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David Lipman analyses the results of the 2014 B&B Draught Beer Survey, with some very interesting conclusions.
With the US craft beer scene going positively nuts over beer in cans, and a resurgence in popularity of the humble Aussie “tinny”, Gregor Stronach takes a look at canning...
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BEER TALK
Reader Survey
DRAUGHT BEER –
Craft Beer may best be defined by the use of traditional or innovative ingredients that focus on flavour with the intention to be different to commercial lager. According to Tina Panoutsos, Sensory Manager at CUB, flavour in beer is made up of 40% palate (taste and mouthfeel) and 60% aroma. Craft beer can generally be said its most beer other than commercial lager, as commercial lager: 90% of beer sold in Australia and craft beer is a point of difference to this Focuses on taste and mouthfeel and not aroma May not be using traditional ingredients Production is far greater than craft brewers.
3 TRENDS, 3 INSIGHTS, 3 INNOVATIONS David Lipman conducted a Reader Survey on Draught Beer in February 2014, receiving 400 responses, so as to better understand consumer demand in pubs and their knowledge of draught beer, which led to the question is consumer demand being met by supply in pubs? Here are the results... raught beer has come a long way from the 6 o’clock swill in the WWI and WWII eras and beer poured ‘off the wood’ at The Breakfast Creek Hotel (it still does today). These days, we’re seeing cold beer poured from glycol systems with so much available for publicans to choose from. American troops at The Breakfast Creek Hotel (Qld).
Craft beer for example attracts a 20% price premium which has led to a 1.6% growth in value in the three months to January 2014, according to Barscan. Draught beer in the UK and Australia makes up nearly 50% of the total beer market, while in the USA it is only 10%. It appears in the USA most beer is consumed at home, with 553% of beer sold via cans and 37% in bottles ((Brewers Association USA). Craft beer as a ttotal share of volume is approximately 2% in A Australia and 2.5% in the USA. In the UK the ccategory of craft beer has only very recently bbecome apparent, with 8.3% of total beer vvolume being draught Cask Ale (thereby 18% oof total draught beer volume), which could be llikened to Craft Beer, as an indication of how cconsumers appreciate flavour in beer. According to Bart Watson, staff economist at tthe Brewers Association, Craft Beer in the USA m makes up 6.5% of total beer volume to 2012, of w which 37.4% is draught, 60.5% is bottles and 22.1% is cans. The draught component equates
If a brewer is not classified as small, or independent, then they may not be a craft brewer per se - however, they can still brew craft beer, provided traditional ingredients and brewing techniques are used. Most craft brewers tend to brew ales, as ales and ale yeast provide a more full-flavoured experience. Also, ales ferment and condition faster, allowing them to be released to market a lot sooner.
Hotel (WA) where draught beer represents 60% of total liquor revenue, three quarters of that (45%) is from draught craft beer, representing nine times the average value of draught craft beer sales in Barscan venues.
CRAFT BEER
The category of Craft Beer came from the USA and the Brewers Association define a craft brewer as: Small – 3% of total production, 6 million barrels or less produced per annum, which is equivalent to 715 million litres; Independent – less than 25% owned by a non-craft brewer; and Traditional – a majority of production is beer and uses traditional or innovative ingredients in the brewing and fermentation. The Brewers Association don’t actually define craft beer and there is debate as to what is a craft beer. The size isn’t applicable in Australia given Coopers for example produces around 10% of the stipulated ‘small’
2
TREND # – REPERTOIRE DRINKERS – Craft Beer Drinkers Demand 2-4 Different Brands Per Month The Grain Store Craft Beer Café, Newcastle (NSW).
TRENDS Most people know that draught beer volumes in pubs are on the decline, and have been for some time now, particularly in the UK (down 6.5% year to 2012, British Beer & Pubs Association, UK) and Australia (down 2.2% last three months to January 2014, Barscan), while in the USA draught beer is up 1% over the last 10 years to 2012 (Brewers Association, USA).
1
TREND # – PREMIUMISATION – Consumers are Drinking Less and Spending More While we are seeing people drinking less beer, they are spending more, thanks to premiumisation, where consumers are trading up from commercial lager to premium international brands, premium local brands and craft beer (both local and imported).
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An in-depth look at the history and current affairs that are driving this rapidly expanding beverage segment.
BEER TALK
Reader Survey
D
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CRAFT BEER IS GROWING AT OVER 20% IN PUBS.” to 2.5% of total beer volume, and 25% of total draught beer volume. Whereas in Australia draught craft beer is approximately 2% of the total beer volume (with total craft being 4% of total beer volume), which is 4% of total draught beer volume (craft is 5% of total value of draught beer, Barscan).If one wanted to speculate on the amount of growth left for craft beer on draught in Australia, it would range from 25% growth (based on USA numbers) to 325% growth (based on UK numbers). Looking at the potential for some venues that specialize in craft beer, while Barscan says the average revenue of craft beer in a venue is 5% of total draught beer revenue, at The Sail & Anchor
Craft beer is growing at approximately 20% year on year according to Andrew Thomson from Barscan, driven by consumers’ educated palates. This awareness of flavour is coming about from consumers travelling overseas, immigration into Australia and increased choice at the bottleshop and pub for various local and imported beers. 58% of the 380 respondents say they drink four or more different brands of beer per month. It is said by some that the repertoire is more like eight different beers per month, however not so specifically for pubs, where choice is around 20% of the selection in bottleshops, due mainly to space restrictions. While 90% of beer consumed in Australia is lager (90% in the USA and 80% in the UK), this statistic is the opposite for survey respondents, with 87% of respondents drink
production and Coopers is Australia’s largest independent brewery. The independent point is the most debated point, largely due to the acquisition of craft brewers by noncraft brewers. However, if they retain the same brewing techniques, philosophy and ingredients, should they be removed from a craft brewer status, and be penalised for successfully increasing production or being owned by a non-craft brewer? Craft beer produced by non-independent craft brewers in Australia accounts for around 3% of the total volume of beer, while craft beer produced by independent brewers accounts for 0.5-1% of the total volume of beer in Australia.
a beer specifically for the Sail & Anchor Hotel (WA) as well as Redoak (NSW) have one of their beers rebranded as Opera Ale at Opera Bar (NSW).
being craft beer (local), 24% is craft beer (imported), 18% is commercial lager (including Mid-Strength), 11% is premium international. If a pub is serving only commercial lager, then it is missing out on the craft beer drinkers, who are located all over Australia, in metro and regional areas. Thomson says of Barscan’s sample size of 300 venues across Australia 45% have one craft beer on tap, and 67% have one cider on tap. Given most craft beer consumers are demanding four or more different craft beers per month, representing 50 per year, unless venues that do have one craft tap that they rotate four times a month, the selection is not being offered to meet demand. At the tip
EXCLUSIVES A beer that is exclusively available on draught only, not available in packaged format in bottleshops. Coca-Cola Amatil have a range called Alehouse, which brews different styles of beers only available in draught format so that pubs can choose which beer they sell to match their customer demographics, and providing a point of difference.
44 BEER IN CANS
PUBS NEED ROTATING TAPS AS CONSUMERS DEMAND 2-4 DIFFERENT BEERS PER MONTH.” of iceberg in relation to venues specialising in craft beer, The Albion Hotel in Newcastle (NSW) is an example worth noting, as they have sold 500 different beers in one year over 2012/13. The Sail & Anchor hotel sells around 200 different beers over a year, from its 43 taps, with only 5-6 taps changed per week.
COLLABORATIONS Similar to house beers and exclusives, the venue(s) and the brewer collaborate together in recipe development, branding and marketing of the beer that is exclusive to a specific venue or venues. The venue staff can even attend the brewery to help brew the batch! Bridge Road Brewers (Vic) produced a bar series in collaboration with 10 of Australia’s leading craft beer venues on the east coast, with another bar series brewed in collaboration with the west coast venues.
REGULAR AND GUEST TAPS
There is a need for regulars and guest taps to facilitate the demand from craft beer drinkers. P Peter Bottcher Venue Manager of The Sail & Anchor (WA) says to get the balance right bbetween guest taps and permanent ranged bbeers, “brewers deserve some financial stability - and venues need to be able to build a relationship with brewers. This won’t happen w without permanent taps. Consumers need some consistency in product, not all beers can bbe one-off brews, brewers need the chance to pperfect a brew over time”. Bottcher continues on when considering a mix of beers to put on tap, “there needs to be a balance of differing styles and producers. A balance between interesting beer (crazy styles, one-offs and rare imports) as well a good quality, local, fresh beer. The imports are fun and get the beer geeks attention, however local and fresh is vitally important.” Some examples of how pubs can incorporate craft beer into their bank of taps and provide a point of difference to other venues and offpremise, include:
This issue, we take a look at the rising number of brewers opting to bring their brews to market in cans.
HOUSE BEERS These beers can be exclusively brewed for the venue, or rebranded from the brewery to the venue brand, so as to be a regular beer that provides a point of difference. Examples include Feral Brewing (WA) brew
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40 ENGLISH CIDER
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BEER TALK TRAVELLER GOURMET
THE FRIDGE
Winners of 2013 Beer & Brewer Get the lowdown on what’s on Three of the best burgers in Awards NZ, and more. offer around Ol’ Sydney town. Victoria, plus a killer recipe from Sydney’s Goodtime Burgers - and beer!
Ian Kingham’s best brews for you to try as things cool down this Autumn.
AND 10NEWS AWARDS
54 WEEKEND AWAY
14 B&B UPDATE
58 BREWERY DIRECTORY BREWERY 60 TOUR
Everything you need to know about your world of beer.
& CIDER 20BEER SALES STATS
24PROFILE
MICROBREWERY
Meet the team behind Queensland’s Beard and Brau.
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STYLE NOTES
Dr Chuck Hahn steps us through the finer points of Amber Ales.
32DRAUGHT BEER
& 64 BEERS BURGERS
10 FOR 68 TOP AUTUMN
71 STAFF PICK
A fond farewell from outgoing Beer & Brewer Publisher, David Lipman.
A look inside the monolith that is the Asahi Premium Beverages plant in Victoria.
GOURMET Autumn xxxxxxx Recipes xx
BURGERS AND BEER S
61 62VENUE REVIEWS
EVENTS CALENDAR
Three burge r-loving Victo rians set out the best burge to find rs in Victoria, and the result The Burger Book. is We spoke to author Ethan and got three Jenkins, of his favourites.
THE INKERMAN
ST KILDA
72 TASTING NOTES
Want a handle on how things taste? Our expert panel spills the beans on a bunch of new brews and ciders.
HOTEL,
The Inkerman burger is the perfect this: a no frills, classic Australian example of patty is a classic burger. The beef one, blanketed cheese with a hint in melted health conscious of lettuce as a nod to the . with an egg to A couple of slices of tomato, give along with grilled it that true Australian feel, Aussie pub-style onions. It is served with fat chips for extra authentici This is almost an ‘official’ Australian ty. and it’s so good burger that, while you with a pint, you wash it down won’t dog came in fourth! even realise that your BEER MATCHE Matilda Bay (Vic)S Stoke (NZ) Amber Fat Yak 4.7% Ale 4.5% BrewDog 5am Saint Amber Ale 5%
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A comprehensive wrap up of what’s happening on tap.
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3
BEER XXXXX TALK Microbrewery xxxxxxxxx Profile
BEARD & BRAU FARMHOUSE BREWERY It took a tree change from the suburbs of Adelaide to the lush surrounds of Tamborine, QLD, for these two brewers to find the perfect spot to make the beers they love. Head Brewer Chris Herring answers Beer & Brewer’s questions… HOW DID YOU GUYS GET STARTED IN THE BREWING INDUSTRY?
When Tanya (Tan) realised “you can make your own beer!” (Futurama quote!), Chris (Fish) bought Tan a homebrew kit as a present when we started dating around 15 years ago. Add 10 years of fun brewing times, experience in food, wine and beverage manufacturing industries and study, a brewery was purchased on our honeymoon, on a dodgy internet connection in the Cook Islands. Now the bank has our soul…..
WHAT SORT OF BUSINESS DO YOU RUN? After many years brewing from an industrial shed in Adelaide we have had a tree change and are now a farmhouse producing brewery. We are now brewing beers at a volume and style which are suited to our surroundings and resources on a small rural property in Tamborine Qld. We are looking forward to extending our collaborative experience into propagation of our own grown ingredients
from other local farms. Yes, satellite hops, barley and herb farms, back to when the ingredients came from farms local to the brewery, the philosophy of from the farm, back to the farm and prosperity to the community.
WHAT EQUIPMENT ARE YOU CURRENTLY RUNNING IN THE BREWERY?
We ripped out an old school infusion mash system from a pub in the US made by the Brew Pub Company (now defunct), it seemed to be the trend in the US in 2007. “A brewery in working order”, yeah well we have all heard that sales pitch from the used car sales person… Luckily Fish’s many years working in food and beverage as an engineer came in handy. Fish and his bro were happy as pigs in it, fixing, blowing up stuff, fixing again and improving the system.
WHAT IS THE BREWERY’S CAPACITY IN HECTOLITRES AND HOW MUCH HAVE YOU EXPANDED?
A tranquil setting at Albert River,Tamborine Village.
We brew double batches into 8 US BBL fermenters (800L) and are pretty much always brewing as often as we can. We have dabbled having the regular brews contracted during the move from Adelaide to Queensland, with admittedly not the success and quality we had hoped. So we are back to the farm focussing oonly on brewing out of our brew house. Capacity when brewing hard could see around C 770,000 L p.a. – not much really but we are in a ddrought hey!
W WHAT INSPIRES YOU GUYS WHEN CCREATING RECIPES?
T wakes up after dreaming concepts (yeah Tan we dream about new beers), we respect the w traditions of beer and the many years of Brewers tr aand knowledge that has come before us and take inspiration from old school beer styles. Locally in ggrown ingredients also hold fascination as this is traditionally how beer was made, from whatever tr yyou could lay your hands on. Fish is looking fforward to brewing with the local stinging nettle ggrown down by the Albert River, myrtle and hheather found in Tamborine.
Tanya and Chris ‘Fish’ Herring, the brains behind Beard and Brau.
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www.beerandbrewer.com www be beerandb dbrewer com db
W WHAT ARE YOUR BEST SELLERS AND OLD FAVOURITES? A R Tail (Amber Ale), a brew that had its Red oorigins from our home brewing days, totally
BBER TALK Microbrewery Profile
paid Eat grass, get t. in beer. Perfec
inspired by hoppy flavours from and iconic an craft brewery James Squire’s Golden Ale & Amber Ale but always respecting old English Ales body and mouth feel.
feel. The social media excitement of our recent four legged mower (Victa the miniature Goat) seems to have gained lots of retweets and favourites…he is very cute…
HOBBIES – WHAT ARE THEY? I THINK WE DO SLEEP OCCASIONALLY... AND THEN WE DREAM BEER. ” Favourite brews would have to be Trios Monts which has inspired our foray into the Farmhouse brew – Bon Chiens. Followed by Rogue’s Noir Dirtoir (GYO) an inspirational beer which took us from some depressive moments from our own recent local council battles to gaining approvals to have and develop the farmhouse brewery on our property on the Albert River, Tamborine.
ARE YOU WORKING ON ANY LIMITED RELEASES OR HAD ANY ON THE MARKET RECENTLY?
WHERE CAN BEER FANS FIND YOUR BREWS?
We have a few loyal locations around Australia. Predominantly tap beers, we are popping up in bars around the place and are building a fan base in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Always on tap at our original home Earl of Leicester and now the recent local the Bearded Dragon in
Tamborine, with brews distributed by Boutique Beverage Distributors in VIC. Check our website for stockist details.
DO YOU HAVE ANY HOBBIES OUTSIDE OF BEER? WHAT ARE THEY?
Hobbies – what are they? Tan likes to squeeze in a bit of her true talent painting (check out the painting for the IMA at the Earl of Leicester), Fish is a Rural Fire Service volunteer. With a farm, dogs, sheep, goat, full time work and a brewery coupled with the occasional QLD natural disaster, I think we do sleep occasionally.., and then we dream beer. Beard & Brau Farmhouse Brewery – Tamborine Village Qld www.beardandbrau.com.au e: beer@beardandbrau.com.au t: @beardandbrau Brewer/Owner - Chris Herring & Tanya Harlow
The Brewhouse and Fermenters.
The ‘High Brau’ range of brews are of limited seasonal and sporadic release. The most recent in the range is the Indian Mastiff Ale (IPA), a collaborative brew with our besty Nathan from the Earl of Leicester Hotel in Adelaide.
WHAT SORT OF REACTION DO YOU GET TO YOUR LIMITED RELEASES?
The seasonal specialities tend to sell out very quickly, often before they have left the fermenter. A lot of publicans trust that the beer we make is quality and will put in an order before trying the beer. Twitter and apps like Untappd helps to keep track of how the punters
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BEER EER TALK Style Notes
Dr Chuck Hahn explains the history of Amber Ale, and how he developed his own recipe to create one of Australia’s bestknown beers.
J
ames Squire Nine Tales Amber Ale is perhaps the most well-known Amber Ale in Australia, but it was not always that way. The origin of Amber Ale dates back to early English brewing heritage so it was logical that this style of ale would be the first brewed by the Malt Shovel Brewery in late 1998 in honour of James Squire, Australia’s first brewer. James Squire would have brewed similar style ales in colonial Australia in the early 1800’s. We looked at his original recipes, and he would have brewed a thick Brown Ale, rich in alcohol, served warm, cloudy and flat. We quickly realised that such a beer style would have been difficult to sell, as the average Australian beer consumer in the late 1990’s was just starting to wake up to the enjoyable pleasures of craft beer with rich roasted malt and generous hop characters. We needed something distinctive in presentation, aroma and flavour, but drinkable and highly satisfying. Amber Ale seemed to satisfy all of that.
ENGLISH BROWN ALE
The earliest of the English beers were brown in colour. Since they were brewed with malts that were brown and smoky from being kilned over a wood fire, the resultant ales were both brown and smoky. This smoky characteristic was initially a desired character that was only eliminated when malt kilning was switched from wood to coke or coal. However, brown malts have been used in brewing in England for over eight hundred years. The terms Mild and Brown have been used for many years to describe English beers. Since large amounts of brown malt were used in the brewing of Stouts
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and Porters, even these richer brews were also sometimes referred to as Brown Ales. As far back as 1720, due to some Brown Ales and Stouts being considered too heavy, a mixture of aged strong ale, Mild Ale and Stout, which was called three-threads, was mixed up by the publican. This later became known as Porter, as it was demanded by the porters from the London produce markets. These dark beers were consumed mostly in the London area due to the mineral profile of the water being ideally suited for the brewing of dark beers and due to the needs of the labouring class for a heavier, dark beer that provided sustenance and nutrition.
DEVELOPING AN AMBER ALE
Two styles of Brown Ale developed in England: Southern or London Brown Ale and Northern or Newcastle Brown Ale. The London Brown was dark brown in colour, sweet on the palate with malt sweetness and caramel notes and with low hop character. The Newcastle Brown Ale was an amber reddish brown colour with medium roast notes and medium hop character. This ale seemed highly drinkable and even today ‘Newky Brown” from Scottish and Newcastle Brewery (in the clear bottle) remains one of the top selling bottled ales The late Michael Jackson, AKA The Beer Hunter, inside the Malt Shovel Brewery with Chuck Hahn.
BEER TALK Amber image courtesy of Wikipaedia
Style Notes
in the UK. We determined that we needed a similar style of ale, but with increased hop character and less sweetness so as to greater refresh the palate for increased drinkability. Both Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale and the classic Timothy Taylor Landlord Ale had further influences on our brewing recipe. A long look at what was available in the USA in 1998 indicated good acceptance of American Brown Ales with the leaders such as Brooklyn Brown Ale, Pete’s Wicked Ale and 90 Shilling Ale from Odells Brewery. However, even more character was evident in New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale with interesting late hop notes. Then and even now, Fat Tire Amber Ale remains the biggest seller from New Belgium Brewing Co. in Colorado. We determined we could brew an acceptable Brown Ale with subtle late hop notes that would satisfy our UK connection, be distinctive in flavour and presentation, and be approachable and drinkable. After a few brewing trials, we released James Squire Original Amber Ale in late 1998 in kegs and in 345ml embossed brown bottles. For the
first five years, we used a body label that had six different stories of the history of James Squire. These labels were collated so that in one six pack, one had a good chance of getting at least four of these stories. Squires Amber Ale remained our biggest seller for the first
from all the mild flavoured and light coloured lagers of the day. These features enabled us as brewers to walk into any pub and immediately determine who were enjoying our ales and to engage them. This was very important in developing our market awareness.
IN THIS, THEY RECALL THE OLD WASSAILING TRADITION OF CUPS AND PUNCHES, POSSETS AND SYLLABUBS.” eight years, so the recipe must have been appropriate to lead out the craft beer revolution in Australia. Squires Amber Ale was more amber copper in colour than Coopers Sparkling Ale and much less dark brown than Tooheys Old. It was medium bodied with creamy malt flavours and a slight nutty finish with a citrus edge. Its rich creamy head and distinctive colour set it aside
This robust ale went along with the developing beer and food programs. The rich crystal malt character hooked in well with the caramelised meat flavours and complements them. One of the best matches is lamb chops with mint jelly and Amber Ale. There is no need for a nice Shiraz if Amber Ale is available.
AMBER ALE CHARACTERISTICS
In most beer competitions, the Amber Ale style comes under the English or American style Brown Ale categories. However, at the GABF, there is a category for American-style Amber/ Red Ale. However, that category specifies much higher hop bitterness (25-45 BU’s) and character than is apparent in the Squires Amber Ale. Most popular categories in these competitions are usually the Pale Ale or the India Pale Ale groups The malt bill for our Amber Ale is similar to those for the English Brown Ales and Mild Ales. Most breweries would use 10-20% crystal malt with the balance being pale malt. In addition, for greater fermentability (and greater drinkability), 10-20% cane sugar might be incorporated into the brew (added at the kettle). Good craft brewing does not necessitate always using 100% malted barley or always using 100% imported malts. We have been extremely satisfied with the quality of malts that we purchase from the local Joe White Malting Company. Our crystal malt comes from Ballarat and our pale and Munich malts from Tamworth.
PIONEERING CRAFT BEER
Hopping is important in order to provide the appropriate balance for the malt sweetness from the crystal malts. Squires Amber Ale uses Super Pride of Ringwood as the bittering hop at the start of boil and Tassie Willamette as the late hop at the end of boil. Willamette is an English Fuggle descendent so we can respect that English heritage as we try to do in most James Squire brews. Willamette hops were originally grown near Portland, Oregon, in the Willamette valley but are now available from Bushy Park in Tasmania. Late hopping with this hop produces a slight grapefruit hop aroma which balances out nicely with the crystal malt sweetness and nuttiness.
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29
BEER TALK Reader Survey
DRAUGHT BEER –
3 TRENDS, 3 INSIGHTS, 3 INNOVATIONS David Lipman conducted a Reader Survey on Draught Beer in February 2014, receiving 400 responses, so as to better understand consumer demand in pubs and their knowledge of draught beer, which led to the question is consumer demand being met by supply in pubs? Here are the results...
D
raught beer has come a long way from the 6 o’clock swill in the WWI and WWII eras and beer poured ‘off the wood’ at The Breakfast Creek Hotel (it still does today). These days, we’re seeing cold beer poured from glycol systems with so much available for publicans to choose from. American troops at The Breakfast Creek Hotel (Qld).
Craft beer for example attracts a 20% price premium which has led to a 1.6% growth in value in the three months to January 2014, according to Barscan. Draught beer in the UK and Australia makes up nearly 50% of the total beer market, while in the USA it is only 10%. It appears in the USA most beer is consumed at home, with 553% of beer sold via cans and 37% in bottles ((Brewers Association USA). Craft beer as a ttotal share of volume is approximately 2% in Australia and 2.5% in the USA. In the UK the A ccategory of craft beer has only very recently bbecome apparent, with 8.3% of total beer vvolume being draught Cask Ale (thereby 18% oof total draught beer volume), which could be llikened to Craft Beer, as an indication of how cconsumers appreciate flavour in beer. According to Bart Watson, staff economist at tthe Brewers Association, Craft Beer in the USA makes up 6.5% of total beer volume to 2012, of m which 37.4% is draught, 60.5% is bottles and w 22.1% is cans. The draught component equates
Hotel (WA) where draught beer represents 60% of total liquor revenue, three quarters of that (45%) is from draught craft beer, representing nine times the average value of draught craft beer sales in Barscan venues.
CRAFT BEER
The category of Craft Beer came from the USA and the Brewers Association define a craft brewer as: Small – 3% of total production, 6 million barrels or less produced per annum, which is equivalent to 715 million litres; Independent – less than 25% owned by a non-craft brewer; and Traditional – a majority of production is beer and uses traditional or innovative ingredients in the brewing and fermentation. The Brewers Association don’t actually define craft beer and there is debate as to what is a craft beer. The size isn’t applicable in Australia given Coopers for example produces around 10% of the stipulated ‘small’
TRENDS Most people know that draught beer volumes in pubs are on the decline, and have been for some time now, particularly in the UK (down 6.5% year to 2012, British Beer & Pubs Association, UK) and Australia (down 2.2% last three months to January 2014, Barscan), while in the USA draught beer is up 1% over the last 10 years to 2012 (Brewers Association, USA).
1
TREND # – PREMIUMISATION – Consumers are Drinking Less and Spending More While we are seeing people drinking less beer, they are spending more, thanks to premiumisation, where consumers are trading up from commercial lager to premium international brands, premium local brands and craft beer (both local and imported).
32
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CRAFT BEER IS GROWING AT OVER 20% IN PUBS.” to 2.5% of total beer volume, and 25% of total draught beer volume. Whereas in Australia draught craft beer is approximately 2% of the total beer volume (with total craft being 4% of total beer volume), which is 4% of total draught beer volume (craft is 5% of total value of draught beer, Barscan).If one wanted to speculate on the amount of growth left for craft beer on draught in Australia, it would range from 25% growth (based on USA numbers) to 325% growth (based on UK numbers). Looking at the potential for some venues that specialize in craft beer, while Barscan says the average revenue of craft beer in a venue is 5% of total draught beer revenue, at The Sail & Anchor
production and Coopers is Australia’s largest independent brewery. The independent point is the most debated point, largely due to the acquisition of craft brewers by noncraft brewers. However, if they retain the same brewing techniques, philosophy and ingredients, should they be removed from a craft brewer status, and be penalised for successfully increasing production or being owned by a non-craft brewer? Craft beer produced by non-independent craft brewers in Australia accounts for around 3% of the total volume of beer, while craft beer produced by independent brewers accounts for 0.5-1% of the total volume of beer in Australia.
BEER TALK Reader Survey
Craft Beer may best be defined by the use of traditional or innovative ingredients that focus on flavour with the intention to be different to commercial lager. According to Tina Panoutsos, Sensory Manager at CUB, flavour in beer is made up of 40% palate (taste and mouthfeel) and 60% aroma. Craft beer can generally be said its most beer other than commercial lager, as commercial lager: 90% of beer sold in Australia and craft beer is a point of difference to this Focuses on taste and mouthfeel and not aroma May not be using traditional ingredients Production is far greater than craft brewers. If a brewer is not classified as small, or independent, then they may not be a craft brewer per se - however, they can still brew craft beer, provided traditional ingredients and brewing techniques are used. Most craft brewers tend to brew ales, as ales and ale yeast provide a more full-flavoured experience. Also, ales ferment and condition faster, allowing them to be released to market a lot sooner.
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TREND # – REPERTOIRE DRINKERS – Craft Beer Drinkers Demand 2-4 Different Brands Per Month The Grain Store Craft Beer Café, Newcastle (NSW).
Craft beer is growing at approximately 20% year on year according to Andrew Thomson from Barscan, driven by consumers’ educated palates. This awareness of flavour is coming about from consumers travelling overseas, immigration into Australia and increased choice at the bottleshop and pub for various local and imported beers. 58% of the 380 respondents say they drink four or more different brands of beer per month. It is said by some that the repertoire is more like eight different beers per month, however not so specifically for pubs, where choice is around 20% of the selection in bottleshops, due mainly to space restrictions. While 90% of beer consumed in Australia is lager (90% in the USA and 80% in the UK), this statistic is the opposite for survey respondents, with 87% of respondents drink
being craft beer (local), 24% is craft beer (imported), 18% is commercial lager (including Mid-Strength), 11% is premium international. If a pub is serving only commercial lager, then it is missing out on the craft beer drinkers, who are located all over Australia, in metro and regional areas. Thomson says of Barscan’s sample size of 300 venues across Australia 45% have one craft beer on tap, and 67% have one cider on tap. Given most craft beer consumers are demanding four or more different craft beers per month, representing 50 per year, unless venues that do have one craft tap that they rotate four times a month, the selection is not being offered to meet demand. At the tip
a beer specifically for the Sail & Anchor Hotel (WA) as well as Redoak (NSW) have one of their beers rebranded as Opera Ale at Opera Bar (NSW). EXCLUSIVES A beer that is exclusively available on draught only, not available in packaged format in bottleshops. Coca-Cola Amatil have a range called Alehouse, which brews different styles of beers only available in draught format so that pubs can choose which beer they sell to match their customer demographics, and providing a point of difference.
PUBS NEED ROTATING TAPS AS CONSUMERS DEMAND 2-4 DIFFERENT BEERS PER MONTH.” of iceberg in relation to venues specialising in craft beer, The Albion Hotel in Newcastle (NSW) is an example worth noting, as they have sold 500 different beers in one year over 2012/13. The Sail & Anchor hotel sells around 200 different beers over a year, from its 43 taps, with only 5-6 taps changed per week.
REGULAR AND GUEST TAPS
There is a need for regulars and guest taps to facilitate the demand from craft beer drinkers. Peter Bottcher Venue Manager of The Sail P & Anchor (WA) says to get the balance right bbetween guest taps and permanent ranged bbeers, “brewers deserve some financial stability - and venues need to be able to build a relationship with brewers. This won’t happen w without permanent taps. Consumers need some consistency in product, not all beers can be b one-off brews, brewers need the chance to perfect p a brew over time”. Bottcher continues on when considering a mix of beers to put on tap, “there needs to be a balance of differing styles and producers. A balance between interesting beer (crazy styles, one-offs and rare imports) as well a good quality, local, fresh beer. The imports are fun and get the beer geeks attention, however local and fresh is vitally important.” Some examples of how pubs can incorporate craft beer into their bank of taps and provide a point of difference to other venues and offpremise, include:
COLLABORATIONS Similar to house beers and exclusives, the venue(s) and the brewer collaborate together in recipe development, branding and marketing of the beer that is exclusive to a specific venue or venues. The venue staff can even attend the brewery to help brew the batch! Bridge Road Brewers (Vic) produced a bar series in collaboration with 10 of Australia’s leading craft beer venues on the east coast, with another bar series brewed in collaboration with the west coast venues.
HOUSE BEERS These beers can be exclusively brewed for the venue, or rebranded from the brewery to the venue brand, so as to be a regular beer that provides a point of difference. Examples include Feral Brewing (WA) brew
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THE FRIDGE Tasting xxxxxxxxx Notes
Australian Beer >>
REHN BIER XSB, 5.3% ABV, 500ML
HOPDOG BEERWORKS HORNS UP RYE IPA, 5.8% ABV, 330 ML
GAGE ROADS BREWING CO, PUMPKIN ALE, 5% ABV, 640ML
Tonnes of citrus and American hops on the nose, beer looks a big murky but we'll let the Rye off for that. A very well balanced highly drinkable body, the rye gives a slightly dry and acidic balance to the plenty of sugar left after fermentation, there's a spicy palate too that's not just the hops. Highly interesting. Style: Rye IPA. Glass: Schooner. Food Match: Spiced roast pork belly and roast vegetables. Website: www.hopdog.com.au
From the west coast's Gage Roads Brewing Co, limited edition Pumpkin Ale displays all that would be expected from a pumpkin brewed beer. Using real pumpkin along with a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger (traditional to this style of beer), this ale delivers a sweet, roasted pumpkin character that is full, malty and a little spicy. The nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger are very subtle yet complement and balance the sweetness from the pumpkin. An interesting seasonal brew that is rich and mouth filling. Style: American Pumpkin Ale. Glass: Pint. Food match: Pumpkin pie. Website: www.gageroads.com.au
MUDGEE BREWING CO, SMOKEY RED, 5.1% ABV, 640ML
PRICKLY MOSES OTWAY STOUT, 5.0% ABV, 300ML
BRIDGE ROAD BREWERS SINGLE HOP GALAXY IPA, 4.8%ABV, 330ML
Brewed in the style of German Rauchbier, to impart a smoke flavour by using malted barley that has been dried over an open flame. Smokey Red uses Amarillo hops to provide the hoppiness of an IPA with smoky finish often associated with a fine whiskey. It presents a firm beige foam that leaves behind an appealing lace. An almost peaty aroma and a slightly dry, ashen finish are distinctly characteristic. A firm bitterness is lingers in the palate and blends well with the smoky notes. Style: German Rauchbier. Glass: Tulip. Food match: An array of fine cheeses, dried fruit and nuts. Website: www.mudgeebrewing.com.au
Otway estate brewery is in an area famous for high rainfall, rainforest surroundings and beautiful scenery, a natural wonderland. While the brewery is well regarded for a range of beers this Stout stands tall for its excellent coffee expression. Deep dark brown in appearance with good roast malt aroma and some soft coffee notes. Otway Stout offers medium body with some light malt layering. Good roasted malt is accentuated by lovely, complex coffee character and finishes soft with a lingering ice coffee espresso taste. Style: Stout. Glass: Tulip. Food Match: Dark Chocolate. Website: www.otwayestate.com.au
Bridge Road brewery is based in Beechworth in NW Victoria, recognised as part of the rebellious country of the infamous Ned Kelly, well depicted by the stamped lids on the bottles and the labels on the beer. Single Hop Galaxy showcases the Australian Galaxy hop variety synonymous with its fruity character. A highly carbonated brew, pouring a cloudy, light amber in the glass. An aroma of tropical fruit with some good fresh grassy notes is present. The palate offers rich malt well balanced with heavy fruity, grassy character and has a low bitter finish. Style: India Pale. Ale. Glass: Tulip. Food Match: Chicken satay. Website: www.bridgeroadbrewers.com.au
Rehn Bier hails from the nano brewery in the Barossa Valley which prides itself on small localised production and a sales distribution channel of local farmers markets. Rehn XSB is based on the traditional English style and pours dark brown to copper in the glass. Low in carbonation, the beer is murky which can be akin to style. A nutty nose with some stewed fruit character including the scent of sultana and prunes. The palate delivers some good malt layering, medium to rich with the taste of winter, stone fruits and some late dry bitterness on the finish well balanced by rich residual English malt. Style: Extra Special Bitter. Glass: Tulip. Food Match: Lamb Casserole. Website: www.rehnbier.com.au
RENEW & RECEIVE 2 X BONUS CARTONS OF CRABBIE’S NEW FLAVOUR. $130.00 VALUE See page 7 in Homebrewer for details. Australian residents (excl NT) only. Tel: 1800 651 422 | www.beerandbrewer.com | Offer ends June 24, 2014.
2 x Bonus cartons of Crabbie’s New Flavours, RRP $130.00 for 3 year renewals Bonus carton of Crabbie’s New Flavours, RRP $65.00 for 2 year renewals 8 x Bottles of Crabbie’s New Flavours, RRP $56.00 for 1 year renewals Australian rates: 3 years $79.99 | 2 years $54.99 | 1 year $29.99
THE FRIDGE Tasting Notes Australian Beer >>
REDOAK BITTER, 3.5% ABV, 330ML Redoak is Australia's most awarded brewery, and is well represented by the Redoak restaurant in Sydney. Having won extensive and various awards, David Hollyoak must have been quite chuffed to win World's Best Bitter, in 2009, with his Australian made example of the traditional English style. Bronze in colour with a firm white head the beer has appeal on the eye. Caramel and light, malty biscuit notes are evident on the aroma. Rich layered malt in excellent balance showcases the skill of the brewer. Soft on the finish with some nice residual, sweet, biscuity, bready malt character. Style: English Bitter. Glass: Tulip. Food Match: Bangers and Mash. Website: www.redoak.com.au
TOOBORAC HOTEL & BREWERY BLACKSMITH'S PORTER, 5.5% ABV, 330ML
SAIL & ANCHOR THE BLOKE, 6.0% ABV, 640ML
Situated in Victoria's mid west, the Tooborac Hotel is a great country hotel and brewery positioned between Heathcote and Seymour, just south of Bendigo. Blacksmith's Porter captures the heritage of its name and aptly describes this modern day dark craft. Deep brown to black in appearance with a thick tan head. A sweetish malt, soft chocolate nose lends itself to a well balanced, light malt layered beer with some soft chocolate notes and a light dry smoky finish. Style: Porter. Glass: Tulip. Food Match: Smoked Kransky. Website: www.tooborachotel.com.au
Inspired by the Sail and Anchor hotel in the 80s, the nephew of Karl Strauss (America's godfather of beer) opened his own in San Diego, called the Karl Strauss brewery. This is a collaborative brew named in honour of the Bloke, Karl Strauss. Rich red in colour, with medium level carbonation, The Bloke offers little on aroma, just a hint of caramelised malt. Drinkability is high, with simple malt layering on the palate. A good entry level ale, well balanced and uncomplicated for style. A soft finish with some residual malt lingering. Style: Red Ale. Glass: Tulip. Food Match: Irish Stew. Website: www.facebook.com/sailandanchor
New Zealand Beer >>
BIRBECK'S THE MERCHANT, 7.2% ABV, 330ML
ENDEAVOUR GROWER'S BRIGHT ALE VINTAGE BEER, 4.2% ABV, 330ML
MONTEITH'S DOUBLE HOPPED IPA, 7.5% ABV, 500ML
Brewed in South Australia, as a brewer's expression of beers relating to the era of merchant sailors, The Merchant is described as a colonial Pale Ale on the label. Cloudy, dull, pale gold in appearance, Birbeck's has a strong white head. Alcohol toffee notes are evident as are spicy herbal tips, a hint of sweet floral aroma and light yeast character. Well integrated, the beer holds its alcohol well and has good expressions of spicy, herbaceous hop character and is well supported with a strong pale malt bill. Warm and minerally on the finish with good grassiness. Style: India Pale Ale (Imperial). Glass: Tulip. Food Match: Lamb Satay. Website: www.birbeck's.com.au
Endeavour brewery is based in Canyonleigh, NSW and prides itself on producing annual vintages, as expressions of the best ingredients of the season, accepting that variation occurs from one agricultural cycle to the next. Bright and spritely in colour, with good carbonation and a finely laced head. Grower's has a very fresh, clean, slightly grainy nose. The palate is sweet and light, offering a lovely expression of pale malt and some subtle sweet grainy notes. The finish is clean and expresses the soft malt exceptionally well. Style: Bright Ale. Glass: Tulip. Food Match: Lemon Pepper Squid. Website: www.endeavourbeer.com
When a beer pours as this does, it's an invitation that can't be knocked back. The anticipation that this is going to pack a punch is met with a hint of hesitation if you're not an avid IPA drinker accustomed to these levels of hopping and bitterness. Bold may be understatement, but it is definitely beautiful. The dry hopping is elegantly balanced by the firm malt flavour and sweet mid palate that is held together by the warmth offered from a 7.5% alcohol beer. It rolls off the tongue, leaving a clean firm bitterness without being overly sharp or harsh. Glass: Stemmed Glass. Style: IPA Food match: Dry aged Prime Rib Eye, Grain. Website: www.monteiths.co.nz
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HOMEBREW Q&A
Hop vines pre-
harvest.
Q&A
INASHEFF JOHN PALMER AND JAMIL ZA ONS QUESTIrewe MEBREm W YOUR HO ANSWER r.com/forum andb .beer www on brewer.co or post tion please email it to homebrew@beerand If you have a ques
CHAMPIONS OF BREWING YOUR OWN BEER, JAMIL ZAINASHEFF AND JOHN PALMER SHARE SOME TIPS ON DEVELOPING YOUR OWN RECIPES.
Q
: I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DEVELOP MY OWN RECIPES WITH LEFT OVER INGREDIENTS BUT HAVE GENERALLY MISSED THE MARK. I FEEL LIKE I CAN DO THIS WHEN COOKING BUT BREWING IS FAR LESS FORGIVING! WHAT ADVICE HAVE YOU GOT FOR DEVELOPING YOUR OWN BEER RECIPES?
A
: This is a good question and one that I myself asked when I was getting started. The short answer is that it is simply a matter of experience. But let me explain; you compared it to cooking, and it really is just another type of cooking, such as baking, or grilling. There are
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techniques and ingredients that are particular to brewing beer just as there are to baking cakes or making a good stir-fry. Not to get too lost in the metaphor, but I like to compare beer recipes to making sandwiches. We have all been making sandwiches most of our lives, whether it is peanut butter, ham and cheese or vegemite. We know the limits on additives and condiments when we make sandwiches, don’t we? It is a matter of experience to know that you don’t combine peanut butter and mustard, and that while a little horseradish on a roast beef sandwich is nice, too much ruins it. It is the same with beer recipes. You need to think of a beer recipe like you would a sandwich recipe. The base malt is the bread, it is the main ingredient. The specialty malts are your fillings, and the hops are the condiments, etc. The important thing to realize is that you don’t want to have an unbalanced sandwich, i.e., wafer-thin bread and a kilo of meat and cheese, or peanut butter and banana with lots of horseradish. You need to think about how the flavours combine and compliment one another as well. In some cases, strongly flavoured meats and cheeses need a strongly flavoured bread to support them. In other cases, a less-stronglyflavoured bread is appropriate so that you can provide some contrast to a unique ingredient. If you combine a bit of everything in the refrigerator, do you have a Club sandwich, an Italian Submarine sandwich, or a mess? Everyone likes to think outside the box, but when you do, it really helps understand the box so that you know precisely how far out you are from it. In this respect, beer styles are your friend. Obviously, beer styles are like sandwich styles. You need to understand what the signature characteristics of each malt are, and which styles they are associated with. For example, if you put some leftover roasted barley in what
is otherwise a Belgian Dubbel recipe, it is no longer a Belgian Dubbel. With the right additions and proportions, you can transform that recipe into a Belgian Dark Strong recipe, or a Foreign Extra Stout. If you don’t make the additions with a specific goal or style in mind, you can end up missing both targets, and that is what often happens when new brewers experiment with recipe creation. The proportions are very important as well. Good brewers know that base malt is called base malt for a very good reason – it is most of the beer. Specialty malts should only be added in small amounts. If you look at Jamil’s winning recipes in the book, Brewing Classic Styles, you will see that in most cases the specialty malts constitute only about 10% of the grain bill. A few richer (or very light) styles will have up to 20% of specialty malts or adjuncts, but usually the base malt dominates the recipe. Keep it simple; discretion is the better part of flavour. As a US brewer, I am used to thinking of beer recipes in terms of 5 gallon batches, and half pound or quarter pound specialty malt additions. To put this in real units, it would be a 20 litre batch with 250 gram or 125 gram specialty malt additions. Use the 250 gram additions for signature flavours, like roasted barley in a Stout, or caramel 60L malt in an Amber Ale or other sweet malty style. Use the 125 gram additions for accent flavours, such as black malt in a Porter, or Melanoidin malt in a traditional Bock. Yes, you can add a little of this and a little of that to make it “interesting”, but take a step back and look at the big picture: is the overall beer still in style or has it transformed from a horse of a different colour into a chimera? To summarize: think of brewing like cooking, use your experience with sandwiches to guide you when creating your own recipes for a particular style, and keep your changes and additions simple.