Beer & Brewer 46 Spring 2018 Free Edition by Intermedia Group

BACK IN TIME: HOMEBREWER LOOKS BACK INTO ITS ARCHIVES see page 72 >>>

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EDITOR’S LETTER

PUBLISHED BY Food and Beverage Media 41 Bridge Road GLEBE NSW Australia 2037 Tel: 02 9660 2113 Fax: 02 9660 4419 PUBLISHER Paul Wootton | pwootton@intermedia.com.au

Spring Issue

EDITOR Charlie Whitting | cwhitting@intermedia.com.au ASSISTANT EDITOR Tam Allenby | tallenby@intermedia.com.au CONSULTING EDITOR Ian Kingham HOMEBREWER EDITOR Chris Thomas

Spring is finally here and what a winter we’ve had. The weather has been fantastic

HOMEBREWER TECHNICAL EDITOR Jake Brandish

for us punters, but it has come at a terrible cost to our farmers, who have struggled

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Andrea Diaz | adiaz@intermedia.com.au Tel: 02 8586 6123

ingredients needed for brewing, which we’re exploring on page 38, our industry can

GENERAL MANAGER SALES – LIQUOR & HOSPITALITY GROUP Shane T. Williams GROUP ART DIRECTOR – LIQUOR AND HOSPITALITY Kea Thorburn | kthorburn@intermedia.com.au PHOTOGRAPHERS Simon Taylor Kristoffer Paulsen HEAD OF CIRCULATION Chris Blacklock | cblacklock@intermedia.com.au PRODUCTION MANAGER Jacqui Cooper | jacqui@intermedia.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel: 1800 651 422 | Fax: +61 2 8580 6312 subscribe@beerandbrewer.com | www.shop.beerandbrewer.com Mail: PO Box 55 Glebe NSW 2037 SUBSCRIPTION RATE Australia $79.95 3 years (12 issues) savings $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) Rate in AUD and incl. 10% GST for Australia, excluding GST for NZ and International PRINTING Webstar Sydney DISTRIBUTION Network Services (Aus) & NetLink (NZ), D&D Mailing, Dan Murphy’s, imakes, The Beverage Food Group (VIC) ISSN 1834 5115 DISCLAIMER

This publication is published by Food and Beverage Media (the “Publisher”). Materials in this publication have been created by a variety of different entities and, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher accepts no liability for materials created by others. All materials should be considered protected by Australian and international intellectual property laws. Unless you are authorised by law or the copyright owner to do so, you may not copy any of the materials. The mention of a product or service, person or company in this publication does not indicate the Publisher’s endorsement. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Publisher, its agents, company officers or employees. Any use of the information contained in this publication is at the sole risk of the person using that information. The user should make independent enquiries as to the accuracy of the information before relying on that information. All express or implied terms, conditions, warranties, statements, assurances and representations in relation to the Publisher, its publications and its services are expressly excluded save for those conditions and warranties which must be implied under the laws of any State of Australia or the provisions of Division 2 of Part V of the Trade Practices Act 1974 and any statutory modification or re-enactment thereof. To the extent permitted by law, the Publisher will not be liable for any damages including special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages (including but not limited to economic loss or loss of profit or revenue or loss of opportunity) or indirect loss or damage of any kind arising in contract, tort or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of such loss of profits or damages. While we use our best endeavours to ensure accuracy of the materials we create, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher excludes all liability for loss resulting from any inaccuracies or false or misleading statements that may appear in this publication.

without adequate rainfall. And without the right weather conditions to grow the suffer too. So it has been incredibly heartwarming to see so many breweries across Australia step up to raise money to support their local farms and farmers. Breweries have the chance to become a real cog in their communities, getting involved with local initiatives and really putting their town or area on the map. This issue, we celebrate one of those initiatives - the brewpub. Brewpubs offer a way to reach people on a real level and such is the quality of Australia’s brewpubs that back in 2016 we created a list of our Top 50 Brewpubs. This issue, it’s back (page 26), full of places you’ll want to visit to get beer direct from the source and enjoy it with quality food and pleasant company. We’ve also decided to look back and look forward. Homebrewer editor Chris Thomas has been going through the archives to find some of his first homebrewing books and talking to the people behind that homebrewing revolution decades ago (page 72). But we’ve also explored some of the newest styles that have transformed the brewing landscape in Australia. The rise of the New England IPA, or NEIPA, is one of the latest innovations within the IPA category and has been changing the way that people think about beer entirely (page 18). And while sour beers (page 56) have been made in Europe for centuries, they are truly one of the styles of the season here in Australia. There’s even more for you to enjoy in this bumper issue, so dig in. And remember to keep in touch with us (cwhitting@intermedia.com.au) with your thoughts and suggestions. This is your mag and we love hearing from you. Cheers, Charlie

Find us on... SPRING 2018 3

CONTENTS

inside... Spring 2018

FEATURES 18 IPAs and NEIPAs The IPA has been one of the trailblazers of the craft beer movement, with new incarnations continuing to drive innovation. Luke Robertson takes a look at the latest iteration, the New England IPA

26 Top 50 Brewpubs Our judges have scoured the country for their favourite brewpubs and brewery bars, and come up with some amazing places to drink the freshest beers with the people who made them

HOMEBREWERS 62 Welcome 63 Letters 64 Q&A US correspondent John Palmer is on hand to talk all things sour

66 Jake’s Brew Log Jake Brandish takes the high road tae Scotland as he tries out the Wee Heavy style

68 Lagunitas Homebrewer sits down with Lagunitas founder Tony Magee to chat about his swift journey from homebrewer to pro brewer

50 Cider Cider is back on the agenda as we chat provenance, vintages and apples

58 Brand and Marketing In this modern age, people are looking for a story. Find yours

4 www.beerandbrewer.com

- Peter Walsh

70 Recipes Andrew Childs looks at Behemoth’s Shower Beer can, while we also check out a Hokitika Pale Ale recipe from Gladfield

38 Brewing Ingredients The building blocks of beer have enormous impacts on the finished product. So what’s hot and why?

“It’s an unusual gateway beer for people but it seems to be working.”

72 Old Homebrew recipes Homebrewer goes back to the archives to relive some classics from the old days

77 Coopers Recipe This issue, we look at German IPAs

78 Education

How to level up

REGULARS 6 The Brew

Upcoming events for spring

News

All the latest from the beer making world

12 14 16 80

World News Bits & Bobs New Venues Entertaining - Food

Eat at the Bar - Matt McConnell and Jo Gamvros sample the bar foods of the Med

84 Tasting Notes Our esteemed panel takes a look at sours, goses, barrel-aged beers and loads of new releases

94 Directory 97 A Pint With… We grabbed a beer with brewing legends Kim Jordan and Dick Cantwell at BrewCon 2018

It’s a testament to the strength of the brewpub scene in Australia that compiling the list was such an almighty challenge

SPRING 2018 5

THE BREW

WHAT’S ON

Things to Do This Season OKTOBERWEST INNER WEST BEER FEST Sydney: 6-7 October

Following a sold out debut in 2017, Oktoberwest will return in 2018 ‘beerger’ and better than ever – with the festival expanding to both Saturday and Sunday. Oktoberwest is the official festival of the Inner West Brewery Association, bringing together eight of Sydney’s best breweries: Young Henrys, Willie the Boatman, Wayward, Grifter, Batch, Sauce, Philter and Malt Shovel. It will take place at Marrickville’s Factory Theatre – right in the middle of Sydney’s brewing heartland. The venue will be transformed into a massive beer garden and beer hall. Attendees can expect specialty brews, live music, DJs, games, food trucks and more. Oktoberwest.com.au

SYDNEY BEER WEEK Sydney: 26 October - 4 November

BEER INCIDER EXPERIENCE Brisbane: 21-22 September The fifth annual Beer InCider Experience is set to have Brisbane frothing as over 60 independent breweries line up to share their offerings at Brisbane Showgrounds from Friday 21 September to Saturday 22 September. The beer, cider, music and food festival provides festival goers with an opportunity to sample the goods from local and independent breweries, all while enjoying some of Australia’s favourite musicians – topped off with a tasty food offering. Headliners The Smith Street Band have even brewed their own beer with Fixation Brewing, creating an exclusive ‘Poolside IPA’ especially for the festival. Beer InCider Experience founder Martin Keetels said the tasting event provides Brisbanites with a unique opportunity to enjoy all their favourite things in one location. “The Beer InCider Experience handpicks the best beer, cider, music, art and food to create an epic festival,” says Keetels.

Sydney’s largest celebration of beer will return in 2018, uniting over 7,000 beer lovers for a festival of food, beer, entertainment and culture. After undergoing a rebrand in 2017, the Sydney Beer Week (SBW) team now have a successful year of organising the festival under their belt, and hope to carry that momentum into this year’s edition. Events over the week will be arranged into five streams: Food, Education, Activities, Showcase and Industry. All of the big hits of SBW in previous years will make their return; the SBW Opening Gala will return to The Sydney Maritime Museum, while the hotly-anticipated ‘hair of the dog’ breakfast and the new Sydney Beer Awards will round out the week. Mark the dates in your diary – SBW 2018 is set to be massive. Sydneybeerweek.com.au

ADELAIDE HILLS OKTOBERFEST Mount Barker, SA: 27 October

Punters will not go hungry with Brisbane’s favourite food trucks in attendance dishing up the perfect burger, pizza or BBQ to suit your beverage. Plus, in a Beer InCider first, some of Brisbane’s favourite restaurants will be popping up to serve their most famous dishes. What a day (or if you’re game, two days) out!

Prancing Pony Brewery will host the inaugural Adelaide Hills Oktoberfest at the Newenham in the Adelaide Hills in late October, delivering a traditional and authentic German Oktoberfest. Adelaide Hills is ideally suited to hold Oktoberfest, as the home of South Australian German settlement in 1845. The inaugural festival will be a family friendly affair with music, traditional dancing, beer and of course plenty of German grub. Prancing Pony will also be brewing two traditional German style beers, which will be served in 1-litre steins. “We always wanted to create a festival that has a real authentic feel,” says festival director Corinna Steeb. “In Germany the original Munich Octoberfest attracts over 7 million visitors each year and it is definitely something that people remember for the rest of their lives.”

Beerincider.com

Facebook.com/events/1299038180229247/

Event organisers have released the initial music line up including headline acts The Smith Street Band and Brissy locals The Jungle Giants. Tired Lion, Bad//Dreems, Press Club, Bugs, Bris182 and Sweater Curse are also confirmed. There will be plenty of entertainment to support the main stage including intriguing roaming entertainers, games, and Brisbane’s biggest handball game. Confirmed breweries in attendance for 2018 include Balter, Bridge Road, BentSpoke, Epic Brewing, Hawkers, Green Beacon and Hop Nation. There will also be Meet the Brewer sessions as well as a Brewer Stage – presented by Aether Brewing – with a program of Q&As and lively debates on the cards.

6 www.beerandbrewer.com

CHEERS FEST Sydney: 3-4 November

Dive into the Cheers Festival atmosphere and explore over 200 delicious craft beers and ciders created by the top independent breweries from Australia and New Zealand. Each of these breweries tells a story through their creative beer-crafting talents and together they will present punters with a vast array of different styles of craft beer and cider to share and enjoy over the two day bonanza. The brewery line-up is ideal for both craft beer lovers and those curious to learn more about craft beer – so why not bring along a friend you’re trying to convert to your crafty ways! Foodies will also love the mouth-watering food and beer pairing options, combining amazing food and awesome craft beer. Get around it. Cheersfest.com

BITTER & TWISTED BOUTIQUE BEER FESTIVAL Maitland, NSW: 3-4 November

Is there a better way to spend a day with mates than listening to good music, drinking some of Australia’s best brews, and chowing down on delicious street food – all in the grounds of a former maximum security prison? Probably not. The popular Bitter & Twisted festival is back again this year, returning with its winning combination in early November. In addition to beers, food and music, Uncle Shep’s Emporium of the Strange will also make a comeback in 2018, featuring a cast of some of Australia’s best street performers on one stage. There’s a number of different ticketing options for you to choose from to ensure you make the most of the weekend. Bitterandtwisted.com.au

Bitter & Twisted Boutique Beer Festival

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www.beerandbrewer.com SPRING 2018 7

BREWCON 2018

BrewCon Conference Image credit: Independent Brewers Association

BrewCon 2018 BREWCON, THE NEW NAME OF THE AUSTRALIAN CRAFT BREWERS CONFERENCE, RECENTLY TOOK PLACE IN SYDNEY, WITH KIM JORDAN (CO-FOUNDER OF NEW BELGIUM) THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER. BEER & BREWER’S TAM ALLENBY WAS THERE TO COVER ALL THE ACTION.

ne of the pioneers of the

can only borrow it or buy it. Jorge Paulo Lemann

craft brewing industry in

of 3G Capital, the owner of AB InBev, said: ‘I’ve

the US has high praise for

been living in this cosy world of brands and

the Independent Brewers

big volumes’. He admitted that craft beer had

Association (IBA) and

took him by surprise and added: ‘in an age of

its Seal of Independence,

disruption, I’m a terrified dinosaur’.

describing it as a way to “terrify the dinosaur” of big beer. Kim Jordan, the co-founder and former CEO

“We need to continue to terrify the dinosaur. I think the Independence Seal, the coming together as a community of

of New Belgium, was the keynote speaker at the

independent brewers, is really important to

2018 edition of the IBA’s annual conference,

our future – and our success as a collective.”

BrewCon, held in Sydney in late June. In a wide-ranging address, Jordan spoke

Jordan also stressed the importance of cooperation and a shared vision when dealing

about her nearly 30 years of experience in

with legislative and regulatory bodies, as

the beer world, how the beer landscape

well as the press – especially given the small

has changed, and the value of remaining

market share of independent beer in Australia.

independent in an age of buy-outs and acquisitions.

“When you do really fresh, cool and innovative kinds of things, your brethren

“We possess incredible stories as

benefit from that because you all own

independent brewers; our community

this collective brand called ‘Australian

involvement, our iconoclastic nature. We’re

Independent Craft Brewers’,” she added.

amazing touchstones, we support a lot of

“Conversely, when you do things that are

varied causes and events and commitments

questionable, that also affects the brand.”

to all kinds of interesting business practices,

As the industry grows, Jordan also noted

and not to mention our distinct facial hair –

that the level of pressure it faces is likely

we’re intriguing in so many ways.

to increase too, with brewery buy outs, hop

“And the big brewers can’t own that, they

8 www.beerandbrewer.com

shortages, competition for tap contracts, and

Other news from BrewCon IBA targets 15 percent of Australian beer market: “Our big, very audacious goal – of course the biggest risk to this one is merger and acquisition activity – is to get to 15 percent of market share of total beer by 2025,” said Ben Kooyman, IBA board chair and founder of Endeavour Brewing Co, in his State of the Industry address. The recently launched Seal of Independence: “There was obviously the massive launch of [the Independence Seal] in May, but it’s a long-term drive,” Kooyman explained. “This is a sustained campaign, it wasn’t just a one-off and something we’ll use now and change next year – this is our seal and this is what we live and die by.” Where independent brewers sit: “Independent brewers make up 97 percent of the number of brewers in the country, but you’re only producing – by volume – just over two percent,” said Marcella Merck, managing director of the Amber River Group. “The IRi data shows us that ‘craft’ beer as a segment, by retail output, makes up 9 percent of retail dollars. Within that segment, independents sit at just over two percent. What it doesn’t show you though, is that independent brewers specifically are driving 27 percent of growth within the craft segment itself. It’s not just the big brands – the big brands aren’t able to grow at the same level as you guys.” Other future ‘deliverables’ for the IBA include looking into the launch of the first annual ‘National Independent Beer Week’, and further lobbying with the ACCC to push for fairer market access for indie brewers.

intellectual property issues (when

“Make sure you have a sensory

naming a beer) highlighted as

team, and make sure you’re

potential flashpoints for conflict.

evaluating your beers,” she told

“I encourage you to pick up the

the audience. “These beers are your

phone, have a conversation that’s

babies and they’re all beautiful,

focused on best outcomes for

but have someone who will tell you

everyone involved and keep the

which babies are uglier than others

collegiality and conviviality high

because that’s an important part

in the process, because it’s kind of

of becoming better brewers. Your

like when your friends get a divorce

customers are still younger to this

– you don’t really want to hear

than ours in the US… but I think

about all the stuff that went on,

that at the same time they will get

you just want to go back to having

more sophisticated and begin to

fun – and it’s the same for our beer

discern the good, the bad and the

drinking customers,” she said.

ugly, and that affects all of us.”

A genuine concern for beer

Another piece of practical

quality – as “not only table stakes,

advice from by Jordan was

but part of our collective legacy” –

specifically budgeting for bad and

was also raised as a critical factor

out-of-date beer.

in the growth of the independent brewing industry in Australia. “Step one is to know your beers:

“We make a living food, and we need to be able to be honest and free ourselves up to admit that

do you have written flavour profile

sometimes you have to pull a beer.”

standards for all of your beers? Do

The prevailing tone of Jordan’s

you know what the shelf life of

address was one of optimism,

your beer is, if stored in optimal

the New Belgium co-founder

conditions, but what about in

commenting: “It’s easy to forget

suboptimal conditions?

– as your industry grows, with all

As an example, Jordan explained

the legislative and commercial

that every beer produced by New

stuff to be done – that we are the

Belgium is tasted and analysed

newest inhabitants of a long line

at least 25 times throughout

of artisans.

the brewing process – from raw

2018 Indies Mismatch Brewing Image credit: Independent Brewers Association

Mismatch triumphs at inaugural Indies Mismatch Brewing Co’s Lager was named Champion Beer at the inaugural Indies held at Paddington Town Hall in Sydney in late June. Formerly known as the Australian Craft Beer Awards, the Indies are a celebration of the very best in Australian independent brewing. In order to win, Mismatch Lager had to beat a total of 756 entries – the largest number of entries in the awards yet – of which 443 were draught and 313 were packaged. The other Champion Trophy award winners for 2018 were: Pale Ale: Philter Brewing XPA Amber/Dark Ale: Dainton Brewery Red Eye Rye Porter/Stout: The Grifter Brewing Co Omen Hybrid Beer: Modus Operandi Brewing Vanilla Mocha Stout Lager: Mismatch Brewing Co Lager India Pale Ale: Modus Operandi Brewing #Gainz European-Style Ale: BlackFont Brewhouse Saison de Ville Session Beer: Moffat Beach Brewing Co Social Jam Mid Strength Pale Strong Beer: Boatrocker Brewing Co Ramjet Mixed Culture Beer: Boatrocker Brewing Co Daddy Koel

“It’s an honour to do that

materials through to the finished

and we should give it our very

product pouring from the tap.

best attention.”

Kim Jordan Image credit: Independent Brewers Association

Made in the Adelaide Hills, Mismatch’s Lager is inspired by the great Helles-style beers of Germany, and Munich in particular. A smooth drinkable beer, it celebrates the famed Hallertau hops. Mismatch’s Owen Lyons was very surprised by his two wins, having also won the Lager category, and described the feeling as “humbling”. “It’s just amazing that someone appreciates the fact that we can brew a clean, crisp lager – I’m a bit lost for words,” he told Beer & Brewer. “We make hoppy beers, we make sour beers, we make lager – our approach is to try and make every beer, which not every brewery does. Our lager is a Helles lager, but we’re a craft brewery so it’s tailored towards the palate of our consumers.” The Independent Brewery — Large award went to Modus Operandi Brewing. The Independent Brewery — Medium award went to Boatrocker Brewing Co, while the Independent Brewery — Small award was won by Moffat Beach Brewing. Mountain Goat co-founder Dave Bonighton was bestowed with the IBA Services to the Industry award, recognised in a speech by Two Birds’ Jayne Lewis for his years of service and dedication to the craft brewing scene. In a further reflection of the continued dominance of pale ale, 179 of the entries were in this style; 14 were awarded a gold medal, 42 a silver and 70 a bronze. Lager (114) and IPA (103) also received a high number of entries.

SPRING 2018 9

NEWS

RED TAPE CUT FOR SYDNEY’S INNER WEST BREWERIES Craft breweries in Sydney’s inner west will be allowed to trade like bars in a trial that could be expanded across NSW, Minister for Racing Paul Toole has announced. “Microbreweries are currently only allowed to offer tastings, unless they obtain a special ‘drink on premises’ authorisation, as well as council approval,” Toole said. “This trial will cut red tape and allow beer lovers to enjoy more of their favourite drop.” The news was received warmly by the independent brewing industry at the Independent Brewers Association’s (IBA) annual conference, BrewCon, which took place from 26-28 June. “There’s going to be a new category of liquor licence created strictly for microbreweries,” Peter Philip, Wayward founder and IBA board member, told those gathered. “It’s going to make setting up a taproom much, much easier and much more sensible, and should streamline things for NSW breweries.” The trial will run for 12 months in the Inner West Council area, which has the highest density of microbreweries in the country. The new type of liquor authorization, with streamlined approval, will be trialled; conditions include a patron limit of 100 and a requirement to make food available. “The rising popularity of boutique and craft beers, ciders, spirits and liqueurs is creating new demand for enjoying drinks produced on the premises,” Toole said. “A lot of people like the concept of being able to sample high quality locally made drinks and speak directly with the passionate experts who produce them.”

Brick Lane’s Billy Slater and Paul Bowker

BRICK LANE OPENS BREWERY FOR SMALLER BREWERS IN DANDELONG Brick Lane has opened a brewery in Dandenong, which will offer

The trial will also apply to producers of spirits, liqueurs and cider.

smaller brewers the opportunity to use its facilities to create their

“Microbreweries don’t neatly fit into traditional liquor licence

own beers.

categories, so there’s a need to develop a new model suited to

Under head brewer Jon Selton – who previously worked at Bright

them,” Toole added. “If successful, we could see red tape cut for

Brewery and Hawkers Beer – the brewhouse is the first in Australia to

microbreweries across NSW, helping create new small business

adopt new crossflow filtration technology from Pall, which is expected

opportunities and entertainment options.”

to reduce energy and water usage, improve beer quality and eliminate the need to use filtration aids like diatomaceous earth. The brewery has also incorporated an efficient vapour condenser, which reclaims energy from steam produced during the brewing process. Brewers at the new facility will be able to produce the equivalent of over 100,000 pints of beer each day. Brick Lane will employ 60 workers at the brewhouse, producing 10,000 bottles and 15,000 cans per hour. “We wanted to give breweries the opportunity to bring their wonderful beers to a wider national and international audience,” says Selton. “We are excited about working with some of the wonderful, talented and creative brewers out there to get more of their beers out there into the world. The brewhouse will initially be open to the public one weekend each month. “Bringing the brewery to Dandenong has allowed us the space and freedom to build a world- class, independent brewery from the ground up,” says founder and managing director Paul Bowker. “We have a strong focus on the local community and we are working closely with businesses in the area. We’ll be opening a tap room to the public and we also have space to host some great events and festivals at the brewery.”

10 www.beerandbrewer.com

(l-r) Anton Szpitalak and Matt Bebe

Tribe and Mornington form partnership Tribe Breweries has joined with Mornington

look at what we needed to do to invest

journey. To have Matt in the business is

Peninsula Brewery through a partnership

further. Joining Tribe is a great decision for

amazing; he’s immensely respected in the

structure.

Mornington as we can have our cake and

industry, he’s passionate about beer and

eat it too; continue to be both local and

he’s a great guy.

Matt Bebe, co-founder and CEO of Mornington, has become a shareholder at

independent, while also part of a larger

Tribe and will remain at the helm of the team,

collective group that can provide benefits

We’re cutting that path ourselves. The

with all Mornington employees continuing in

across the board. We are very proud of what

next six months are critical - we’ve got a

their current roles.

we have achieved at Mornington and being

brewery opening in Goulburn, there’s the

a part of Tribe enables us to realise our

international work we’re doing, and looking

potential and future aspirations.”

at how we can grow Mornington’s part of the

The partnership will increase Mornington’s brewing capacity, allowing it to create more new brews more rapidly.

“We’d been working with Mornington

“There’s not really a rulebook here.

partnership. It’s very organic.”

For the moment, all Mornington beer will

as a partner brewer, so we knew the team

continue to be brewed at the Mornington

and they knew us,” says Anton Szpitalak,

Matso’s and they’re still indie, same with

“If you look at Gage Road, they’ve bought

Brewery, with Tribe ready to step in and

co-founder and CEO of Tribe Breweries.

Stone & Wood and Fixation,” adds Bebe. “You

lend its brewing capacity should more beer

“They were looking for that next step. We

need to have that economy of scale, you need

be required.

started to look more seriously at what a

that distribution footprint, you need those

“Over the last year, we maxed out

marriage might look like and then we had

things to reach potential. By joining with

our brewery, but wanted to continue on

a conversation. Critical to the process was

other breweries, there’s a lot of leverage from

the journey,” says Bebe. “We needed to

that Matt really wanted to continue on the

both sides.”

SPRING 2018 11

WORLD NEWS

World News WHAT’S MAKING HEADLINES IN THE WORLD OF BEER?

12 www.beerandbrewer.com

Sweden

WOULD YOU TRY A SEWAGE BEER? A new beer made from recycled sewage water was recently released in Sweden in an effort to highlight sustainable water management practices. The Swedish Environmental Research Institute teamed up with craft brewery Nya Carnegie Bryggeriet and Carslberg Sweden to create PU:REST, a German-style pilsner that clocks in at 4.8% ABV. The water used to brew the beer has been through a long process of purification and testing to ensure it is safe for human consumption.

Scotland

Canada

DILDO BREWING COMPANY OPEN FOR BUSINESS The town of Dildo in Newfoundland, Canada, now has its own brewery. Sharing the same building as the town’s museum (called the Dildo Museum, obviously), the brewery opened in early July with four beers: Red Rocks Ale, Blonde ‘Roots’ 80 Blonde Ale, I’se da bye PA IPA, and the – ahem – Stout Dildo Irish Stout. “We’re going to play with that a little bit and we’ll have some interesting names on our beers,” said co-owner Angela Reid.

South Africa

150-YEAR-OLD SHIPWRECK BEER RETURNS HOME

AFRICA’S FIRST CARBON-NEUTRAL BREWERY

A bottle of beer from a Scottish brewery found at a shipwreck near Adelaide will return to the place it was brewed, 150 years later. Diver Jim Anderson discovered the bottle in the 70s while diving near the ship the Light of the Age, which sank in 1868. Anderson forgot about the bottle until the 2000s, when he first attempted to contact the brewery. It wasn’t until this year that he tried again and received a response from Wellpark Brewery Museum, where the bottle will now be stored.

Darling Brewery in Cape Town is the first brewery on the African continent to go carbon-neutral. The brewery first reduced its carbon footprint through water and energy efficient practices, then brought it to down to zero by purchasing carbon credits for a reforestation project in neighbouring Zimbabwe. Darling Brewery’s actions come after a record drought in Cape Town, which saw extreme water rationing and fears of a ‘Day Zero’ when the taps would literally run dry.

Finland

PUTIN AND TRUMP FACE OFF ON BEER LABEL Finnish brewery Rock Paper Scissors marked the momentous (and bizarre) meeting between Russian president Vladimir Putin and US president Donald Trump in Helsinki with a limited edition beer. 10,000 bottles of the dry-hopped lager ‘Let’s Settle This Like Adults’ were produced, featuring the two leaders facing off in a game of rock, paper, scissors. “Playing rock, paper, scissors... we have always solved all kinds of problems,” RPS Brewing CEO Samuli Huuhtanen said.

Germany

THE COUNTRY WITH NO BEER (BOTTLES) The summer heatwave across Europe caused a particularly grim problem in Germany, where the country’s brewers were concerned about running out of beer bottles. Unlike many other beer-loving nations, Germans rarely drink their beer out of cans; instead, they pay a small deposit on bottles, which is refunded when the bottles are returned. The oppressive heat simply discouraged people from bringing their bottles back in, which led to widespread shortages in the country.

Greece

DIRECTORS OF HEINEKEN’S GREEK SUBSIDIARY FOUND GUILTY Two former executive directors of Heineken’s subsidiary in Greece, Athenian Brewery S.A., were found guilty of orchestrating anticompetitive market abuse in June. Each received a fine of 80,000 euros. Both executives had broken Greek law on free competition by authorising exclusivity agreements and other exclusionary policies, thus distorting the market in an abuse of Athenian Brewery’s dominant position in Greece.

Japan

AB INBEV MAKES PUSH INTO JAPANESE MARKET The world’s largest brewery AB InBev will soon take sales of Budweiser in Japan back into its own hands. Kirin Brewery has produced and sold Budweiser in Japan since 1993, a licensing partnership which will be cancelled in 2019. Under the new arrangement, AB InBev’s Japanese team will import and sell Budweiser – which enjoys a global market share of around 2.5% – at a time when the domestic beer market in Japan continues to shrink.

SPRING 2018 13

BITS BOBS

1. BREWERY BOX BREWERY SHIRT CLUB 1

Everyone’s heard of beer clubs – you might even be part of one yourself. But a beer shirt club? That’s new. Brewery Box features a new brewery shirt each month, from every state in Australia. The club started off on 1 June with Sydney breweries (see Frenchies, pictured), but breweries from Victoria and Queensland will feature in the near future. It’s certainly an affordable way to grow your craft beer wardrobe, but wait – there’s more! Beyond the T-shirt, the box also comes complete with stickers, beer coupons and a brief write-up about the brewery too. Brewerybox.com.au RRP $39 (per month, includes shipping)

6. GROWLERWERKS

2. KEG BOTTLE CAN

These extremely well designed and built kegs, with their steampunk design, hail from the GrowlerWerks team in Portland, Oregon, and are something unique you could take to parties, BBQs, fishing trips and more as a clear conversation starter. Sizes (and prices) range 6 from 1.8 to 3.5 litres; the beer stays pressurised in the device for two weeks, and it’s easy to fill – with a nifty little tap to pour. It’s also got uses beyond beer: the keg also works for sparkling wine, cocktails, sangria and even nitro coffee.

Hot off the press! With more than 400 breweries (and counting) in Australia, it is safe to say that we are a beer-loving nation. In Keg Bottle Can, frequent Beer & Brewer contributor Luke Robertson profiles 150 of the best well-made beers from around the country, and shares some extra recommendations for each brewery as well. Rather than break it down by types of beer, Luke has divided the beers into occasions. There are everyday thirst quenchers, beers to enjoy over a barbecue, in front of the fire or with dinner, beers to keep for later or to impress your friends, and beers to enjoy in the brewery. Hardiegrantgift.com.au RRP $29.99

Gallantoro.com/collections/growlerwerks RRP $220-340

3. BREWING ECLECTIC IPA

IPA is the leading craft beer style in the US, and the new release from Brewers Publications, Brewing Eclectic IPA: Pushing the Boundaries of India Pale Ale by Dick Cantwell, explores the style’s evolution, provides guidance for designing unique beers, and 25 original IPA recipes. Among the most well respected and experienced craft brewers in the world, Cantwell – co-founder of Elysian Brewing Company – provides scores of tips and methods for firsttime brewers and beer veterans alike to concoct a delectable brew, and shares the story of how and why the proliferation of American IPA came to be.

Booktopia.com.au RRP $26.25

5. THE GLENLIVET CODE The Glenlivet Code is the second whisky in the distillery’s portfolio to be introduced without cask information or tasting notes. You are encouraged to scan a code on the back of the bottle using the app Shazam to enter an ‘interactive tasting experience’. Here, players select four aromas for the nose, four flavours for the palate and the intensity of each – choosing from thousands of possible combinations. Drinkers are given a score based on how well their choices match the notes of Glenlivet master distiller Alan Winchester, and ranked on a global leader board. The official tasting notes will be released at the end of 2018. Only 2,000 bottles are available in Australia.

4. COUCH COASTER BEER HOLDER

Danmurphys.com.au

This is the ultimate drink holder for your sofa, couch, armchair or recliner. One-size-fits-all, the Couch Coaster is made of weighted silicone with a tacky base and wraps over the arm of the sofa, preventing spills and keeping your beer (or anything other liquid you might be imbibing) within easy reach. Coffee tables are so last spring.

RRP $220

Yellowoctopus.com.au RRP 29.99

14 www.beerandbrewer.com

Have you seen Beer & Brewer online?

For the latest news, upcoming events and happenings in the world of beer check out...

www.beerandbrewer.com

NEW VENUES

HOP COCKTAILS, BEER INFUSION AND MORE Stockade Brew Co recently opened the doors to its new brewery and bar

hops with the end product.” Stockade is also making use of the

in Marrickville, debuting with a range

Dogfish Head-patented ‘Randall’ device

of unique hop-infused cocktails and

in the bar. According to Cocks, they’re the

an exciting beer infusion device to

only ones using the Dogfish Head version

supplement the beer selection.

in Australia.

In addition to its core range of beers

The device was invented to infuse and

and popular limited edition brews like

impart the taste and aroma of fresh hops

The Mountie, Stockade is serving several

into a beer as it comes out of the tap. The

cocktails that are not only inspired by

first chamber is filled with fruit, spices,

hops – drawing on their flavour and aroma

or fresh hops, while a second chamber

characteristics of citrus, pine and floral

diffuses any foam generated by the first

notes – but are made using them, infusing

chamber; an outer tube also holds ice to

raw spirits with hop pellets to create

keep the beer cold.

bespoke, hop-infused liquids. “The idea is to incorporate the hops that

“It’s all about taking a base beer and doing something really experimental and creative

we use in our beers into the cocktails,”

with it,” explains Cocks. “We’ve already run

Jonni Cocks, venue manager at Stockade,

a wheat beer through it with hibiscus in the

told Beer & Brewer.

first chamber, imparting a really nice sour

“After some experimentation we’ve

tang; pineapple and lime in the chamber

decided to use hop pellets… we take the gin

paired with our pale ale, and more recently

and vodka, wrap the pellets up in a coffee

we ran our Hop Splicer Grapefruit XPA

filter, tie it all up with string and then it sits

through the Randall with extra grapefruit

in there for about three days, infusing and

– which was fantastic, adding a really

taking on the colour of the hops.

beautiful, fresh hit of grapefruit.”

“For our gin we’ve used El Dorado and

On the food front, Stockade Brew Co

Galaxy hops, and in the vodka we use a

has created a monthly changing line-

Mosaic hop. Eventually we’ll get into some

up of collaborations, with Baby Rey’s

bigger stuff because we’re getting our own

burgers, pan-Asian BBQ truck Tsuru,

still, so we’ll be able to undertake this

Grease’n’Grind burgers, and La Raza

process in the raw stages of making our

Mexican Cantina all featuring over the

own gins and vodkas, rather than infusing

barrel room’s opening months.

16 www.beerandbrewer.com

Stockade Barrel Room: 25 Cadogan St, Marrickville NSW 2204

TOTALLY WILD The Taphouse in Sydney’s Darlinghurst has opened a new bar dedicated to wild ale. Located on the middle floor of its current venue on Flinders Street, the bar is called Odd Culture in reference to the concept, which focuses on beers made through wild fermentation with minimum intervention. There are 20 taps in total, with eight of them dedicated to wild ale. The other 12 taps offer pale ales, IPAs and the like, while the wine list focuses on natural wines. “The idea was formed before I came on board,” says Jordan Blackman, Odd Culture’s bar manager. “I applied because I saw it and it’s what I love to drink. It’s the main thing that we all like to drink. It’s the perfect excuse to open a bar like this. If you have a passion for it and you can open it up to your guests that’s great. “It’s where the industry is going and what people are asking for. Wildflower and Two Metre Tall are the two most well-known in Australia. There’s bigger demand for it and now the product is out there it’s going bananas. For us to be able to focus on that and do it properly is great. We can hone in on that and specialise. “We’re talking with Topher [Boehm at Wildflower]. We want to brew something exclusive for our venue. It takes a lot of time with the nature of these beers – three to six months at least. Once we get the bar off the ground and ticking along nicely, we’ll do it.” Odd Culture will also have a separate food menu, with four cheeses that will change as time goes on. There will be lots of tinned seafood from Spain – sardines, mussels, octopus – and there will also be a regularly changing cured meat menu, as well as a few other dishes separate from the Taphouse menu. Odd Culture aims to have the biggest wild ale bottle list this side of the globe, or at least this side of Australia. The venue will also host a fortnightly educational ‘meet the winemaker/brewer’ program to showcase a wide range of brands and encourage organic conversation about the natural movement. “We’ve found that guests are much more discerning with what they drink, which is a fantastic thing to see for the craft beer and natural wine movement, and has changed the landscape for the better,” adds James Thorpe, co-owner of The Taphouse. “People are actively searching for quality products, principles and producers they can get behind, and want to be proud of what they drink. There’s so much quality and variety now because we care

Odd Culture at The Taphouse: 122 Flinders St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010

a lot more about what we’re drinking and where it comes from.”

SPRING 2018 17

The Market NEIPA from Hop Nation

IPAS AND NEIPAS

The IPA is Evolving THE IPA WAS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE CRAFT BEER REVOLUTION, EMBRACING AND DRIVING INNOVATION AND EXPERIMENTATION. THIS MAKES IT THE PERFECT LAUNCHPAD FOR NEW STYLES, ACCORDING TO LUKE ROBERTSON

18â&#x20AC;&#x192; www.beerandbrewer.com

IPAS AND NEIPAS

ook at taplists and in

the IPA world is that its intense bitter

fridges around the

flavours can be a little confronting for

country and the influence

some palates. Brewers are finding the

of what have become

new approach in NEIPAs to be more

known as New England

friendly and a base for familiar flavours.

IPAs is immediately

In Adelaide, Big Shed Brewing Concern

evident. The style that often comes

recently re-made its GABS 2018 beer

with tags like ‘hazy’ and ‘juicy’ is

Boozy Fruit. It’s inspired by Frosty

predominantly all about amping up the

Fruit ice blocks that the brewers were

fruity flavours of New World hops and

enjoying on a hot day at a brewery. They

lowering the bitterness.

decided it might be a fun flavour to try

In the last few years, regional New

to recreate in a beer, and that the New

England and particularly Vermont-

England style was the perfect launching

based breweries in the USA – like The

pad. Co-founder Craig Basford says the

Alchemist and Hill Farmstead – became

tropical fruit and “big juicy fruitiness”

known for their unique, low bitterness

aspects of the style really appeal to him.

IPAs that were almost the exact opposite

“That lack of bitterness probably

of the West Coast IPA style that had been

makes it more accessible to people who

dominating the hop-driven beer segment

aren’t into that sort of thing,” he says.

for years. It didn’t take long before they

“You almost can’t get more hop aroma

were being made here in Australia and

in them, so you button off the bitterness

it seems like more brewers are jumping

a bit and let that hop flavour sing. That’s

aboard the NEIPA train daily.

why I guess people love it, and that’s

Ian Watson, brewer at Slipstream Brewing Co. in Queensland, has been experimenting with the style since 2016 when he made a small batch at Fortitude Brewing. He had seen the style take off in the US and wanted to have a crack at it himself. He called his The Senator,

why I enjoy drinking them.”

“YOU ALMOST CAN’T GET MORE HOP AROMA IN THEM, SO YOU BUTTON OFF THE BITTERNESS A BIT AND LET THAT HOP FLAVOUR SING”

after Senator Bernie Sanders, who has been photographed proudly holding

From a consumer standpoint, Chris

cans of the Alchemist’s flagship IPA

Menichelli from Melbourne’s Slowbeer

Heady Topper. However, Watson says

bottle shop says the fruit flavours in the

low bitterness, fruity IPAs have been

style really appeal to drinkers new and

something he’s played with since before

old. He’s been running a specialty bottle

then. While at Murray’s Brewing, he

shop for over a decade and in that time

says, their 2010 release – Big Wednesday

has found bitterness, whether from hops

IPA – with its hopping schedule that

or from dark malt, to be the big decider

was 100% flavouring hops (late in the

if people like or dislike a beer.

brewing process), rather than a usual

“[They are] big fruit forward, creamy

bittering addition (earlier in the brewing

and rounded, and without that big

process), was quite close to what we

bitterness of a West Coast IPA, so in

consider a New England IPA now.

that respect people love them,” he says.

“We got criticised,” he recalls. “The first time we released it we called it an IPA but people were saying it’s not an

“You get that big fruit hit, but you don’t get that dry bitterness.” Bodriggy Brewing, also in Melbourne,

IPA, so the next time we released it we

has recently commissioned a new

called it a Pale Ale. I’m not saying it

brewhouse and their Cosmic Microwave

broke new ground, there was probably

NEIPA was one of the first beers they

someone else doing something similar

put through it. Co-owner Peter Walsh

and experimental too.”

also thinks it’s a great gateway style for people who aren’t really familiar with

GATEWAY IPAS? One of the problems with the West Coast approach that has been dominant in

big, hoppy beer. “It’s an unusual fit for a lot of people,” Walsh says. “The mellowness of the

SPRING 2018 19

UTE

BEER TESTING

•

Boozy Fruit from Big Shed

IPAS AND NEIPAS

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ESSEN

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mouthfeel is more approachable for someone that hasn’t drunk a lot of craft before. It’s an unusual gateway beer for people but it seems to be working.”

RETHINKING THE PROCESS Big Shed’s core-range IPA is very much in that West Coast style. It is a clear, amber coloured beer with prominent malt presence, but also intense pine and citrus flavours, and of course a big bitter finish. “We spent the last five years trying to run a brewery to get nice clean bright beer, then this thing happens and we’re trying to make them the exact opposite of everything we’ve ever known,” Basford says. A big factor in the juicy flavours and soft mouthfeel is the combination of yeast and hops. In the past, IPAs were generally made with clean, highly flocculent yeast that doesn’t impact the finished beer. The thinking behind NEIPA is to keep hop oils in suspension, where they then interact with the yeast in a ‘biotransformation’ process. The science behind that is still murky (pun intended) but brewers

vintessential.com.au/beer

are exploring specific strains of yeast,

Food Dessert and IPA are a surprising combination. The bitterness of the West Coast influenced IPA is usually offset by sweet malt. Carrot Cake has been a classic brewers’ match for the style and can be a nice surprise for your dinner guests. Quiet Deeds have found a lot its customers are loving Juice Train IPA with desserts too, while Bodriggy recommends sticky ribs, but Walsh says maybe the style just isn’t built for food. “What would you match to a vodka and orange juice, you know? You just drink it.”

IPAS AND NEIPAS

Beyond fruit Adding fruit into IPAs is nothing new. Brewers have been amping up the pine and citrus flavours for years with all sorts of fruit additions. However NEIPA has created entirely new territory for brewers. Big Shed’s Boozy Fruit goes all in with lactose (milk sugar that increases mouthfeel) and a bit of tropical fruit essence. Basford says he wanted a big hit of almost “artificial” aroma. For GABS 2018, Slipstream did a Parfait IPA. That had lactose, unmalted grain, and a bunch of mixed fruit chucked in. They also served it on nitrogen to give it an even creamier mouthfeel.

particularly English Ale yeast, to increase the interaction. At Slipstream, Watson uses their house ale yeast in their G-Force IPA and he’s yet to be entirely sold on the biotransformation process. “There is some mystery and mystique that’s put around New England IPA, some of which I’m just not sure of,” he says. “Everyone seems to talk about different aspects of what biotransformation is to them, and I’m yet to be fully convinced on that, or have someone give me something definitive in scientific terms.” He uses a portion of unmalted wheat to aid the haziness and soft mouthfeel, along with fruity hops. At Big Shed, Basford also admits he doesn’t completely understand the science but he’s not too worried about that. He says they’ve found in the past that yeast thrown away from the bottom of their standard IPAs and hoppy beers still had loads

Ian Watson at Slipstream

of hop aroma, so to him the idea of keeping yeast in suspension in order to not lose flavour from the beer makes sense. He says it “may look worse, but you actually get more of that hop punch”.

VOLATILITY Freshness has always been king in IPAs. While the style has its roots in Great Britain colonial exporting, where extra hops were used to provide more stability and longer lasting flavour, the modern IPA was born in the West Coast of the US, and with the amount of hops added, brewers implore that “fresh is best”. With an increased focus on ‘Best Before’ and ‘Packaged On’ dates in the industry, the fresh is best mantra is becoming key to marketing hoppy styles. The NEIPA has presented a new challenge, however. With extra volatility from not only the hops, but the increased protein and starches in the haze, some breweries have found their products may not be as shelf stable as other IPAs.

Juice Train by Quiet Deeds

IPAS AND NEIPAS

At Quiet Deeds in Melbourne, co-founder Patrick Alé says in a recent batch of their Juice Train IPA they were getting reports of dark brown beer, rather than the bright orange haze that the beer should be. “We were surprised when we got that feedback initially and it’s been pretty random because you’d get a four pack and you might find one of the cans was a darker colour,” he says. “Even though the flavour, interestingly enough, was pretty similar.” He believes it’s a result of dissolved oxygen. While they were already trying to get it as low as possible in the finished product, he believes they need to work harder to make sure it’s a stable product on the shelf. The other concern he has is storage once it leaves the brewery. “It needs to be cold stored as much as possible, right the way through,” he says. “It’s going to be interesting to see when we get into summer again. With some retailers, they don’t treat their beer as well as they should and I’m pretty nervous about that.” At Slowbeer, Menichelli isn’t too concerned, as the style continues to fly off the shelf, a testament to the popularity of this style and perhaps a proof that it will go on to be more than a passing phase. “In terms of deterioration they’re not really on the shelf that long for that to happen,” he says. And that’s something echoed by Basford at Big Shed. The first day they packaged Boozy Fruit, it was sold out within four hours.

Bubble & Squeak from Sauce Brewing

What’s in a name? It seems the industry has settled on calling the new style “New England IPA”, while some brewers in Vermont have moved to protect the “Vermont” term to prevent breweries using the region as marketing. Watson says he calls his Vermont-style but isn’t really sure on what they should be called. “Maybe we should call it hazy IPA or something now. We don’t mention New England anywhere on G-Force,” he says, adding he thinks that the New England tag has become synonymous with the more esoteric versions. “Because it’s seen that New England IPA was taking another turn and people were adding pectins or starches and making it look really murky… But hey, it’s fun to drink.”

Also Try Australian Pale Ales – You’ve probably had many of these before, but beers like Stone & Wood’s Pacific Ale, and even Coopers Sparkling and Pale Ales share some fruit, yeast and cloudy characteristics with the NEIPA, just without the intense juice and higher alcohol. Brut IPA – This is even newer than New England in the beer world. It’s the US West Coast’s answer to the New England style. It has a low bitterness and uses enzymes to dry out the body. Expect to see a lot of this in the summertime, with brewers referring to it as “hop champagne”. Hop Nation’s Jedi Juice

22 www.beerandbrewer.com

WHERE PAS SIO

MALT M

PRECISION

Signature Malt is a no-compromise malt designed from start to finish specifically for Australian craft breweries. It starts by selecting the best barley in the country from the best performing region. Brewers will enjoy benefits like: · TRACEABILITY · CONSISTENCY · PERFORMANCE · AVAILABILITY

Now available across Australia via Bintani Warehouses.

With 160 years of experience and malthouses in five states, Joe White is perfectly placed to bring the Signature Malt concept to life. They have the right facilities and personnel in position to turn Australia’s best barley into Australia’s best malt.

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IPAS AND NEIPAS

The changing faces of IPAs THE IDEA OF THE IPA WAS REVOLUTIONISED BY THE CRAFT BEER MOVEMENT YEARS AGO, SPAWNING A WHOLE RANGE OF DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF THE STYLE. THE NEW ENGLAND IPA (NEIPA) IS THE LATEST IN A LONG LINE OF INNOVATIVE APPROACHES

THE OTHER IPA STYLES The English IPA This is the original format of the style, the one from which all others have evolved. Originally, the beer would have been heavily hopped to preserve it on the long sea trip from Great Britain to India. The English hops used give a grassy, earthy taste accompanied with occasional bursts of citrus, but this is mostly a malty, bitter beer.

The Double IPA The IPA revolution centred around hops and the flavours that they could bring and, inevitably, brewers were soon competing to see who could put the most hops into their brews, not to mention dry hopping and double dry hopping. High alcohol and malt sweetness are balanced by the bitterness of a deluge of hops. For a while, this was as hoppy as beers got.

The West Coast IPA This was the beer that made the IPA world famous and set the ball rolling for ever greater usages of hops. It was invented in California by early exponents of the craft beer movement and uses large amounts of big American hops to bring lots of citrus and tropical fruits that balance significant bitterness. Cascade, Citra and Chinook were the original trio of hops used, but people have been bringing others to the party ever since.

The Triple IPA

The Belgian IPA Why would you not want to bring the Belgians to the IPA party? Usually, this style of IPA makes use of Belgian yeasts to add that spicy, stone fruit edge. Or you could put in brettanomyces to bring some zest to the beer.

When it comes to the hopping process in IPAs, there are always further worlds to be conquered, and some brewers have been able to push the boundaries of ABV and hoppiness to new levels. These are big beers.

Brut IPA Homebrewer explored this newest addition to the IPA style in our Winter issue. This beer shares characteristics of the West Coast and the New England IPAs, but enzymes are added in the cold stage of the brewing process, resulting a dryer beer, as the name Brut would suggest.

The Session IPA The Black IPA Who says that just because IPA features the word ‘pale’ that the beer should be pale? Not craft brewers, that’s for sure! You could argue that these aren’t true IPAs, but the aromas they offer would certainly beg to differ. Dark as any stout, Black IPAs offer a similar smelling experience to those old West Coast IPAs, but bring more body and roasted flavours to the palate.

24 www.beerandbrewer.com

While there’s plenty to be said for the ambition of putting more hops and alcohol than you know what to do with into your beers to create these ‘hop bombs’, people are not always after a 12% or even a 7% beer of an afternoon. The Session IPA aims to get the fullest amount of flavour from a lower ABV to create a beer that you can sit and crush all afternoon. These beers are usually no more than 5%, with plenty of dryness and hop aroma.

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TOP 50 BREWPUBS

The Esteemed Panel Luke Robertson – Beer Writer, Ale of a Time Jeremy Sambrooks – Beer Writer and Judge Chris Thomas – Editor, Homebrewer

AUSTRALIA’S 2018

TopBrewpubs 50 BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE BREWPUB HAS TRANSFORMED THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT DRINKING, AND AUSTRALIA’S SCENE IS GROWING APACE. TAKE A LOOK AT OUR TOP 50 TO FIND THE BEST PLACES FOR A BEER AT THE BREWERY

Kirrily Waldhorn – Beer Presenter, Educator, Consultant, Writer and Judge, Beer Diva Pia Poynton – Beer Writer, Girl + Beer Tam Allenby – Editor, BARS&clubs and Assistant Editor, Beer & Brewer Chris McNamara – Executive Officer, Independent Brewers Association Brad Flowers – Owner, Hops and More Vanessa Cavasinni – Editor, Australian Hotelier Tim Charody – The Beer Pilgrim Neal Cameron – Institute of Beer Ian Kingham – Beer Writer and International Wine Judge Matt Kirkegaard – Founder, Australian Brews News

hen it comes to beer,

Australia. We enlisted our esteemed panel of 23

everyone knows that

beer writers once again to name their personal

‘fresh is best’, and the

favourites across the country, based on a host of

best beer venues focus

reasons. They looked at the beer on offer – how

heavily on shortening

much is there, how much variety, how good is it?

the distance and time

They thought about the staff – their manner and

John Kruger – Beer Photographer

between brewery and glass. However, a major

mindfulness, their knowledge and passion. And

trend of the last few years has been for breweries

they also considered the overall environment,

John Elliot – Chief Craft Beer Reviewer, Craft Beer Reviewer

to cut that distance still further by opening their

atmosphere and ambience of the place.

own bar, bringing customers as close as possible

We’ve seen some serious movement across

Ross Lewis – Editor, The Sip, and Executive Officer of the WA Brewers Association

Cameron Flett – Manager, Warners at the Bat Bottle Shop

to their product. This is the place where people

the list, not to mention a host of new entries,

can taste the freshest possible form of these

which just goes to show how many great

beers, allowing the brewers themselves to get

breweries are getting involved in hospitality

immediate funds and feedback as well. There are

and how many great venues are getting more

also few places in Australia where you can expect

involved in brewing beer. Alas, it also means

to learn so much about what you’re drinking as

that some great venues are not on our list. But

Guy Southern – Contributor, The Crafty Pint

the brewpub where it’s made.

just as in the last issue’s Top 50 Beer Venues,

Emily Day – Editor, Froth Magazine

Last year, Stomping Ground in Melbourne took

this list is subjective, so don’t be too concerned

the top prize, and co-founder Steve Jeffares said

if your choice didn’t make the top 50. It’s

that there was the potential for every town in

a testament to the growing strength of the

Australia to have its own brewpub eventually.

brewpub scene in Australia that compiling the

And the number of breweries opening their

list was such an almighty challenge.

doors to the public has certainly been growing,

Mike Bennie – Drinks Journalist and Presenter Mick Wust – Contributor for The Crafty Pint and Froth Magazine

Will Ziebell – Contributor, The Crafty Pint Peter Mitcham – Beer Writer, Brews News

In any case, we hope you’ll enjoy taking a look across our Top 50 and that you’ll take the

• Side note: In the last issue, the

opportunity to try to visit every venue on this

address of No. 17, Old Faithful,

15 Regional Beer Venues and the Top 50 Beer

list and chat all things brewing over a couple

was incorrect. The correct

Venues* in our Winter issue, Beer & Brewer now

of awesome beers, as many of our readers have

address is 86 King Street,

brings you the list of the Top 50 Brewpubs in

been telling us they do.

Perth, WA 6000.

prompting us to create this list back in 2016. And so, hot on the heels of our list of the Top

26 www.beerandbrewer.com

TOP 50 BREWPUBS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

And the winners are...

HERE ARE 2018’S TOP 50 BREWPUBS FROM ACROSS THE WHOLE OF AUSTRALIA. TAKE A LOOK, GET INSPIRED AND HEAD OUT TO VISIT THESE AWESOME ESTABLISHMENTS!

Stomping Ground

100 GIPPS STREET, COLLINGWOOD, VIC 3066 Stompingground.beer

Last year’s winner has run away with the top spot once again. This neighbourhood brewery is the brainchild of Steve Jeffares, Guy Greenstone and Justin Joiner – the guys behind St Kilda’s Local Taphouse and GABS Festival. So they know a thing or two about beer! Laid out in the style of a European beer hall, this enormous venue has a 30-tap bar, seating for 250 people and a beer garden sheltered from any Melbourne monsoons by a retractable roof. There are plenty of beers from Stomping Ground on offer and this year, the brewery created its 100th different beer. “The benchmark for Australian brewpub culture.” Matt Kirkegaard, Brews News “Even without the beers this Collingwood classic is an outstanding venue. Throw in the brews and this locale is the blueprint all other premises need to copy.” Ross Lewis, The Sip.

Top 5 New Entries

“I frequently recommend this place to friends, both crafty and non-crafty, for its great food, awesome atmosphere and – most importantly for many of my 30-something friends – its kid-friendly cubby zone. I love trying all the different beers on tap made by their talented brewers and seeing the shiny brew equipment through the windows! Favourite beers: Tzatziki Sour and Hot Cross Bun Ale!” Emily Day, Froth Beer.

#3 Hop Nation #15 Sauce #17 Nowhereman

The Wheatsheaf Hotel 39 GEORGE STREET, THEBARTON, SA 5031

#18 Tallboy and Moose #20 Bacchus Brewing

Wheatsheafhotel.com.au

The famous ‘Wheaty’ claims second spot for the third year running. This century-old pub has got craft beers from all over the world, served by some of Australia’s most knowledgeable staff. The pub has had its own on-site brewery since 2014 where it makes a wide range of intriguing brews for its customers, while regular live music slots will keep you entertained throughout the evening. “Marvellous ambience, a bunch of happy faces, plenty of collaborations and a house brewing kit that continues to churn out outstanding brews.” Ross Lewis, The Sip. “I love the simplicity of the space, it’s a space where everyone is welcome, not just the beer nerds. Brilliant beers as well!” Kirrily Waldhorn, Beer Diva.

SPRING 2018 27

TOP 50 BREWPUBS

Hop Nation

NEW!

6/107-109 WHITEHALL, FOOTSCRAY, VIC 3011 Hopnation.com.au

The highest new entry onto our list, Hop Nation storms into third place at the first attempt. This Melbourne venue hasn’t been around for long, but it has been shaking things up in the city. 15 taps offer customers a range of beers, including limited releases, collaborations, small batches, mixed fermentations and beers from around Australia and beyond. “This brewery/bar is the perfect spot for beer fans who want to see something a bit different! Set in a historic building in Melbourne’s industrial west, Hop Nation has carved out a cool niche in Footscray with awesome murals on the walls and heaps of interesting beers on tap, while a food truck is often pulled up beside the venue to offer food. We love the view of the brewery from the mezzanine, and saying hi to the brewery dog Benny! Beer tips: Jedi Juice and Mango Punch will never not be enjoyable, but keep an eye out for Hop Nation’s new sour and barrel-fermented program.” Emily Day, Froth Beer.

Grifter Brewing Co

1/391-397 ENMORE ROAD, MARRICKVILLE, NSW 2204 Facebook.com/TheGrifterBrewing Company The aim of Grifter Brewing Co was to create to a venue that would become a community hub for people in the Marrickville area and it has certainly become that. This large, dog-friendly venue is stylishly laid out and features plenty of cool stuff to look at while you’re enjoying the brewery’s wide range of interesting beers. “Grifter was co-founded by a professional skateboarder so of course it’s going to be cool. There’s something about the space here that makes me want to settle in for a long afternoon. It’s bright and open, and the beers tick all the boxes.” Luke Robertson, Ale of a Time.

Biggest movers #13 Beer Farm up 20 places #12 Little Creature Fremantle up 15 places

Foghorn Brewhouse

218 KING STREET, NEWCASTLE, NSW 2300 Foghornbrewhouse.com.au/ Newcastle

This list features a number of brewpubs that are located beyond the state capitals, but none has reached as high as the Foghorn Brewhouse, which offers entertainment and music under its roof, as well as 16 beers on tap, including a hand pump and a cider. The beers are always changing and always fresh. “Since opening, FogHorn has become a genuine community hub in the heart of Newcastle. It’s a brewery by locals, for locals and Shawn Sherlock is one of the best brewers in the country.” Will Ziebell, Crafty Pint.

28 www.beerandbrewer.com

#14 Batch up 14 places

#10 Bridge Road up 9 places #4 Grifter up 8 places

“If you like your beers hopped-up, soured and experimental, your music a bit psychedelic and to drink beer in the shadow of the tanks they’re brewed in, you’ll love the Grifter. Expect bold tattoos, facial hair, plenty of denim and full flavoured beer.” Tim Charody, Beer Pilgrim.

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TOP 50 BREWPUBS

Lord Nelson

19 KENT STREET, THE ROCKS, NSW 2000 Lordnelsonbrewery.com

Sydney’s oldest continually licensed hotel (it’s been trading since 1841) is also one of the country’s original brewpubs. Situated in The Rocks, this is a brewpub that focuses as much on those qualities that make for a great old pub as it does on making great old beers. An absolute classic. “The Lord Nelson has probably been on every ‘Best Brewpub’ list for the last 30 years, but its place is well-deserved. One of the pioneers of brewpubs in Australia.” Vanessa Cavasinni, Australian Hotelier

Green Beacon Brewing Co

BentSpoke Brewing Co

26 HELEN STREET, TENERIFFE, QLD 4005 Greenbeacon.com.au

“A proper, real industrial style brewpub which is always clean and sparkling – and that makes it inviting. Great core range of beers (including the first permanent gose in a range) with increasing numbers of rarely seen beer styles, always a food truck at the front that matches the beers. It does exactly what you want from an industrial brewpub – and dog friendly.” John Elliott, Crafty Pint.

38 MORT STREET, BRADDON, ACT 2612 Bentspokebrewing.com

Opened in 2014, this brewpub has maintained its position at number 7 on our list. “Richard Watkin’s beers are some of the best brewed in the country, and while they are starting to get further out of Canberra than ever before, Braddon is still the best place to enjoy them. It’s a brewpub for locals and regulars and the number of beers being brewed there to such a high standard, is seriously impressive.” Will Ziebell, Crafty Pint.

“With a beer menu as long as a politician’s pre-election promise list, it’s little wonder that Bentspoke is packing in the locals and visitors alike most nights of the week. 18 taps all pouring something fresh, familiar or different – a bit ‘bent’ if you will – has given the rejuvenated suburb a centrepiece on which to hang its hopes and dreams.” Peter Mitcham, Brews News.

Feral Brewing Co

152 HADRILL ROAD, BASKERVILLE, WA 6056 Feralbrewing.com.au “Sure, Feral Brewing are on most of my lists but there’s a good reason. Always worth a visit to enjoy the beers usually only on tap at the brewpub and check in on the resident geese.” Pia Poynton, Girl + Beer.

30 www.beerandbrewer.com

Photo Credit: Sean Davey

Bridge Road Brewers

50 FORD STREET, BEECHWORTH, VIC 3747 Bridgeroadbrewers.com.au

“Bridge Road Brewers’ beers might make it across the country, but it’s hard to beat drinking them in Beechworth. It’s a relaxed, family-friendly restaurant that manages to satisfy beer nerds and introduce newcomers to local beer.” Will Ziebell, Crafty Pint.

#10

“A fantastic regional brew pub, fantastic food, great vibe and full of locals and tourists all enjoying great beer side by side!” Kirrily Waldhorn, Beer Diva. 12 LITTLE CREATURES, FREMANTLE 40 MEWS ROAD, FREMANTLE, WA 6160 Littlecreatures.com.au

Eagle Bay Brewing

236 EAGLE BAY ROAD, NATURALISTE, WA 6281 Eaglebaybrewing.com.au

#13

“Eagle Bay Brewery has to be one of the most spectacular breweries in the country. Located in the naturally wild and rugged Margaret River region of WA, this brewery is perched on a hill amongst the rolling fields of a family farm. The food is incredible and the beers are great. All in all it’s hard to beat a beer and a feed at Eagle Bay.” Tim Charody, Beer Pilgrim.

#11

Beer Farm

177 GALE ROAD, METRICUP, WA 6280 Beerfarm.com.au

“Build a brewery on a farm and they will come – sounds simple doesn’t it, but it could be, quite frankly, a disaster. However, if you asked most punters in WA about a favourite south west brewery then the Beer Farm will be one of the first on the list, and the key to this is the vibe. An idyllic venue in upcycled dairy and hay sheds is one thing but pouring exceptional beers – a classic lager featuring 95% WA ingredients all the way to a Pineapple Berliner Weisse that included over a tonne of fresh pineapple – that suit every punter is quite another. The outdoor space overlooking the dam, which includes a 50 metre kids water slide, full blown rodeos and ute musters only enhance the appeal of this Margaret River gem.” Guy Southern, Crafty Pint.

SPRING 2018 31

TOP 50 BREWPUBS

14 BATCH BREWING CO 44 SYDENHAM ROAD, MARRICKVILLE NSW 2204 Batchbrewingco.com.au

20 BACCHUS BREWING CO. 2 CHRISTINE PLACE, CAPALABA, QLD 4157 Bacchusbrewing.com.au

Sauce Brewing

NEW!

1A MITCHELL STREET, MARRICKVILLE, NSW 2204 Sauce.beer

“Excellent beer garden, friendly staff, good rotation of beers.” Ian Kingham, Consulting Editor, Beer & Brewer “One of the inner west’s newest brewpubs, Sauce brings something new to the scene in the form of a massive outdoor beer garden, which has made it understandably popular with families. There’s also few greater pleasures than a fresh NEIPA, and Sauce’s Bubble & Squeak is a good ‘un.” Tam Allenby, Beer & Brewer.

Bad Shepherd Brewing Co.

386 RESERVE ROAD, CHELTENHAM, VIC 3192 Badshepherd.com.au “If the aromas of the love-laden, home-style American smokehouse food doesn’t win you over upon entering, then the range of Bad Shepherd beers and those of the guest taps surely will. Keeping things simple in every respect allows this brewpub to tick all the boxes of hospitality, a friendly vibe and sensational local beer. Consider yourselves ‘led into temptation’!” Peter Mitcham, Brews News.

17 NOWHEREMAN BREWING CO 25 HARROGATE STREET, WEST LEEDERVILLE, WA 6007 Nowhereman.com.au

18 TALLBOY AND MOOSE 270 RAGLAN STREET, PRESTON, VIC 3072 Tallboyandmoose.com

Willie the Boatman 202/75 MARY STREET, ST PETERS, NSW 2044 Willietheboatman.com

“With their beer improving beyond measure in the past six months, there’s no venue that’s genuiney more about beer and company, not flash but a great spot to hang out with the brewers and the local pollies.” Neal Cameron, The Institute of Beer.

Woolshed Brewery

65 WILKINSON ROAD, MURTHO, SA 5340 Facebook.com/WoolshedBrewery

“Without doubt the most picturesque brewery and venue in all of Australia. Perched on the Murray river in an old shearing shed, this rustic venue has all the country hospitality you would expect from an outback venue. And to top things off they brew amazing beers.” Brad Flowers, Hops and More.

#19

NEW!

Cheeky Monkey Brewery 4259 CAVES ROAD, WILYABRUP, WA 6280 Cheekymonkeybrewery.com.au

“One of many dog-friendly brewpubs in the south-west, Cheeky Monkey is also very kid-friendly with their large outdoor and enclosed playground. The beers are simply cracking, particularly the award-winning Australian Lager and the hop heads will struggle to go past.” Pia Poynton, Girl + Beer.

32 www.beerandbrewer.com

NEW!

Brouhaha Brewery 6/39 CORAL STREET, MALENY, QLD 4552 Brouhahabrewery.com.au

#23

NEW!

TOP 50 BREWPUBS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Wildflower

NEW!

11/13 BROMPTON STREET, MARRICKVILLE, NSW 2204 Wildflowerbeer.com “Is this even a brewpub? A blendpub? Whatever it is, it’s great. Topher loves to talk beer, share beer, and just geek out with drinkers. It offers something unique and interesting at every visit. No one else in Australia is doing what they do.” Luke Robertson, Ale of a Time.

25 LITTLE BANG BREWING COMPANY 8A UNION STREET, STEPNEY, SA 5069 Littlebang.com.au

State Breakdown NSW VIC WA QLD

13 10 10 7

SA ACT TAS

7 1 2

Newstead Brewing

29 INDIAN OCEAN BREWING NEW! 33 OCEAN FALLS BOULEVARD, MINDARIE, WA 6030 Themarinamindarie.com/indian-ocean-brewery

85 DOGGETT STREET, NEWSTEAD, QLD 4006 Newsteadbrewing.com.au

“In just over four years, Newstead Brewing has in many ways become the backbone of craft beer in Brisbane. They regularly welcome gypsy brewers and collaborations, they support a bunch of community organisations, and they’re on the forefront of helping good beer become the norm.” Mick Wust, Crafty Pint.

27 WHITFORDS BREWING COMPANY WESTFIELD WHITFORD CITY, HILLARYS, WA 6025 Whitfordsbrewingco.com.au

Moon Dog Craft Brewery

17 DUKE STREET, ABBOTSFORD, VIC 3067 Moondogbrewing.com.au “Fun beers and fun setup. Beers on a beach in Abbotsford!” Chris Thomas, Homebrewer.

NEW!

30 STONE AND WOOD 4 BORONIA PLACE, BYRON BAY, NSW 2481 Stoneandwood.com.au

Bright Brewery

NEW!

121 GREAT ALPINE ROAD, BRIGHT, VIC 3741 Brightbrewery.com.au

“Great space and location, always a good line up of interesting beers and entertainment program as well.” Kirrily Waldhorn, Beer Diva.

32 BIG SHED BREWING 13/2 BRANDWOOD STREET, ROYAL PARK, SA 5014 Bigshed.beer

NEW!

Want to make it your career? Are you a home brewer with a passion for beer who wants to extend your technical brewing knowledge – or have you worked in the industry for some time and want your skills and knowledge recognised with a qualification Starting in February 2019, Otago Polytechnic will be offering New Zealand’s first suite of brewing qualifications in one of the most scenic parts of the country. Delivered via hands-on sessions in our custom-built brewery, as well as online learning – providing the flexibility for those in the industry and those who want to work full-time.

PROGRAMMES: > New Zealand Certificate in Brewing (Level 4)* > New Zealand Certificate in Brewing (Level 5)* > New Zealand Diploma in Brewing (Level 6)* *subject to approval

To register for updates and programme information visit: www.central.op.ac.nz/craft-beer

www.central.op.ac.nz | 0800 765 9276 | +64 3 445 9900

SPRING 2018 33

TOP 50 BREWPUBS

33 PRANCING PONY BREWERY 42 MOUNT BARKER ROAD, TOTNESS, SA 5250 Prancingponybrewery.com.au

39 HOPE BREWHOUSE 3 STOCKTON STREET, NELSON BAY, NSW 2315 Hopebrewhouse.com.au

44 MODUS OPERANDI BREWING 14 HARKEITH STREET, MONA VALE, NSW 2103 Mobrewing.com.au

34 TEMPLE BREWING COMPANY 122 WESTON STREET, BRUNSWICK EAST, VIC 3057 Templebrewing.com.au

40 LADY BURRA BREWHOUSE BAR & KITCHEN 4 TOPHAM MALL, ADELAIDE, SA 5000 Ladyburrabrewhouse.com.au

Colonial Brewing Co

NEW!

89 BERTIE STREET, PORT MELBOURNE, VIC 3207 Colonialbrewingco.com.au

“Somehow feels like a really cool pub and production brewery at the same time. A lesson in creating ambience in what is really quite a vast warehouse space. And with the Starward whisky distillery just down the round, this quiet industrial lane in Port Melbourne is now well and truly on the map.” Tam Allenby, Beer & Brewer.

Holgate Brewhouse

79 HIGH STREET, WOODEND, VIC 3442 Holgatebrewhouse.com “We can’t recommend this place enough – an easy drive from Melbourne, Holgate is a family-run brewpub that has been a feature of the beautiful town of Woodend for many years. With an enticing menu that showcases heaps of local produce, Holgate offers punters a relaxed environment in the beer garden or full service in the dining room. For those who love it too much to leave, you can also stay upstairs at the B&B! Beer tips: Try the Sour Brett or the Wild Red Ale.” Emily Day, Froth Beer.

35 WAYWARD BREWING CO 1 GEHRIG LANE, CAMPERDOWN, NSW 2050 Waywardbrewing.com.au

Ballistic Beer Co

41 MASH BREWING CO 10250 WEST SWAN ROAD, HENLEY BROOK, WA 6055 Mashbrewing.com.au

NEW!

53/55 MCCARTHY ROAD, SALISBURY, QLD 4107 Ballisticbeer.com.au

“A new brewery in an old munitions warehouse. The polished concrete bar giving an industrial feel, but the dark timber and plants giving the seating area an organic feel. The serious looking brewhouse on the left, with a not-so-serious banner of cartoon airships dropping keg bombs on the right. Ballistic Beer is all about contrast, and they do it well.” Mick Wust, Crafty Pint.

NEW!

Moorilla Estate

655 MAIN ROAD, BERRIDALE, HOBART, TAS 7011 Moobrew.com.au

NEW!

48 BLASTA BREWING 84/88 GOODWOOD PARADE, BURSWOOD, WA 6100 Blastabrewing.com

88 LIMESTONE ST, IPSWICH QLD 4305 4heartsbrewing.com

34 www.beerandbrewer.com

46 AETHER BREWING 35 RAILWAY TERRACE, MILTON, QLD 4064 Aetherbrewing.com.au

47 EDEN BREWERY 1/19 CAVENDISH STREET, MITTAGONG, NSW 2575 Edenbrewery.beer

Four Hearts Brewing Co

“The founders of 4 Hearts are brewers first and hospitality operators second, but they’ve created a great little business in Ipswich that pumps out everything from a light ale to a red IPA.” Vanessa Cavasinni, Australian Hotelier.

#45

43 BRUNY ISLAND BEER CO 1807 BRUNY ISLAND MAIN ROAD, GREAT BAY, TAS 7150 Brunyislandcheese.com.au/beer

NEW!

49 LOBETHAL BIERHAUS 3A MAIN STREET, LOBETHAL, SA 5241 Bierhaus.com.au

NEW!

50 ALL HANDS BREWING HOUSE 22 THE PROMENADE, SYDNEY, NSW 2000 Allhandsbrewinghouse.com.au

NEW!

ADVERTORIAL – KITTED OUT

Burnley Brewing HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BREWING?

small batches. We’ve got 14 beers on tap at the moment.

I’ve been brewing since I was 18 or so.

NEIL MILLS FOUNDED BURNLEY BREWING IN NOVEMBER 2017, AFTER KITTING OUT HIS VENUE WITH SPARK BREWING EQUIPMENT. BEER & BREWER TALKS TO HIM ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES SO FAR

HOW WERE SPARK DURING THE PURCHASE AND INSTALLATION? They were great. They did what they do well.

I started out using some pretty average

WHAT EQUIPMENT DID YOU BUY?

They were very easy to work with. They helped

kit, getting more and more serious. And

We’ve got a Spark K500 stacked brewhouse,

with more than the equipment – the drains,

then after a couple of years doing brewery

four 1,000 litre fermenters and eight product

the extraction and utilities as well. They’ve

equipment installation for other breweries,

tanks from which we serve the beer. We’ve got

got a wealth of knowledge on how to go about

I decided that it was time to start one of my

a couple of beers we pour from the cool rooms

those things and end up with a good result.

own. In November 2017, we opened the pub.

as well, and that makes up the other six lines.

We wanted to be flexible and Spark worked

But the whole idea was to have beer fresh from

with us in the design. Our tanks are stacked

WHAT WERE YOU LOOKING FOR IN BREWING EQUIPMENT?

the tank. Keep it simple. It makes the beers

on top of the fermenters. We’ve got tanks

fresher. Heat, light, oxygen and time are big

brushing the ceiling. It was made for purpose.

We wanted to have the flexibility to be able to

enemies of beer quality and this approach

make a range of different styles. We wanted

avoids all of them, serving them straight from

WHAT HAVE YOU GOT NOW?

to brew a lot of beers and have a rotating

the tank. The first time you see the beer is

Installing a brewery in a restaurant was a

selection – a new beer out each week, brewing

when it hits the glass. It’s never been fresher.

bit more evolved. We’re didn’t want to be a

36 www.beerandbrewer.com

ADVERTORIAL – KITTED OUT

“THEY’VE GOT A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE ON HOW TO GO ABOUT THOSE THINGS AND END UP WITH A GOOD RESULT”

code and they take responsibility for that. If you buy from overseas,

hospitality restaurant with a brewery, we wanted to incorporate the

The original plan was not to distribute our beers, but we’ve had lots

brewery in the venue like a brewpub. You don’t have to go on a brewery

of people asking. We’re chokka block at the restaurant. So we’ve just

tour. You can sit at the bar, say ‘g’day’ and have a conversation with the

popped in a second brewery in a warehouse to do our volume beers.

brewers and taste some stuff. It takes the formality out of it.

Again, we used Spark kit, but it’s a bigger brewery. That’s been open a

that onus is on you. I think a lot of people are unaware and don’t know if they’re compliant. But as soon as you start staffing the brewery, you need that compliance. Spark have been generous with extra parts and hardware that we’d forgotten to order. They’ve also been more than happy to come down and try a few beers! It’s stellar hardware, hoses and that kind of thing. We haven’t had any problems with our brewhouse.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

couple of months over there. We brew 2,000 litres a day there and we

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND SPARK TO OTHER BREWERS?

have six 2,000 litre fermenters. That’s where we brew our Pale Ale and

I would definitely recommend them. It’s quality stainless steel with a

some more fermenters so we’ve got enough beers for summer. And

digital control system and remote access. That’s what we wanted, and

we’ll turn to Spark to help and guidance in that indeed.

our Vienna Lager. We’ll be canning them soon. We’re going to order

they’ve definitely delivered. got someone to call and consult on things as they are. There’s also

WHAT THREE WORDS WOULD YOU USE TO DESCRIBE SPARK?

much more accountability. The standards are all done to Australian

Quality, local service and support.

You get a lot of benefits from shopping local. For a start, you’ve

Serve directly from brite tank to draft: no need for kegwasher, kegs or cool room. Improve your venue’s profitability, differentiate from your competitors and attract a more future relevant client base.

K500 professional all grain brewhouse: Compact footprint, inexpensive, easy to install and clean, available via lease.

Top grade Australian standards compliant insulated, triple jacketed fermenters with clean-in-place, temperature control and all hardware and fittings needed.

Designed for precise, repeatable, high quality brewing of any beer style.

SPRING 2018 37

BREWING INGREDIENTS

The power of four THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF BEER MAY SEEM SIMPLE, BUT PRODUCERS AND BREWERS REVEL IN CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION. AND WITH EACH NEW DISCOVERY OR TRIAL THE BREWING LANDSCAPE SHIFTS ONCE AGAIN

ater, malts, hops and yeast.

approximate success rate of a first-year seed becoming

The basic ingredients for

commercially available is about 1 in 30,000 and a 10-14

brewing haven’t changed

year timeline!”

much since the 13th century,

At the moment, Capaldo is most excited about a soon

when hops overtook gruit (a

to be commercialised hop, code-named HPA-016, which

bitter herb mixture) as the

sits firmly in the popular tropical flavour and aroma

main preservation agent in beer. However, the way each

space. Defined by intense mandarin, lemon peel, orange

of the four are used, manipulated, and understood – on a

zest and a resinous flavour, HPA-016 has been in the

scientific, molecular level – has advanced tremendously,

company’s breeding program for around eight years,

with the art and science of brewing accelerating rapidly

with HPA hoping to be able to provide brewers with a

into the modern day. But what are some of the most

commercial supply in 2020.

exciting recent developments? We decided to find out.

Freshness of hops is a primary consideration for all brewers; at Southern Highlands Brewing, head

THE ROCK STAR: HOPS

brewer Cameron James sources his hops from Bintani.

With the huge surge in demand for hoppy beers in

“Fortunately Australia is powering through hops at

Australia in the last half-decade, a number of local

the moment, so we’re always getting fresh hops,” he

hop growers – including Hop Products Australia

explains. “When using internationally grown hops,

(HPA) and Ellerslie Hop – are hard at work, growing

we can be at last season’s crop, but if the packaging is

and experimenting with new varieties in search of an

good we’re happy with the quality that arrives at our

appealing and distinctive Aussie flavour and aroma,

brewery.” There’s also a third option, if a brewery has

beyond simple bittering varieties.

the room: growing its own. While the quantity mightn’t

“The emergence of Galaxy was a pivotal moment for HPA as it crystalized our strategy to pivot from producing high alpha hops for bittering to high impact flavour and

be high enough for more than few special releases, in the words of James, “you can’t get fresher than that!” Hop shortages are one issue that brewers have had to

aroma hops,” explains HPA’s Michael Capaldo. “Galaxy

deal with in recent years, with the demand for popular

demand is still growing, and it is by far the most globally

varieties sometimes outstripping supply. “Demand is really

recognized Australian hop.”

high for Aussie hops, and it sucks when brewers want to

However, breeding the ‘next Galaxy’ isn’t a

brew with our hops but there isn’t enough going around

straightforward process. “Typically for a hop to make it

to supply,” explains Capaldo. “[But] there will always be

into beer it first has to pass four to six years of agronomic

fluctuations in hop supply and demand – it’s the nature of

assessment,” Capaldo says. “Once a very small portion

agriculture marrying up with FMCG manufacturing.”

of our experimentals make it to the next stage, another

Meeting demand isn’t the only issue facing the hops

four to eight years of brewing trials and propagation

industry. Given how long it takes for a hop cultivar to

are required to build the case for commercialisation of

reach the stage where it can be commercialized, growers

a cultivar. To give some perspective to the process, the

must try to forecast consumer taste over a decade into

38 www.beerandbrewer.com

BREWING INGREDIENTS

the future, while managing the

(and experiment with) the exact

constantly changing beer line-ups

ppm sweet spot for chloride, as

and the demands of breweries.“It

well as the chloride to sulfate ratio,

really is a fascinating time to be

there’s no doubt that more chloride

in brewing and involved in the

is needed to brew a NEIPA than a

very special ingredient that we call

more traditional West Coast IPA.

hops,” says Capaldo. There’s also the small possibility

At Southern Highlands, James says they’re thankful for the

of a hop-less brewing future.

brewery’s location, an area with

Earlier this year, scientists at the

good, clean water, with no sediment

University of California discovered

or odour. “Our council does a great

a way of adding hop flavour and

job with treatment, releases testing

aroma to beer without the need

results monthly and has even

for hops, by splicing in DNA from

flushed lines for us on request,” he

mint and basil – two plants high

says. “That aside, we do filter the

in terpenes, the essential oil that

chlorine and adjust the water to suit

gives hops their distinctive aroma –

the style we’re brewing. We [also]

into brewer’s yeast. In a double-

adjust slightly as the water changes

blind taste, employees of Lagunitas

slightly with the seasons.”

Brewing Company characterized the beer made with this yeast as ‘more hoppy’ than a control beer, made with regular brewer’s yeast and Cascade hops. Though it’s early days, developments in this field will be worth keeping an eye on.

WATER: COLOURLESS, TRANSPARENT AND ODOURLESS – BUT NO LESS IMPORTANT

“IT REALLY IS A FASCINATING TIME TO BE IN BREWING AND INVOLVED IN THE VERY SPECIAL INGREDIENT THAT WE CALL HOPS” – MICHAEL CAPALDO, HPA

You’ve probably heard about the

MALTS ON THE MOVE

role that different mineral content

While they don’t tend to steal

in water around the world played in

the headlines like hops, any

the evolution of many famous beer

brewer worth their salt knows the

styles; Dublin water being great

importance of malt quality and

for brewing stouts like Guinness,

consistency as a base ingredient

Pilsen in the Czech Republic the

in a good beer, and in recent times

same for brewing pilsners. As

there has been some significant

a reader of this magazine, it’s

movement in the malts space too.

also likely that you dabble in a

“Malted barley is the main base

bit of home brewing yourself

ingredient which contributes to

(and for many, ‘dabble’ would be

beer flavour, mouthfeel, visual

a significant understatement),

appeal and shelf life,” explains

and therefore would know

Belgin Köse, regional general

about mineral analysis and the

manager at Asia Pacific for Cargill

importance of water chemistry too.

(the owners of Joe White Maltings).

Interestingly, chloride rich

“Of equal importance is the

water is one of the most important

consistency of malt quality, as

aspects of brewing perhaps the

an inconsistent malt can impact

most attention-grabbing style

brewhouse performance.”

of the last year or so: the NEIPA.

The life cycle of quality barley

Without chloride rich water, the

also starts in the field, long before

signature juicy hop character of

it reaches a brewery. “Making

a NEIPA simply will not emerge.

good malt starts with sourcing

Though brewers may debate over

high quality malting grade barley

Michael Capaldo, HPA

SPRING 2018 39

BREWING INGREDIENTS

that is uniform in size, free from impurities, targeted protein and germinates uniformly,” she says. “The barley variety is important as it is selected to suit a brewer’s specification and a brewhouse’s needs in terms of enzymic activity, extract, yeast and nutrition, to name a few. Therefore, barley quality plays an

Joe White Maltings’ Modern Germination Tuning Machine

important role in the end product of finished beer.” Joe White Maltings and Bintani, its exclusive distributor in Australia and New Zealand, recently announced a collaborative initiative called Signature Malt that focuses on the needs of smaller craft brewers rather than the multinationals. They’ll produce a malt – selected from “the best barley in the country” – at their plant in Minto NSW. “With Signature Malt our aim was to first of all select a variety that would provide a good balance of extract, enzymes and yeast nutrition,” says Köse. “La Trobe barley was chosen. Our assessment of La Trobe narrowed our selection to a district in NSW. The high enzymic activity of La Trobe malt ensures efficient brewhouse performance. The protein levels in this year’s crop should also ensure good foam retention on the beer – it’s an excellent base malt to allow the brewers’ creativity to run wild.” Another exciting development in the malts market in Australia was the recent announcement of BeerCo signing a distribution partnership with Crisp, the largest independent maltster in the UK. Crisp malts – used by the likes of Goose Island and Sierra Nevada when brewing English style beers – are now available for purchase by Aussie craft brewers, home brewers and distillers. Coopers also made a major stride in this space with the opening of their very own state-of-the-art malting facility in Adelaide, which was unveiled late last year. “Malt quality is essential for a good beer,” says James at Southern Highlands. “We get all our ingredients delivered from the two big suppliers, Bintani and Cryer Malt – both these companies provide top quality ingredients. It’s also important when brewing at the size we are, as efficiency is important on a large scale. We design all our recipes around full bags [of malt] where possible – obviously spec malts can’t be used at 25kg per brew – so extra care when storing is taken.”

40 www.beerandbrewer.com

L-R: Ben Twomey and Cameron James, SHBC

What ingredients are getting brewers excited in 2018? “We keep an eye on what’s happening with new releases through mags like yours and a few websites. Homebrewers are the best testing ground. We let them play with the new stuff and get a gauge on what’s worthwhile trying. We’ll then experiment on our 50L pilot brewery and if we like it, we’ll then release a ‘seasonal’ beer at our Taphouse – we call it a seasonal tap but it’s also used for one-offs. In terms of hops, I keep an eye on what’s coming out of Yakima Valley USA, but interestingly they often promote hops coming out of Australia. It’s a very exciting time for new yeasts too, and we’re keen to have a trial of Fermentis’ new Belgian strain. Maybe in summer this year...” – Cameron James, head brewer at Southern Highlands Brewing

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BREWING INGREDIENTS

Saccharomyces (domesticated you could say) strain but behaves in some ways like a Brett strain,” explains Fitzgerald. “This is exciting to brewers that want to produce beers with a Brett-like character without having to ‘infect’ the brewhouse.” In recent years, a number of craft breweries around the world have started experimenting more and more with wild yeast. Here in Australia, perhaps the most famous example is Wildflower, which ferments its beers using a mixed culture made up of lab-grown brewer’s yeast and a host of wild yeast The barrel room at Wildflower

foraged (or “wrangled”) from flowers, fruit, sap and wood around New South Wales. As Wildflower’s Topher Boehm explains, this

YEAST: BEER’S ‘GOD PARTICLE’

yeast strains. When fermenting, Lager yeast

presents its own set of challenges, but also

The average beer drinker doesn’t dedicate

(Saccharomyces Pastorianus) and Ale yeast

the unique flavour of the beer he produces.

a whole lot of thought to yeast. Of course,

(Saccharomyces Cerevisiae) leave behind

without this hard-working single-celled

residual dextrin in a beer.

organism, we wouldn’t have beer at all –

But as Fitzgerald explains, “a strain called

“Probably the biggest difference is a lack of predictability,” Boehm says. “With the yeast you purchase from a lab, it’s been

just sweet, non-alcoholic liquid (i.e. wort).

Saccharomyces Diastaticus is known to

grown under the same conditions time and

Indeed, way back when in the Dark Ages and

digest the residual dextrins [which] leads

time again, and it’s a single organism so if

long before the science of brewing was fully

to over carbonation, higher alcohol, and

you do another fermentation under similar

understood, brewers in England called this

a dryer beer. Through sequencing, they

conditions you’re going to get similar results.

unseen agent that turned their wort into beer

found that some strains have a gene variant

‘Godisgood’. They may have understood the

that may behave like diastaticus that may

yeast, specifically mixed culture – when

action of yeast, but they didn’t know where it

wreak havoc, or make for some interesting

you’re working with a multiplicity of yeasts,

was coming from.

characters, within a beer.”

you’re working with entire organisms, and

These days of course, most brewers use

There’s also been an exciting recent

“That’s not the case however for wild

the relative population of those organisms

purified and lab-grown yeast to provide

development on the sour front. Until

changes through every fermentation. So it’s

consistent results. Some yeast strains are

recently, the commonly used WLP644 yeast

not like you’re working with the same beast

fairly neutral – creating alcohol, carbon

was thought to be a Brettanomyces strain,

every single time – it’s a new race for all of

dioxide and little else – but others can confer

but that’s not actually the case. “After

these different organisms to run, every time

a range of complex flavours to make a beer

sequencing they found that it’s actually a

they do a new fermentation.”

more interesting; a famous example would be the banana and clove notes that show up in a hefeweizen, thanks to the use of traditional Bavarian yeast. Brian Fitzgerald, director of Artisan Brewing – and the Australian distributor of White Labs yeast – told Beer & Brewer about a number of exciting developments in this space. In addition to its ‘Core’ range of strains available year-round, White Labs has also made a number of ‘Vault’ strains available to brewers. “These used to be only available after a certain number of requests were made,” he explains. “Now they will grow them up to make a custom quantity for the brewer – they don’t cost much more and the wait time is around three weeks. This makes some very exciting strains available.” In recent times, White Labs’ Genome Sequencing program has also discovered a few interesting features of commonly used

42 www.beerandbrewer.com

Open primary fermentation

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BREWING INGREDIENTS

THE FIFTH ELEMENT: FRUIT AND BEYOND It won’t come as any surprise to readers of this magazine that many brewers are adding additional ingredients to their beers – beyond the four building blocks of water, hops, malt and yeast – to add extra flavour and aroma to the end result. Fruited sours, IPAs and wheat beers are a dime a dozen in 2018, and one need only look at the exhaustive list of GABS festival beers (not to mention our ‘Creative Ingredients: Pushing boundaries’ feature in Beer & Brewer issue 45) to realise that beer’s traditional four ingredients are for many, merely a starting point. However, while whale vomit, squid ink, and roasted crickets are certainly headline-stealers, the novelty factor almost always outweighs the actual flavour influence of these ingredients. There’s no harm in pushing the boundaries, but in order to brew a truly balanced beer, most brewers would probably argue that actually palatable and enjoyable flavour should remain the priority. According to Dick Cantwell, who presented an extended presentation based on his new book Brewing Eclectic IPA at BrewCon in Sydney recently, “other stuff” – including fruit, herbs, spices and more exotic ingredients – should be embraced by brewers as a way of crafting exciting and ‘eclectic’ IPAs. “There are endless combinations of different flavourful and aromatic materials,” he said. “Not all of them are good together, or in IPA, but many of them are.” Cantwell went on to describe IPA as a cultural touchstone or “dominant form of expression” for brewers all over the world. “If you walk into a brewery from Vermont to Vietnam, tasting the IPA (or IPAs) on offer is a sort of calibration. IPA is like a common language, something we all at least speak, even if we aren’t fluent. One multifaceted mode of variation, and something we’re seeing increasingly, is the improvisational addition of ‘other stuff’. This doesn’t mean we’re winging it, it means we’re introducing variations on a theme.” The most obvious starting point for many brewers is by matching flavour profiles, i.e. matching spicy, herbal or fruity hops with an added ingredient (explaining the proliferation of grapefruit, pineapple and other tropical-fruit IPAs). Beyond these obvious pairings – where the brewer is essentially providing the “harmony” to the “melody” of the hop’s original flavour and aroma profile – Cantwell pointed to seasonal ingredients, Asian supermarkets, Indian spice markets, and the flavours of other cuisines, such as Mexican, as just a few of the places to look to for inspiration, where one could potentially find more unusual and interesting ingredients to experiment with.

44 www.beerandbrewer.com

“THERE ARE ENDLESS COMBINATIONS OF DIFFERENT FLAVOURFUL AND AROMATIC MATERIALS. NOT ALL OF THEM ARE GOOD TOGETHER, OR IN IPA, BUT MANY OF THEM ARE” – DICK CANTWELL GABS: the spiritual home of bizarre brewing ingredients

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SPRING 2018â&#x20AC;&#x192; 45

BEER AND FOOD MATCHING

A match made in T

heaven WHILE BEER AND FOOD MATCHING HIT THE NEWS YEARS AGO AND BEER FESTIVALS ALL AROUND THE WORLD OFFER PLENTY OF MOMENTS TO SAVOUR SOME INCREDIBLE PAIRINGS FROM TOP CHEFS AND BREWERS, THE BEST PLACE TO GET INVOLVED IS AT HOME OR AT YOUR LOCAL PUB. SO WHAT’S THE BEST APPROACH? AVA GREEN FINDS OUT

he basic principles of food matching are pretty much the same across the board, whether you’re matching beer, wine, cocktails or tea. Once you’ve picked a dish or a beer to start

yourself off, you then decide whether you’d like to cut, complement or contrast. Basically, your beer will either cut through the fattiness or spiciness of food using its carbonation, hops or acidity; complement an aspect of the food like its fruit flavours; or contrast an element of the dish, thereby enhancing both opposing flavours. According to Matt Houghton, founder of Boatrocker Brewing & Distilling, while this method is common and accepted, it has its limits. “I also think that you need to consider the strength of the dish and the beer,” he says. “The fruit notes of a light, tart red currant Berliner Weisse may complement the red currant sauce in a grilled venison dish, but the lightweight beer and the heavy dish may not be an ideal food pairing. I would instead opt for a Flanders Red, where the

46 www.beerandbrewer.com

BEER AND FOOD MATCHING

Classic matches Houghton: “A not-too-sour Barrel Aged Blonde Ale, like our Asterix, matched with a dozen Pambula rock oysters is super easy, or an absolute Aussie classic would be a crisp, hoppy Pilsner with fish and chips.” Fardon: “IPA paired with pizza, cake paired with a Barrel Aged Stout, deep fried foods paired with a Pilsner or Thai salad with a Berliner Weisse.” Fineran: “A Porter or Stout goes really with a chocolate cake situation. Or a big IPA can help to cut through the grease and fat from a steak. But I’ve never been blown away by the IPA and steak combo. What I have really enjoyed is the chocolate cake and stout combo because they really do seem to work well as a dessert combo and something to finish off the night with where you can concentrate on the flavours.”

tart cherry notes of the beer also have

I’m eating the food, I’m imagining a

the backup of the malt to cope with the

beer that I feel like drinking with it, this

richness of the meat dish.”

method (although painfully simple)

He also encourages would-be beer

never really fails.”

and food matchers to think about the makeup of the beer they’re drinking

DON’T OVERTHINK IT

– is it yeast driven (like a saison); is it

While food and beer pairing is a lot of

hop driven (IPA, pale ales); fruity/acidic

fun, there is a lot to be said for not over-

(raspberry Berliner weisse); or malty

intellectualising your Sunday barbie with

(stouts, imperial stouts, porters,

mates. Agonising over whether or not the

barley wines)?

IPA perfectly complements the handmade

“This will go a long way to determining in which direction you should head,” he says. Similarly, Daniel Fardon, head

“SOME VERY BITTER BEERS (LIKE A DOUBLE IPA) DON’T REALLY WORK WITH LIGHT AND LESS FLAVOURFUL FOODS. THE BITTERNESS TENDS TO OVERPOWER THE FOOD TOO MUCH. BUT, PRETTY MUCH TRY ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF, IT’S NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE BY ANY MEANS.”

sausages can really spoil the mood. This is something that Andrew Fineran, co-owner Batch Brewing Co, feels pretty strongly about. While

brewer at Stockade Brew Co, believes

he says that cracking opening a few

in thinking outside the ‘three C’s’ of

beers with a cheese platter is always a

matching when it comes to picking a

Saturday arvo favourite, he tries to not

match at your local craft brewery.

think too hard about the food aspect,

“I find my palate dictates my decisions in this regard,” he says. “As

instead enjoying the moment for what it is.

SPRING 2018 47

BEER AND FOOD MATCHING

“What I focus on is making sure

less flavourful foods,” he says. “The

I’m drinking a beer for that moment,

bitterness tends to overpower the food

whether I’m with friends, or sport is on,

too much. But, pretty much try anything

or it’s a cold rainy day, or a sunny and

you can think of, it’s not an exact

warm one. Choose your beer on your

science by any means.”

mood/setting and get that right, and then the food will follow and hopefully play a complementary role.”

You should probably also avoid any extreme matches. “You’re really trying to challenge yourself if you have a beer like a bourbon

WHAT TO AVOID

barrel-aged imperial stout and you

So, you’ve picked up some interesting

want serve it with grilled fish,” says

brews and you’re keen on getting stuck

Houghton. “It could be done, but it

into some serious matching – what are

would be very hard!”

the common mistakes to avoid? Firstly, don’t overdo it.

THE PUB TEST

“Trying to match the beers with an

So, the age old political question comes

exact dish can get lost in the mix when

into use here – what should you order at

you’re having a few beers, because your

the pub for the best experience? Fineran

palate changes after having certain beers

keeps it simple to match his focus on

and food,” says Fineran. “So, in isolation,

choosing the right beer for the moment,

you may have thought something went

rather than fussing.

really well together, but when you mix it

“Fresh, local beer and whatever is good

all in for a few courses, it totally changes

on the menu,” he says. “Usually some

because you had a massive IPA with your

fries to get started on the food side.”

steak the course prior.” There are some common mistakes as well. “The old IPA and spicy Indian curries is a classic,” says Houghton. “Bitterness actually enhances spiciness, so unless

Apart from cautioning that tap is mostly best for craft beer in your local, to make sure its fresh, Houghton says that he’s a classic Aussie bloke in a pub setting. “If the beer list has a cracking bottled

you love that heat dialled up, a good

Belgian dark ale, I’ll opt for a rich pie or

choice would be a malty Vienna lager.”

steak of some sort,” he says. “If the tap

Fardon also cautions against going too wild with bitterness. “Some very bitter beers (like a double IPA) don’t really work with light and

48 www.beerandbrewer.com

list has a great stout or porter, I’ll lean towards that with the pie or steak.” Fardon also keeps it real: “Can’t go past pale ale and a burger.”

Sour Beer Pairings With the increasing mainstream interest in sour beer, how do you go about pairing them with food? The funky flavours and sometimes intense acidity can make them a bit of a tough ask with a burger or pizza. “Sour beers, in our eye (which is a tad biased) are the best beers to pair with food,” says Houghton. “They cross all protein groups with ease (depending on style) and have the added bonus of not just carbonation to help cut through food, but also acidity. And if they are barrel aged they can also have wild yeast funk, which can complement so many wonderful earthy vegetables and fungi. In our mind though, they match best with seafood, in particular freshly shucked Pambula rock oysters, or a soft washed rind cheese.”

Willlie Smith’s Orchard

CIDER

Juice do it!

CIDER HAS REALLY STARTED TO CAPTURE THE IMAGINATION OF AUSTRALIAN DRINKERS. BREWERS ARE NOW TRYING THEIR HAND AT FRUIT FERMENTATION AND A FOCUS ON AUSTRALIAN-GROWN APPLES IS FAST GAINING TRACTION, CHARLIE WHITTING DISCOVERS

50 www.beerandbrewer.com

CIDER

n this issue, Beer & Brewer’s

high quality food, the provenance of produce

assistant editor Tam Allenby has

and paddock to plate stories, continuing to

explored the role that hops and

drive people towards provenance-focused,

barley play in the brewing process

traditionally styled ciders.”

(page 36). But breweries across Australia have recently been

MAKING CIDER

turning to a totally different ingredient

It’s easy to look at cider, with its similar

to create a totally different, and yet

colours and comparable ABV, and see it as a

familiar, drink.

brother of beer. But in fact, the production

Cider has always been a part of the

process of cider mirrors winemaking far

Australian drinking scene, but it has long

more closely. Cider makers don’t have to

struggled to impose itself on customers in

worry about mills, mash tuns and kettles.

a meaningful way. Cold lagers claimed the

Cider is, after all, made from pressing a fruit

spoils in the thirst quenching qualifiers

and fermenting the juice. And plenty of

and when it came to fermented fruit

cider makers take this association further.

drinks, wine has long been the winner. But

Small Acres Cyder in Orange, NSW, serves

following the meteoric rise in craft beer,

the majority of its ciders in 750ml bottles

fuelled by a growing interest in provenance,

and if you were to walk onto their premises,

quality ingredients and more complex

you’d think you were walking into a winery,

flavours, craft cider has seen its star rise.

according to co-founder James Kendell.

These days, there are plenty of quality

“It’s the same equipment – stainless steel

cider producers in Australia, as well as

pumps, oak barrels,” he says. “Our product is

a developing apple-growing industry.

made in that style. They’re vintage products,

In addition, craft brewers around the

so you get the same vintage variation that

country have incorporated a cider into

you’ll get from wine. We’ve got a range of 12

their portfolio as they look to explore this

different styles, with a focus on the German-

drink and share in its successes. And while

style apple wine. We also do a fortified

sweeter ciders may still dominate the

cider like in Normandy, we do methode

volumes, the Australian palate is evolving

traditionelle ciders – the styles from France.

and maturing as well, allowing for a more

The styles are consistent, but each vintage

diverse approach to cider making and a

will have variation. With time and patience,

more interesting range of options.

you can do a lot of different things with the

“The cider market is still dominated by entry level drinks but the growth of craft

humble apple.” Seasonality is a simple fact of life for cider

cider is strong, and without doubt the firm

makers. Their entire year revolves around

interest in the market gives confidence in

that single autumn apple harvest and the

continued growth,” says Tim Jones, head

quantity and quality of the apples that they

cider maker at Willie Smith’s. “This is

can get their hands on. A different annual

reinforced by people’s increasing interest in

mindset is therefore required, especially

“THE MARKET IS NOW BEGINNING TO SEE A STRONGER CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CIDERS THEY’RE DRINKING AND THE ORCHARD, AS WINERIES ARE CONNECTED TO VINEYARDS”

Cider facts from Cider Australia Cider was the fastest growing category in 2016 (6.5% offpremise) but growth halted in 2017 (growth in sales value was -0.8% while the volume growth was 0.4%). These growth figures are explained by a decline in brands with dominant market share (most notably Somersby) which more than offset growth in other brands, and continued expansion in market share of high volume.

There are around 140 cider businesses in Australia. VIC, NSW and WA have the most producers. 2015-16 data indicates - Victoria: 28.9% of businesses NSW: 22.7% WA: 18.2% SA: 12.5% TAS: 9.7% QLD: 7.4% ACT: 0.6%

Over the past five years cider has had a relatively static share of the total alcoholic beverage market at 3% (off-premise). The good news for consumers is that the ‘craft’ segment of the market remains strong. We define Australian craft cider as cider made with 100% Australiangrown fruit. Dan Murphy’s has recently reported that its craft cider sales are growing by 10%.

SPRING 2018 51

CIDER

given the demand for Australian-grown eating and cider apples. And that’s before they seek to experiment with new styles, whilst also creating that consistent product year after year. However, this connection to nature also works in cider’s favour, especially given the increased interest in the provenance of ingredients in Australia. We all know what to expect from a particular grape or hop variety when drinking wine or beer respectively, and the same is true of apples and the ciders they produce. Currently, only 10% of the Australian cider market is made in Australia using 100% crushed apples. Some cider makers, like Small Acres, own their own orchards, building that link between a drink and its ingredients still further. Slowly that story is being absorbed by cider drinkers and beyond. “The market is now beginning to see a stronger connection between the ciders they’re drinking and the orchard, as wineries are connected to vineyards,” says Jones. “They’re beginning to understand the impact of fruit selection and cider making techniques on the end product and as a consequence, cider is now appearing in premium segments of the market where it has never been seen before.” For potential cider makers, there are plenty of companies out there who will do your apple pressing for you, ensuring that you get every last drop of juice from the harvest. So all that is needed is a good fermenter. This has encouraged many craft brewers to add a cider to their portfolio to widen their appeal and try out new skills. But there is more to cider than just fermentation, with a host of techniques that can be employed over time to bring added variety, such as oak ageing. “Oak ageing is definitely a great development in the cider market, not dissimilar to wine,” says Shane Mclaughlin, cider maker at Hillbilly Cider. “The oak adds a certain complexity and softness. We follow

Apple harvest for Hillbilly Cider

“THE FLAVOUR PROFILE OF AN APPLE DEPENDS ON ITS ACID, SUGAR AND TANNIN CONTENT”

A matter of apples There are 15 cider apple varieties with a reasonable history in Australia, according the NSW Departure of Primary Industries

a winemaking philosophy so I would advise a new

1. Breakwell’s Seedling

cidermaker to focus on the quality of apples firstly and

2. Brown Snout

also have an accurate way of controlling temperature

3. Brown’s Apple

during the fermentation process.” “With cider, don’t be in a hurry,” recommends Dave

4. Bulmer’s Norman

Tottle, head brewer at Devils Brewery. “Beer needs

5. Dabinett

to be drunk fresh, but with cider the flavours really

6. Improved Foxwhelp

develop if you take your time and let it mature. It’s

7. Kingston Black

amazing how much the flavours change.” There are strong cider traditions from European

8. Michelin

countries, particularly the UK – where 40% of the

9. Reine des Hatives

world’s cider is produced – as well as France and

10. Somerset Redstreak

Germany. These countries have their own approaches

11. Stoke Red

to cider making that can be emulated or evolved over here. Many of Australia’s cider makers have taken their

12. Sweet Alford

inspiration from their European travels or friends, or

13. Sweet Coppin

indeed from European imports that have arrived here

14. Tremlett’s Bitter

from across the globe. Cider makers are also seeking

15. Yarlington Mill

ideas elsewhere – from breweries to wineries – to

52 www.beerandbrewer.com

Batlow Ciders

CIDER

James Kendall, co-founder of Small Acres Cyder

create unique styles, backed up with quality

wholly different set of flavours to the table

BEYOND APPLES

Australian produce.

and that makes them worth hunting out

Apples, of course, are not the only fruit that

and experimenting with. Getting the right

cider makers use. Perry, which has a long

malo-lactic fermentation, yeast selection

ingredients at the right time can be half the

tradition in the UK and France, is becoming

(including different species across natural

battle when it comes to making a true cider.

increasingly popular in Australia, with

“We use barrel ageing, flor development,

apple, wine and brewing isolates), freeze

“The flavour profile of an apple depends on

Moorcroft, Gin, Green Horse and Yellow

concentration (to increase sugar, acid,

its acid, sugar and tannin content,” says Jane

Huffcap pear varieties currently grown

flavour, everything of the starting juice) and

Anderson, executive officer at Cider Australia.

in the country, and imported flavoured

lees stirring amidst other things to better

“Cider apples tend to be much higher in

ciders from Scandinavia have also made an

understand our product, attain complexity

tannins than dessert apples, and also have a

impact. But to see just how innovative cider

across all our ciders and make some cool

decent sugar and acid content, which imparts

makers have become, one need look no

small batch ciders,” explains Napoleone’s

a richness and complexity in ciders made with

further than GABS.

brewery operations manager Glenn Harrison.

cider apples.”

APPLE OF YOUR EYE The apple is as diverse fruit as you could hope to find, with around 7,500 varieties grown around the world. Orchards are on the rise in Australia, but it can take at least three years after planting before results can be seen. Importantly, not all apples are cider apples – in fact cider apples are a rare commodity in Australia. Eating apples like Pink Lady or Granny Smith are far more widely available

“WITH CIDER THE FLAVOURS REALLY DEVELOP IF YOU TAKE YOUR TIME AND LET IT MATURE. IT’S AMAZING HOW MUCH THE FLAVOURS CHANGE” “Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of

GABS Festival has encouraged cidermakers to experiment and this year, Devils Brewery took the prize in the People’s Choice with Grandma’s Jam Cider. Inspired by the crystallizing jams at the back of his fridge, Tottle started a social media campaign that saw him receive around 100kg of jam. However, he won’t be making any more and stresses the different tax laws that apply when things other than apples get into the mix. “It was incredibly expensive to make,” he says. “As soon as you do something else to

and are thus more widely used, making a

cider apples planted in Australia so the

your cider, the tax gets difficult. You can start

sweeter cider that is also more popular.

development of Scrumpy (English) style will

adding other fruits to it pre-fermentation,

be limited, but we are definitely seeing a few

but you can’t add other fruits after that.”

“There is no doubt that the most popular style is at the sweet end of the taste

good ones,” adds Mclaughlin. “There are

Cider consumption may not rising as

spectrum” adds Sean Prendergast, founder of

a few apples on the market that are being

it once was, but attitudes are changing.

Bilpin Cider. “We have created Bilpin Blush

used for cider, in particular we are using the

More cider apple trees are being planted,

from 100% freshly crushed Pink Lady apples

Julie. The Sweet Julie cider won best in Class

which will eventually bring drier and more

that retains the natural sweetness of fruit and

on its maiden voyage at the Australian Cider

complex ciders to the wider marketplace, as

delivers a lovely Pink Lady apple taste.”

awards. The Julie apple is the first apple

well as more opportunities for home cider

to be granted plant breeder rights in the

makers to get involved. So get out there,

cider apples grown in Australia (see page

Sydney basin since the Granny Smith over

find some trees, start shaking and get

52). Like grapes, each species can bring a

100 years ago.”

pressing!

However, there are around 15 species of

54 www.beerandbrewer.com

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Sour Power! 1. Two Birds Kiss From A Gose

This kettle soured ale is bursting with a delicious combination of fresh blood orange and pomegranate juice. Refreshing and sour, with a hint of Murray River pink salt, Two Birds’ Kiss from a Gose is a tangy little number that is sure to have you singing like Seal in no time.

FOOD MATCH

2. Dainton Grapefruit Sour New England IPA

Not sure whether you feel like a tart and refreshing sour or a juicy NEIPA? Then this is the beer for you! Sour grapefruit elements collide with the fruit bowl, tropical flavour and aroma, as well as the overall smoothness of a NEIPA – it’s refreshing, but there’s some real substance in there to keep you coming back for more.

Fish ceviche ABV: 4.7% RRP: $14 for 500ml Twobirdsbrewing.com.au

56 www.beerandbrewer.com

3. Moa Cherry Sour 2015

A Belgian-style fruit lambic brewed with a wheat beer base and whole Marlborough cherries, Moa Cherry Sour 2015 spent 12 months in a combination of tank and barrel, resulting in some upfront cherry flavours. The use of Brett lends a farmyard character, and the overall impression is on the tart rather than the acidic side of the sour equation.

FOOD MATCH Hawaiian pizza ABV: 5.2% RRP: $7 for 355ml can Daintonbrewing.com.au

4. Magic Rock Cherry Cola Vice Berliner Weisse Featuring no less than 20 different ingredients, this cherry cola-inspired Berliner Weisse from Magic Rock Brewing in the UK is an interesting and unique brew that certainly delivers on its flavour promise. The fruity, cola-like spices are balanced by tartness and light acidity, followed by a cherry finish.

FOOD MATCH FOOD MATCH Brie or another soft cheese ABV: 6.3% RRP: $12 for 375ml Moabeer.com

Chicken wings ABV: 5.5% RRP: $9 for 330ml can Magicrockbrewing.com

SOUR PROMOTION

5. Hop Nation The Punch Mango Gose Hop Nation’s Mango Gose is incredibly refreshing, mouthwatering and a little out there. Showing off a refreshing citrus acidity and a hint of saline smoothness, there are lifted mango notes and passionfruit pops from the glass. Unfined and unfiltered, The Punch pours slightly hazy in the glass with a dark lemon colour.

FOOD MATCH Curries, tacos or dishes that need acidity to cut through rich flavours ABV: 4% RRP: $22 per four-pack (375ml) Hopnation.com.au

6. Holgate Sour Brett Ale The aroma displays classic Brett funk with zesty acidity balanced by sweet summer fruits that border on confectionary in their intensity. The finish is lipsmackingly dry. The simple malt bill has created a hazy, burnished gold beer that is redolent of lazy, late-summer afternoons.

7. Batch Pash The Magic Dragon A kettle sour ale with passionfruit and dragonfruit added after fermentation. With big notes of passionfruit on the nose and a beautiful pink colour from the dragonfruit, the acidity from the sour is beautifully balanced with the fruit addition.

FOOD MATCH FOOD MATCH Perfect on its own, but also pairs very well with strong cheeses and antipasto ABV 5.8% RRP $25 for 750ml Holgatebrewhouse.com

Enjoy with some nice cheese and good company! ABV 4.5% RRP $23-25 per four-pack (440ml) Batchbrewingco.com.au

8. Wildflower Gold Australian Wild Ale Wildflower’s homage to the rustic, provincial ales of Wallonia, Gold is a medium strength wild ale best enjoyed in good company. Delicately balanced, Gold shows notes of pepper, fresh hops, lemon zest and stone fruits. The palate is effervescent and bone dry with a subtle spicy bitterness, pillowy body and developing acidity from the indigenous flora.

FOOD MATCH Delicate fish or an acidic salad ABV 5.0% RRP $22 for 750ml Wildflowerbeer.com

Shot at Wildflower Brewing & Blending

SPRING 2018 57

Young Henrys T-shirts

BRAND AND MARKETING

IN THE INCREASINGLY CROWDED MARKETPLACE THAT IS CRAFT BEER, BRAND IDENTITY IS IMPORTANT. FINDING YOUR IDENTITY AND AMPLIFYING IT CAN HAVE A HUGE EFFECT ON YOUR SUCCESS

t can be tempting to believe that

James Squire marketing from Limehouse

“Branding is about forging an identity,

by staying in your brewery and

ideally one that stands out,” says Duncan

concentrating on the production

Harriss, co-owner of Limehouse Creative.

of great beer, word will get out

“We all have brands, even personal ones, that

about you to the wider world simply

we develop and market. This is important,

by osmosis. But in a world where

so others understand who we are and what

everyone is clamouring to be heard, where

we are about. It’s just as important for your

people have never had a greater range of

product and company – more so, even,

beers to choose from when stood at the bar

especially with more crafted drinks.”

or in the bottle shop, standing out from the crowd is a challenge in and of itself. You have got to put yourself out there and

THE STORY Stories can be as simple or as fanciful as you

give your brews the stepping stones required

like. It can be rooted in history or fantasy,

to go from being noticed, to being recognised,

geography or personality, dedication or light

to being sought after. In short, you need a

heartedness. Some breweries are named

brand and an identity. Handily, brewers and

for their location, like Southern Highlands

breweries are interesting and have stories to

Brewing Company in New South Wales, or

tell. And people generally like to hear good

Burleigh Brewing Company in Queensland.

stories. Finding your story is the first step.

Others, like Two Birds Brewing, have names

58 www.beerandbrewer.com

The eye-catching Frankie’s Pizza identity

BRAND AND MARKETING STUDIOMOLASSES.COM

that nod to the brewers themselves or, like

want people to associate with your beer, which

Smiling Samoyed Brewing, to something

should be easy if the brand already has part of

they hold dear.

your personality in it. Just as your customers

“Our original inspiration came from a

expect a consistent product from your brewery,

visit to The Burren in Co. Clare while living

they should be able to understand who you

in Ireland for a year,” recalls Corinna Steeb,

are and what you’re about from the way you

co-founder of Prancing Pony Brewery. “We

market your brand.

totally understood how JRR Tolkien would

“Wolff Olins described it well, saying:

have been inspired by the landscape and

‘You need brand to translate your vision

created The Prancing Pony Inn in Bree. The

into something people can understand and

Burren reminded us of our own property in

buy into’,” says Dan Parritt, co-founder of

the Adelaide Hills. With horses and donkeys

brand design consultancy company Studio

on our property and imagining drinking good

Molasses. “Your brand isn’t just your logo

beer out of wooden mugs, the brand and

on a business card, it’s your total identity.

language for our brand came to life.”

It’s what you say, it’s where you say it

“One of Richard’s sons is called Henry and

and it’s how you deliver your product. Our

was at many of the early meetings to plot

advice — be bold, what’s the worst that can

the brewery,” recalls Andrew Miller, head

happen? People will respect you for it.”

of marketing at Young Henrys. “Amid jokes

When considering your identity, however,

of Henry being a silent third partner, Young

it is important to remember that every time

Henrys was written up as a working title and

your marketing goes out, it goes out into

it just stuck.”

a world where certain rules apply, certain

Once that story – that core theme –

approaches work well and certain ideas fall

has been established, it then gives you a

flat. For the most part, staying true to your

framework around which to base your brand

vision is more important than the opinions

and marketing. What has inspired you to

of others, but it is always worth considering

create this brand or indeed to start making the

them. Keep your ear to the ground for

beers you’re making needs to be translated to

tactics that are working and be aware of how

other people in a way that will resonate with

initiatives could backfire on you. The Alcohol

them. To do that properly, you need to live that

Beverages Advertising Code Scheme should

brand and maintain the personality that you

also never be far from your mind.

Branding agencies are like breweries. You don’t have to be big, you can just be damn good.

5 Seeds uses links to nature

WE’RE SPECIALISTS IN ALCOHOL BRANDING, PACKAGING & CAMPAIGN DESIGN. AND DRINKING. LET’S NOT FORGET THE DRINKING.

SPRING 2018 59

BRAND AND MARKETING

GET IT PRINTED Another way to get your name out in the wider world is to actually put it on something that’s going to get out there. We all know people who proudly wear the jerseys and guernseys of their favourite sports teams or T-shirts showing their support for bands, concerts and music festivals. Increasingly, breweries are getting in on the act, and why not? This isn’t just a way for people to get your name out there in the wider marketplace, it’s an opportunity to create a tribe centred on your product and to generate loyalty to that tribe. And at the same time, you’ll have people happy to pay you for the privilege of showing that support! You will, no doubt, have spent time and money perfecting the designs on your cans and bottle labels,

COLONIAL LEISURE GROUP TAKES US THROUGH HOW IT USES EACH PLATFORM Instagram: Shows the brand personality and an opportunity to give a human element to the brand. We don’t use Instagram for a retail push as we want the brand to be discovered. Facebook: This is used for more information on our products and brand, also for events at our breweries. Twitter: We found that you have to tweet and be relevant multiple times a day so decided not to be on this platform. EDM: We send these out monthly depending on information that we have to offer. We will only send an EDM with content that we feel consumers want to hear more about.

so find quality suppliers – local if possible – to translate those designs onto fabric, glass, badges and stickers to ensure as many people as possible can see you and your brand. “I would deﬁnitely start with T-shirts as it is a great branding exercise and helps get the name of your label out into the market,” says Shannon McKinnon, owner of screen printing company Aisle6ix Industries. “It’s one of the most cost-effective ways to get your label out into the marketplace. In most cases the items are collectable which would add to your brand identity. Limited edition runs are a great way to create interest in your label.” “If you can create merch your customers love, you’re creating an army of walking, talking bill posters for your brand,” says Miller, who works with Aisle6ix to create Young Henrys merchandise. “It’s also a great takeaway option when you’re not allowed to sell booze.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL One of the most easily explained and emotionally resonant forms of identity is geography. We all come from somewhere, we all brew somewhere and we all use ingredients that were grown somewhere. And these places can have a defining influence on who you are, what you do and what you brew. You can embrace these areas for the stories they add to your brand and the ingredients they add to your beer, but if they are going to ring true and if you are really going to feel a part of that community, you need to go further. Get involved in local projects, work together with local business and promote local people. This approach can garner editorial coverage from local to even national titles, providing plenty of short-term benefits. But longterm, your brewery should aim to become as much as part of the local landscape as the pub, the church or the town hall, so that when people think of that town, they think of you. “Supporting the local area not only helps the brand grow, it also gives a personal element to the brand,” says Jenny Godley, communications and marketing

60 www.beerandbrewer.com

Screen printing with Aisle6ix Industries

BRAND AND MARKETING

manager at Colonial Leisure Group. “Local communities become advocates to the brand if approached in the right way. The growth of the community around our breweries is not only valuable to the brand but also to the brewers and staff members that work with us. Helping build a family and equity makes for a better place to be.”

DON’T NEGLECT THE NET As well as establishing those unique, local connections that will build your brand and immerse yourself in your community, you also need to stretch your focus wider. Handily, the internet exists, offering you a plethora of opportunities for communication with the wider world. Social media has a variety of tools for reaching customers, and each has its own rules, benefits, expectations and potential drawbacks. However, what links them all is a website. A professional website doesn’t have to look strictly professional, but it should showcase your outlook on life and beer in a cogent and, above all, easily navigable way. “Firstly, make sure you’re clear on what the website is for,” says Parritt. “What do you want people to do when they get to your website? Is it to educate, sell or something else? Secondly, make sure it’s on brand. Thirdly, don’t fill it with information for the sake of it. Websites need to be simple.” Branding and marketing can often feel like a distraction from the business of brewing great beer. But beers, brewers and breweries have their own personalities which can resonate with customers in a meaningful, even tribal way, and you should treat that resonance seriously to make lasting impacts in people’s mindsets.

Bottle labels are a part of branding

BREWERY INSURANCE SPECIALISTS

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SPRING 2018 61

HOMEBREWER

62 Welcome 63 Letters 64 Q&A 66 Jake’s Brew Log 68 Lagunitas 71 Recipe 72 Old School Brewing 77 Recipe 78 Education

“BEING A MUSICIAN AND COMPOSING IS THE ESSENCE OF BREWING BECAUSE BREWING IS A PIECE OF ART” TONY MAGEE

Check out page 72 where we go back into the archives to find some old homebrew recipes

Editor’s letter

Chris Thomas Homebrewer Editor chris@beerandbrewer.com

62 www.beerandbrewer.com

I recently dusted off and revisited some old homebrewing books. Some are from the late ‘60s and have been passed onto me by people who hear of my passion for homebrewing. Others were guides for me when I started brewing back in the ‘90s. I was inspired to try a couple of the old recipes and use the books as the basis of our feature article this issue. On the

brewing side, if you’re looking to pimp your system or join the all-grain brewers, we analyse some of the all-in-one systems that are available on the market today. Our man in the US John Palmer shows us how to sour with ease. We also feature some cracking commercial recipes with Chur Brewing offering up the recipe for their Shower Beer Session IPA, while Lagunitas & Club Brewing collaborate

on a West Coast IPA and share that recipe. Gladfield Malt contribute a NZ-inspired pale ale and Coopers get us ready for Oktoberfest with a Bavarian IPA. Technical Editor, Jake Brandish, introduces us to one of his favourite styles and one that is oft forgotten – Wee Heavy. There’s plenty to brew this issue so get onto it and cheers! Chris chris@beerandbrewer.com

Letters

WRITE IN FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN! TELL US WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND BY EMAILING CHRIS@BEERANDBREWER.COM OR THROUGH OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS FACEBOOK.COM/ BEERANDBREWER OR WWW.TWITTER.COM/BEERANDBREWER

HI CHRIS, I recently visited Sydney to try a few of the beers being made in the inner west. I was particularly blown away by Grifters Coffee Cream Ale. I had never heard of the style before and was definitely expecting something darker. I have been putting coffee in my stouts for years. Both my partner and I loved the surprise we got - a much lighter beer with excellently integrated coffee and vanilla notes. I would love to have a go at brewing something like this at home, but my recipe research online seems to leave me a tad confused. Some suggest the cream ale is like a lager but brewed with ale yeast, and should be light on the hops and lactose free. Others suggest the addition of lactose, presumably in an attempt to match the more traditional coffee stouts. I am also finding a mixed bag of hops with European Saaz, English Willamette and American Cascade all suggested. These are quite different flavour profiles and I am not sure how well some of these would match up with the coffee and vanilla. Could you please provide a little clarity on cream ales, and perhaps whether Grifter’s version fits into the style or perhaps another.

Both letters printed have won a copy of the Beer

Buyer’s Guide Australia & New Zealand, valued at $24.99. The Editor’s Choice Letter has won an Ss Brewing Technologies 26.3 litre stainless fermenter. What

Thanks Andrew, Lithgow NSW

sets the Brew

Bucket apart are features such as

stacking during ferment, the rotatable racking arm and ball valve spigot assembly. The BrewBucket’s

Thanks for your query here Andrew and this is something that we will address next issue. In the meantime, I hope you get the chance to do some experimentation and that you get some great results!

conical bottom allows trub to settle nicely in a more concentrated space and has the effect of minimising the surface area of your beer that is in contact with the trub during ferment, which then minimises off flavours in your beer! RRP $269

HI THERE, I have been brewing since my teens (a few haircuts ago) and moved into all grain brewing four years ago, winning some competitions and enjoying the fruits of my labour along the way. I am using the tried and true three tier method of; tea urn, chilly bin and brewing pot. Gas is my heating source. Over the last couple of years there has been a surge into the market of electric all in one systems; Grainfather, Robobrew, Braumeister, etc. I am really keen to purchase one for a number of reasons; an all in one system, a pump that will negate the need to lift a mash tun with 30 kgs of wort and space saving in the brew shed. Some have

all internal components and some have external pumping and heat exchanging. Could you do a page comparing the pros and cons of these systems for all grain home brewers please? Nigel Hi Nigel, a great idea and a lot has happened in this space since we last did a feature. Our Technical Editor, Jake Brandish, evaluates these systems for you on page 78. We hope it helps you make your selection!

SPRING 2018 63

Q&A

Tips and Tricks for Brewing Sour OUR AMERICAN CORRESPONDENT JOHN PALMER SHOWS US HOW TO SOUR WITH EASE, WHILE MAINTAINING COMPLEXITY IN FLAVOUR

uestion: G’day John, I am thinking about brewing a

You can also sour your wort by putting a handful of fresh malt in a

sour fruit beer with mangos. What’s the best way to

hop bag, but I personally don’t recommend this method as there is a

do this?

lot of other bacteria on grain that can produce some very funky, and

Answer: Ah, well, don’t use mangos! I hate those things because they taste like Mosaic. If you have seen the new edition of How To Brew, there is a

whole chapter (14), devoted to brewing sour

beers that may be helpful. To condense that chapter down into a

downright nasty, flavours. Inoculating with yogurt or probiotics is a safer bet. Step 1. Make your Wort. Mash and lauter using your normal methods to produce your wort and transfer it to your boiling kettle. Step 2. Short Boil. Boil the wort for 10-15 minutes to thoroughly

few key recommendations, I propose the following: Use a kettle

sanitize it. Chill the wort to 38-43°C (100-110°F), or to room

souring technique.

temperature, but it works more rapidly and more consistently when

Kettle souring has quickly become the most common way to produce sour beers because it gives more control to the brewer, and can produce a good sour in less time. The main criticism of kettle

it’s warm. The short boil will kill off the microbes that were present in the wort from the mash, and let you start with a clean slate. Step 3. Optional Pre-acidify. This step may not be needed; there

souring is that the sour character is not very complex, but that can be

are two reasons to pre-acidify your wort. (i) Because it will help

fixed by choosing your bugs (bacteria) carefully.

inhibit any unwelcome microorganisms. (ii) Because it will inhibit

The basic procedure for kettle souring is:

the proteolytic enzymes that lactobacillus excretes to help it break

1. Make your wort.

down polypeptides into amino acids and thereby preserve your head

2. Short boil.

retention. If you are pre-boiling and pitching a sufficient amount of a

3. Chill your wort.

known culture of lactic acid bacteria, then the beer will acidify quickly

4. Pitch the bugs (bacteria).

enough that head retention won’t be a problem.

5. Sour the wort.

Acidifying with lactic acid to a pH of 4.5-4.8 should be sufficient.

6. Boil with hops.

The amount needed will vary but it should be in the neighborhood of 5

7. Ferment with yeast.

millilitres of typical 88% lactic acid. Use a pH meter instead of colour strips to be sure of an accurate reading; you don’t want to overshoot,

LET’S GO OVER THESE STEPS IN MORE DETAIL. The Souring Bacteria: I almost forgot! First you need to get your souring bacteria. An easy source is a live culture yogurt or probiotic supplement. Multiple strains of lactic acid-producing bacteria will

or there would be little point in proceeding with the bugs! Step 4. Pitch the Bacteria. Pour the starter into the wort and note the time. Step 5. Souring the Wort. The souring should take 18-36 hours to

generally produce a more complex sour character than a single

reach a pH of 3.5-ish, depending on the temperature (cooler = longer)

strain. For this reason, pro-biotic yogurts or supplements (capsules)

and other factors. Measure the pH at least every 8 hours to gauge the

are generally preferred over single strain yogurts. Of course, you

progress. Taste the sour character as well to help you decide when it is

always have the option of buying a prepared bacteria product from

sour enough, but keep in mind that the wort is still very sweet at this

one of the many yeast suppliers at your local home brewing supply

point. You are looking for a pH between 3.2 and 3.8, depending on the

shop. You may need to make a starter for your bacteria culture.

type of bugs you are pitching. A pure lactic culture has a softer acidity,

Generally, 2-4 tablespoons or 30-60 millilitres of yogurt in a 1-2

and a lower pH towards 3.2 seems to taste better. In mixed cultures,

litre starter will be sufficient for a 6 gallon (23L) batch. If you are

such as lactobacillus and pediococcus, the mix of acids is more biting

using probiotics, then 1-2 capsules into the starter will work as well.

and a higher pH towards 3.8 tastes better.

Generally, you are looking to pitch 1-2 billion cells per litre of wort

Step 6: Boil and Ferment the Wort. After the wort has soured to

in order to sour the wort sufficiently in about 24 hours. The strength

the desired level, boil it with your hops (depending on recipe), and

(OG) of the wort doesn’t matter because the bacteria consume a

then chill, aerate and pitch your yeast as you normally would. You

minimal amount of sugar.

should experience a normal fermentation. However, the low pH can be

64 Home Brewer

a problem for some yeast strains. Therefore, the pitching rate should be higher than normal – i.e. 1.0 billion per litre per °Plato, versus 0.75 per litre, for ales. Even 1.5 billion (per litre), may be a good idea. Brewers report that European ale strains seem to be more acid tolerant than American ale strains and are better able to fully attenuate under these conditions. So there you have it, a method for quickly and easily producing a sour beer. But, you wanted to do a fruit sour. Ok, no problem. Here are a couple tips for utilizing fruit in beer: Break down the cell walls. I recommend that you wash the fruit, take out any seeds, cut into wedges (if large) and then freeze it in a plastic bag. After it’s frozen, let it thaw in the bag. Turn it into a purée. Put the thawed fruit into a blender and make a purée out of it. This will make it much easier for the yeast to ferment it. Add it to the fermenter as a secondary fermentation. After the main beer has been fermenting for a couple days, you can add the fruit to the same fermenter. Pour it in carefully to avoid oxidizing the beer. You don’t have to wait for the main fermentation to finish before adding the fruit, you just need to wait 2-3 days so that the yeast can get used to fermenting the maltose before you add a bunch of ‘junk food’ to their diet. Alternatively, you can ferment the fruit separately. My good friend Jamil Zainasheff recently told me that they have noticed better fruit flavour by fermenting the fruit separately with the same yeast as the main beer. The fermentation of the fruit is faster this way, and apparently doesn’t scrub as much of the aroma as putting the fruit in

Berliner Weisse mit Pfirsiche – All Grain Recipe Expected Brew Figures Original gravity: 1.038 Final gravity: 1.008 ABV: 3% IBU: 5 Volume: 23 litres

Expected Brew Figures Original gravity: 1.038 Final gravity: 1.008 ABV: 3% IBU: 5 Volume: 23 litres

Ingredients 2kg Pilsner malt

Ingredients

2kg Wheat malt

2.5kg dried wheat malt extract

15g Hersbrucker hops

4kg puréed peaches

2kg pureed apricots (see notes in main article on puree for fruit)

beer at packaging. Here is a recipe for a very nice sour Berliner Weisse with apricots and peaches. This is a very refreshing summer beer, and while I realise that it is not exactly summer in Australia now, I am under the impression that it is always hot there somewhere – with the possible exception

2kg pureed apricots

Lactobacillus

(see notes in main article on puree for fruit)

German Ale or Kölsch yeast

Lactobacillus

Method

German Ale or Kölsch yeast

See table below for recommended water profile

Method

1. Mash at 65°C for 60 minutes 2. Sparge and bring to the boil for 10-15 minutes then chill to 38-43°C (or room temperature)

1. Pour 12 litres of water into a 15-20 litre pot on the stove. Dissolve 1.25kg of the dried wheat malt extract while the water is warming

3. Pitch the Lactobacillus for 18-36 hours to reach pH of about 3.5

2. Bring the wort to the boil for 10-15 minutes then chill to 38-43°C (or room temperature)

4. Bring the wort to the boil and add 15g Herbrucker for a 60 minute boil

3. Pitch the Lactobacillus for 18-36 hours to reach pH of about 3.5

5. Chill to 18°C and transfer to fermenter, then pitch yeast

4. Bring the wort to the boil and stir in the remaining 1.25kg of dried wheat malt extract. Add 15g Herbrucker for the 60 minute boil

6. Add puréed fruit to fermenter on day three or ferment separately and combine later (see notes in main article) 7. Fermentation is complete when gravity stabilises at or near 1.008 8. Bottle or keg and enjoy during spring or summer!

the primary or secondary fermentation. The fruit beer is then combined with the main

Berliner Weisse mit Pfirsiche – Extract with Specialty Grains Recipe

Recommended Brewing Water: Pale, Balanced, Soft

5. Chill to 18°C and transfer to fermenter, then pitch yeast 6. Pour the hot wort into the fermenter and top up with refrigerated water to 23 litres. Seal the lid and allow the fermenter to cool to 18°C before pitching the yeast

Total alk.

SO4

7. Add puréed fruit to fermenter on day 3 or ferment separately and combine later (see notes in main article)

50– 100

0–50

50– 100

–50–0

8. Fermentation is complete when gravity stabilises at or near 1.008

Recommended Water Profile (ppm)

9. Bottle or keg and enjoy during spring or summer!

of Hobart and Melbourne! Peaches by themselves don’t have much depth of flavour in beer, but the addition of apricots helps support the flavour.

SPRING 2018 65

JAKE’S BREW LOG

Wee Heavy A HOMEBREWER TECHNICAL EDITOR JAKE BRANDISH LOOKS AT SCOTTISH WEE HEAVY’S

s Harry Lauder used to say, “It’s a braw bricht

paid per barrel which is a direct indication of the strength, and a Wee

moon licht nicht the nicht”. Go ahead and say

Heavy is sometimes referred to as a 120/- ale.

this in your best Scottish accent! If you have

This sweet malt-driven ale shows the characteristics of a long

never heard of this, do yourself a favour and

kettle boil (90 minutes to 120 minutes), which delivers a wonderfully

google it! Priceless!

complex caramel and fudge presence due to the melanoidins

The English translation is “it’s a beautiful

produced. Due to this long kettle boil, it is also a high gravity

moonlit night tonight”, and there is nothing better than sitting out on

beer. This long kettle boil delivers the characteristics of kettle

a cool autumn night with a wonderfully malty Wee Heavy.

caramelisation, which the BJCP style guideline says should not be

mistaken for diacetyl, as it can come through as a butterscotch like

WHAT IS A WEE HEAVY?

taste. Small amounts of roasted malts should be subtle, and the

Again, one of my favourite styles. “He says that for all the beers,” I

addition of peated malt has been thought of as cheating, or a false

can hear you saying… but anyone who knows me will know how much

addition in relation to traditional Wee Heavys.

I love my Scottish ales (and my Scottish wife). Sitting under Category 9E in the BJCP style guidelines (Scottish and

BREWDAY

Irish ales, Strong Scotch ale), a Wee Heavy is a beautifully rich malty

There are a few areas to consider when brewing a Wee Heavy. The

ale, and the heavy hitting cousin of the lighter Scottish ales, 60/-

recipe should always be a pretty simple one, as the origins of this

(shilling), and 70/- ale. These ales were named after the amount of tax

beer come from way back using only a few malts and a long boil with

66 Home Brewer

Wee Belter – All Grain Recipe Expected brew figures OG: 1.076 FG: 1.016 ABV: 7.9% IBU: 25 Volume: 23 litres

Ingredients 5.5kg Maris Otter malt 2.2kg Biscuit malt 350g Crystal malt (60L) 140g Crystal malt (20L) 40g Roasted barley 40g East Kent Goldings (EKG) hops 13g Challenger hops Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale yeast (or similar). If using dry yeast, use 2 packs

Method 1. Adjust brewing liquor to a ‘soft’ profile if possible 2. Mash all grains at 67°C for 60 minutes

More on Scotch Ale… For those interested in looking at this style more, look up Scotch Ale – Classic Beer Style Series by Gregory Noonan and published by Brewers Publications. This book is full of history of the style and historical recipes. Well worth a read.

a small amount of bittering hops. Base malt provides most of the malt flavours, so make sure you use an appropriate malt. Modern adaptations use a variety of specialty malts to get the complex malt flavour. If you can’t get Golden Promise (Scottish version of Maris Otter), use Maris Otter or similar British base malt. As an experiment, remove some of the Crystal malt and take a few 100ml of the wort off and boil down in a saucepan to create your own caramel. When you are happy, add it back to the kettle boil. The flavour will be amazing, but be careful not burn it… And don’t stop stirring it! Brew this beer with soft water as this will allow the malt to shine through, so make your necessary adjustments if you can. If not, just crack on and brew it anyway. Try and get Scottish ale yeast and ferment at 16°C. Brewing 23 litres is enough to fill a corny keg and have some left over to

3. Sparge and transfer to kettle and bring to boil. Adjust sparge liquor to pH 5.4 if possible 4. Once boiling add 40g EKG for a 90 minute boil 5. Boil for 75 minutes then add 15g Challenger hops for 15 minutes left on the boil 6. Transfer to the fermenter and cool to 16°C, then pitch yeast 7. If possible, slowly increase fermentation temp 1°C per day after fermentation starts to slow down. Stop at 20°C 8. Once FG stabilises, keg or bottle and enjoy with friends. Sláinte!

Wee Belter – Extract with Specialty Grains Recipe Expected brew figures OG: 1.076 FG: 1.016 ABV: 7.9% IBU: 25 Volume: 23 litres

Ingredients 4.2kg Light dry extract 2.2kg Biscuit malt 350g Crystal malt (60L) 140g Crystal malt (20L) 40g Roasted Barley 40g East Kent Goldings (EKG) hop pellets 13g Challenger hop pellets Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale yeast or similar. If using dry yeast use 2 packs

Method 1. In a large pot, bring about 10L of water to 70°C. Use a grain bag to add the cracked grains to the pot and steep for 60 minutes, before removing the grain bag and allowing it to drain 2. Slowly dissolve half of the extract into the pot and bring to the boil 3. Once boiling add 40g EKG hops for a 90 minute boil 4. Boil for 75 minutes, then add 15g Challenger hops for 15 minutes left on the boil 5. Stir in rest of extract at flame out. Make sure all lumps are dissolved 6. Transfer to the fermenter and top up with fresh water to 23 litres 7. When wort is stable at 16°C, pitch yeast and maintain temp. 8. If possible, slowly increase fermentation temp 1°C per day after fermentation has slowed down, stopping at 20°C 9. Once FG stabilises, keg or bottle and enjoy with friends. Sláinte!

bottle condition! Sláinte!

SPRING 2018 67

FEATURE

10 Months a Homebrewer; 25 Years a Pro Brewer! TONY MAGEE ONLY SPENT 10 MONTHS HOMEBREWING BEFORE OPENING HIS OWN BREWERY IN CALIFORNIA. CHRIS THOMAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE AN IPA AND HAVE A CHAT WITH THE FOUNDER OF LAGUNITAS BREWING COMPANY

ony Magee, the founder of Lagunitas

October 1993, just 10 months after brewing his first batch! It

Brewing Company, is a genuine guy.

was small, with just a 1,000 litre (10 hec) kettle and a couple

To celebrate the launch of Lagunitas in

of fermenters the same size. As the beer sold, Magee put that

Australia, Magee jetted over for Good Beer

money into buying more equipment.

Week in Melbourne. He shouted some punters a beer or two at the Great Northern

Despite growing constantly and employing more and more people, Magee and his wife were still living pay cheque to

Hotel in Carlton (Vic) before settling into the Friday session

pay cheque. Their story definitely shares parallels with Phil

at the Great Australian Beer Spectapular (GABS).

Knight of Nike fame, who started off selling shoes at athletic

He took some time out from sampling some of the wares at GABS to have a chat with Beer & Brewer about his

meets out of the boot of his car. Any money he made went into getting more shoes made.

life in beer.

THE TAKEOVER THE START

Despite being famous for its pot inspired labels and

While some homebrewers toil away for years to perfect

liberal appearance at parties in the early days,

recipes, Tony Magee brewed like a man possessed.

Lagunitas became the subject of interest from

“My homebrewing journey was very short,” says Magee. “My brother was working in brew pubs up in Oregon and he bought me a homebrew kit for Christmas back in 1992.” Magee brewed his first batch in January of 1993 and

multi-nationals. Perhaps it was no coincidence that Amsterdamborn Heineken were the eventual successful bidders. As we have seen with recent acquisitions here at home, like Pirate Life, Feral, 4 Pines and Vale,

it was great. Naively, Magee thought he could just

there was inevitable backlash from passionate craft

brew that beer again. But he was careless and the beer

beer lovers.

was terrible. “I worked out that the skill behind the art is recreating it.”

“Some people feel that independence means creativity, but support from a larger company can help build a relationship with beer drinkers in

As a former musician, Magee is big on art and artisans.

different countries such as Slovenia, Dubai and

“Being a musician and composing is the essence of

Australia,” says Magee. “It was also time to seek a

brewing because brewing is a piece of art. Music and beer are identical that way and I had a kinship with this.” Magee was inspired by the art of brewing right from the start.

little bit of security.” Like Mountain Goat and Little Creatures, who have released more seasonal beers since being acquired by multinationals, Lagunitas was able to capitalise

“I brewed my brains out in ’93,” Magee confesses.

on the support and increased distribution, while

The brewing equipment for Lagunitas arrived in

continuing to make exciting beer.

68 Home Brewer

Lagunitas & Club Brewing West Coast IPA – All Grain Recipe Expected Brew Figures OG: 1.063 FG: 1.016 ABV: 6.3% IBU: 70 Volume: 23 litres

Ingredients 5.3kg Pale Ale malt 720g Munich I malt 720g Wheat malt 360g Rye malt 115g Citra hops 115g Mosaic hops 38g Simcoe hops 38g Amarillo hops Interestingly for six months after the buyout, Lagunitas continued to grow despite the public backlash.

20g Centennial hops 22g Cascade hops 18g Warrior hops 0.3g Copperfloc

WHY AUSTRALIA?

2 packs US-05 yeast

A question that is often on the

Method

lips of craft beer drinkers here in Australia relates to how far we are behind the scene in the US and this is a question we put to Tony Magee. “There are things about scale of breweries and perhaps the percentage of people attracted to craft but the beer making and flavours are the same as the US so Australia is not behind in that sense,” says Magee. “Australia is a great country; craft beer is alive and well. Now breweries are starting off with IPAs and double IPAs. It’s an exciting market to be a part of.” As for his favourite Lagunitas beer, Magee finds that a tough one. “This is like asking which of my children I like best. I drink our IPA mostly, but technically our best beer is our pilsner. Craft beer lovers don’t love lager or pils as much as ales.” Keep an eye out for Lagunitas

1. Mash all malts at 67°C 2. Sparge and bring to a boil for 60 minutes, adding the Warrior hops at the start of the boil 3. Add Centennial and Cascade hops with 20 minutes left in the boil 4. Add 0.3g Copperfloc with 10 minutes to go 5. At the end of the boil start a whirlpool then add Simcoe and Amarillo hops, and whirlpool for 20 minutes 6. Cool to 20°C, transfer to fermenter and pitch both packets of yeast 7. Ferment at 18°C until gravity is nearing the end (approx. 1.020), then use a hop bag to dry hop the Mosaic and Citra hops for four days 8. You are ready to bottle or keg once gravity is at or near 1.016 and is stable for consecutive days 9. Enjoy the aroma coming off this beer and savour it as it goes down pretty easily for a 6.2% beer!

IPA on tap.

SPRING 2018 69

RECIPE

Hokitika Pale – All Grain Recipe Expected Brew Figures

Hokitika Pale Ale THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT BRANDS OF MALT ON THE MARKET THESE DAYS AND GLADFIELD FROM NEW ZEALAND HAVE BEEN GAINING SOME TRACTION WITH COMMERCIAL BREWERS AND HOMEBREWERS OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. THE CREW AT GLADFIELD SHARE A RECIPE FOR THIS TASTY PALE ALE

his beer is a hop-forward style pale ale. The American Pale Ale malt finishes dry to build a light malt backbone for the New Zealand and Australian hops to shine. Gladiator is the dextrin malt and will make sure the beers has a sustained head, which helps preserve the hop character and provide a bit of extra mouth feel. Given its dry nature, the presence of Supernova crystal malt provides some sweetness to balance the hops, but it will not contribute

to residual sweetness. The Supernova will also deliver a nutty caramel character. The hop blend will give off lemon and grapefruit aromas, with hints of pine. As we near spring, this Hokitika pale ale is likely to disappear from your fridge quickly and will pair well with barbecue meats, fish & chips and some cricket on the TV!

70 Home Brewer

OG: 1.055 FG: 1.010 ABV: 5.6% IBU: 36 Volume: 25 litres

Ingredients 4.65kg Gladfield American Ale malt 550g Gladfield Gladiator malt 330g Gladfield Supernova malt 15g Pacific Gem hops 12g Riwaka hops 12g Vic Secret hops 12g Motueka hops 0.3g Copperfloc Lallamond West Coast Ale Yeast

Method 1. Mash all malts at 65.5°C 2. Sparge and bring to a boil 3. Add 15g Pacific Gem hops for duration of the 60 minute boil 4. Add 12g Riwaka hops and 0.3g of Copperfloc with 10 minutes to go 5. At the end of the boil start a whirlpool then add 12g of Vic Secret and 12g of Motueka 6. Cool to 20°C, transfer to fermenter and pitch yeast 7. Ferment at 18°C until gravity is at or near 1.010 and is consistent over consecutive days 8. Bottle or keg as usual then enjoy over spring and summer!

RECIPE

Shower Beer Session IPA SHUFFLE THE SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER OUT OF THE WAY AND MAKE WAY FOR BEHEMOTH’S SHOWER BEER SESSION IPA. A FEW GOOD TUNES AND A BEER IN THE SHOWER IS A GREAT WAY TO GET IN THE MOOD FOR A NIGHT OUT AND ANDREW CHILDS FROM BEHEMOTH (NZ) & CHUR (AUS) BREWING HAS PUT IT IN A CAN!

hower beer, shower beer, friendly neighbourhood shower beer, does it swing from a web, no it can’t cos it’s a beer. Look out, here comes a shower

beer! This beer was made to be the perfect shower beer for hop heads. Loads of fruity hop flavour and aroma, low bitterness and light and easy drinking! If you do not shower beer, you do not know what you are missing! We used a mix of German, NZ and US hops to give a wellrounded citrus and tropical flavours, with just a bit of herbal character. The pale and pilsner malts keep the beer light, while the oats, wheat, carapils and caramalt add body. Why not brew the Shower Beer

Shower Beer Session IPA – All Grain Recipe Expected Brew Figures OG: 1.049 FG: 1.013 ABV: 4.6% IBU: 35 Volume: 23 litres

Ingredients 1.4kg Pale Ale malt 1.4kg Pilsner malt 450g Rolled Oats 450g Pale Wheat malt 200g Pale Caramalt 150g Cara-Pils 60g Citra hops 60g Hallertau Blanc hops 60g Mandarina Bavaria hops 60g Nelson Sauvin hops 0.3g Copperfloc 2 packs of Safale US-05 yeast

Method 1. Mash all malts at 69.5°C 2. Sparge and bring to a boil 3. Add 0.3g of Copperfloc with 10 minutes to go 4. At the end of the boil start a whirlpool then add these hops: 25g Citra 25g Hallertau Blanc 25g Mandarina Bavaria 25g Nelson Sauvin

now so that you can

5. Cool to 20°C and pitch 2 packets of Safale US-05

be drinking it come

6. Ferment at 18°C

spring or summer, which is the perfect time for a beer like this. Cheers!

7. Do a diacetyl rest at 22°C towards end of fermentation 8. After fermentation add the following hops: 35g Citra 35g Hallertua Blanc 35g Mandarina Bavaria 35g Nelson Sauvin Dry hop for 5 days then crash cool for a week 9. Bottle or keg as usual then enjoy with mates

Shower Beer Session IPA – Extract with Specialty Grains Recipe Expected Brew Figures OG: 1.049 FG: 1.013 ABV: 4.6% IBU: 35 Volume: 23 litres

Ingredients 2.6kg Liquid Pilsner Malt Extract 450g Rolled Oats 450g Pale Wheat malt 200g Pale Caramalt 150g Cara-Pils 60g Citra hops 60g Hallertau Blanc hops 60g Mandarina Bavaria hops 60g Nelson Sauvin hops 0.3g Copperfloc 2 Packets of Safale US-05 yeast

Method 1. Boil 6-8 litres of water in a large pot 2. Add all malt extracts and stir to dissolve 3. Add all grain (cracked) to a muslin sack in 70°C water for 30 minutes, then take out of the wort 4. Boil for 90 minutes 5. Add 0.3g of Copperfloc with 10 minutes to go At the end of the boil start a whirlpool then add these hops: 25g Citra 25g Hallertau Blanc 25g Mandarina Bavaria 25g Nelson Sauvin 6. Transfer to fermenter and top up with chilled water to reach 20°C then pitch both packs of yeast 7. Ferment at 18°C 8. Do a diacetyl rest at 22 degrees towards end of fermentation 9. After fermentation add the following hops: 35g Citra 35g Hallertua Blanc 35g Mandarina Bavaria 35g Nelson Sauvin 10. Dry hop for 5 days then crash cool for a week 11. Bottle or keg as usual then enjoy with mates

SPRING 2018 71

FEATURE

Old School Brewing MOST HOMEBREWERS NEARING MIDDLE AGE OR BEYOND STARTED THEIR BREWING JOURNEY WITH A BOOK. LONG BEFORE WE HAD ACCESS TO MODERN INGREDIENTS, LIQUID YEASTS AND NEW WORLD HOPS, WE RELIED HEAVILY ON THESE BOOKS TO IMPROVE OUR BREWING SKILLS. CHRIS THOMAS TAKES A LOOK BACK AT SOME OF THE EARLY BOOKS THAT PLAYED A BIG PART IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HOMEBREW

72â&#x20AC;&#x192; Home Brewer

he first homebrew kit I ever got was a hand-me-down from my older brother. And he got it from a friend’s dad. It was 1997 and it must have been twenty years old then. I’ve still got some of the bits,

including the Coopers fermenter and a homemade capper that we named Warwick. The beer wasn’t great, but neither was our attention to sanitation or quality ingredients. It was the start though. My brother bought a book after a few brews, which guided us through some important steps to making better beer. The book was accessible and written for the common man. It carried no pretence and in 53 short pages introduced us to brewing equipment, ingredients and, importantly, notes on beer making and common problems. In just half a dozen pages it surmised kit brewing, extract brewing and mash (allgrain) brewing. That book was Home Brewing: A practical guide to all forms of brewing (1991) by Mike Rodgers-Wilson and will be familiar to many readers. I still have the book and flicking through its pages has evoked many memories of my early brewing days. The Brewing Log Sheets towards the end of the book show some of the beers I was trying to clone at the time – Coopers Sparkling, Red Back, Little Creatures and Schofferhoffer. From memory the Red Back was the pick and the Little Creatures was a disaster! Mike Rodgers-Wilson went on to release Brewing Crafts in 2004, which carried many recipes for cloning the boutique beers of the time – think James Squire Amber Ale, Hoegaarden White Beer and the jewel in the crown, Chimay Blue Label. It was this book that showed me how to customise cans of concentrate and the Chimay Blue was my first foray into unhopped malt extract brewing. As the years have passed and I’ve kept homebrewing, I regularly have people offer up old homebrew books that they have sitting on the bookshelf gathering dust. And I love it. Before looking back to the early days of modern homebrewing as a hobby, it is worth reminding ourselves that homebrewing wasn’t actually legal in Australia until 1973 when Gough Whitlam’s government changed the legislation. Before that it was legal to brew beer at home as long as the ABV was around 1%. The new law allowed homebrewers to make 22 litres per week. No matter how enthusiastic the taster, that comes in at over 1000 litres annually and should satisfy most! Many of the first books I have acquired still smell like they should – slightly musty, like an old library. Now there’s an aroma I bet you never expected from this beer magazine!

SPRING 2018 73

FEATURE

The old Coopers fermenter and homemade capper, Warwick

The spoils of old school brewing

About 10 years ago my uncle passed on two soft

The Books Brewing Better Beers (1967) – Ken Shales Home Brewed Beers and Stouts (1963) – C.J.J. Berry The Simple Science of Wine and Beer Making (1969) – H.E. Bravery Home Brewing: A practical guide to all forms of brewing (1991) – Michael RodgersWilson Brewing Crafts (2004) – Mike RodgersWilson

bottom-fermenting yeast (“used to prepare lagers”).

by C.J.J. Berry, and Brewing Better Beers (1967) by Ken

While we enjoy a plethora of yeasts today to make the

Shales. Around that time, I also came across a hard-

beers we want, Berry, Bravery and Shales knew what

covered copy of The Simple Science of Wine and Beer Making

they were doing back in the day.

(1969) by H.E. Bravery in a second hand bookshop.

Recipe-wise Shales and Bravery play it relatively safe

The equipment back then was rudimentary: a basic

with recipes for lager, English pale, bitter, mild, brown,

kit included a 5-Gallon Dustbin, nylon sieve, wooden

porter, stout and even a barley wine. That said, Bravery

spoon, rubber tubing and assorted funnels. There

was partial to a pint or two of tea in his beers.

was no awareness of food-grade plastics in those

C.J.J. Berry also included recipes to make various

days and undoubtedly some of the beers must have

English styles, but he also wrote a chapter on Mock

carried prominent aroma and flavour notes of plastic

Beers. Some of the beers in this chapter could find

and rubber. On the scientific side, there was also a

their way onto the tap list at the Great Australian

hydrometer and thermometer.

Beer Spectapular (GABS).

The recipes in these books are very interesting

He labels these ‘mock beers’ as most don’t include

and while there was no access to the hops, malts and

hops and the base of the beer varies. There are various

yeasts of today, there was awareness of the need for

recipes with key ingredients being beetroot, bran,

water treatment (one heaped teaspoon of salt, citric

cherries, young dandelion plants (“… a pleasant drink

acid or even Plaster of Paris!) and recipes included

and is said to be good for stomach disorders.”), nettles,

cracked crystal malt, flaked barley and flaked maize.

horehound (a flowering member of the mint family),

The hops are undefined in the recipes and just given as a measurement – 2-3 ounces of hops (57-85g) and

black treacle and golden syrup. Wow. There’s also a recipe for ‘Cock Ale’. “In a 100

were in flower form. According to Shales’ Brewing

year old book on brewing we came across the following

Better Beers, hop concentrates were available, but only

recipe for a fearsome brew, ‘Cock Ale’,” explains

received a passing mention. The hops Shales mentioned

Berry.’ In addition to nutmeg and raisins, this recipe

included, “Fuggles, used for mild and brown ales, stouts

also calls for a parboiled and flayed chicken.

and the like, and Goldings, which make the fine pales and bitters with a characteristic aroma.” Bakers’ yeast was already identified as a no-no

74 Home Brewer

fermenting (“British-brewing practice” or ale) and

covered books: Home Brewed Beers and Stouts (1963)

This particular recipe took my interest and I brewed it with some friends. Looking back I have to ask myself ‘why’? The answer is of course, ‘because we could

and while there is mention of Lambic wild yeasts, the

and to see what it was like’. Despite being completely

two available and recommended dry yeasts are top-

ridiculous, the resulting beer was actually quite good.

Best Bitter – Extract Recipe

Burton Strong Ale – Extract Recipe

Mike’s Chimay Blue Label Clone Recipe

This recipe is inspired by a recipe in H.E. Bravery’s The Simple Science of Wine and Beer Making (1969) and makes for a pleasing bitter, with a distant hint of black tea. White sugars have been replaced with Light Dried Malt Extract (LDME) and we have used East Kent Golding hop pellets.

This recipe is adapted from Ken Shales’ Brewing Better Beers (1967). Shales describes this as a “dark, fairly strong, sweetish hearty beer”. If that doesn’t have you reaching for the keys to head to your local homebrew shop then nothing will! If you don’t want the sweetness from the crystal malt, substitute it for Munich malt. It also included a tablespoon of caramel, which I didn’t include in my version as it was only included for colour. While the hops were not identified, we have selected Fuggles hop pellets

This is one of the recipes that Mike is most proud of and it is no surprise because this beer is outstanding. The recipe came about when a customer brought Mike a complicated all-grain version of this recipe from an old English brewing book. He asked Mike to adapt it to a simpler extract recipe, which Mike happily did. Three months later the customer returned with two Chimay Blue bottles under his arm; one with the original and the other with the homebrewed clone. They had a taste and Mike was unable to tell the difference.

Expected Brew Figures OG: 1.044 FG: 1.010 ABV: 4.3% IBU: 34 Volume: 23 litres

Ingredients 2.3kg Light Dried Malt Extract (LDME) 4 teaspoons of tea 60g East Kent Goldings hops Safale s-04 yeast (or similar English ale yeast)

Method 1. In a large pot, bring 6 litres of water to the boil and stir through the LDME. 2. Using a hop bag, add the East Kent Goldings hops for the 60 minute boil 3. With 15 minutes left in the brew, make your tea mix in a tea pot or Pyrex jug to brew up ‘2 pints’ of tea using (just over a litre) and let sit for a 3-4 minutes to diffuse. Pour the tea through a strainer into the large pot 4. Transfer to your fermenter (use a strainer if any tea leaves have found their way into your brew!) and top up to 23 litres using refrigerated water if required to bring your brew temperature down 5. When the temperature is in the range of 18-22°C, pitch the yeast and ferment until the gravity is around 1.010 and is consistent for consecutive days 6. Bottle and allow to condition for 8-12 weeks, then enjoy while flicking through the page of an old homebrew book!

Expected Brew Figures OG: 1.055 FG: 1.010 ABV: 5.3% IBU: 41 Volume: 23 litres

Ingredients 2.8kg Light Dried Malt Extract

Recipe reprinted with permission from Mike Rodgers-Wilson (Brewing Crafts) for this article

Expected Brew Figures OG: 1.081 FG: 1.018 ABV: 9.3% IBU: 35 Volume: 15 litres

Ingredients Bottle of Chimay Blue Label for yeast starter

450g Crystal malt

2.3kg of Light Dry Malt Extract (LDME)

100g Black malt

30g Black malt

100g Fuggles hops

400g Soft brown sugar

Safale s-04 yeast (or similar English ale yeast)

250g Blended honey

Method

20g Goldings hops

1. Bring 2-3 litres of water to 70°C and steep cracked crystal and black malts for 30 minutes – aim to maintain temperature at 67-70°C

Method

2. Meanwhile, use a large pot to bring 6 litres of water to the boil and stir through the LDME

40g Hallertauer hops

Before Brew Day 1. Pour bottle of Chimay Blue into glasses to enjoy, but leave last couple of centimetres in the bottle to keep the yeast for your yeast starter

3. Strain the liquid from the steeped grains into the larger pot

2. Do a yeast starter as outlined by in Issue 45 (last issue). If you don’t have this issue, you’ll be able to google how to make a yeast starter

4. Using a hop bag, add the Fuggles hops for the 60 minute boil

Brew Day

5. Transfer to your fermenter and top up to 23 litres using refrigerated water if required to bring your brew temperature down 6. When the temperature is in the range of 18-22°C, pitch the yeast and ferment until the gravity is around 1.010 and is consistent for consecutive days 7. Bottle and allow to condition for 8-12 weeks then enjoy the odd sneaky pint!

3. In a medium saucepan mix LDME, black malt, brown sugar, honey, Hallertauer hops and Goldings hops with about 4 litres of water 4. Stir as you bring to the boil and boil for 35 minutes 5. Strain into fermenter and top up with refrigerated water to 15 litres 6. Wait until temperature is about 22°C and pitch your yeast starter 7. Your brew is ready to bottle or keg once the gravity is about 1.018 and is consistent over consecutive days 8. Enjoy in moderation as this is a cracking beer with a big ABV!

SPRING 2018 75

FEATURE

Q&A with Mike Rodgers-Wilson

The old homemade homebrew capper

Author of instrumental titles Home Brewing and Brewing Crafts, both of which sold over 60,000 copies, Mike Rodgers-Wilson is now retired and professes to be busier than ever! We look back on the impact of his books and his career in the homebrewing industry. Beer & Brewer (B&B): I believe that you owned the oldest homebrew shop in the world? Mike: I didn’t start it, but I owned it. I bought in October ’82 and it had been going since about 1968 before that. In fact, the business originated before homebrew was legal. B&B: How did you get into homebrew yourself? Mike: I got into it because I had been working in the computer industry in Papua New Guinea for five years and I came back to Melbourne to get the kids into a decent school. I soon realised that I couldn’t hack the computer industry anymore, so I just bought the business as a sanity saving device. I operated the business until about three years ago and my oldest son now owns it and runs it. B&B: How were the ingredients back then? Mike: The basic ingredients were there – you could buy malt, hops and grains. There was also a fairly basic range of beer kits available. When homebrew started, people were almost exclusively making beer from malt extract in a rubbish bin. If you put water into a plastic rubbish bin and leave it for a day you couldn’t drink it. It tastes terrible. It picks up the plastic and develops a real taste so I don’t know how people managed to drink their beer when they did it that way, but they did! I suppose desperation comes into play there! B&B: Onto your book. It didn’t overcomplicate things and it was very accessible for all brewers. Mike: I’ve just pulled out a copy and I hadn’t looked at it in years until now. I’m quite proud of it. I think it really served a purpose very well. It’s all in simple language as I wrote it in language that the reader would use. I don’t think there’s one line of bullshit in the whole book.

That said, I can’t say the chook actually added anything positive to the beer and I won’t be brewing it again or recommending it to others to try! There are however, some very good recipes from these books and I have modified these to suit modern practices. I have recently brewed each of the adapted recipes and while they are a long way from today’s hop bombs, they are a good reminder of how rewarding malt-driven beers can be.

OLD SCHOOL AUSTRALIAN BEER MAGAZINES Next issue we will look back at the three Australian beer magazines in print back in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. We examine the issues facing the Australian beer industry at the time and of course we try out a few of the old recipes - some of which hold their own amongst modern styles.

B&B: How did that book change things for you? Mike: It changed things a lot. When I got into the business brewing was very much a seasonal summer hobby. The yeasts that worked well in winter temperatures were hard to get and people had this misguided opinion that beer had to ferment at a fairly warm temperature. Amongst other things the book helped us convert the marketplace from a seasonal to an all-year round marketplace. When I got into the business the difference between business in summer and winter was about five or six times. We changed that so it was pretty consistent all year. The other thing that it did was that it taught people that just using a simple recipe or just grabbing a beer kit and chucking a kilo of sugar into it is not the essential way to do it. You can make much better beers by putting a little bit of thought into it. You can use malt instead of sugar and you’ll improve the beer. It taught people how they could just make a few alterations to what they were doing in order to make a much tastier beer. People cottoned on to that pretty quickly and it improved beer for the brewer because they were making beer that they enjoyed.

76 Home Brewer

Homebrew books from Mike RodgersWilson. Both sold over 60,000 copies

RECIPE

Hop Slam IPA Bavaria THIS COOPERS DIY RECIPE IS A GERMAN-STYLED IPA BREWED WITH NEW WORLD HOPS

Hop Slam IPA Bavaria – Concentrate Recipe Expected Brew Figures OG: 1.042 FG: 1.008 ABV: 5% IBU: 60 Volume: 23 litres

Ingredients e’re nearing Oktoberfest so it’s time to lay down a

1.7kg Thomas Coopers Brew A IPA

German inspired brew. And this is no traditional

1kg Light Dry Malt Extract

brew: instead it is a new world, German-styled

100g Caramel Pilsner Grains (cracked)

IPA brewed with Mandarina Bavaria hops. The Mandarina Bavaria hops are a Cascade-bred new world variety that layers citrusy, floral aromas with

hints of tangerine, lemon and pineapple on top of an amber caramel malt base.

50g Mandarina Bavaria Hop Pellets Safale US-05 yeast

Method 1. The day before brew day, soak the cracked grain in a small mesh bag in a pot with about 3 litres of cold water. Fit the lid and sit it in the fridge overnight. If the grains have not already been cracked, place them in a plastic zip-lock sandwich bag and crack them using a rolling pin 2. On brew day lift the mesh bag with grains out of the pot and allow the liquid to drain out before discarding the grains 3. Place the strained liquid onto the stovetop, bring to the boil then remove from the heat and add about 1/3 of the Mandarina Bavaria hops and let sit for 10 minutes 4. Cool the liquid by placing the pot in a bath of cold water for about 15 minutes 5. Add all the fermentable ingredients and the cooled liquid to your fermenter then stir to dissolve. Don’t be concerned if lumps of Light Dry Malt Extract persist as they will dissolve over the course of several hours 6. Top up with cold tap water to 20 litres and stir thoroughly 7. Check the temperature and top up to 23 litres with warm or cool water (refrigerated if necessary) to start the brew at 20°C 8. Sprinkle both the Safale US-05 yeast and brew can yeast, fit the lid then place the fermenter in a location out of direct sunlight and ferment at 18-20°C 9. Once the foam has subsided (should be around day 6 or 7) add the remaining Mandarina Bavaria Hop pellets (preferably in a hop bag) and leave for a further 5 days 10. On day 10 check the specific gravity (SG). The brew is ready once the specific gravity has stabilised over a couple of days and is about 1.008 11. Bottle or keg as normal. If bottling, allow your beer to bottle condition for at least two weeks, but it will benefit from at least 8 weeks of bottle conditioning

SPRING 2018 77

EDUCATION – LEVEL UP TECHNICAL SECTION

Pimp I Your Rig

n this Level Up section so far we have looked at the different ways to improve your brewing through ingredients and process. But what about the different types of equipment available to home brewers and what should you choose if you are looking to pimp your rig?

PIMP YOUR RIG So you are looking to get some more brew bling, or maybe even update

your entire rig? There are so many options available, which cater to home brewers on many levels with different needs. You can buy a system that is fully automated and minimises your input, or you can get a more hands-on rig. Figure out what you want from your system – do you want to save time on brew day? Do you want better more consistent results? Do you just simply need to upgrade due to your old system failing? Do you only need a specific vessel, like a new kettle? Most of the options have inbuilt heating and circulation pumps, which can be

quite expensive if you were to buy them separately with all their attachments. My brew rig consists of various converted SS tanks which I fabricated myself and added all the pieces to, which has probably cost me a load more than buying one of these bad boys! Let’s look at the options available.

BREW BLING

HOMEBREWER TECHNICAL EDITOR JAKE BRANDISH LOOKS AT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF AUTOMATION AND EQUIPMENT TYPES AVAILABLE TO HOME BREWERS

I remember doing a brewing demo at my local homebrew shop with another brewer and we did a side by side brew using two systems – the Braumeister and the Grainfather. I was on the Braumeister and I mostly stood there and watched the other guy fiddle and play around with the Grainfather while I watched the Braumeister do pretty much everything by itself. While this was pretty cool

78 Home Brewer

and I could see the time saving benefits, I kind of thought that I was missing the hands on process. After all, this is why I took the leap in to all-grain brewing. All of the automated systems below will heat the liquor up to strike temp so you just add the grain, and all of them have a basket for the mash so you just lift it up when the time comes. Each of these all-in-one systems recommend a separate hot liquor tank for sparging and clean up. The systems below each have their pros and cons so let’s look at them, but hit up your local brew shop so they can run through the nitty gritty. Braumeister: This German automated kit has in built pump and heating. It is able to

Grainfather with chiller

recirculate itself without having to touch it.

separately. This means you can build your

The Braumeister also has a recipe and mash

own system or perhaps just pick up what

profile-setting menu. All you have to do is add

you need, like a new mash tun or kettle. Ss

the grain, select the mash profile you want to

Brewtech equipment is available online from

use, then press the button. From there you

NewEra Brewing as well as many homebrew

just need to transfer to the fermenter and

shops around the country. They do kettles,

pitch the yeast. It is a very nice system and

mash tuns, hot liquor tanks, fermenters, brew

very easy to use.

buckets, sight glasses, hop rockets, valves,

The Braumeister is available as a 20 litre, 50

fittings and pumps.

litre and 200 litre system. Grainfather: Once again, this is an all in

IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S ME

one rig which allows you to mash, sparge

When you move on to your new system or

and boil in one vessel. The Grainfather is a

vessel, don’t forget you will be using a new

great little kit that is more hands on than the

piece of equipment, which will behave a little

Braumeister. It comes with a counter flow

differently to the way your old one did. One

chiller coil to get the wort down to pitching

of the challenges brewers find when adapting

temperature. Grainfather Connect now has

to a new rig is that their efficiency may be

Bluetooth so you can get the app and play

different. Give yourself a few experimental

around with your rig remotely and have all

brews to see how it performs, and adjust

your recipes ready to connect with the rig.

your milling if your FG is too high or if you

Grainfather also do a conical fermenter with a

have process issues like a stuck mash. These

temperature controlled jacket.

systems may just bypass the mash and

The Grainfather is a 30 litre system.

recirculate up the sides of the mash so you may

RoboBrew: The RoboBrew is a more manual

not even detect there is an issue until you take

brew rig and is not as advanced as the other two

your gravity readings.

systems, but it is still an awesome way to knock out a brew and to get you into all-grain. It will

IN SUMMARY

also be a handy upgrade for some. The RoboBrew

More than likely your budget will dictate which

Has in built pump and heating so pretty much

one you go with, but if you are cashed up choose

does as the other two systems does, but at a

wisely. When making your decision, consider

significantly lower price. It also comes with an

what you want from the rig and how hands on

immersion coil for cooling. The Robobrew is a 35

you want it to be. Happy brewing! Sláinte mhath!

litre system and a 50 litre system will be released

Robobrew Generation 3

NOTE: As prices vary from shop to

soon. It is great value and is the world’s biggest

shop, prices have not been included. The

selling single unit brewery.

Braumeister is the most expensive of these

Ss Brewtech: These guys manufacture high quality brewing vessels which you can buy

systems, followed by the Grainfather, then the RoboBrew is the least expensive.

SPRING 2018 79

ENTERTAINING – FOOD

Eat At The Bar ON THEIR TRAVELS AROUND EUROPE, MATT MCCONNELL AND JO GAMVROS HAVE SAMPLED INCREDIBLE FOOD IN INCREDIBLE BARS, AND NOW THEY SHARE THEIR LOVE OF EUROPE’S BAR DINING CULTURE

uropean cuisine is as varied as it is impressive and has had a huge impression on the dining scene here in Australia. Chef Matt McConnell and front-of-house pro Jo Gamvros

founded Bar Lourinha more than 10 years ago in Melbourne. In this book, they have retraced their travels through Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece, exploring the amazing flavours and relaxed hospitality that inspired them to embrace and redefine bar dining culture in Melbourne. First and foremost, Eat At The Bar is a cookbook. It contains 55 recipes inspired by local farmers, providores, fishmongers and suppliers, and underpinned by the flavours. But it is also a travelogue, featuring anecdotes from the pair’s adventures around Europe spanning many years. Lourinha actually takes its name from a municipality in Portugal. McConnell chose the name because it wasn’t definitively Portuguese or Spanish, offering freedom in the restaurant on the creative side of food – a freedom that is reflected in this book. Ditto, the idea that the best drinking experiences are accompanied by food: hence Eat At The Bar.

This is an edited extract from Eat At The Bar by Matt McConnell and Jo Gamvros, published by Hardie Grant Publishers. It’s available in hardcover from all good bookstores or online from 15 October 2018 (RRP $50)

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ENTERTAINING – FOOD

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER, WALNUTS & QUESO DE CABRA Serves 6 Ingredients 1 cauliflower head, cut into large florets 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, roasted and crushed salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 60g roasted walnuts, crushed ¼ red onion, finely sliced 1 garlic clove, finely sliced Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons 10g flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves, roughly torn 50g queso de cabra*

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). 2. Place the cauliflower florets in a large, heavy-based roasting tin and mix in the coriander seeds, some salt and pepper, the olive oil and two-thirds of the walnuts. Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until slightly brown and just beginning to soften. 3. Remove from the oven and allow the cauliflower to cool in the roasting tin.

LARDO SOLDIERS Serves 12

Method

Ingredients

1. Using a sharp knife, remove the crusts from the loaf and slice the bread into soldiers, about 2cm square.

2⁄3 loaf square sourdough, preferably at least one day old 100ml garlic oil 5g fine salt 12 slices lardo, sliced very thin Chilli salt, to serve ½ tablespoon lemon thyme leaves, To serve Olive oil, for drizzling

2. Douse the bread in the garlic oil and salt and place on a hot grill or in a hot chargrill pan. Grill all four sides until evenly charred, then remove from the grill and immediately wrap the soldiers in the lardo. 3. Place on a serving plate and sprinkle over the chilli salt, thyme leaves and a heavy drizzle of olive oil.

4. Add the onion, garlic, lemon zest and juice and the parsley and mix together well. 5. To serve, put the cauliflower on a serving plate and top with shavings of the queso de cabra, the remaining walnuts and a good drizzle of olive oil. Serve either warm or at room temperature.

*Queso de cabra is a Spanish goat’s cheese that is slightly aged, but still quite creamy. You’ll find it in good cheese stores and delicatessens.

SPRING 2018 81

ENTERTAINING – FOOD

Stuffed Calamari Serves 8

Method

Ingredients

1. Clean the calamari by removing the wings and tentacles. Turn the tube inside out and remove any innards, then set aside.

4 medium-sized whole calamari (no longer than 20cm) Lemon wedges, Stuffing 200g torn, stale sourdough bread 1 garlic clove, sliced 40g chopped jamón serrano 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling Salt Freshly ground black pepper

2. For the stuffing, chop the calamari wings and tentacles and combine in a bowl with the remaining ingredients. 3. Carefully fill each calamari tube and close with a toothpick. 4. Heat a barbecue chargrill plate or chargrill pan over a high heat. 5. Grill the calamari for about 3 minutes each side, then slice and serve with lemon wedges and a drizzle of olive oil.

CHICKEN LIVERS, SHERRY & ALMONDS Serves 6 Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 300g free-range, handpicked chicken livers, cleaned Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 dried bay leaf 1 garlic clove, finely sliced 2 shallots, finely sliced 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 60ml dry sherry 125ml chicken stock 2 tablespoons cold butter 10g flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves, torn 30g flaked almonds, toasted, to garnish

Method 1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan,

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then place the chicken livers face down in the pan. 2. Cook over a high heat until brown, turning with tongs. 3. Season the livers well before adding the bay leaf, garlic and shallot. Cook until the liver is well browned. 4. Add the vinegar, sherry and chicken stock and cook until slightly thickened. Reduce the heat to low and add the butter and parsley, stirring until the butter has been incorporated into the sauce. 5. When the livers begin to feel slightly firm – around 4-5 minutes – remove them from the pan and arrange on a serving dish. Cover with the sauce and garnish with the flaked almonds.

ENTERTAINING – FOOD

PORTUGUESE PORK & OCTOPUS RICE

POMEGRANATE CREMA, PISTACHIO PRALINE Serves 8

Serves 6 Ingredients Ingredients

Pomegranate seeds,

60ml olive oil

Pistachio praline

1 onion, roughly diced

75g pistachio nuts, roasted

½ tablespoon sliced garlic

345g caster (superfine) sugar

1 dried bay leaf

Crema

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1l thickened cream

2 teaspoons pimentón

115g caster (superfine) sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

¼ vanilla pod, split and scraped

½ teaspoon ground allspice

3 gelatine leaves, soaked

250g pork neck, diced 250g bomba rice

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

250ml tomato juice

Lemon syrup

2l chicken stock

6 tablespoons sugar syrup

750g twice-cooked octopus, chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

To garnish 1 tablespoon picked lemon thyme

Method

Grated zest of 1 lemon, to garnish

1. Place the pistachios on a baking tray lined with baking paper and set aside.

12 slices finely sliced Lardo (cured pork fat)

To serve Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling 2 teaspoons chilli flakes Sea salt flakes

Method 1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and gently sweat the onion with the garlic, bay leaf and some salt and pepper.

2. Put the sugar in a small, heavy-based saucepan and add enough water to cover the sugar. Stir gently, then place over a high heat. Cook until the sugar begins to change colour, trying not to stir or allow the sugar to crystallise. Once you have an even, dark caramel, carefully pour the mixture over the

pistachios. Leave to cool completely before roughly chopping with a knife. 3. For the crema, combine the cream, sugar and vanilla in a heavy-based saucepan set over a low heat. Heat gently, to no more than 50°C (122°F), and stir occasionally to help the sugar dissolve. Remove from the heat and allow to steep for 5 minutes, then squeeze any excess water from the gelatine leaves and stir them into the mixture with the pomegranate molasses. Stir well, then pass the crema through a fine-mesh sieve and pour into serving bowls. Allow to cool and set in the fridge before serving. 4. While the crema sets, make the lemon syrup. Combine the sugar syrup and lemon juice in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. 5. To serve, sprinkle a generous amount of the chopped praline, lemon syrup and pomegranate seeds on top of the crema. 6. Prepare a sugar syrup by combing equal parts caster (superfine) sugar and boiling water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.

2. When the onions begin to soften, add the pimentón, cinnamon, allspice and diced pork and fry for about 10 minutes over a medium heat until the pork is par-cooked. 3. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). 4. Add the rice and stir well, then add the tomato juice and stock and bring to the boil. Cook until the rice just starts to soften, then remove from the heat. Add the chopped octopus and leave to cool completely to allow the rice to absorb the rest of the liquid. 5. Divide the rice mixture between six individual serving dishes and flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes, or until a crust forms on top and the rice is hot. 6. Serve immediately, garnished with lemon thyme, lemon zest, finely sliced lardo, a drizzle of olive oil, some chilli flakes and salt.

SPRING 2018 83

THIS EDITION OUR TASTING PANEL FOCUSED ON SOUR ALES AND GOSES, AS WELL AS THE LATEST RELEASES. HERE ARE THE RESULTS

TASTING the 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.

Bill Taylor

Neal Cameron

Justin Fox

Head brewer for Lion Nathan, Bill Taylor has more than 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.

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.

With more than a decade of brewing across Australia on kits ranging from 600 to 140,000 litres, Justin has recently joined the Bintani family to head their service, sales, and product development. He is passionate about helping brewers innovate and develop technically as the industry continues to grow.

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Michael Capaldo

Graham Wright

With over a decade in the brewing industry, including eight years at Sydney/Lovedale Brewery, Michael has completed a Post Grad in Brewing from ECU and judged at many of the top beer awards. He also sits on the IBA awards technical panel and is the NSW, QLD & ACT sales rep for Hop Products Australia.

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-tofind 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).

TASTING

Willie Smiths Traditional Vintage 2018 Cider Apple Blend

Blackman’s Brewery Smooth Stout

Colonial Brewing Co Robust Porter

Clare Valley Brewing SA Co XPA

4.7% ABV, 500ml can Blackman’s Smooth Stout delivers big flavour with an approachable ABV. Plenty of coffee and chocolate up front precedes a dabble of enticing vanilla. Roast malts abound on the palate, delivering an initial smooth flow of chocolate goodness to your tastebuds, before transitioning through earthy, toasted malt to finish with roasted bread and a balanced sweetness. It’s a moreish brew that will have you thankful there is likely to be a few sips left to top up your glass with, courtesy of the 500ml can. Style: Stout Glass: Schooner Food Match: Green chilli-stuffed Portobello Blackmansbrewery.com.au

6% ABV, 375ml can There’s a delicious blend of chocolate and roast notes with a hint of spice on the aroma that is picked up from the first sip to last swallow. A smooth and creamy palate softens the slightly ashen finish that makes for a very drinkable beer. A slight warmth rounds out the bitterness and slight astringency and allows the flavours to linger nicely. Style: Robust porter Glass: Stein or nonic Food match: Sticky beef ribs Colonialbrewingco.com.au

5.2% ABV, 355ml can The colour is a bright amber, the head is solid and the nose pulls you in, as there is a pleasing waft of elderflower from the Ella hops mixing well with the creamy malt. On the palate, nice and long and lingering, a good blend of malt and peach and passionfruit flavours from the hops. And pleasingly, it finishes dry and bitter. Great balance and a trueto-style New World pale ale. Style: XPA Glass: Classic Belgian-style glass Food: Goats cheese and a robust salad Cvbc.beer

Stomping Ground Guava Smash

Red Hill Brewery Imperial Stout

Devils Brewery Pilz Enigma

Batch Brewing Co Pash the Magic Dragon Sour

4.2% ABV, 355ml can It’s a can you can’t miss on the shelf as Stomping Ground gose back to back with its fruited special release cans (compulsory gose pun complete). This time, Colombian guava is the star, bringing sweetness and tropical highlights: papaya, pineapple and melon. Subtle tartness mixes with a cleansing salt note on the palate before drying out with more fruit. It’s delicate, refreshing and incredibly well balanced. A beer you might turn to for a cleanser but struggle to find a reason to move away from. Style: Fruit gose Glass: Stange Food Match: Mussels with garlic, parsley and butter Stompingground.beer

8.1% ABV, 330ml A must-have beer each winter, this imperial stout has long been a signature of the Red Hill team. All the expected hall mark aromatics are there: chocolate, liquorice, praline and coffee. The same combination strikes again on the tastebuds, backed up with vanilla, figs and raisins. It is mildly carbonated and remains smooth as it warms up, continuing to emanate dried fruit mixed with roasted malt until the very last drop. Don’t sit around waiting – grab one now and drink up before the sun comes out. Style: Imperial stout Glass: Snifter Food Match: Braised brisket Redhillbrewery.com.au

4.2% ABV, 330ml Definitely a New World twist on this traditional style. High hoppy aroma of berry and melon notes with a slight hop bag character overall. The palate is moderately bitter, some malt sweetness and crisp finish. It’s a little easy to forget this is a pilsner with such a dominant hop presence. Clean finish and a well-rounded beer. Style: New World hopped pilsner Glass: Pilsner Food match: BBQ salmon or trout with a side of fat chips Devilsbrewery.com.au

4.5% ABV, 440ml can When you’re greeted with a beautiful blush pink foam and a light apricot/pink beer, the temptation to smell and taste this sour is immense. Dive in, you won’t be disappointed. A good blend of tropical fruit notes rises above the evident passionfruit that transitions well into the palate. A soft fruity sweetness is balanced by a sourness that provides a tartness that tingles but doesn’t bite. A really well integrated beer, it’s easy to drink and effortlessly enjoyable, cleansing and moreish. Style: Sour Glass: Slim tulip Food match: Tarte Tatin Batchbrewingco.com.au

5.4% ABV, 355ml can Rich gold in colour with a soft haze and delicate initial foam. A barnyard, phenolic character and distinctive cooked apple note evolve and blend to provide a well-balanced aroma that transitions onto the palate. An upfront apple sweetness and slightly woody mid palate is rounded out by a moderate tartness and dry finish. Style: Traditional apple cider Glass: Stemless wine glass Food match: Pork and fennel sausages with celeriac mash Williesmiths.com.au

SPRING 2018 85

TASTING

Hawthorn Brewing Co Raisin Shine Stout

Sydney Brewery Pittwater Bitter

Devils Brewery Cloudy Apple Cider

6.1% ABV, 330ml This brew sees the morning breakfast ritual of raisin toast and coffee brought to life, with a bursting raisin aromatic straight off the pour. The underlying stout is reserved, with a low to medium body offering a balanced blend of coffee, chocolate and a short clean bitterness. Such a quick finish serves only to make one entertain the possibility that this beer would go down a treat before noon. Style: Fruited export stout Glass: A ‘Keep Cup’ for no judgement Food Match: Coffee and raisin toast, of course Hawthornbrewing.com.au

5.5% ABV, 355ml can Strong caramel and a slight dried fruit character make up the aroma while the palate has a light burnt caramel note with an earthy hop dry finish. The astringency builds a little, leaving an oxidised flavour. Some caramel notes, sweet caramel upfront, crystal malt, with harsh astringency on the finish. Style: English bitter Glass: Pint or nonic Food match: Flaky pastry beef pie Sydneybrewery.com.au

5% ABV, 330ml bottle You can’t go wrong with Tassie apples; the climate down there with its big winter chill hours sets up the apple trees for a bumper crop, so Devils Brewery is immediately off to a great start. There’s not a lot of complexity in this cider, but it’s sweet and gives off serious, almost confectionary-like green apple aromas. Acidity is not high and overall it’s a chewy, sweet appley cider. Style: Apple cider Glass: Schooner Food Match: Mustard glazed pork loin Devilbrewery.com.au

Your Mates Brewing Donnie Darko Porter

Devils Brewery Not Another Pale Ale

Hop Nation The Punch Mango Gose

Mismatch Brewing Co Chocolate Stout

5.0% ABV, 375ml can Pouring jet black with a wisp of tan foam, the darkness leapt forth with cocoa, coffee and roast malt aromatics. A ham hock smokiness was prominent early and remained in balance, allowing waves of vanilla and dark chocolate sweetness to emanate, with just enough body to carry them across the palate. Low bitterness and a slight tannic note wrapped up the mouthfeel, resulting in an overall wellbalanced brew that maintained drinkability. A beer that will satisfy the dark cravings within. Style: Porter Glass: Stange Food Match: Pork shoulder Yourmatesbrewing.com

5.0% ABV, 330ml Originally sporting a f#&%!!! in the title, apparently shorthand for ‘Foreign’, this Tassie pale ale has cleaned up its label despite even more crowding in the pale ale space. Hopped with Tassiegrown Cascade and Galaxy, it’s a great example of the now official Australian pale ale style. Passionfruit and a faint pine note up front on the nose lead into a soft malt with a bitterness at the heavier end of the scale. The dry hop addition pokes through to balance out the lingering bite and send you back for more. Style: Australian pale ale Glass: Tulip Food Match: Duck or quail Devilsbrewery.com.au

4% ABV, 375ml can A pretty intense spin on an old style, the sour mango flavour is punchy and exiting, though the aroma is a touch eggy and discombobulates the balance. It’s a good craic and worth a try! Style: Gose Glass: Pilsner Food match: Youvarlakia Hopnation.com.au

5.6% ABV, 375ml can They won champion beer at the Indies for their Helles Lager, and one sip of this stout made it starkly apparent that the Mismatch team have mastered both the light and dark sides of brewing. Simply put, this beer is a ripper and was impossible to put down. Coffee, vanilla, chocolate and cocoa all intertwine in harmony on the nose leaving you salivating and eager to sip. It’s incredibly smooth and balanced, creamy and dreamy, showing no hint of astringency. I really have no more words – it’s exceptional. Style: Chocolate stout Glass: Snifter Food Match: This will make any food taste better… Mismatchbrewing.com.au

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Dainton Brewing Tropicana Session Saison 5.5% ABV, 355ml can A delightful representation of what a session saision should be: crisp, tart, light in colour and unique. Its pale appearance with a slight haze is great for style and the use of delicate hops throughout the beer tantalize the taste buds at every stage! Style: Saison Glass: Tulip Food match: Steamed barramundi with Thai herbs, chilli and lime Daintonbrewing.com.au

Sydney Brewery Agave Ginger Cider

Little Creatures The Fuggle is Real

Your Mates Brewing Co Larry Pale Ale

Dainton Brewing Red Eye Rye

4.5% ABV, 355ml can Renowned for their stable of well-executed beers and their approachability and simplicity, Sydney’s quasi-Mexican cider lives up to expectation. When mixing multiple spices and adjuncts, the difficulty always lies in keeping things balanced. Whilst the initial impact of this brew was ginger dominant, the palate juggled agave sweetness with ginger warmth perfectly, allowing each element to complement the overall impression. Finishing with a carbonic zip and leaving a lingering acidity, it’s one to seek out when the sun starts to shine. Style: Spiced cider Glass: Margherita Food Match: Mexican of course Sydneybrewery.com

5.8% ABV, 355ml can Up front there is an obvious dark roast aroma, but wait, there’s a hint of dark fruit and liquorice, as well as some subtle earthy notes that open up the senses and invite an array of flavours into the palate. A diverse blend of malts and oats provides a rich yet balanced mouthfeel, and the light ashen finish leaves the palate refreshed without too much astringency. Just delicious. Style: Stout Glass: Goblet Food match: Good old sticky date pudding with lashings of caramel sauce Littlecreatures.com.au

4.8% ABV, 355ml can A great green, melon-like hop aroma is complemented by sweet toasted malt notes and a low to moderate bitterness that is well-rounded and smooth. Some tropical and citrus hop notes build with each sip. Although quite full flavoured and a little chewy on the palate, it’s an easy drinking beer overall. Style: Australian pale ale Glass: Pale ale Food match: Potstickers (panfried gyoza) Yourmatesbrewing.com

5.5% ABV, 355ml can Spicy, punchy and bold, this deep red beer excretes character and aroma ethereally! It’s truly awesome! Style: Rye Glass: Broad tulip Food match: Smoked brisket with Mama’s Special Hot Sauce! Daintonbrewing.com.au

Stomping Ground Sour Red Saison

Clare Valley Brewing Red IPA

Dainton Brewing India Pale Ale

5.0% ABV, 355ml can The style suggests an emphasis on caramel malts, farmhouse yeast and pronounced acidity – a complex enough charge before throwing in a collaborative hop note! The result is a delightfully complex brew that delivers on all counts. Toffee and candy malt notes are supported by spicy yeast and hops that bring a swag of grass and dank fruitiness. The sourness is pronounced but not overwhelming, allowing the complex flavours to linger and develop. A really skilful execution of complexity. Style: Sour saison Glass: Stemless red Food Match: Grilled ribeye and root vegetables Stompingground.beer

6.9% ABV, 355ml can Clear and inviting chestnut colour, good and retained head and a good and honest malt driven nose. Clean and simple. And the taste? A good toasted start, moderate length with a mildly bitter finish. The fruity hops get a little dominated by the malt. Still, a good session beer. Style: Red IPA Glass: Classic Belgian-style glass Food: Moroccan chickpea soup Cvbc.beer

The Hills Cider Company Hop Edition Cider 8.0% ABV, 330ml With a couple of years in the market, this hopped cider continues to showcase balance in fruit and hop flavour. The hop aromatic is skilfully integrated, with pineapple and grapefruit amid a traditional grassy background that resides just above the underlying wafts of fresh apple. The higher alcohol content serves to support the heavier body. The true merit is in its simplicity, allowing both apple and hops to shine and please in harmony. Style: Hopped cider Glass: IPA Food Match: Chilli prawns Thehillscidercompany.com.au

6% ABV, 355ml can A refreshing and balanced IPA, the hops are really well used throughout the entirety of the brewing process and create a great balance. Sessionable and another great beer from this brewery! Style: IPA Glass: Glass beer mug Food match: Kranski, sauerkraut and mustard Daintonbrewing.com.au

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TASTING

Dainton Brewery Big Bad Bourbon Barrel Aged Belgian Barley Wine With Rye 14% ABV, 355ml can Another huge mix of very different styles in one can. So be warned, you’re in for a rollercoaster of a ride. There’s flavours of bubblegum and blue cheese, there’s confectionary fruit flavours, a big dose of American oak and a note of germinal esters. Didn’t get the rye though. And the alcohol? Hot and obvious. Style: Barley wine Glass: Wine glass Food: Big chunk of sour dough bread and decent butter Daintonbrewing.com.au

4 Pines Keller Door Imperial IPA 9% ABV, 500ml Pours clear with a rich, deep bronze colour. The smell is pretty intense on the nose, malt and hop elements fight for attention, with a tropical fruit aroma just winning over. There’s a sweetness in the smell and taste that brings preserved fruits to mind – the citrus elements come across as marmalade. That 9% alcohol is well hidden though in a smooth beer that goes down easily despite the big flavours. Alcohol warmth, juicy hits and moderate bitterness finish off this scarily drinkable beer. Style: Imperial IPA Glass: Spiegelau IPA Food Match: Bag of salt & vinegar crisps 4pinesbeer.com.au

88 www.beerandbrewer.com

Newstead Brewing The Ballymore Queensland Lager 3.5% ABV, 375ml can Produced with Queensland Rugby Union, the premise of this beer is thus. The game of rugby is more professional and modern, but you’re still drinking the same old beer. This is rugby beer 2.0 and there’s no doubt the future of mid-strength is safe in Newstead Brewing’s hands. All the hallmarks of an Aussie lager are there, light on alcohol and malt character, high on fermentation esters and fresh fruity hops. Clean and wellmade, but with a 4K vibrancy and freshness. Style: Mid-strength lager Glass: Stubbie holder Food match: Uber delivered gourmet pizza Newsteadbrewing.com.au

Modus Operandi Cascadian Howl Black IPA 8.1% ABV, 500ml can Black with a bright white creamy head. Stick your nose in and it’s all about gentle roasted malt, citrus flavoured hops, clean and fresh. What a joy. And all these flavours are in on the very long and lasting palate. Its texture is rich but in superb balance and there is a very pleasing dry almost tannic grippiness. The finish has hints of a fine macchiato coffee about it. And did I mention the high alcohol? Nope, because it is so well integrated. A class act!! Style: Black IPA Glass: Classic Belgian-style glass Food: Really should be drunk by itself but if you must, how about Malaysian Ikan Bilis. Mobrewing.com.au

Wayward Slap Shot Black IPA

Riverside Brewing Co Milk Moustache

6.5% ABV, 640ml This is a rich, dark brown beer with flashes of red when held up to the light. On the nose, one gets the hoppy notes, malty sweetness and roasted nuts that one expects from a Black IPA. The mouthfeel is smooth and rounded, but there is not the hop dominance that one might expect from this style. The malt takes centre stage, with juicy hops relegated to adding fruitiness in the background. As close to a porter as it is to a Black IPA. Style: Black IPA Glass: Spiegelau IPA Food Match: Meat pie with gravy Waywardbrewing.com.au

5% ABV, 640ml bottle Provocatively rich and intense, from every angle this milk stout is both bold and well balanced. Its full of the rich fig and molasses that is perfectly delectable to all beer drinkers alike. Style: Milk stout Glass: Goblet Food pairing: Steak and ale pie Riversidebrewing.com.au

Stomping Ground Bunker Porter

Two Heads India Papa Alpha IPA

6.1% ABV, 355ml bottle A thick beer with creamy pudding sensations that just oozes of a winter’s night in front of a warm fire. A lovely tipple and well worth a dabble! Style: Porter Glass: Crystal goblet Food match: A rich pot cooked wagyu and onion pie Stompingground.beer

6% ABV, 375ml can A rich, dark amber colour in the glass, this beer has only minimal head. A first sniff gives a good blast of grassy hops, alongside stone fruit, citrus and a slight tropical tinge. The main flavours in the mouth seems to come through its bitterness, which is pleasant if a bit basic. The mouthfeel is very light and the aftertaste fleeting. It’s possible there were some carbonation issues in the canning process. Style: IPA Glass: Tulip Food Match: BBQ meat Twoheadsbrewing.com

Devils Brewery Smokey Moll Porter

4 Pines El Dorado IPA

5.8% ABV, 330ml bottle Before the advent of gas-fired maltings, all beer would have tasted smoky from the wood fired drying ovens used in the process. However, despite the seemingly inexhaustible creativity of modern brewers, few seem to use smoked malt. The problem is, it’s an overpowering flavour, but used well it adds complexity and depth. The guys at Devils Brewery in Tasmania have used the smoke well. Overall, it’s an interesting beer and a good intro to smoked beer. Style: Smoked porter Glass: Straight-sided pint Food match: Cajun ribs Devilsbrewery.com.au

6% ABV, 500ml One of 4Pines’ old beers rereleased by poll to celebrate the brewery’s 10th birthday, and it’s a cracker! You can tell this is a beer from 4Pines’ archives because of its superb clarity in the glass. This is a fruity bomb without the haze. A faintly sweet and candyish aroma, with tropical hints of mango and passionfruit. Maybe some apple and pear? It has good body, with sweet and fruity notes continuing. Late in the piece comes a nice bracing bitterness, just enough to encourage another sip. El Dorado is really a lovely hop as displayed in this beer. Style: IPA Glass: Tulip Food Match: Chicken tacos with mango salsa 4pinesbeer.com.au

Newstead Brewing Johnno Apple Cider

Holgate Empress Imperial Mocha Porter

5.5% ABV, 375ml can It’s a bit hard to distinguish between many of the ciders on the market currently. All are essentially made with the same dessert apples and we’re mainly reliant on the skill of the brewer in teasing out good apple flavour and good fermentation characters from happy yeast. Newstead have showcased the apples well, some zingy apple skin flavours and crunchy acidity; elevated alcohol doesn’t hurt none either. Style: Apple cider Glass: Schooner Food Match: Herb sausages and mash Newsteadbrewing.com.au

10% ABV, 500ml A tribute to the Holgate Temptress, this beer is bigger in every way. The beer poured a little like motor oil. From the first whiff, you know this is a big beer – raisins, dark chocolate, black coffee. And then from the first sip there is a lot going on! Vanilla sweetness blends with coffee and hop bitterness, all wrapped up in a warming alcoholic embrace. One could almost imagine we’re drinking an espresso martini – but with rum in place of vodka. Who needs bartenders when you’ve got brewers? Crack this out and share it with some close mates. Style: Porter Glass: Wine glass Food Match: Cuban cigar Holgatebrewhouse.com

Coopers 2018 Vintage Ale 7.5% ABV, 355ml This tempting beer is a ruby russet colour and has a delicious and enticing frothy head. The nose is full of apricots, dried fruit and spices, and upon first sipping those stone fruit flavours continue to come through alongside a touch of burnt caramel and slight spice. This is a full and malty beer, but that body is balanced by a drying bitterness. It goes down easily despite the 7.5% ABV. It will be interesting to see how the beer develops in a cellar (if you have that capability). Style: Vintage ale Glass: Wine glass Food Match: Fruitcake with cream Coopers.com.au

Newstead Brewing A Long Story Strong Wheat Ale 7.2% ABV, 375ml can A 100% wheat ale that could only have been conceived of by a madman. This is a full, full bodied ale with residual sugar aplenty and heaps of structure and vanillin from the barrel. But what really hits you is the bourbon character. Its not subtle, you really must like bourbon to get on with it. Fortunately, we do and by the time we were half way through we realised the genius of having your beer and bourbon chaser served in the same glass. A QLD boilermaker perhaps. Style: Barrel-aged strong wheat ale Glass: Half-pint Food match: Chilli-wings. Newsteadbrewing.com.au

Bridge Road Mayday Hills Brettanomyces Sour Amber Ale 6.2% ABV, 330ml You would expect this beer to reveal amber gold colourings with a hint of haze, and this doesn’t disappoint. The brett provides a slightly musty, farmyard aroma, but there is sprightliness there too. Nothing has gone over the top here, though and this is very balanced for a sour – everything is in its place. There’s good malt body followed by a pleasant sour kick that’s backed up with a little fruity, hoppy twang from the Galaxy hops. Tart, then sweet, then sour. Good stuff! Style: Sour Glass: Wine glass Food Match: Cheese and olives Bridgeroadbrewers.com.au

Batch Method Mandarin Sour Ale 4.4% ABV, 640ml bottle A symphony of citrus and cream biscuits floating through the air, this wonderfully balanced and adventurous beer from the reliably good brewers at Batch is worth every sip! Style: Sour Glass: Champagne flute Food match: A dozen oysters, natural. Lemon optional Batchbrewingco.com.au

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TASTING

4 Pines West Coast Red Rye IPA

Blackman’s Brewery Angry Reg DIPA

Lord Nelson Peking Poppi Seasonal Ale

7.3% ABV, 500ml This is another birthday beer from 4Pines and that old fashioned clarity is there once again – an amber red colour. The influence of the rye is evident from the first inhalation, with a spicy, toasty nose. Resinous IPA notes also poke through. The flavour offers more than the nose. It balances bitterness and sweetness well, while the spicy rye does enough to be noticed without dominating. All the elements are in check and they hide the alcohol all too well. Style: Rye IPA Glass: Spiegelau IPA Food Match: Skip the meal and pair with a good American rye whiskey as a boilermaker 4pinesbeer.com.au

8.8% ABV, 500ml can The beer has the pleasant colour of a wheat field and an aroma of a juice bowl. There is faint sweetness – peach and plum – but also a dank hoppiness. Coming in a ballsy 500ml can, there is much of the Pirate Life IIPA in this beer, not least in the way it plays the ‘where the f*ck is the alcohol hiding in an 8.8% ABV beer’ game. It’s also delicious – juicy, with a pleasant mild bitterness and some malt sweetness to lend it weight, all with overtones of pineapple juice. This is a big beer and a good beer. Nice one! Style: Double IPA Glass: Wine glass Food Match: Meat pizza with fresh jalapenos Blackmansbrewery.com.au

4.2% ABV, 375ml can This beer is clear as a bell and very pale, with a nice effervescence. The first whiff is intriguing – like a spice rack. There’s plenty of allspice, coriander and lemongrass, but fennel and aniseed are dominant too. This is followed with an almost candy cane perfume. In the mouth, this is a spicy, but fruity and light-bodied ale. There’s not much bitterness, but there are plenty of interesting flavours that shine through moderate sweetness. Style: Session ale Glass: Tulip Food Match: Beef pho Lordnelsonbrewery.com

East 9th Brewing Doss Blockos Pale Lager

Two Heads Miller’s Porter

Stone & Wood Cloud Catcher

Holgate Temptress Chocolate Porter

4.6% ABV, 330ml This beer looks like a classic lager, pale gold and crystal clear. The aroma is all about beer – there’s a slightly sweet maltiness on the nose, with a slight hint of honey. There’s not much bitterness on the palate, although there is some flowery and citrussy hop flavour. This is an uncomplicated, crushable lager. It’s also worth knowing that East 9th are using this beer to raise awareness of children’s charity Polished Man. Style: Lager Glass: Schooner Food Match: Hotdog with mustard E9thbrewing.com

6% ABV, 375ml can This is a very dark beer, with a fast-thinning head. Aromas of coffee, hazelnut and dark cocoa abound on the nose, while the mouthfeel is incredibly smooth and velvety. It is almost light in texture, belying its dark colour. The beer is slightly sweet, but it is a sweetness from dark chocolate, which also brings bitterness. The finish reminds me of roasted chestnuts. This is a very sessionable porter with decent bitterness backing it up. Style: Porter Glass: Schooner Food Match: Vanilla ice cream Twoheadsbrewing.com

5% ABV, 330ml A bit less hazy than its famous cousin Pacific Ale, this beer has an appealing yellow to orange huee. There is plenty of hop aroma on the nose – peach, stone fruit, mango and pineapple, along with citrusy lemons. The first gulp reveals an excellently balanced beer, and a great example of an Australian pale ale. There are hints of Galaxy coming through, but overall this is more complex than the Pacific Ale, with a firm bitterness rounding it all out. Style: Pale ale Glass: Schooner Food Match: Fresh seafood Stoneandwood.com.au

6% ABV, 330ml There are flashes of red coming through this deep brown ale, which offers milk chocolate and the lightest touches of espresso on the nose. There is vanilla there as well, which follows through into the mouth. There’s not much bitterness to this rounded and silky beer, but there is a nice chocolate sweetness. It’s not a dessert stout – all cream and thickness – this is lighter in body, and yet it offers the taste of a black forest gateau. Nevertheless, this is not a gimmicky beer, it’s balanced. Style: Porter Glass: Schooner Food Match: Chocolate covered licorice Holgatebrewhouse.com

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Bridge Road Mayday Hills w/ Sangiovese and Shiraz Skins 7.8% ABV, 330ml Even as it pours, this beer looks like a rosé, almost clear with hints of pink… intriguing. The similarity continues on the nose. This smells like a natural wine almost, thanks to the brett, with plenty of tartness, funky berry and plum notes. Take a sip and enter a world where beer and wine sit together in harmony. It has the effervescence and body of a lightish sour beer, but the flavours of a rosé, that is until a sour kick enters the fray. This is a cracking experimental beer and the guys at Bridge Road should be proud. Style: Sour Glass: Wine glass Food Match: Roast turkey Bridgeroadbrewers.com.au

We believe that craft beers deserve crafted glasses.

These are our CRAFT BEER glasses. The Spiegelau Craft Beer Glasses have been approved by an expert tasting panel of master brewers and industry professionals. Focusing on beer enjoyment, members of the tasting workshop tested multiple glass shapes to find the best glass for India Pale Ale, Stout, and American Wheat Beer. In the expertsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; opinion, the custom-shaped glasses successfully deliver the complexity of aromas on the nose, while demonstrating the optimum beer texture, balance, and flavour intensity on the palate. Staying faithful to the spirit of Bavarian artisan craftsmanship, we have created these unique, functional glasses to bring out the best in complex craft beers.

The Beer Classics are available at David Jones, Myer and selected homewares stores or online at www.spiegelau.com.au

TASTING

BEER & BREWER CONSULTING EDITOR IAN KINGHAM SHARES HIS NOTES ON 20 BEERS HE’S TASTED LATELY

Urban Alley Brewery Urban Ale 4.5% ABV, 375ml can This five hop sessionable ale has excellent balance. The straw appearance has a medium white head. The aroma is a medley of nettle, herb and has hints of citrus and lemon. The palate is light with good hop flavour and a suitable malt base. The beer offers interest and flavour with low bitterness. Style: Australian pale ale Glass: Tulip Food Match: Tacos Urbanalley.com.au

4 Pines Keller Door Big Brekky Porter 7% ABV, 500ml This Big Brekky Porter captures some of the flavours of breakfast with burnt toast and coffee, but not recommended to drink as a breakfast beer. The beer offers the scent of milky chocolate and bitter dark chocolate. On the palate the dance of chocolate and roast is unusual, and for a porter is a clever cross-style beer. The body and the finish are full, hiding the alcohol masterfully. Style: Strong porter Glass: Tulip Food Match: Smoked ribs 4pinesbeer.com.au

James Squire Hop Thief No. 9 American Pale Ale

Young Henry’s Foo Fighter’s Foo Town Lager

5.0% ABV, 345ml This beer showcases Calypso and Citra hops. The beer pours an orangey-brown colour and has good foam. The aroma offers cumquat and orange notes with a hint of pear and spruce. The palate offers good malt and orange flavour. The bitterness is low and the finish is dry. Style: American pale ale Glass: Tulip Food Match: Pork medallions Jamessquire.com.au

4% ABV, 375ml can Young Henrys Brewery in Newtown is situated close to Sydney University, an ideal setting for the Foo Fighters Collaborative brew. Footown Lager pours a clear gold with a light white head. The aroma offers a cereal graininess and maltiness. The palate is clean with some malt layering. Clean and easy drinking with a subtle citrus note on the finish. Style: Lager Glass: Pilsener Food Match: Enjoy with mates Younghenrys.com

Weihenstephaner HefeWeissbier

Noble Boy Pale Ale

Egerer Super Weizen

Bee Mead Honey & Ginger

5.4% ABV, 500ml Weihenstephaner Brewery is the original Benedictine monk brewery and has beers hailing from Bavaria since 725AD. Pouring a hazy yellow-gold, it has a white wheaty head. The yeast aroma and phenolic notes of cloves are style signatures. The palate offers banana, rich malt and yeast character, the finish is rich malt with some wheat derived dryness. Style: Wheat Glass: Weizen Food Match: Bagels Weihenstephaner.de

4.4% ABV, 375ml can Hailing from the Napier Hotel, Fitzroy, this conceived gypsy brew is gathering interest. The appearance is amber with a good lacy white head. The aroma of malt, with tropical fruit notes and some hop grassiness. The palate is medium bodied, with good malt carry and light fruit flections. The finish is clean and simple, with low bitterness. Style: Pale Ale Glass: Tulip Food Match: Battered fish Nobleboy.com

5.2% ABV, 500ml can Brewed at the Privat Brauerei in PilstingGrösskollnbach, this German wheat has all the traditional hallmarks of the style. The colour is gold with a firm white head. The aroma of sweet malts and cloves are evident, with malt more dominant. The palate of banana, citrus and clove, with rich malt layering and yeastiness is excellent. The finish is full of lingering malt and clove. Style: German wheat Glass: Weizen Food Match: Giant pretzels Egerer.de

4.5% ABV, 500ml Using predominantly clover honey, the addition of ginger adds body, mouthfeel and complexity. Opaque in appearance with light carbonation the aroma is as the label expresses. The palate is light, and moderately sweet, with good flavour expression. The carbonation adds to the zestiness of the mead. The finish is slightly confected candy sweet, but the ginger carries well. Style: Flavoured mead Glass: Tulip Food Match: Honey and ginger chicken Beemead.com.au

AIBA Awards Collaboration Passionfruit Tart IPA 6% ABV, 375ml can Brewed to commemorate the AIBAs 2018, this is a beauty. Cloudy yellow, with a good white head. The aroma of pulped passionfruit, and a grassy hop note. The palate is sharp and tart, with intermittent sweetness, strong passionfruit. The finish is sharp and dry. Style: Fruit beer Glass: Tulip Food Match: Pavlova Rasv.com.au

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James Squire The Hop Father Collaboration Extra Pale Ale 4.7% ABV, 345ml The Hop Father is a commemorative brew. Pouring dark copper in colour with a creamy head, the aroma of the beer is citrus and good bready malt. The palate offers a hop medley of fruit flavours with a good malt spine. The finish is mildly bitter with some resonating grapefruit flavour. Style: Australian pale ale Glass: Tulip Food Match: Lamb shoulder roast Jamessquire.com.au

TASTING

Dainton Cherrywood Smoked Rye Baltic Porter

Dainton India Pale Ale

8.8% ABV, 355ml can Deep brown in appearance with a thin fawn head. The aroma of dried fruits, caramel and light smoke. The palate is rich, deep bodied and has rich Christmas pudding character. The alcohol is well held, and the chocolate and fruit notes are delightful. The finish is full and rich, and the soft smoke is well integrated. Style: Baltic porter Glass: Snifter Food Match: Dark chocolate Daintonbrewing.com.au

6.% ABV, 355ml can This India Pale Ale won gold at the 2017 CBIA Beer awards. Dainton IPA has a pale copper appearance with a medium foam. A broad sensory experience of hops, with grapefruit, passionfruit, pine and guava. The palate continues with a medley of fruity and resinous hop flavour well balanced with toasty malt. The palate is long and the finish provides resinous hop bitternous and a brown sugary malt note. Style: India Pale Ale Glass: Tulip Food Match: Lamb back straps Daintonbrewing.com.au

Six Strings Tropical Pale Ale

Colonial Robust Porter

4.2% ABV, 375ml can Located in the central coast NSW town of Erina, Six Strings are inspired by a love of music, surf and beer. Tropical Pale Ale pours an unfiltered murky orange colour with high foam. The aroma offers more malt than hops with a hint of pineapple. The palate carries a light expression of passionfruit, pineapple and orange, with some grainy malt character which carries to the finish. Style: Pale ale Glass: Tulip Food Match: Duck pancakes Sixstringbrewing.com.au

6% ABV, 375ml can This porter pours a deep brown colour with a small tan head. The aroma offers caramel, malt and toffee. The palate is caramel, chocolate and has hop bitterness evident. The finish is a bitter, chocolate taste. For style the beer lacks any of the robust character to meet guidelines of a robust porter, but it does offer easy drinking porter notes. Style: Robust porter Glass: Chalice Food Match: Chocolate caramel slice. Colonialbrewingco.com.au

Wolf of the Willows Johnny Smoke Porter 5.2% ABV, 330ml Pours a deep brown colour with a fawn head. The aroma of coffee, chocolate and smoked malt make for the last table of a late-night card game. The palate is well balanced, with a chocolate brownie, coffee complexion and a good presence of earthy hops. The smokiness is light and well-integrated adding depth and complexity. The finish is malty with lingering coffee notes. Style: Porter Glass: Goblet Food Match: Pork spare ribs Wolfofthewillows.com.au

Young Henry’s Motorcycle Oil Hoppy Porter 5.5% ABV, 500ml can This American Porter is well packaged in a 500ml black can and pours the colour of engine oil in the glass, a deep ruby red. The aroma of pine hops splits the hints of peat and chocolate malt. The palate is resinous and hoppy with the porter character as a cushion rather than a lead. The finish is dry and bitter with only hints of malt sweetness and style to carry. Style: American porter Glass: Goblet Food Match: Charred lamb shoulder roast Younghenrys.com

Black Brewing Co. Fresh Ale 4.5% ABV, 330ml can Black Brewing Co is located in Wilyabrup, Margaret River, Western Australia. Fresh Ale is a Summer Ale with fruit character. Straw in complexion with a firm white wheaty head. The aroma offers a hint of pale malt and some light lemon cues. The palate is refreshing with a low malt bill, and inflexions of hop derived grapefruit and lemon. Very light and clean through to the finish. Well managed and as the label suggests, fresh. Style: Summer ale Glass: Tulip Food Match: Yum cha Blackbrewingco.com.au

Colonial Brewing Co Southwest Sour 4.6% ABV, 375ml can Southwest Sour is well constructed with good sourness and not too much pucker. Light gold in colour with low lace carbonation. Citrus tropical pine aroma. The palate is pine, lime and tart with some good dryness on the finish. The palate is light and refreshing with a very low malt bill. Style: New World sour Glass: Flute Food Match: Sweet plum dumplings Colonialbrewingco.com.au

Batch American Pale Ale

Weihenstephaner Festbier

5.2% ABV, 640ml can Batch American Pale pours a dark amber and has medium foam. The aroma of citrus represents the style and is complemented by some biscuity malt notes. The palate is rich and the oily citrus character is evident. The malt carries the bitterness well leaving a short resinous finish. Style: American pale ale Glass: Tulip Food Match: Sticky pork ribs Batchbrewingcompany. com

5.8% ABV, 500ml Weihenstephaner is the oldest operating brewery in the world and has its own university and associated monastery. This Fesbier, a “festival Beer”, is a beer built for quaffing with some effect. Gold in appearance with a firm white head, the aroma offers low hop and malt notes. The palate has light malt layering and the finish is clean. The higher ABV is very well concealed. Style: German festival beer Glass: Weizen Food Match: Bratwurst and sauerkraut Weihenstephaner.de Importer: Phoenix Beers

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AUSTRALIA & NZ DIRECTORY

Australia & NZ Directory Breweries NSW

REDOAK BOUTIQUE BEER CAFÉ 201 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000 (02) 9262 3303 info@redoak.com.au www.redoak.com.au Open: Mon-Sat 11am until late (lunch & dinner)

QLD

ARCHIVE BEER BOUTIQUE BISTRO AUSTRALIAN BEER COMPANY 1 Wakley Road, Yenda NSW 2681 1800 112 337 (8am-7pm EST, Mon-Fri) Follow us to find out more and share our passion for beer Facebook, Instagram: australianbeerco, Twitter: ausbeerco

100 Boundary Street, West End Brisbane QLD 4101 07 3844 3419 info@archivebeerboutique.com.au www.archivebeerboutique.com.au Open Monday to Sunday 11am till late

350 Annangrove Road, Rouse Hill NSW 2155 (02) 9679 4555 brewer@australianbrewery.com.au www.australianbrewery.com.au Cellar door open 10am-10pm daily

HAIRYMAN BREWERY Contract/Gypsy Services Unit 10, 12-14 Northumberland Road, Caringbah NSW 2229 (02) 9525 4050 info@hairyman.com.au www.hairyman.com.au

94 www.beerandbrewer.com

littlecreatures.com.au

VIC BURLEIGH BREWING COMPANY

AUSTRALIAN BREWERY

Fremantle & Geelong Breweries.

2 Ern Harley Drive, Burleigh Heads QLD 4220 www.burleighbrewing.com.au Opening hours at Burleigh Brewing Brewery and Tap House are Wed and Thurs 3-6pm, Fri 3-8.30pm, Sun 2-6pm. Join the crew for tastings and takeaways, tours, live music, special events and other opportunities for spending time with the Burleigh Brewing crew – and their beer – in their new brewery. More information including events and tours, available on the website.

HOLGATE BREWHOUSE

LCR0016-B&B-DIR-0105 109.5x41.5 v1.indd 21/04/2016 1 10:48 am

79 High Street, Woodend VIC 3442 (03) 5427 2510 www.holgatebrewhouse.com Open 7 Days from 12noon to late

NAPOLEONE BREWERY & CIDERHOUSE 12 St Huberts Road, Coldstream VIC 3770 (03) 9739 0666 brewery@napoleone.com.au www.napoleone.com.au Open 7 days from 10am

SOUTHERN BAY BREWING CO. 80 Point Henry Road, Moolap VIC 3224 (03) 5248 5710 info@SouthernBay.com.au www.SouthernBay.com.au

CRAFTY CONTRACTORS

TEMPLE BREWING CO.

@TEMPLEBREWING

WWW.TEMPLEBREWING.COM.AU

Tanunda SA, 5352 08 8563 0696 (option 2) Email: office@bvbeer.com.au www.facebook.com/ craftycontractors/ You bring passion. We provide expertise. The perfect partner to make your beer dreams a reality. Specialising in small batch craft brewing.

MOA BREWING COMPANY Jacksons Road, RD3 Blenheim Marlborough Tel: +64 3 572 5146 www.moabeer.com Visitors welcome Open 11am – 5pm or late, 7 days

Distributors Proud agents for Meheen Manufacturing Filling & Carbonating Technologies www.meheen.com

BEER IMPORTERS & DISTRIBUTORS THE CRAFT & CO Brewery. Distillery. Winery. Incorporating a craft brewery, distillery, winery, eatery, bar, cheese & meat rooms, coffee roaster & cellar door across two sites, there’s always things to eat, drink, make, learn or shop for at The Craft & Co! 390 Smith St Collingwood (03) 9417-4755 info@thecraftandco.com.au www.thecraftandco.com.au

Unit 5/20-28 Ricketty Street, Mascot NSW 2020 (02) 9667 3755 info@bidbeer.com www.bidbeer.com www.facebook.com/ BeerImportersDistributors Beers: Abita, Warsteiner, Greene King, Chimay, Duvel

COOPERS 461 South Road, Regency Park SA 5010 (08) 8440 1800 www.coopers.com.au Tours available 1pm Tuesday to Friday

THE MONK BREWERY & KITCHEN 33 South Terrace, Fremantle WA 6160 (08) 9336 7666 beer@themonk.com.au Open every day 11:30am until late

andrew@breowan.com

THE BEVERAGE FOOD GROUP

COWARAMUP BREWING CO. North Treeton Road, Cowaramup WA 6284 (08) 9755 5822 www.cowaramupbrewing.com.au Tours available by appointment Open 7 days a week 11am – 6pm

Australia +61 427 007 800 New Zealand +64 274 874 783

24-26 National Boulevard, Campbellfield VIC 3061 (03) 9924 4000 info@thebeveragefoodgroup.com www.thebeveragefoodgroup.com Importer and distributor for all food and beverage making equipment and supplies, including nano/home/pilot brewing products

TWO BIRDS BREWING – BREWERY AND TASTING ROOM 136 Hall Street, Spotswood VIC 3015 For current food and drink menu, opening hours and to book a brewery tour www.twobirdsbrewing.com.au

News Flash Meheen now builds a pressure sensitive labeller www.breowan.com

RTO Code: 41026

Education

HOME MAKE IT WHOLESALE Home Make It’s new wholesale and trade division has been launched to help supply home and craft brewing businesses nationwide with quality, unique brewing supplies and equipment. Contact: Steve Lamberto Mobile 0412 865 783 Ph (03) 9924 4038 stevenl@homemakeit.com.au www.homemakeit.com.au/pages/ wholesale-trade

Love Brewing Beer? Find out more about our brewing qualifications. www.central.op.ac.nz

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AUSTRALIA & NZ DIRECTORY

Equipment

THE BREW SHED

VINIQUIP INTERNATIONAL BREWMAX Engineering better beer with the latest brewing equipment technologies Ph: (07) 3420 4943 Mob: 0412 720 606 brewmax@brewmax.net brewmax.net

DME BREWING SERVICES Canada dejongm@dme.pe.ca Aus/NZ Agent: Brian Watson www.contractbrewing.com www.facebook.com/dmebrewing

FB*PROPAK 24-26 National Boulevard, Campbellfield VIC 3061 (03) 9924 4050 info@fbpropak.com www.fbpropak.com Twitter: @FB_PROPAK Specialised team has more than 40 years of experience in providing various brewing equipment solutions, including turnkey breweries, bottling/ canning lines, filtration, tanks, labellers, pilot/custom breweries, refrigeration and much more

JOHNSTON PACKAGING We’ve got you covered 21 HARLEY CRESCENT CONDELL PARK NSW 2200 Ph: (02) 9791 0644 Fax: (02) 9796 2607 johnstons@johnstonpack.com.au www.johnstonpack.com.au

96 www.beerandbrewer.com

Processing, Bottling and Packaging equipment Unit 4 Wineworks Complex 5 James Rochfort Place, Twyford (RD5) Hastings, New Zealand Tel: +64 6 8797799 Fax: +64 6 8794624 Mob: +64 21 588008 NZ Freephone: 0800 284647 AUSTRALIA Freephone: 1800 209370 www.viniquip.co.nz

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Testing

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A PINT WITH…

Kim Jordan and Dick Cantwell AT BREWCON 2018, WE SAT DOWN WITH AMERICAN BREWING LEGENDS KIM JORDAN OF NEW BELGIUM AND DICK CANTWELL, FORMERLY ELYSIAN AND NOW MAGNOLIA, TO TALK ABOUT BREWING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE PACIFIC HOW DO YOU RATE THE BEER SCENE HERE IN AUSTRALIA?

maybe add that I’ve seen fewer women in the

of them is the dramatic decrease in bitterness,

Australian scene than in the US.

with still a very-forward, aromatic hoppiness.

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION OF THE NEIPA TREND?

WHAT ABOUT BRUT IPA?

far it’s come – and it’s come a long way. I’ve had better beers and been to more interesting

DC: I’m intrigued by how divisive they are. Guys

from New England IPA: they’re hopped

breweries this time than I did last time. The

who are my age or even substantially younger

similarly, they’re not high in IBU, and they’re

scene is clearly exploding.

feel like they have to take a stand against

massively aromatic in terms of hops –

them, as though they’re some sort of affront

everything comes from what preceded it.

DC: I was here two years ago, and I’m always fascinated to come back to a place to see how

DC: I think Brut IPA has taken a lesson

DO YOU THINK IT’S FOLLOWING A SIMILAR PATH TO THE US?

to brewing. But there’s an artistry to them –

DC: Yeah. You could be at a US brewpub at

the way hops are perceived in beer. They don’t

many of the places we’ve been – there’s an

have high IBU and they’re massively aromatic,

aesthetic and a commonality to a lot of the

and that’s really interesting. I don’t understand

physical facts of what’s happened, down to

why the hardliners aren’t won over by the fact

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE RENAMING OF THE INDEPENDENT BREWERS ASSOCIATON, SWAPPING ‘CRAFT’ OUT OF THE NAME?

the way brewers look all over the world!

it’s a new, interesting way to make beer.

KJ: In the US they use ‘craft’ as a definition

KJ: One of the things I’ve noticed is that there

KJ: I have a guess on that: there may be a

for craft brewer, and the first piece of the

are less hoppy beers and a broader spectrum

certain amount of ‘I don’t want my beer to

definition is independence. But I think it’s

of varieties – more pale ales, for example.

be so murky’, but I think more than that,

really interesting they did that here, and their

So just from the variety standpoint it’s a

when you hear that some of these beers have

rationale was that craft is such an overused

bit of a different mix, although that may be

added flour etc. for cloudiness, there’s a bit

word – at least as I understand it – that it’s

based on self-selecting because Dick and I

of cravenness to that almost – like ‘you are

become meaningless. It was a smart move

are hoppy beer drinkers and we’ll tend to

so interested in making sure that your NEIPA

but I still have an affinity for the word craft,

go to places that specialise in that. I would

looks murky, that you’re adding things that

because we are stewards of a really long

agree with Dick that the beer scene seems to

are just weird?’ The beer is not going to hold

history of an art form, and I don’t want to

attract fanciful facial hair-wearing types, and

up well with flour in it. The interesting aspect

lose that connotation.

they’ve kind of revolutionised dry hopping and

SPRING 2018 97

A PINT WITH…

DO YOU THINK SOMEONE ENTERING THE CRAFT WORLD CARES WHO MAKES THE BEER IF IT TASTES GOOD? DC: We wish we could say with complete conviction that everybody cares about independence, but not everybody does. I think there’s a certain amount of fatigue these days when people hear about one brewery after another being acquired by the bigger breweries. Taking my own former company [Elysian] as an example, the beer geeks were outraged at the sale of the company, but most other people just

HAVE YOU NOTICED THE NEW BELGIUM RANGE OF BEERS DEVELOP OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES, KIM?

‘brewing with friends’, an earlier iteration of

IN AUSTRALIA WE’VE SEEN SOME OF THE PIONEERS OF THE SCENE SELL IN RECENT YEARS, FOLLOWED BY A STRONG NEGATIVE REACTION FROM ‘BEER GEEKS’. DO YOU THINK THE INDEPENDENCE SEAL IS A WAY OF EDUCATING THE MORE AVERAGE CONSUMER?

KJ: Definitely. Fat Tire is probably still the

in the Pacific Northwest and a way for Elysian

biggest single brand, but if you put our

to make more beer. That’s an example of what

Voodoo Ranger series alongside it, which is

the future could hold – people coming up

two hoppy beers all the time and a rotating

with different ways to perpetuate what we’ve

seasonal, it would be as big as Fat Tire easily.

all created over the last 30 years and keep it

WHERE DO YOU SEE THE INDUSTRY HEADED IN THE NEXT FIVE TO TEN YEARS?

ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?

DC: Yes definitely, I’m all for the Seal.

DC: More buyouts, some contraction – but not

important. It’s one of the ways that we are

KJ: One of the things I’ve learned over the

necessarily fewer breweries, at least in the

known to craft beer drinkers, as a group of

years about marketing is that term ‘reach

short term – and more creative combinations of

people that is interesting and fun. We’ve got

and frequency’. Unfortunately as trade

forces. I think we’ll see more breweries coming

to work together.

associations, we don’t have the money in

to some sort of agreement on distribution and

DC: I think it’s a mistake to compare

the US – and I’m guessing that the IBA is

even production, and even the acquisition

everything to America – because every

in the same boat – to get the kind of reach

of smaller brands by bigger ones, like what

country is different. You guys in Australia

and frequency we need to really draw that

we’re involved with in San Francisco with

have been dealing with the acquisition of

distinction between independents and

Magnolia. It’s a partnership between a very

small breweries by bigger ones longer than we

the mainstream. As brewers, we need to

large American craft brewery [New Belgium]

have. The big breweries in Australia seemed

be promoting our brands not an industry

and me, a guy with a lot of brewing experience.

bent on subsuming from early on. Every

concept because we don’t have enough

Magnolia goes back to an idea that Kim has

country is different, with different business

money to do both. The Seal helps.

been talking about for years, which she calls

issues and of course stylistic elements.

shrugged – if they even noticed! We hope that it’s an important distinction for people but in many cases, it isn’t.

98 www.beerandbrewer.com

which was between Elysian and New Belgium. We did a series of beers that we put out cooperatively, it gave New Belgium a presence

going, independently as well.

KJ: Cooperation between brewers is really

Phone at the ready for that next Insta-worthy moment.

Joe’s cup of joe from his favourite local coffee spot.

Stout, a loyal companion and taproom regular.

Brewing boots to keep his feet nice and dry.

Joe’s Proud to brew on his new DME CraftBrew 5 BBL system. Just like the other imortant necessities in Joe’s life, he knows he can count on this robust, reliable, no frills system for consistent, efficient brewing every time. dmebrewing.com

craftbrew@dmebrewing.com

902 628 6900

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