEBREWER FOR DETAILS.

AUSTRALIA & NZ BREWING DIRECTORY Vic

INDUSTRY NEWS 6ISIT THE "REWERY AND SAMPLE FROM OUR BIG RANGE OF ALES ,OCATED IN THE HEART OF "EECHWORTH 6ICTORIA &OR DISTRIBUTION ENQUIRIES PHONE

COLDWATER CREEK MICROBREWERY

www.microbrewing.com.au

Qld Matilda Bay Port Melbourne Brewery 89 Bertie St, Port Melbourne VIC 3000 www.matildabay.com

HAPPY HOURS

From 5pm to 7pm Friday & Saturday

BREWERY TOURS AVAILABLE

Take a tour of our brewery for only $5 pp t 0XO #SFX t 8PPEýSF 1J[[BT t 1VC .FBMT t 'PY 4QPSUT t %BJMZ .FBM 4QFDJBMT t -JWF .VTJD

OPEN 7 DAYS FROM 5PM. COLDWATER CREEK MICROBREWERY

For reservations call 03 9771 6000. www.chifleydoveton.com.au

Mountain Goat Brewery

80 North Street, Richmond Tel: (03) 9428 1180 www.goatbeer.com.au Tours: Wed 5-8pm. Open: Fri 5-12am

BrewBake

Located at The Big Pineapple 76 Nambour Connection Rd Woombye QLD 4559 Tel: 0499 993 045 info@brewbake.com.au www.brewbake.com.au

Burleigh Brewing Company Red Island Brewing Co

8 Prohasky Street, Port Melbourne Vic 3207 Ph 1300 67 33 62 www.QUIETDEEDS.com.au

17A Ern Harley Drive Burleigh Heads QLD 4220 Brewhouse Bar open every Friday 5.00pm-8.30pm (Live music, free popcorn). First Friday of the Month, Brewhouse Bash (BBQ, live music, free entry). Tour & craft beer appreciation session ďŹ rst Saturday of every month 2pm-4pm. www.burleighbrewing.com.au

Red Bay Brewery

7/77 Shore St West Cleveland Qld 4163 mybeer@redbaybrewery.com.au Open Tue to Friday 11am â&#x20AC;&#x201C;7 pm Sat 8am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4pm

The Sunshine Coast Brewery

Units 4-6, 13 Endeavour Drive Kunda Park Qld 4556 Tel: (07) 5476-6666 Cellar door sales available Mon to Fri, 10am to 3pm admin@sunshinecoastbrewery.com Brewery Bar & Restaurant 22 Ocean Street Maroochydore Qld 4558 Tel: (07) 5443 3884 Open Monday - Sunday 10am - Late

Southern Bay Brewing Buckleys Beer

30 Hunter Rd, Healesville Tel. 0408 354 909 www.buckleysbeer.com.au Brewery Door Sales weekends 11am - 5 pm

Your Beer is Our Business 80 Point Henry Road, Moolap VIC 3221 Call Us: 1300 766 219 info@SouthernBay.com.au www.SouthernBay.com.au

Sweetwater Brewing Company

Holgate Brewhouse

Brewery-Restaurant-Accom.

79 High St, Woodend VIC 3442 Tel: (03) 5427 2510 www.holgatebrewhouse.com Open: 7 Days from 12noon to late

ACT

211 Kiewa Valley Hwy, TAWONGA SOUTH VIC 3698 Tel: (03) 5754 1881 info@sweetwaterbrewing.com.au www.sweetwaterbrewing.com.au Open: Fri â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sun 1pm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6pm

White Rabbit Brewery

146 Glenlyon Drive Stanthorpe Qld 4380 Tel: (07) 4681 1370 www.granitebeltbrewery.com.au Open 7 days from 10am

MAKE YOUR COLLECTION OF BEER & BREWER MAGAZINE A COMPLETE SET TODAY! (BACK ISSUES $7.95 EACH PLUS POSTAGE. BUY 8 FOR FREE POSTAGE.)

MT Brewery

WWW.BEERAN

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ISSUE TWO

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WIN!

30 SLABSS UP FOR GRABS! SEE P39

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see page 51 for details

$6.95(INC.GST) (INC.GST)

S E V E N

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165-185 Long Rd Nth Tamborine QLD 4272 Tel: (07) 5545 2032 www.mtbeer.com Open: 7 days, from 10am

I S S U E

316 Maroondah Hwy Healesville Vic 3777 Tel: (03) 9562 6516 www.whiterabbitbeer.com.au Open: Thurs-Mon 12-5pm

Granite Belt Brewery

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Mouth-waterings dishes, deliciou beer matches

THE BEER WORLD CUP We go around 80 the world in beers!

DREAM ESKY than 1

More beers review inside. Taxi!

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BEER IN CANS

Can-do craft brewers

ISSUE SEVEN SUMMER 2008 WWW.BEERANDBREWE WWW.BE

R.COM

$7.95

House Arcade, Alinga St Canberra ACT 2601 Tel: (02) 6248 0171 www.wigandpen.com.au

(INC.GST) NZ $8.95 (INC.GST)

Wig and Pen Tavern and Brewery

SUMMER BBQ Our barbie b

BUSINESS DIRECTORY DISTRIBUTORS Beach Avenue Wholesalers

38-42 Ordish Road, Dandenong South Vic 3175 Tel: (03) 8791 1400 sales@baw.com.au Beers: Schofferhofer, Erdinger, Clausthaler, Old Mout, Budvar, Underberg

Distributors, Associations, For Sale, Positions Vacant, Where to Buy, Equipment and Suppliers

INSURANCE

Brewery Insurance Specialists

Northdown

Mobile: +61 432 829 921 adam@northdown.com.au www.northdown.com.au Beers: Baird Beer (Japan), Beer Here (Denmark), Croucher (NZ), Moylans (USA)

We have developed an insurance program that is tailored specifically for breweries. It can also be extended to cover food and drink service, brewery tours and other additional activities if required.

Please contact us for a free review of your brewery insurance and an alternative quote.

CONTRACT BREWING

Phone - 1300 306 571 Email - brewery@midlandinsurance.com.au Web - www.midlandinsurance.com.au

YOUR BEER IS OUR BUSINESS Contract Brewing, Filling & Packaging – Bottles or Kegs ALL Beverage Types www.SouthernBay.com.au info@SouthernBay.com.au Call Us: 1300 766 219

Gage Roads Brewing Co Beer / Cider / Other Alcoholic Beverages / Non Alcoholic Beverages Glass bottling line, Product & Liquid Development, Keg filler, HACCP Certified, Great pricing – delivered into WA or East Coast Tel: (08) 9331 2300 donald@gageroads.com.au Mobile: 0423 548 748

Harrington’s Breweries Christchurch New Zealand Grand champion brewery 2012 Contract brewing Contract manufacturing Contract bottling HACCP Enquiries carl@harringtonsbreweries.co.nz

Leading U.S. manufacturer of pressure-sensitive labeling machines. Models range in production speeds from 20-300 bpm with label configurations of front only to front, back and neck labels on all sizes. We also manufacture collection and feed tables along with conveyors, bottle rinsers and dryers for Brewery applications. t .B Paradigm t 4000 bottle per hour (BPH) t Options include: table, Inkjet coders (front, back & neck options available), Air knives t This machineis built to interface with the 4 and 6 head Merlin or your current bottling machine.

CONTRACT CIDER MAKING

MK Beverage Solutions

Let us bring your product idea to life Beverage concept development and design. Fruit sourcing and quality contract making. Custom packaging and storage services.

Mobile: 0434 086 081.

Email: james@mkbeveragesolutions. com.au www.mkbeveragesolutions.com.au

MICROBREWERY CONSULTING

MICROBREWERY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES Beverage & Brewing Consulting Microbrewery Consulting, Facility Design, Equipment Solutions, Licensing & Regulations Support, Recipe Development Australia +61 422 517 210 | International +372 5454 4538 E: info@beverageandbrewingconsultng.com www.beverageandbrewingconsulting.com RELIABLE | TRUSTED | TAILORED

Merlin Bottling System Single Station

t 15 kegs per hour t Five hand operated valve for process t Three hand operated valves for drainage t 30” deep 42” wide t Heated tanks and pumps for hot water and caustic t No steam required.

t Merlin 4-head & crowning – 16 spout bottle rinser – Automatic crown sorting & crowning t Merlin 6-head – 24 spout bottle rinser – Automatic crown sorting

t t t t t

Bottle rinsing after capping system Counter pressure Double pre-evacuation Pulse for capping on foam System comes complete with bottle rinser, filler, capper and final rinse.

Dual Station t t t t

40 kegs per hour 36”deep 48” wide Control panel and CPU Heated tanks and pumps for hot water and caustic t Each side has a custom air operated cleaning that also locks down the keg during cleaning t No steam required.

LOCAL AGENTS BREOWAN SYSTEMS LTD MEHEEN Bottling Systems

Andrew Larsen | andrew@breowan.com Australia: +61 427 007 800 | New Zealand +64 274 874 783 www.labeling.net www.meheen-mfg.com

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Distributors, Associations, For Sale, Positions Vacant, Where to Buy, Equipment and Suppliers

MALT, HOPS, YEAST

EQUIPMENT

Keg Lines Keg Washer / Filler Beer Filler – Glass & Cans Flash or Tunnel Pasteurisers Warming Tunnels CIP Systems Breowan Systems

Proud agents for: Zahm and Nagel. for all your CO2 testing needs.

Meheen Manufacturing, In-Line Labeling, Breowan USA Keg Cleaner and CO2 Monitor.

Global Stainless Systems, Ager Tank and Equipment, Thermaline Heat Exchangers and Pro Refrigeration www.meheen-mfg.com www.labeling.net andrew@breowan.com Australia: +61 427 007 800 New Zealand: +64 274 874 783

Bintani Australia Tel: +61 3 9580 3566 sales@bintani.com.au www.bintani.com.au Malt: Simpsons, Joe White, Global Malt, Best Malz, Briess Yeast: Fermentis Hops: Hop Products Australia, Charles Faram European Hops, Hop Union US Hops Enzymes and brewing aids

CRYER MALT

Cryer Malt

Ph: Aus 1800-119-622 Fx: Aus (03) 9923-6412 david@cryermalt.com.au www.cryermalt.co.nz Malt – Weyermann, Barrett Burston, Bairds, Thomas Fawcett, and Dingemans. Belgian Dark Candi Syrup.

Also suppliers of kegs, cleaners, sanitisers and brewing enzymes.

www.hbm.com.au sales@hbm.com.au P: +61 2 8814 3100

Micah Rees Ph: 0413 207 175 corebrewing@gmail.com www.corebrewingconcepts.com.au

PACKAGING

Spare parts, service, new and second hand German-made bottling equipment.

Agents for Renner labelling, Leibinger bottling equipment.

P: 03 5427 4874, E: b_tech10@bigpond.com F: 03 5427 4924, M: 0400 136529 / 0402 066157

O-I Asia Pacific

36 Burwood Rd Hawthorn Vic 3122 Tel: +61 1800 643 165 Fax: +61 1800 626 986 salesaust@ap.o-i.com Product: Glass bottles

PO Box 146 Odell, OR 97044, USA Tel: +1 541-354-1335 Fax: +1 541-354-3449 sales@wyeastlab.com For Australia & NZ Dealers see: www.wyeastlab.com

KEG LEASING AND SALES Kegco Australia

1800 682 347 www.kegco.com.au Kegco New Zealand: 0800 453 426 www.kegco.co.nz Keg leasing and sales, tracking software, one way use, keg caps and neck labels.

Hopco Pty Ltd

Ph: +61 03 62435960 Fax: +61 03 62435397 hopco@bigpond.net.au www.hopco.com.au Supply of Hops and Hop Products Agents for Handtmann Filtration and Beer Stabilisation Equipment

MICROBREWERY COURSES

Core Brewing Concepts

BevTech

Tel: +64 3 544 8989 Fax: +64 3 544 6007 nzhops@nzhops.co.nz www.nzhops.co.nz

Wyeast Laboratories, Inc.

Chrislan Ceramics Inc.

Phone (1) 604.465.7507 Toll Free (1) 866-941-7557 20135 115A Avenue Maple Ridge B.C. Canada V2X-0Z3 www.chrislanceramics.com

NZ Hops

Keg Lease

Bintani Australia Tel: +61 3 9580 3566 sales@bintani.com.au www.bintani.com.au

HOMEBREW DIRECTORY Vic BALLARAT

WA WOORI YALLOCK

Ballarat Home Brew Centre

BAYSWATER

NT PALMERSTON & MILLNER

Brewmart Homebrew Supplies

Everything available for making beer, wine and spirits.

21 John Street Bayswater Phone (08) 9370 2484 Fax (08) 9370 3101 www.brewmart.com.au

BIBRA LAKE

Franchised Stores Now Available Australia Wide!

Check out the website:

www.ozbrew.com www.ozbrew.com Palmerston NOW OPEN !

For all your Beer, Wine and Spirit Supplies and Equipment, Also Bread making Ingredients.

MAIL ORDERS WELCOME 1/314 Ripon Street South, Ballarat, VIC 3350 Phone/Fax (03) 5333 5825 Mon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Fri : 9:00am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6:00pm Saturday : 9.00am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1:00pm www.ballarathomebrew.com.au sales@ballarathomebrew.com.au

NTH MELBOURNE - EPPING

Everything to make your own sausages, jerky, strasburg etc.

Healesville Rd. Woori Yallock Tel (03) 5964 6222 www.brewerschoice.net.au

TWOC Brewing Supplies

2/40 Port Pirie St, WA 6163 Tel: (08) 9418 8938 twoc@iinet.net.au www.homebru.com.au Open Mon to Sat 9am - 5pm, Sun 9.30am - 4pm

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18

RECIPES INSIDE!

BREW THESE STYLES: - BLACK IPA - PUMPKIN BEER - PORTER - CHOCOLATE PORTER - SAISON - KIWI PILSNER

TIS’ THE SAISON… Contemporary American Pumpkin Beer or classic Belgian farmhouse style? What will you be brewing this spring...

SYSTEM WARS! Find out which homebrewing system was victorious in the fight for supremacy

MEET THE BREWER

CLONE RECIPES FOR

- LA SIRÈNE (VIC) SAISON - MOO BREW (TAS) SAISON - YEASTIE BOYS (NZ) POT KETTLE BLACK

Owen Johnston from Moo Brew (TAS) and Costa Nikias from La Sirène (VIC)

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CLUB PROFILE

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HOMEBREW Contents

CONTENTS TO 4 LETTERS THE EDITOR

A

fter being exposed last issue for being a little older, greyer and perhaps sporting fewer feathers on top than my previous photo purported, it has finally been updated. Given that last pic was about six years old it’s a welcome change. And it’ll be nice not having people nervously say, “Gee you look… different to the photo in the mag”.

Now that that’s cleared up, time to have a look at this issue, where we have a good look at what’s new in homebrew. In line with the craft beer industry, the homebrew industry is continuing to surge forward. With that comes a lot of new equipment and gadgets allowing us to make more varied styles more easily.

And speaking of styles, with Halloween on the way, we get an American perspective on Pumpkin Beer. Given last year there were a couple of examples in mainstream bottle shops, the interest is only going to grow. If you get fermenting now, your beers will be ready just in time for you to serve to any adults out trick or treating.

There’s recipes galore, including a NZ Pale Ale, a couple of Porters and a Saison recipe from both Moo Brew and La Sirène.

Enjoy your brewing and be sure to pass on your experiences and feedback on our forum or email me at chris@beerandbrewer.com.

Chris Thomas Editor, Homebrewer

You share your thoughts, ideas and experiences.

5 COMPETITION RESULTS

THE 12 MEET BREWER

With whispers about his Saison fast becoming a shout, Costa talks all about his success at La Sirène.

6Q & A

13 ALETICIPATION HOMEBREW 14 CLUB

7

16

INGREDIENT PROFILE

18

SYSTEM WARS

See who is brewing winning beers.

The new comp in SA.

John Palmer and Jamil Zainasheff talk all things apples and cider.

STOCKIST INTERVIEW

The Brew House (NZ) chats with Homebrewer about their winning formula.

FOR 8 RECIPES THE SEASON

If you’re patient these recipes will have you drinking some Kiwi Pilsner and an amazing array of Porters.

10

MEET THE BREWER

Owen chats about the unique beer scene in Tasmania as well as how he ended up at Moo Brew.

We profile the Canberra Brewers (ACT).

Drew Beechum inducts us into the politically fraught world of Pumpkin Beers – which camp will you choose?

The 2013 competition was fierce as homebrewers took on Pot Kettle Black by The Yeastie Boys.

WHAT’S 20 NEW IN HOMEBREW?

Chris Thomas gets you the lowdown on the best new stuff... Part I.

CONTRIBUTORS

DREW BEECHUM

Drew Beechum has been brewing and experimenting for over a decade in Los Angeles. He consults, teaches and speaks on beer and brewing. He wrote the Everything Homebrewing Book and writes regularly for Zymurgy and Beer Advocate. He also represents homebrewers on the AHA Governing Committee. See page 16.

COLIN PENROSE

Colin Penrose has been a passionate homebrewer for around 30 years. He is also the founder of the Australian Home Brewing Championships and Vicbrew, and proprietor of Brewer’s Choice, where he stocks around 80 European beers and indulges his other hobby, single-malt Scotch.

See pages 9 and 17.

JOHN PALMER

John Palmer is the author of How To Brew and has been brewing for about 18 years. He is a metallurgical engineer by trade, and the co-host of the Brewing Network podcast Brew Strong with his good friend Jamil Zainasheff. See page 6.

JAMIL ZAINASHEFF

Jamil Zainasheff is the Style Profile columnist for Brew Your Own magazine and author of Brewing Classic Styles. He hosts two shows on The Brewing Network; Can You Brew It? and Brew Strong, is an accredited BJCP judge, and an award-winning homebrewer.

See page 6.

www.beerandbrewer.com

3

YOUR SHOUT

TIPS , RECI PES

& HOW-TOs

AT HOM E YOUR OWN FOR BREW ING

2013 ISSUE 25 WINTER (NZ $11.95) PRICE $9.95

Letters/Feedback RECIPES

18 INSIDE!

Each letter submitted this issue has won a copy of our new book Beer Buyers Guide (RRP $24.99). A beer lover’s must-have companion to buying beer in Australia and New Zealand, including beer history, beer ingredients, how to taste and judge beer, buying beer, glassware, food matching, 100 beer style notes, 330 tasting notes from 53 countries, and a directory of 3000 local and imported beers and ciders. For more information see www.beerbuyersguide.com.au.

The lucky winner of the Editor’s Pick has also won a Tap King from Lion.

The pack includes a Tap King dispenser along with two 3.2L bottles of James Squire The Chancer Golden Ale (RRP $82.98), www.tapking.com.

Join us online at

WHERE THERE’S SMOKE…

the Read all about bier historic Rauch g havin style before a crack at your own version….

TRY THESE BEER STYLES: - SMOKED PORTER - DARK LAGER T - CHOCOLATE STOU - FRESH HOP ALE I - CHIPOTLE CHILL PALE ALE - HOP DEVIL PALE ALE

THE HOP HARVEST!

to We sent a man to st the hop harve create a research and just for Fresh Hop Ale r readers Homebrewe

MEET THE BREWER

IPES FOR

n from Søren Erikse & 8 Wired (NZ) r of Marcus Mulle Matso’s (WA)

CLONE REC

- 8 WIRED (NZ) E THE BIG SMOK - MATSO’S (WA) P SMOKEY BISHO JOHN & PLUS! Q&A -

JAMIL

BREW WITH

RICE & CORN

CLUB PROFILE 13/05/2013

2:33:59 PM

www.facebook.com/beerandbrewer,

www.twitter.com/beerandbrewer, or on our forums at www.beerandbrewer.com/forum and tell us your thoughts!

We’ll publish the best letters and posts right here and send you a prize.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

A SMASHING BREW

I have been homebrewing for about ten years now specialising in allgrain brewing for about the last five years. Two years back I decided to have a crack at growing my own hops. I got my hands on some Saaz and planted it in the vegie garden.

With little or no effort, it took off and in the first year I harvested about 130g of cones and this year, the second harvest was more successful with nearly 300g.

Once harvested I Cryovac (vacuum seal) the cones and keep them in the fridge. I now have enough Saaz to brew my first beer using my own hops. I am planning on doing a SMASH (Single Malt And Single Hop) brew to ensure that I get the full flavour of the hops. My only concern is that because I have grown them in my own backyard, I am not sure what the alpha acids percentage will be. I use Beer Smith

A VERY WELL OAKED SHED G’day Homebrewer, Just to let you I know, I kegged my Well Oaked Shed brew on 25 April and I could not resist having a taste yesterday (June 3).

What can I say? Absolutely beautiful. It will be difficult not to drink it all too early.

RENEW & RECEIVE 2 X FREE CARTONS OF LARK’S FOOT GOLDEN ALE. $88.00 VALUE 4 21 in Homebrewer www.beerandbrewer.com See page for details. Australian residents (excl NT) only.

Tel: 1800 651 422 | www.beerandbrewer.com | Offer ends November 24, 2013.

for all my recipes in order to know the IBU of each brew.

Is it likely that the alpha acids would be within the normal range for Saaz or could the growing conditions put them outside these ranges?

Regards Pete.

Thanks for the query Pete and hopefully you got a chance to check out the article on home grown hops from our last issue (Issue 25). It’s a lot of fun brewing with your own hops. In answer to your question, it really is an unknown because your hops haven’t been clinically analysed. I would expect it to be in the normal range for Saaz which is usually at the lower end of the scale at about 3% alpha acid, but it can be as high as 5.5%. It’ll be pretty amazing to make a SMASH brew using only your own hops. Good luck and let us know how it comes up.

Chris

Again many thanks for the recipe Kind Regards Phil (Lancashire, England) – Via email Thanks very much for the feedback Phil and we’re glad you are enjoying Col Penrose’s Well Oaked Shed from Issue 22.

Also we’re rapt that you’re picking our

recipes up from across the globe. Enjoy this batch and if you knock them all back too early, then you’ll just have to put on another brew. We hope you enjoy this issue’s collection of recipes as well – I think Col’s Winter Nights Porter from page 8 might be right up your alley!

Chris

JUST GETTING STARTED Hey all, I am new to homebrewing and am looking to buy a homebrew kit. I am looking for a kit that does not use concentrate, but instead one where you add the hops, malts and yeast. What should I buy?

Clevi, – Via Forum It sounds like you’re ready to move straight into extract brewing Clevi and it’s a good place to start. I brew at all levels at different times and think that every brewing style has its time and place. But extract with grains is what I do most. It gives you the chance to brew some very good beers, while having full control over the flavours, bitterness and hop additions. And it’s much less timeintensive than all-grain brewing. Your best bet is to have a style in mind (you might even pick a recipe from one of the issues of Homebrewer!) and head to your local homebrew shop where they’ll set you up.

Good luck and keep us updated on the forum with how you go!

Thanks to Rob on our forum for his response, which was a little more prompt than mine!

Chris

2 x Free cartons of Lark’s Foot Golden Ale, RRP $88.00 for 3 year renewals

W.

A

Free carton of Lark’s Foot Golden Ale, RRP $44.00 for 2 year renewals Australian rates: 3 years $79.99 | 2 years $54.99 | 1 year $29.99

YOUR SHOUT Competition Results

COMPETITION RESULTS THE NORTH QUEENSLAND HOME BREW COMPETITION

A

Judges’ Overall Champion Won by Matthias Kasparek of Townsville.

1st Prize: from Sealink Queensland – trip for two people to Sydney including airfares, one night hotel accommodation and a Harbour Dinner Cruise on Captain Cook Cruises, valued at $1000 and a Magnetic Island stubby holder from Arcadia Newsagency

The Peoples’ Choice Won by Bob Melvin of Nelly Bay, Magnetic Island.

1st Prize: Alpha Units – 4 nights in Bright Point Deluxe apartment on Magnetic Island for up to six people including use of a car, valued at $1560 and a Magnetic Island stubby holder from Arcadia Newsagency

STOUT 1. Michael Bowron (Westgate Brewers) Dry Stout 124 points 2. Imants Vitolins (Worthogs) Sweet Stout 118 points 3. Steve Coughlan (Independent) Oatmeal Stout 112points

M

elbourne’s Westgate Brewers held their annual Stout competition recently. The Stout Extravaganza has become a tradition in the Melbourne Brewing Community, and this year attracted 56 entries, including one from NSW! The Stout category was strongly contested and resulted in the two highest scoring beers of the day, with Michael Bowran from Westgate Brewers taking out the Champion Beer (highest scoring) of the day.

STRONG STOUT (>6%) 1. Darryl Hill (Independent) Australian/Foreign Extra Stout 113 2. Barry Roberts (Bayside Brewers) Imperial Stout 109.5 3. Mikko Pludra (Bayside Brewers) Imperial Stout 109.5

PORTER 1. Chris Gill (Bayside Brewers) Brown Porter 107 points 2. Jethro McCulloch (Bayside Brewers) Robust Porter 106 points 3. Jethro McCulloch (Bayside Brewers) Brown Porter 102 points

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ISSUE FOUR

2007

S U M M E R

TER 1 WIN

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BREWE

GRABS! // TR AVE NE WS P39 W I N A 6 PA C K OSEE F C O O P E R S S PA R K L BE ER see page I N G A L E 51 for

The Peoples Choice prize!

Judges’ Overall Champion Runner Up Won by Russell Carpenter of Townsville.

The Aquascene cruise around Magnetic Island for two people, valued at $210 and a Magnetic Island stubby holder from Arcadia Newsagency

MELBOURNE’S WESTGATE BREWERS

AND W.BEER

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The Peoples’ Choice Runner up Won by Adam McLintock of Bowen.

Stage Door Theatre Restaurant, Arcadia – dinner and show for two, valued at $170 and a Magnetic Island stubby holder from Arcadia Newsagency

fter a couple of scratchings due to brews not coming up, there were 22 brews on the deck at Peppers, entered by 19 enthusiastic brewers. All categories of brewing were included in the event, from concentrate to all-grain.

Organisers have said that there is no doubt that this will be an annual event, and it is most likely that next year it will be held on the Sunday after ANZAC Day. After a quick look at these exceptional prizes, it might be worth putting an entry in!

Tel: 1800 651 422 | www.beerandbrewer.com

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HOMEBREW Q&A

Range of Cider

Q&A

INASHEFF JOHN PALMER AND JAMIL ZA S ESTION REW QU HOMEB ANSWER YOlUR /forum r.com post on www.beerandbrewe it to homebrew@beerandbrewer.com or If you have a question please emai

Q

“HEY JOHN AND JAMIL, I HAVE BEEN BREWING BEER KITS FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR NOW, AND I WANT TO MAKE A CIDER. WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT CIDER BREWING? DO I USE THE SAME METHODS AND EQUIPMENT?”.

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Great question! Cider can be a wonderfully sublime drink that is easy to make at home using the same equipment that you would normally use for brewing beer. Cider is easier to make than beer, but at the same time, it can be harder to predict.

The apple juice does not need to be boiled, and in fact, should not be, but this means that you have to be more careful with your sanitation. Brettanomyces infections are common with cider, especially with cider made

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Apples.

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from freshly squeezed juice. A brett fermented cider will taste very earthy and leathery.

An easy way to make cider is to buy pasteurised apple juice or apple juice concentrate from the grocery store. However, there are a few caveats:

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Watch out for apple juice that includes preservatives, such as potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate. These preservatives will prevent the yeast from fermenting the juice.

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Store bought juice often contains sucrose or other refined sugars to enhance the sweetness. These sugars will not ferment with any apple flavour. Tart apples, such as Granny Smith or crab apples, add necessary acidity and more apple flavour that will then carry through fermentation.

To add fresh apples to juice – kind of like adding steeping grains to malt extract – you can use an electric juicer, or chop up and freeze the apples to break down the cell walls.

After the apple chunks thaw, they are easier to squeeze by hand to obtain the juice.

Cider recipes differ from beer recipes in that cider is apple wine, and the majority of the flavours come from the apple varieties that are blended to make the cider, and not from hops,

spices or yeast character. This is why using tarter varieties of apples can give the cider more character and complexity. If other apples are not available, some grape tannin and/or acid blend from a home wine making shop will help. The goal is to provide a balancing tartness to the cider to give it some body and texture, much like hop bitterness does for beer.

Fermentation of cider is similar to beer and wine. Any batch size may be used, from 1 to 20 litres. The yeast can be either wine or beer yeast, although both types will benefit by adding yeast nutrient to the juice. Apple juice doesn’t contain the free amino nitrogen (FAN) or minerals that barley wort does, so a pinch of nutrient per litre will definitely help.

The pitching rate for cider is more similar to wine than beer, generally being in the range of 50-100% of ale pitching rates, which are about six billion cells per litre. The OG of a cider is typically in the 1.040-1.060 range, but it will ferment very dry, easily into the single digits.

Once fermented, cider can be enjoyed still or carbonated, and can be bottled and primed using typical brewing methods.

Cider contains no gluten and is a great option for your friends that have trouble enjoying your beer. For more information on cider making, check out Everything Hard Cider

by Drew Beechum, coming in October, 2013.

HOMEBREW

THE COW JUMPED OVER THE MOON SAISON

Recipe

by GRAIN & GRAPE (www.grainandgrape.com.au)

RECIPE 6

– EXTRACT WITH GRAINS Brewing parameters: OG: 1.047 FG: 1.006 -10 ABV: 5.5% IBU: 21 Volume: 23 litres INGREDIENTS 2kg Breiss DME Pilsen 750g Joe White Pale Wheat 500g JW Munich 1 250g Flaked Barley 28g East Kent Goldings Hops 55g Spalt Hops 45g Stryian Goldings Hops Wyeast 3711 or Lallemand Belle Saison

METHOD 1. Steep grains and flaked barley in 8 litres of water at 65°C for 60 minutes using a grain bag.

2. Remove the grain bag and bring to the boil for 60 minutes.

3. Add East Kent Goldings at 60 minutes.

Add DME at 10 minutes.

4. Add rest of hops at 0 minutes.

5. Strain and cool to 18°C. 6. Add to fermenter and top up to total 23 litres.

7. Pitch yeast at 23°C (the fermenting temperature) until FG reached (or within a few points) 8. Mature for 19 days before carbonating.

RECIPE 7

– CONCENTRATE Brewing parameters: OG: 1.047 FG: 1.006 -10 ABV: 5.5% IBU: 21 Volume: 23 litres INGREDIENTS 1.7kg Can of Thomas Coopers Pilsner 1kg Breiss DME Wheat 55g Spalt Hops 45g Strian Golding Hops Wyeast 3711 or Lallemand Belle Saison METHOD 1. Boil 30g Spalt and 20g Strian Golding 20 minutes boil in 2-3 litres of water.

2. Add 25g Spalt and 25g Strian Golding at 0 minutes.

3. Dissolve contents of the kit and and DME with the hops into fermenter and top to 23 litres.

4. Add yeast.

Bridge Road Brewers

Brewery/Beer/Dining/Accommodation The Old Coach House, Ford St, Beechworth Ph: 03 5728 2703 www.bridgeroadbrewers.com.au Open 7 days from 11am

Holgate Brewhouse Brewery, Bar, Restaurant & Boutique Accommodation Ph: (03) 5427 2510 www.holgatebrewhouse.com Open 7 Days

Mountain Goat Brewery 80 North Street, Richmond Tel: (03) 9428 1180 www.goatbeer.com.au Tours: Wed 5-8pm. Open: Fri 5-12am

The 3 Ravens Brewing Company

1 Theobald St. Thornbury Direct to Public Sales (mob: 0438 RAVENS) www.3ravens.com.au Open Fridays from 2pm

Bellarine Brewing Company

2270 Portarlington Road, Bellarine Ph: (03) 5259 3310 www.bellarinebrewingcompany.com.au Daily 11am – 4pm (Cellar Door / Tastings) Brewery Tours by appointment

White Rabbit Brewery

In the line up of craft beers, Victorian brewers are making some of Australia’s, and the world’s, best brews. As a matter of national pride, support your local brewer and hunt down a real craft beer.

316 Maroondah Hwy, Healesville Ph: (03) 5962 6516 www.whiterabbitbeer.com.au Open 11am-5pm 7 days Fridays till 9pm

Victorian Craft Beer Real Beer from Real Brewers www.beerandbrewer.com

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HOSTS WITH THE MOST CORY REED OWNER

The Brewhouse 1 Riddiford St Newtown, Wellington 6021 NZ Tel: 0800 BREWHOUSE http://thebrewhouse.co.nz

The Brew House.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO HOMEBREWING? As a teenager sneaking beers from my mates Dad’s stash.

We eventually got caught, so he showed us how it was done.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR SHOP? We have a team of five who are all keen brewers. Being in Wellington our customer base is beer crazy. We support plenty of brewing events and sponsor the local university brewing club which last year even made a commercial beer. We were stoked to get NZ’s Best Brew Shop for 2012. Having only been open for two years it was a great achievement.

Hopefully we can continue to impress our brewing community.

HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN IN RETAIL? I have been in retail for nearly twenty years. I’ve worked all sides of retail. As a buyer, a regional manager for a large chain and as a sales rep.

I find the brewing industry really enjoyable as it isn’t about selling, it’s more service focused. And I don’t know of any retail environment where customers bring you beer all year.

HOW MANY DIFFERENT BEER KITS AND INGREDIENTS DO YOU SELL IN YOUR STORE? We carry over 150 beer kits, over 50 malt varieties, all the available NZ hops and as many imported that we can get our hands on and an extensive range of dry and liquid yeasts. We have equipment covering all the bases from kit beers, right through to all-grain brewing and kegging.

WHAT BEERS DO YOU RECOMMEND BREWING FOR SPRING? In NZ the temperatures are still quite low in spring so I tend to brew my summer beers like Pilsners and session ales – the nights are a bit warmer than in winter so temperature control is not such an issue. There’s nothing like a Pilsner with a big handful of Nelson Sauvin or Riwaka.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS? Beginners who are starting out on kits ask about the yeasty taste in their beer, the big thing is they always drink the beer early and don’t give the yeast time to settle. Using better yeast and a bit of patience is the way to go. The other big thing is temperature control. Wellingtonians don’t have the best insulated houses so fluctuating temperatures can really affect the yeast in brewing. The key is to find somewhere that has a consistent temperature even if it is a bit cold. A heat pad is then a suitable piece of equipment. Temperature control units are also great to have, as they can control both a heat and cooling device, which gives the brewer the ultimate control.

WHY A PHYSICAL STORE AS WELL AS AN ONLINE STORE? In today’s fast paced society people don’t often have time to come out to the store to shop. I think the online is essential to any successful retail business. We have spent a lot on our website to make the shopping experience as easy as possible for our customers. There is nothing like face-to-face service though. Providing in-store service is always going to be the key to our business, and anyway you can’t sample one of our beers if you’re at home.

HOMEBREW Stockist Interviews

HOMEBREW Recipes

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WINTER NIGHT'S PORTER By Col Penrose.

ark and mysterious and just about perfect for cold and wet winter nights in front of a roaring log fire. Make this the night cap before drifting into slumber. This isn’t a beer for early in the night as you won’t last long after a couple of glasses. Drink it at no colder than 10°C to get the full flavour and full enjoyment.

RECIPE 1

RTER – WINTER NIGHT'S PO PARTIAL MASH Expected Brew Figures OG: 1085 FG: 1020 IBUs: 25 Alc: 9.0% Volume: 20 litres

INGREDIENTS:

3kg Coopers Light liquid malt extract 1kg Light dried malt extract 250g Liquid amber candy sugar 250g Chocolate malt grains, cracked 50g Roasted barley grains, cracked 100g Dark crystal grains, cracked 65g Saaz hops Champagne yeast Yeast nutrient Saflager 34 / 70

METHOD:

1. Rehydrate the champagne yeast including ⅛ teaspoon of yeast nutrient and put aside.

2. Add 35g of Saaz hops to one litre of boiling water and boil for 45 minutes.

3. After 10 minutes add another 15g of Saaz hops.

4. With five minutes left add the last 15g of Saaz hops.

5. While the hops are boiling bring 500mls of water up to 70°C, add the cracked grains, stir then put lid on and turn the heat off. Leave to

mash for 20 minutes.

6. Strain the hops and grains through a hop / grain bag or sieve into the fermenter. Rinse with around 1 litre of hot water.

7. Add all the other liquid and dry malts and the candy sugar.

8. Stir to dissolve then bring up to 20 litres ensuring the temperature is at 26°C when pitching the yeast. Ferment for four days then rehydrate the Saflager yeast and add to the wort.

9. Ferment at between 16°C and 20°C until FG reaches around 1020.

10. Bottle as usual and store around 18°C to 20oC until carbonated.

TIP: To check for carbonation hold a bottle up to the light. If you can see little droplets of moisture on the glass in the airspace below the cap, carbonation has occurred.

NOTE: Try to mature for at least six months before trying. For best results, keep it for next winter (and the winters beyond that). If you run out you will just have to brew it again... and again, and again.

ROBOCHOC PORTER By PB2.

S

everal DIY brewers (thinking outside of the square) on the Brewers Guild forum reported good results when using the Coopers English Bitter kit as a base for making a Porter. So we thought we would have a crack at our own version.

Although the backbone of this brew (English Bitter kit and Amber Malt extract) carries plenty of flavour, it’s the trio of specialty grains, which really add layers of flavour and complexity. Dark Crystal Malt, Chocolate Malt and Roasted Malt (Roasted Barley may be used instead) yield roasted coffee, chocolate, toffee characters while the late hop addition of StyrianGoldings (in the English Bitter kit) gives a subtle Turkish Delight-style character.

The white sugar addition helps attenuate the brew but it can be left out, if you prefer.

The final result sits neatly in the category 12.B. (Robust Porter) of the BJCP style guidelines and is quite delicious when consumed early. Probably not a bad idea to put a few aside, either.

The cold steeping method for the specialty grains can reduce the risk involved with handling hot ingredients while potentially drawing less tannin from the grain husks. Most brewing specialist stores offer cracked grain or you can crack it yourself by placing in a plastic zip-lock sandwich bag and using a rolling pin.

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RECIPE 2

ROBOCHOC PORTER PARTIAL MASH

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Expected Brew Figures OG: 1051 FG: 1010-1014 IBU: 38 ABV: 5.7% Volume: 22 litres

INGREDIENTS

1.7kg Coopers English Bitter beer kit 1.5kg Thomas Coopers Amber Malt Extract 300g Dark Crystal Malt 200g Chocolate Malt 100g Roasted Malt 250g White Sugar Coopers commercial ale yeast culture (or English Ale yeast of your choice)

METHOD

1. The day before: Line a pot (at least 4 litres) with a mesh cleaning cloth (pulled straight from

the pack), then add the cracked grain and 2.5 litres of cold water. Fit the lid and sit in the fridge for 24 hours.

2. Remove from the fridge then gather up the corners of the mesh cloth and lift, allowing the liquid to drain from the grains back into the pot.

3. Place the pot (with the lid off) onto the stovetop, bring to the boil then remove from the heat. Cool the liquid by placing the pot in a bath of cold water for about 15 minutes.

4. Add all the fermentable ingredients and the cooled liquid to the fermenter, then stir to dissolve.

5. Top up with cold tap water to the 17 litre mark and stir thoroughly.

6. Check the temperature and top up to the 22 litre mark with warm or cool water (refrigerated if necessary) to start the brew at 20°C. 7. Sprinkle the dry yeast or stir in liquid yeast and fit the lid and try to ferment at 20°C. 8. Fermentation has finished once the specific gravity is stable over two days. It should finish around the 1010 – 1014 mark.

9. Bottle the brew with a priming rate of 8g per litre (two carbonation drops per 750ml bottle).

You may like to reduce the amount of fizz for this style by halving the priming rate.

10. Allow to condition for at least two weeks in the bottle, but a longer maturation is recommended.

HOMEBREW

KIWI AS PILSNER BRO

Recipes

By Andrew Childs.

N

ew Zealand has embraced its own style of Pilsner. Where the subtle spicy Czech Saaz hops once took centre stage in this classic style, they are now absent or used in combination in with big punchy, aromatic New Zealand hops.

RECIPE 3

O– KIWI AS PILSNER BR T ALL-GRAIN & EXTRAC

INGREDIENTS

5.25kg Weyerman Bohemian Pilsner 125g Carapils If extract with grains then replace the Pilsner malt with 3kg Black Rock Dry Liquid Extract 10g Pacific Jade hops 55g Czech Saaz hops 85g Motueka hops 45g NZ Cascade hops 0.3g Copperfloc 2 packets Mangrove Jacks M44 (if you can ferment at 10°C and lager at 2°C) or 2 packets Mangrove Jacks M10 (will give lager characteristics at 15-20°C) if using the latter yeast skip step 12.

METHOD

Expected Brew Figures OG: 1.047 FG: 1.010 ABV: Approx 4.9% IBU: 36 Volume: 22 litres

1. Mash at 67°C. 2. Sparge and bring to a boil.

3. Boil for 90 minutes – add Pacific Jade at beginning of the boil.

4. Extract steep carapils for 30 minutes in a grainbag in 70°C water then add malt extract

and bring to a boil.

5. Add 55g Czech Saaz with 30 minutes left in the boil.

6. Add 0.3g of Copperfloc with 15 minutes to go.

7. Add 20g of Motueka and 20g of Czech Saaz at 10 minutes to the end of the boil.

8. Add 40g of Motueka and 20g of NZ cascade at the end of the boil.

9. Cool and pitch two packets of Mangrove Jacks M44 Bohemian Lager yeast.

10. Ferment at 10°C degrees for two weeks.

11. Dry hop 25g of Motueka and 25g of NZ Cascade in a hop bag after one week of fermentation. Leave hops in for seven days.

12. Before it has finished fermenting give it a diacetyl rest by increasing the temperature to 18°C for 48 hours.

13. Rack the beer and lager it at 2°C for four weeks.

14. Bottle or keg as usual then toast to Kiwi hops bro/mate!

KIWI AS PILSNER BRO VARIATION...

RECIPE 4

O–

KIWI AS PILSNER BR CONCENTRATE

Expected Brew Figures OG: 1.046 FG: 1.010 ABV: Approx 4.8% IBU: 25 Volume: 22L

INGREDIENTS

1 x Mangrove Jacks Craft Series Pouch – Pilsner 1.8kg 1kg Coppertun Dry Light malt extract 300g dextrose 60g Motueka 60g NZ Cascade

METHOD

1. Add 6 litres of boiling water into your sanitised fermenter.

2. Stir and mix in the Mangrove Jacks Craft Series Pouch, dry malt extract and dextrose.

3. Add cold water up to 23 litres, then place fermenter in icebath until it gets to 23°C. 4. Add yeast from the Mangrove Jacks Craft Series Pouch to the wort and close fermenter.

5. Ferment for a week then add the Motueka and Cascade to the fermentor – in a grain bag weighted down with marbles.

6. When the gravity is constant for 48 hours bottle or keg as usual.

FOOD MATCH

A great match for this New Zealand Pilsner is spicy Thai food. The bitterness cuts through the heat and the fruit flavours really complement the lovely array of flavours in most Thai dishes.

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HOMEBREW Cloning

OWEN JOHNSTON HEAD BREWER Per capita the Tasmanian craft beer scene is the biggest in the country. Beer & Brewer chats to Owen Johnston at Moo Brew about brewing in Tasmania and what is next for Moo Brew, as well as nabbing his Saison recipe.

WHAT STARTED YOUR LOVE OF BEER?

I started off playing around with homebrewing while at college.

HOW DID YOU COME TO BE AT MOO BREW?

The day council approved the construction of the brewery, I ran into the boss in a bottleshop.

I told him I was a qualified brewer, and that we should talk. It got a little out of control after that.

HOW DIFFERENT IS THE BEER SCENE IN TASMANIA TO THE REST OF THE COUNTRY – THERE ARE SOME PRETTY WELL KNOWN AND EXPERIMENTAL BREWERIES ON THE ISLAND? We have seven or eight microbrewers in Tasmania, and per capita we are definitely over represented compared to some of the bigger states around the country.

The brewing landscape in Tasmania is characterised by colourful differences in beer styles, brand and brewing personalities.

To me, this is a great snapshot of what microbrewing is all about – variety. Some brewers, like Moo Brew, are all about stylistic intent and modern, well-made craft beer. Others, like Van Dieman Brewing, are branching out into frontier brewing with beers like Hedgerow, matured on Sloes, rose hips and hawthorn berries, conditioned and soured.

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Hedgerow picked up a gold medal at the 2013 AIBA, a brilliant effort in such a tough competition.

HOW IMPORTANT WAS YOUR BREWING QUALIFICATION IN TERMS OF WORKING FULL TIME AS A BREWER? I honestly believe that without the formal qualification, I wouldn’t have been offered this opportunity.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFERS HOMEBREWERS LOOKING TO SCALE UP THEIR OPERATIONS AT HOME AND BREW ALL-GRAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME?

Expect a steep learning curve and don’t get discouraged by average results. Constantly refine your process, trying not to change too many things at once.

WHAT IS NEXT FOR MOO BREW?

Our next seasonal release, in keg, is a BarrelAged Tripel. It’s been a tough one to work up, but we think we are ready to release it now. There are some product line-up changes coming next year, the most exciting of which is the move of our seasonal Stout to a barrel-aged version, available in keg.

As always, we are also working on making Moo Brew beers more readily available across the country.

Owen in the Moo

Brew brewery.

RECIPE 5

MOO BREW SAISON – ALL-GRAIN Brewing parameters: OG: 1.047 FG: 1.006 ABV: 5.5% Volume:25L INGREDIENTS 5.75kg Floor malted Bohemian Pilsner 750g Munich T1 1.25kg Wheat malt 250g Flaked barley 26g East Kent Golding 55g Spalt 45g Styrian Goldings Wyeast 3726 METHOD 1. Step Mash: in at 45°C, 30 minutes, 55°C for 15 minutes, 62°C for 30 minutes, 68°C for 15 minutes, then 78°C to run off.

2. If using single infusion, do it at 65oC. 3. 60 minute boil, adding the East Kent Golding in at the start. Remainder of the hops go in at whirlpool.

4. Cool to 18°C and allow ferment uncooled.

HOMEBREW Cloning

COSTA NIKIAS CHIEF BREWER, LA SIRÈNE

After starting his brand will little to no PR, Costa Nikias was surprised by the sudden demand for his beers discovers Stefanie Collins.

HOW DID YOU COME TO START LA SIRÈNE?

Essentially myself and my partner James have always been huge fans of Farmhouse and Belgian styles of beer, where yeast driven characters dominate to provide for a more ethereal flavour experience in our opinion.

We were both studying winemaking where we first came together to share our love of these robust styles of beers and from there in a quest to replicate the best Farmhouse styles from Northern France, we decided to develop our own true-to-style recipe for the local market and enthusiasts like us. The recipe development took us a solid 2-plus years to perfect, as we knew what we wanted from a flavour perspective and, in fact, we initially discarded a few commercial batches until we were entirely happy with the end result for our launch in November 2011. That attention to detail still remains to this day with our beers and allows us to focus on producing consistent beers that are underpinned by a quality production mindset – something that we feel is very necessary for longevity in this hyper-growing category in Australia.

YOU SPECIALISE IN SAISONS AND FARMHOUSE-STYLE BREWS – HOW IMPORTANT IS YEAST CHOICE IN THIS STYLE?

Well what can we say? Yeast is our Holy Grail. IPA producers may focus on hops and Dark Beer producers may focus on malts, we definitely have our attention focussed one way and that is with yeast and yeast management.

We firmly believe that yeast strain and happy/ healthy yeast provide for a better fermentation profile and so we go to extreme lengths to provide for that – from yeast incubators to other laboratory techniques – we ultimately focus on ensuring the yeast has the opportunity to express its own unique aroma and flavour characteristics. This coupled with the delicate

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balance of malt selection, hop character and starting water profile allows us to produce our unique style of Saison that is uniquely La Sirène.

LA SIRÈNE IS MOVING TO A NEW BREWERY – DID YOU EXPECT TO EXPAND SO QUICKLY WITH SO LITTLE IN THE WAY OF MARKETING OR PR FOR THE BRAND?

We were quite taken back with the initial response to our small batch production – we thought perhaps there may have been a small following for our beer however we were surprised and humbled to say the least at the response La Sirène has had in the marketplace in such a short time. Now with the journey into our own brewery we are committed to ensuring we can provide our product to meet the ongoing demand whilst maintaining our strict quality control mindset. I guess the marketing and promotional side for the brand has been quite minimal as we were solely focused on the technical aspects of producing great Farmhouse styles and never sought to influence people through the marketing of the brand itself, but rather encouraged them to seek us out organically – like stumbling across a great local restaurant that few people may know about.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFERS HOMEBREWERS LOOKING TO TRY THEIR HAND AT THE SAISON STYLE? Saisons are technically, I believe, one of the most intricate styles to understand and master.

The yeast selection and management is of utmost importance and temperature control is critical for desired flavour profiling when brewing great Saisons. Don’t be afraid to trial many different strains of yeast for your recipe and make sure you appreciate that great beer takes great time. La Sirène is made with an

extended maturation period to really allow the flavour aspects to develop and evolve.

WHAT IS NEXT FOR LA SIRÈNE?

Well we have to keep a few things under our crown cap, however let’s just say that we are working on developing unique beers using age old techniques and letting nature take its natural course.

RECIPE 8

LA SIRÈNE SAISON – ALL-GRAIN Brewing parameters: OG: 1062 FG: 1010 ABV: 6.7% IBU: 25.5 EBC: 14.1 Volume: 19 litres INGREDIENTS 2.9kg Pilsner Malt 1.9 Munich Malt 500g Wheat Malt 52g Tettnang Hops 18g Hallertauer 0.4g Yeast Nutrient 1 tab Whirlfloc Wyeast Belgian Saison 2 Yeast METHOD 1. Mash in at 64°C. 2. Sparge as usual and boil for 60 minutes.

3. Add Tettnang (boil for 40 minutes).

4. Add 8g Hallertauer (boil – 20 minutes).

5. Add 10g Hallertauer (boil – 0 Minutes).

6. Add yeast nutrient 10 minutes before boil ends.

7. Add whirlfloc after finishing boiling and whirlpool as usual.

8. Allow good trub knockout to occur.

9. Transfer and oxygenate well to really stimulate yeast growth.

10. Ferment at 23°C until FG is reached.

11. Yeast off.

12. Mature for 19 days before carbonating.

13. Sample and enjoy.

SIREN OF THE SEA SAISON

HOMEBREW Cloning

BY GRAIN & GRAPE (WWW.GRAINANDGRAPE.COM.AU)

RECIPE 10

RECIPE 9

– CONCENTRA TE IN

– EXTRACT WITH GRA Expected Brew Figures: OG: 1064, FG: 1010, IBU: 25.5 ABV: 6.7%, Volume: 19 litres INGREDIENTS 3kg Breiss LME Pilsen 500g Joe White Pale Wheat 1kg JW Munich 1 50g Tettnang Hops 18g Hallertauer Hops Wyeast 3711 or Lallemand Belle Saison

METHOD 1. Steep Grains in eight litres of water at 65°C for 60 minutes using a grain bag.

2. Remove grain bag and bring to boil for 60 minutes.

3. Add 50g Tettnang at 40 minutes.

4. Add LME at 10 minutes.

5. Add 8g Halleretaur at 20 minutes. Then add 10g at 0 minutes.

6. Strain then add to fermenter, topping up to a total of 19 litres.

7. Pitch yeast at 23°C (the fermenting temperature) until FG reached (or within a few points).

8. Mature for 19 days before carbonating.

Expected Brew Figures: OG: 1062, FG: 1010, IBU: 25.5 ABV: 6.7%, Volume: 19 litres INGREDIENTS 1.7kg Can of Thomas Coopers Pilsner 1.5kg Breiss LME Munich 50g Tettnang hops 18g Hallertauer hops Wyeast 3711 or Lallemand Belle Saison METHOD 1. Boil 50g Tettnang for 20 minutes in two to three litres of water.

2. Add 18g Hallertauer at 0 minutes, then strain if not using hop bag.

3. Dissolve contents of the kit and LME with the hops into fermenter and top to 19 litres.

4. Add yeast.

ALETICIPATION HOMEBREW COMPETITION

J

ared Birbeck – the eponymous founder of Birbeck’s Brewing Company – has been making waves on the South Australian beer scene since launching himself from the homebrewing scene into the world of commercial brewing.

However, Birbeck isn’t one to forget his roots, recently holding his brand’s very first homebrewing competition – Aleticipation.

The concept was easy: “You brew the beer, send it into us and we will brew it commercially under the Birbeck’s label for release to the public at a public release event.

The winner can join us for brewing the beer commercially, and take part in the process of scaling the beer up for commercial release, naming the beer and finalising the branding for the beer”.

What homebrewer could resist that?

However, Birbeck set a challenge for his potential partners in beer: to brew a beer with oat malt.

According to the rules: “The beer must be 5.0% or less alcohol by volume; oat malt must be used in the recipe and it must have a noticeable impact on the finished beer; the beer must be a beer you want to drink in the depths of winter and it must be balanced; the beer must be designed by you (or jointly with another brewer) and brewed on an amateur brewing system.”

With the creation of ‘new’ styles of beer encouraged, Birbeck was pleasantly surprised

by the quality and variety of brews the competition attracted.

“The quality of the entries was very high,” he says. “I would have happily had a pint of each beer so it came down to minor faults and how well the beer matched up with the conditions of the comp. Some people brewed things not usually associated with oats as well,

including a Belgian Pale Ale, a Bright Ale, an American Brown and an Alt.” In the end the winner was Adam Beauchamp with his Oat Porter. The beer has been released under the Birbeck’s label as a special edition.

There is a video of Beauchamp’s commercial brew day up on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/BirbecksBrewing.

The Aleticipation commercial brew day.

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HOMEBREW Club Profile

THE CANBERRA BREWERS After nearly twenty years The Canberra Brewers have established themselves as one of Australia’s largest and most successful homebrew clubs. Member Nick Wiseman shares their story.

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lmost 50 keen brewers met together for the first time on March 8, 1995 at the Wig & Pen Tavern and Brewery to form what is now known as one of the largest and most successful Australian homebrew clubs: The Canberra Brewers.

Over the years the membership has risen to more than 120 members, and the club still prides itself on its core values it formed all those years ago.

Education remains one of the most important aspects of the club and members are always keen to pass their knowledge on to other brewers in a constant drive “to make the best beer possible”.

In an effort to continue this mission and keep it at the forefront of the club’s business, The Canberra Brewers have this year taken the opportunity to get professionals in to talk about their individual fields of expertise.

These sessions have allowed the club to continue to give back to its members the best way it can.

Meeting once a month on a Thursday evening, the club spends most of the evening talking shop with plenty of members bringing in their own beer, in bottles, for tasting.

With two miracle boxes set up at each meeting there is also usually an assortment of members’ kegs. This usually includes beers specifically brewed for the meeting as part of education talks, as well as beer from members just wanting to share a keg with their mates.

In addition to the normal meetings, the club holds various other events throughout the year including competitions, participation in the Multicultural Festival (in partnership with the Wig & Pen) and the much anticipated annual Wig & Pen Brew Day – where The Canberra Brewers club members and (now ex-) Wig & Pen head brewer (and club member) Richard Watkins get together to brew a collaborative beer, which, once kegged, is available on tap at the tavern.

The day usually consists of members holding other educational talks and demos such as

Club meetings are serious business.

coffee roasting, which a large number of members are also into.

Another big event on this year’s calendar was the International Homebrew Day, where eight brewers brewed eleven batches of the More Fun Belgian Ale. Although the club membership contains a high proportion of all-grain brewers – with an assortment of high-tech controlled breweries – there are brewers of all levels including kit and kilo, extract and brew in a bag.

The club welcomes brewers of all levels, with beginners through to competition winners, and even a couple of professional brewers in the mix.

For those interested in finding out more about the club you can visit our blog at www.canberrabrewers.com.au and also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Check out www.canberrabrewers.com.au/ 2013/05/international-homebrew-day-2013 for a fantastic video that was created on the International Homebrew Day and learn more about the various systems our brewers have.

A few well-known faces at the beer club including Richard Watkins (ex-Wig & Pen), Brendan Varis (Feral) and Phil Meddings (Bintani).

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HOMEBREW

MEMBER PROFILE MARK OVERTON

Profile

and Max, with Mark Overton, and his sons Jack w brew day. ecro Scar the on kins Wat ard Rich

By Nick Wiseman.

RECIPE 11

L

anding his first job in 1990 straight out of university and not having much money left to grab a beer Mark Overton started into the hobby of homebrewing.

Brewing with no temperature control in the sunny city of Brisbane tended to produce under-par beers with explosive natures, sending shards of glass into the pool and ceiling.

Fast forward to today and Mark now brews all-grain but keeps the simplicity of his starting years, with equipment held together with superglue, and bottle-conditioning all his beers.

Although he doesn’t brew on the latest technological, automated and stainless steel equipment his 20 litre HLT, 15 litre round Willow esky and 40 litre urn won him Brewer of the Year and Best of Show last year.

His beer, Scarecrow Cream Ale, has since been brewed and put on tap at the Wig & Pen for everyone to enjoy.

Mark said he came up for the idea of the beer as he was looking for something simple and low on hops compared to most of his other beers.

“I wanted something that my wife would be happy to drink, rather than just sip and pass it back to me, then reach for a glass of water,” he said. “It’s a clean, bright, lightly hopped and refreshing ale.”

Since his first batch last year, he has made it two more times and enjoys the latest batch best, which used a different hop variety.

Mark also added that the recipe was best after at least two months in the bottle, and that he would most likely be making it more often now, since the neighbours took a liking to it.

SCARECROW CREAM ALE WIG & PEN LABEL ARTWORK When told his beer would be brewed by Richard Watkins at the Wig & Pen Brewery Mark was over the moon.

“Making it with Richard was a once in a lifetime opportunity and treat – especially as he allowed me to bring my family along,” he said.

“He gave me plenty of advice on how to improve my brewing – many which I have implemented already.”

Mark has been a member of Canberra Brewers since November 2006 after wanting to improve his beer and brewing techniques and to get exposure to other brewers and enter competitions.

– SCARECROW CREAM ALE BREW FIGURES OG: 1055 FG: 1010 ABV: 4.9% IBU: 21 Volume: 20 litres

INGREDIENTS 2.5kg Galaxy or Pale malt 2.5kg Pilsner malt 500g polenta 60g Liberty hops 4.0% AAU 1tsp calcium carbonate, ½ whirfloc 1tsp dissolved gelatine Safale US05 Yeast

METHOD

1. Mash at 65°C for one hour, including the polenta.

2. Sparge with 20 litres of water at 78°C. 3. Boil for 60 minutes with 40g Liberty hops added at 60 minutes.

4. Add 1tsp calcium carbonate and the ½ whirfloc at 20 minutes.

5. Add the remaining 20g of Liberty hops at five minutes.

6. Chill to 20°C and add to fermenter with 12g US05 and ferment for 10 days.

7. Add 1 tsp dissolved gelatine at eight days.

8. Bottle or keg as normal.

MEMBER’S HOMEBREWED BEER GOES COMMERCIAL Beer and story by Nick Wiseman.

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n late 2011 I was shocked to see the announcement of a soldier’s name who was killed on operations in Afghanistan.

Despite serving myself, this was the first soldier who I had personally known.

I met Corporal Ashley Birt a few years before when we worked nearby on different training courses.

Over the six months I got to know him outside of our training. He came across as an easy going bloke who everyone just wanted to be mates with.

Upon hearing of his death in Afghanistan and being a home-brewer I naturally did the thing I thought was most appropriate by brewing a beer in his honour and proudly having it on tap at home on my five tap keg freezer.

I chose to brew an English Ale, being an easy drinking session beer low in alcohol,

so I could enjoy a few while remembering Ash. Naming it Birty’s Bitter, I designed an appropriate label and after mentioning it on an online forum it was picked up by another homebrewer who knew the family. Before I knew it, with the help of Ross at Bacchus Brewing, arrangements were being put in place to have it brewed commercially and available for Anzac Day. 150 litres were brewed with two kegs going to the Royal Hotel in Ash’s hometown of Gympie and one keg to the Scratch Bar in Brisbane.

The day was fantastic, with local coverage in the newspaper, as well as Channel Seven doing a bit.

And I was lucky enough to meet the family and have their blessing for the beer.

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HOMEBREW Ingredient Profile

With Halloween soon upon us, American correspondent Drew Beechum takes a look at a regular US seasonal release that is making its way across the Pacific.

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his issue, we deal with what will be a giant cultural culinary translational battle. And it’s all centered on the craft brewery rite of passage: The Pumpkin Beer.

In the US, Pumpkin Beers are a sign of the impending autumn with changing leaves and the whispery hint of smoke wafting from fireplaces to guard against the chilly onset of winter.

Although recently, it feels like breweries are releasing their Pumpkin Beers at the height of summer. They do this in order to extend their sales windows, since pumpkin is primarily a holiday dessert tradition. Market research has shown that people are perfectly happy to have a seasonal beer early, but loathe to buy it after the season has passed.

There’s a debate in brewing circles about the nature of a Pumpkin Beer. Modern Pumpkin Beer efforts get a little schizophrenic – is the point to feature pumpkin as a vegetable or replicate the spicy goodness of a traditional American and Canadian pumpkin pie?

Those in the vegetable camp have staked their claim on a matter of semantic purity. They argue that it’s Pumpkin Beer and not Pumpkin Pie Beer and act horrified at the notion of spicing the beer as if it is a foul encroachment of flavour manipulation wrongness.

Those proclaiming the pie side of the argument look at the vegetable people as a bunch of addle-pated spewers of twaddle.

To them, a pumpkin doesn’t contain much discernable flavour and therefore you don’t actually need to include it to reflect pumpkin pie and give the palate something to do.

And so the debate rages on.

VEGETABLE SIDE

In discussing the vegetable/spice divide we have to decide: modern or colonial. Pumpkins have been used as beer fodder for a long time in the US and Canada. When we make beer, we’re basically converting a starchy soup into a sugary soup that our yeast friends will happily convert into fun juice.

When British colonists first appeared in the US, squashes (see box out for differentiation

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between squash and pumpkin) were plentiful in the wild and they provided critical sustenance. They also ended up being used in beer since good barley was hard to come by. These folks were desperate, they used everything for beer including every type of gourd, sugar, corn, molasses, and even acorns.

Making a Pumpkin Beer in the Americas is made easy by the prevalence of canned pumpkin in the grocery store. For those without access to proper pie pumpkin filling (canned or fresh), the answer is pretty straight forward – go to your local produce counter, find a nice big hard squash (take your pick: kombucha, butternut, blue squash; anything that adds up to about 1.5 kilos). By the time we’re done with cooking and mashing it, even an American would have a hard time telling pumpkin from squash. In fact, in the US, some canned pumpkin is partly made of hubbard or butternut squash.

Take em home, carefully cut them in half, scoop out the seeds. Take a baking tray and line with foil or baking paper. Heat your oven to 180°C and roast it face down, until collapsingly tender and caramelised – this should take about 40 minutes. Pull from the oven and cool.

When cool enough to handle, grab the squash/ pumpkin and scoop out the flesh. I like to put the roasted flesh in a colander to drain away excess water.

When all is said and done, you’ll want about a kilo of flesh for your beer. Ideally, unless you like bottle bombs, the roasted goodness needs to be mashed to convert the starch to sugar.

If you’re an extract brewer, try mini-mashing with a 0.5 kilo of crushed Pilsner malt. Heat three liters of water to 75°C, mix the malt and pumpkin together and steep for 40 minutes.

Drain via a fine mesh sieve and then rinse with 3 more litres at 75°C. Now you’ve made a ‘proper’ Pumpkin Beer.

If you’re lucky, you’ll taste the roasted sweetness and maybe a hint of the rind (think jalapeno “greenness”). The subtlety of the flesh is the reason you want to go with a paler beer if you’re going spice free.

SPICE SIDE

The way of the spice is the path that most craft beers take. The reason being that all the work and expense of getting actual pumpkin into a beer, isn’t worth it when the taste your drinkers expect is the classic spice mélange of a pumpkin pie.

To the uninitiated, the classic spices of pumpkin pie may just remind you of a mulled cider. Which is simply because the classic quartet of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove pretty much define the classic “warm, hearty” spice combo to any tradition that is descended from the British Isles.

The place where Pumpkin Spice Beers get a bad rap is from the number of examples that taste like someone knocked the spice rack into the kettle.

All of the spices, except the ginger, are heavy in a phenol compound called eugenol.

This is the compound that simultaneously gives clove and nutmeg their pungency and numbing capacity. Seriously, eugenol is an oral anesthetic and that’s why your mouth tingles and your taste buds go numb when you overdo it with these spices.

My recipe uses a decidedly restrained hand in spicing. If you want more potency, feel free to increase them, but be careful of pushing the clove and nutmeg any higher.

WHAT IS PUMPKIN PIE? Given most Australians and New Zealanders won’t have tasted a pumpkin pie before, here’s a quick outline: it’s a sweet pumpkin custard goosed with various spices baked in an open faced pie shell and served with a dollop of cream. Spices generally include cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove.

Pumpkin pie is almost exclusively reserved for Christmas and Thanksgiving meals.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SQUASH, PUMPKIN AND GOURD? Pumpkins, gourds and squashes are all part of the Cucurbita family. In most other countries around the world they are differentiated but in Australia and New Zealand we just call them all pumpkins.

What we call a butternut pumpkin is called a butternut squash in the US. Many pumpkin recipes ask for a butternut squash so just grab a butternut pumpkin instead.

HOMEBREW Ingredient Profile

PURE PUMPKIN ALE

All Grain Recipes – by Drew Beechum

RECIPE 12 – ALL-GRAIN Expected Brew Figures OG: 1064 FG: 1013 IBU: 15 ABV: 6.3% Volume: 20 litres

METHOD 1. Strike the grains at 68°C for INGREDIENTS 60 minutes.

4kg Pilsner malt 2. Bring wort to the boil and add 1kg Munich malt hops for 60 minutes.

250g Crystal 75L 3. Pitch yeast and ferment at 1kg Roasted pumpkin flesh 18°C for 2-4 weeks or until 7g Magnum hops (14% AA) fermentation subsides.

Yeast: Any neutral ale strain or 4. Cold crash the fermenter for something more interesting, a to 0-2°C for 3-4 days to drop spicy Belgian strain (like a Saison any remaining solids, rack and or Belgian High Gravity). package.

RECIPE 13 – ALL-GRAIN Expected Brew Figures OG: 1054 FG: 1011 IBU: 23 ABV: 5.5% Volume: 21 litres

Yeast: A fruity English strain is recommended. Ringwood is a popular choice in the US, but watch out for its diacetyl production.

INGREDIENTS 8.25kg Pilsner malt 1kg Munich malt 500g Crystal 60L 28g Tettnang Tettnanger hops (4.5% AA) ¼ tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp ground ginger ⅛ tsp clove ⅛ tsp nutmeg ⅛ tsp allspice

METHOD 1. Strike the grains at 68°C for 60 minutes.

2. Bring wort to the boil and add hops for 60 minutes.

3. Add the hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil.

4. Cold crash the fermenter to 0-2°C for 3-4 days to drop any remaining solids, rack and package.

PUMPKIN PATCH ALE

SPICED MAGIC

Get those pumpkins a roastin' and start a hootin' and a hollerin'. The Yanks have been drinking this stuff for years. Not my style but a very interesting ale all the same. Any sweet flavoured pumpkin will do for this beer.

When using spices you can use your own imagination. Don't go overboard with one particular spice. Add a little dried orange peel for a different twist.

Or add a handfull of raisins. Even bourbon chips can give a different edge.

RECIPE 14 – EXTRACT Boil for 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile in a separate pot bring 1 litre of water to 70°C, add the grains and stir, turn the heat off. Leave to mash for 20 minutes.

5. In the saucepan boiling the INGREDIENTS hops, add the remaining 5g of 3kg Morgans Lager malt extract Magnum hops and boil for a 1.5kg Light malt extract 100g Cracked Munich malt grain further five minutes. Then turn off 250g Cracked Crystal malt grain and strain into the fermenter with the mashed grains.

15g Magnum hops 6. Put the roasted pumpkin into Saf T58 yeast a hop / grain bag and put into the 1kg Pumpkin flesh fermenter.

7. Bring up to 23 litres and pitch METHOD the yeast at 24°C. 1. Roast the pumpkin until it is a little bit charred to get some of 8. Leave to ferment at around 24°C until finished. Don't ferment that roasted flavour. lower than 1010 FG. 2. Re-hydrate the yeast.

3. Bring 1 litre of water to the boil 9. Mature for a couple of months and add 10g of the Magnum hops. before drinking.

Expected Brew Figures OG: 1060 FG: 1014 IBU: 15 - 20 ABV: 6.0% Volume: 23 litres

Extract Recipes – by Colin Penrose

THE SPICE REVUE

RECIPE 15 – EXTRACT Expected Brew Figures OG: 1060 FG: 1014 IBU: 20 ABV: 6.0% Volume: 23 litres INGREDIENTS 3kg Morgans Lager malt extract 1.5kg Light malt extract 250g Cracked Caramalt 50g Tettnanger hops Saf 04 Yeast ¼ tsp of cinnamon ¼ tsp of ground ginger ⅛ tsp of ground cloves ⅛ tsp of nutmeg ⅛ tsp of allspice.

Plus whatever your heart desires.

METHOD 1. Re-hydrate the yeast.

2. Bring 1 litre of water to the boil and add 30g of hops. Boil for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile in a separate pot bring 1 litre of water to 70°C, add the grains and stir, turn the heat off.

Leave to mash for 20 minutes.

4. Add the rest of the hops and all the spices to the boiling saucepan. Boil for a further 10 minutes then strain into the fermenter with the grains.

5. Add water until you reach 23 litres ensuring your yeast pitching temperature is around 23°C. 6. Ferment down to around 1010 to 1012 then bottle as usual.

7. Mature for at least 6 weeks before drinking.

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17

HOMEBREW System Wars

Chris Thomas caught up with John Preston from Grain & Grape to hear about System Wars 2013, a competition with six different all-grain set ups, a shared list of ingredients, and one Yeastie Boy.

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ystem Wars 2013 was all about clones.

Cloning the Yeastie Boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Pot Kettle Black Amercian Porter to be specific.

It landed at Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Grain & Grape homebrew shop during Good Beer Week and attracted a crowd of nearly 250 beer enthusiasts. They were treated to professional brewers and homebrewers trying to replicate Yeastie Boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; flagship beer.

Oh yeah, and to add a bit of pressure to the challenge co-founder of Yeastie Boys, Stu McKinley was there too.

Nothing like a short black American Porter to kick start your day.

As voted on by the brewers, the winner of System Wars 2013 was Sam Slaney who brewed on the 20 litre Braumeister system.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no fluke though. Slaney has been in the business a while now. He was the second ever employee at Grain & Grape, spent some time at Victoria Valley Distillery, and he is now brewing at Thunder Road.

He also comfortably took out the Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choice award, as voted on by the public. Both

SOME LIKE THE CHEAPEST BIT OF KIT, SOME THE FLASHIEST AND MOST EXPENSIVE, SOME THE NERDIEST.â&#x20AC;?

As for the brief, all that the brewers had to work with was what was on the Yeastie Boys website â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it listed the malts, hops and yeast used in creating Pot Kettle Black. But no quantities.

This is where the knowledge and skill of the brewers came in to play. And, of course, an understanding of the brewing system they were using. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had two different brew-ina-bag systems, a plastic gravity system, a 20 litre Braumeister, a HERMS system and then a pump driven system,â&#x20AC;? says Grain & Grapeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s John Preston.

4(% 4!34).'

Some weeks after the brewing day, the beers had fermented and were clunked in a keg to carbonate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to have an in-house tasting of them all tomorrow morning,â&#x20AC;? Preston declared matter of factly.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right, while weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sipping on our morning coffees those in the industry are tasting and sampling the fruits of their labour.

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wins were despite having to fill his hot liquor tun with a green garden hose â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they were a bit light on with so many brewing on the day.

3934%- 7!23 /2)').3

System Wars is based on a similar concept from the US National Homebrewers Conference that has been embraced by Grain & Grape. John Preston and his team introduced it at the Australian National Homebrewing Conference (ANHC) in 2010. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The concept was that brewers are like sports fans,â&#x20AC;? says Preston from Grain & Grape. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They have their favourite techniques and pieces of equipment. Some like the cheapest bit of kit, some the flashiest and most expensive, some the nerdiest.â&#x20AC;?

The competition was designed to decide the best beer brewed by four different brewers using different techniques. To much consternation, a brew-in-a-bag beer took out the first event.

At the next ANHC in 2012, the variable was chilling techniques and was battled under the

banner System Wars â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Chiller Strikes Back.

Grain & Grape have also run System Wars at their Homebrew shop in Yarraville the last three years. The first couple of years it was more of a demonstration, but this year it got competitive.

3934%- 7!23 &5452%

Given the success of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event, Preston and his crew at Grain & Grape are already planning to go bigger and better next year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve already got plans for next year,â&#x20AC;? he explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the guys who brewed this year, Ferg McGregor, plays in a blues band so we think weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get them to play next year.â&#x20AC;?

And with a sound guy on staff thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always the possibility of a soundtrack too.

With thanks to Sarah Anderson for her fantastic photos of the event. www.sarahanderson.com.au.

4(% "2)%& &/2 0/4 +%44,% ",!#+ 9%!34)%"/93 #/ .: Style Stats Malt Hops Yeast

American-style Porter ABV: 6.0% Bitterness: 50 IBU Colour: 31 SRM NZ Pale Malt, CaraMunich II, Crystal 90, Pale Chocolate, Black Patent.

Nelson Sauvin, Styrian Goldings, NZ Cascade.

Fermentis US-05

&5.$2!)3%2 &/2 02/34!4% #!.#%2 The crew also put on a sausage sizzle, raising money for Prostate Cancer. As well as feeding the punters, over $500 was raised for this very worthy cause.

HOMEBREW System Wars

3934%- 7!23 7)..).' 2%#)0%

16 WINNER: RECIPCE K POT KETTLE BLA – ALL GRAIN

Expected Brew Figures OG: 1061 FG: 1015 IBU: 70 ABV: 6.0% Volume: 20 litres INGREDIENTS 4.5 kg Joe White Ale 150g Weyermann Caramunich 2 150g Weyermann Caramber (90EBC) 400g Thomas Fawcett Pale Chocolate 200g Joe White Black Malt 30g Nelson Sauvin 80g Styrian Golding 40g Motueka Treat Water to 50ppm with CaCl Wyeast 1056 or US05

METHOD 1. Mash at 65°C for one hour.

2. Mash out at 78°C for 10 minutes.

3. 60 minute boil.

4. Add 30g Nelson at 60 minutes.

5. Add 40g Styrian and 20g Motueka at 15 minutes.

6. Add 40g Styrian and 20g Motueka at flame out.

7. Hold for 15 minutes before cooling or, alternatively, do a no-chill.

8. Pitch yeast and ferment at 19°C .

9. When complete bottle and age as per normal (at least four weeks).

RECIPE 17

POT KETTLE BLACK RAINS – EXTRACT WITH G Expected Brew Figures OG: 1061 FG: 1015 IBU: 70 ABV: 6.0% Volume: 20 litres INGREDIENTS The same as for all-grain but replace the 4.5 kg Joe White Ale with 3kg Breiss Golden Light Dried Malt Extract

METHOD 1. Steep grains in a grain bag with three litres of water at 70°C for 30 minutes.

2. Remove grain, add another five litres water and bring to boil for 60 minutes.

3. Add 30g Nelson at 60 minutes.

4. Add 40g Styrian Goldings and 20g Mouteka at 15 minutes.

5. Add Malt Extract at 10 minutes before end of boil.

6. Add rest of hops at end of boil.

Leave 10 minutes.

7. Drain into fermenter, top up to total 20 litres with cool water and stir well .

8. Pitch yeast at 19°C.

RECIPE 18

Expected Brew Figures OG: 1061 FG: 1015 IBU: 70 ABV: 6.0% Volume: 20 litres INGREDIENTS 1.7kg Can Cascade Porter 1.5kg Briess Porter Liquid Malt Extract 40g Styrian Goldings 20g Motueka Either kit yeast, Wyeast 1056 or US05

Photo courtesy of Sarah Anderson. www.sarahanderson.com.au

POT KETTLE BLACK – CONCENTRATE METHOD 1. Boil 500g of malt extract in two to three litres of water for five minutes. Add 40g Styrian and 20g Motueka at end of boil and leave to sit for 10 minutes.

2. Strain hops out and dissolve malt extract and Cascade kit with the hot liquid.

3. Add to fermenter and top up with water to 20 litre with cool water.

4. Add recommended yeast or use kit yeast.

5. Ferment at 19°C. Winner Sam Slaney (L) with Stu McKinley of the Yeastie Boys.

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HOMEBREW

PART ONE

What’s New

WHAT’S NEW IN HOMEBREW? In Part One of our two part look into What’s New in Homebrew, Chris Thomas checks out some of the new things on the market to expand your brewing repertoire and make your hobby easier.

H

omebrewing has come a long way in the past few decades. Gone are the days of brewing in a plastic rubbish bin with a damp cloth over the top and using a mallot to cap your beers. Homebrewing is now about making the best beer possible – not the cheapest beer possible.

In line with the expansion of the craft beer industry, there has been significant growth and development in homebrewing knowledge, ingredients and equipment.

So, let’s take some time to look at what will take us into the next frontier of homebrewing so that more people can brew better beer more consistently, and have more fun doing it.

Well then, what’s new in homebrew?

INNER-CITY APARTMENT BREWING For any homebrewer who has ever lived in an apartment, you’ll understand the obvious challenge of limited space. Half the time there’s not even enough room for a laundry, let alone a 30 litre fermenter and the associated equipment. BrewSmith have a solution in the form of a four and a half litre glass fermenter that can easily fit in the pantry or cupboard.

There are four pre-packaged extract BrewSmith kits (Chocolate Porter, Honey Wheat, Citrus Blonde, IPA and the newly released Australian Wattle Pale Ale) which include malt extract, specialty grains and/or spices, hops and yeast to make just over a dozen stubbies. It is a great solution for space-poor apartments that you can make using ordinary kitchen equipment. www.brewsmith.com.au

DIGITALE BREWING Built and designed by Jono Williamson to make beer at home for himself and his friends, Digitale has gained a lot of interest on brewing forums in Australia, Germany and the US. That interest has translated to some breweries approaching Williamson to build pilot plants for them and, in one instance, there was even a request to redesign his single vessel system to a 400 litre brewery. For homebrewers the interest comes from the Digitale controller which automatically raises and maintains the temperature at the preset levels for the desired times. And it can be controlled online so you can ‘tell’ your brewery to get the water up to strike temperature before you’ve even left work. Williamson takes pride in his creations and builds not only a very functional piece of brewing equipment but one you can proudly show off. There are many system configurations possible to fit each brewers’ individual needs. jonathon@digitalebrewery.com www.digitalebrewery.com

Brew Smith Pack.

The Digitale Brewery.

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er The gas burn combo makes brewing and barbequing . together easy

IS THAT A BURNER OR A BBQ? There are few things better than having a few mates around to put on an afternoon brew, accompanied by a few beers and a barbeque.

So when the gas burner you use to boil your wort can also be used for a barbeque it’s a no brainer. This concept was clearly designed by someone who enjoys brewing with mates. The premise is basic – it’s a gas burner to heat your kettle and once you’re done you can put a grill plate on top, throw on a few snags and, bam, there’s your barbie. www.cellarplus.com.au

NEW BOOKS The number of books for homebrewers is expanding to the point where some people now have a small library at their disposal. Like many, I started with Michael Rodgers-Wilson’s classic Home Brewing, which according to my well-thumbed copy was in its sixth re-print and had notched up sales of over 30,000 copies.

His next book, Brewing Crafts, was another staple in homebrewing shops that offered upto-date craft recipe clones and easy to follow instructions. The difference between these two books highlights how far the homebrew industry came from 1991-2004. In the ten years since there has been an enormous influx of books. Here’s some that we’ve come across and enjoyed over the last couple of years: • Brew Like a Pro: Make Pub-Style Draft Beer At Home – Dave Miller • Brewed Awakenings: Behind the Beers & Brewers Leading the Worlds Craft Beer Revolution – Joshua Bernstein • The Brewers Apprentice: An Insiders Guide to the Art & Craft of Beer Brewing – Greg Koch & Matt Allyn • The Homebrew Handbook – Dave Law and Beshlie Grimes • Brewing Made Easy – Joe Fisher and Dennis Fisher • IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale – Mitch Steele