edition 36
free
STMAS ISSUE
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BIRTHDAY SU
dec2018/Jan2019
BEER JAFFLES VINYL
OPENING EARLY DECEMBER
12-14 UNION ST GEELONG facebook.com/valhallabrew
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Happy holidays people! What a lovely time of year. The overindulgent Christmas season clashes with the summer bikini season, so we’re gorging like a pack of walruses on a sandy beach while also trying to squeeze into bathers and splash into the waves. No doubt there will probably also be a ton of bushfires, snake bites, shark attacks and other typically Australian occurrences! On the other hand, there are some really cool breweries opening up around the country, and heaps of lovely places to enjoy a quality pint in beautiful surroundings. There are also a ton of exciting new Aussie beers coming out, from fruity sours to thirst-quenching Brut IPAs to sensible mid-strengths and more. In this edition of Froth we embrace everything summery and fun, while also checking out some festival beers and holiday destinations. It’s also Froth’s third birthday, so we thought we’d chuck a cake on the cover. We hope you like this edition of Froth and have a tremendously happy summer. Emily Day
CONTENTS REGULARS 6 10 12 16 16 24 26 28 30
Beer News What’s happening in the Australian craft beer scene Letters to the Editor We hear you, we are listening Beer Reviews Our pick of the latest and yummiest craft beers Beer Label Design Artwork that floats our boat Liam’s Pick Liam reveals his favourite beer of the month Sh*t My Mum Says Silvia Day reviews Canberra brews Aunty Frida’s Kitchen Whip up some empanadas and beer sangria Home Brew Hero Fem Russell tries her hand at Milkshake IPAs Fun Page Frothword, Quiz, Crafty Comic
FEATURES 14 Holgate’s new chapter We head to Holgate Brewhouse to check out the Woodend brewery’s exciting new expansion 18 Summer beers around the world The best warm-weather beers from Singapore to Canada and France 19 Summer brewery destinations Aussie breweries to check out on your holidays 20 Christmas Beers What to stash in your Esky for the festivitites on December 25 22 Young Henry’s The Sydney brewery that rocks and rolls
Clint and Emily a.k.a Team Froth. Photo by Rob Townsend @cmft_
INFO
Editor Emily Day / emily@frothbeer.com
Cover art Clint Weaver pocketbeagles.co Cookie made and decorated by Deb Lieu Bakes: deblieubakes.com.au Design Clint Weaver / pocketbeagles.co Nina Vlasoff / ninavlasoff.com
Contributors Clayton Waters, Robert Dunne, Silvia Day, Frida Rowe, Pia Poynton, Liam O’Hare, Clint Weaver, Dan McEvilly, Frida Rowe, Scott MacKenzie, Matt Hofmann, Justin Lustman, Dean Smith, Gemma Mahadeo, Clint Weaver, Celia Drummond, Fem Russell, Julien Langlet, Nick Claus. Crafty Comic Michael Alesich / instagram @ironoak
THANKS Thanks to all our amazing contributors, helpers and friends who help to make Froth possible! Thanks especially to Art Moss, Matt Voerman and Robert Dunne for helping to distribute Froth in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. Many immense thanks to the wonderful breweries, venues and suppliers who advertise with us and help to keep us going! This month’s advertisers are: Penny Young Bar & Bottle Shop, Valhalla Brewing, Yarra Brewery, Carwyn Cellars, Beer Deluxe, Brewers Feast, Great Barrier Reef Beer, Kaiju!, Holgate Brewhouse, Grain & Grape Homebrew Store, Flowcrete, Bridge Road Brewers, Morrison’s Brewery, Southern Bay Brewing Co, Urban Alley, Blackman’s Brewing, GABS, CoConspirators Brewing, Bonehead Brewing, Semi-Pro Brewing, Bodriggy Brewing, Beer 360, Deb Lieu Bakes. Thank you! Thank you also to our wonderful Froth designers Clint Weaver and Nina Vlasoff who create our wonderful mag every month and make everything so pretty!
Frothword Oliver Hayes Editorial enquiries emily@frothbeer.com
Advertising enquiries Chloe Stanzel: ads@frothbeer.com Independent. Awesome. Free. Printed by Printgraphics in Melbourne on paper produced using sustainable forestry practices. Distributed by Step Right Up Distribution, St Kilda. All information © Alfie Dog Media. The opinions of the contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher. Find Froth at your local bottle shop, bar or pub. For where to find Froth, head to www.frothbeer.com. Subscribe for your home or venue at frothbeer.com/subscribe. Froth is a proudly “no sponsored content” publication ‒ we keep our ads and our articles separate. Support independent media by advertising in Froth! You can also support Froth on Patreon at patreon.com/frothbeermag www.frothbeer.com
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DESIGNS FOR BEER Hi i’m Clint. I put this magazine together each month. I hope you enjoy it. I specialise in branding for beer and hospitality, so if you are looking for a designer let’s have a chat. my studio is called pocketbeagles my instagram is @pocketbeagles and my email is clint@pocketbeagles.co or if you’re the chatty type or just want to send me pictures of frogs my number is 0425 605 430. @frothbeermag
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ALL THE BEER NEWS FROM AROUND AUSTRALIA / ALL THE BEER NEWS FROM AROUND AUSTRALIA / A
CoConspirators collaborate with Froth Melbourne gypsy brewers CoConspirators have teamed up with Froth magazine to create a beer to celebrate their respective birthdays ‒ CoCons are turning two and Froth is turning three! The beer, a passionfruit and guava sour, is called The Editor, continuing the brewery’s penchant for creating characters for each of their brews. Following in the footsteps of The Butcher, The Matriarch and The Undertaker, The Editor features an illustration of Froth editor Emily (and her dog Alfie) on the can. Drawn by Clint Weaver, who designs for both Froth and CoConspirators, this beer launches in cans and kegs on December 2. coconspirators.com.au
Otherside releases Red Creaming Sour Perth brewery Otherside has released a new beer in their ‘Experimental Series’. Reflecting brewer Rhys Lopez’s childhood love of creaming soda, the Red Creaming Sour is Otherside’s first commercially released sour and will deliver a wave of nostalgia to anyone who grew up drinking the soft drink. “It was my favourite drink as a kid,” said Rhys, “I wanted to imitate it because it’s a quintessential Australian drink that brings back fond memories for many of us. It’s a bit of fun and it’s us trying to be a little wacky and not take ourselves too seriously.” othersidebrewing.com.au
IT’S A QUINTESSENTIAL AUSTRALIAN DRINK THAT BRINGS BACK FOND MEMORIES FOR MANY OF US.
This is not a drill In other news, the team behind Otherside Brewery, Triple-1-Three, is building a cultural entertainment venue and microbrewery at the historic Artillery Drill Hall site in Fremantle. Called Freo.Social, the venue will include a microbrewery, 550-person capacity entertainment hall, co-working spaces and artist workshops, food trucks and catering, and beer gardens. www.freo.social Brewers Feast returns to Melbourne Abbotsford Convent will once more host the annual Brewers Feast beer, wine, food and music festival on 23-24 February 2019. Featuring a line-up of 20 breweries, there will be 80 beers as well as special limited-edition beers brewed specially for the festival. There will also be local wines, cider, and plenty of tasty food trucks and live music acts. Set in the beautiful surrounds of the historic Melbourne convent, this festival is a fun day out for the whole family. Brewers Feast is a token-free festival, so just bring cash and cards ‒ and maybe some sunscreen! For more information and tickets head to brewersfeast.com.au
Slowbeer closes, Beer360 opens Richmond’s famous craft beer bar Slow Beer has closed. Having opened in Hawthorn in September 2009 and moving to Richmond in 2012, Chris Menichelli’s Slowbeer was Australia’s first 100 per cent dedicated craft beer store. The good news is that the Fitzroy Slowbeer store on Smith St will remain open, and beer fans will also be pleased to know that the Richmond site while host a new bar called Beer360. New owner Chris Dally says he wants the venue to be a place where “craft beer travellers can gather and taste beers from the extraordinary range of brews that are now available”. Beer360 is at 468 Bridge Rd, Richmond.
Carwyn launches Club Hops Carwyn Cellars, aka Melbourne’s craft beer wonderland, aka #shutupandtakemymoney, has launched a new 12-beer mail offering. Punters can now choose from the Beerthusiast box (for fans of variety), Club Wild (for those who love sour and wild beers) and Club Hops (for lovers of hoppy beers) sent to their home. Use the code FROTH to receive free shipping on your first delivery! carwyncellars.com.au
Yarra Brewing Co launches Collingwood brewery/ distillery/winery/all-rounder Craft & Co has launched a new beer brand called Yarra Brewery. Launching with cans of “Craught Draught” ‒ a play on the word craft ‒ and Trilogy Ale, which starts off like a juicy NEIPA but ends with a satisfying bitter finish, the beers will be available at the Craft & Co bar, and coming to all good bottle shops. thecraftandco.com.au
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ALL THE BEER NEWS FROM AROUND AUSTRALIA / ALL THE BEER NEWS FROM AROUND AUSTRALIA Great Barrier Reef Beer in stores The Good Beer Co is stoked to announce that the first batch of Great Barrier Beer Australian Lager to raise funds for the Australian Marine Conservation Society is ready to go. Using biodegradable sixpack holders, the beer will be available in BWS in QLD in early December, says GBC founder James Grugeon. “We are already talking to other independent craft breweries in Australia about joining us in using these alternatives to plastic and to a major Australian manufacturer who will be producing the product here in Australia from January,” James says. thegoodbeerco.com.au Dogged determination The Good Beer Co has also created a new brew to raise funds for the RSPCA. Brewed by the local legends at Slipstream Brewing Company in Brisbane, Pale Tail is a 3.5% Pale Ale featuring Cascade and Citra Hops. Launching at Slipstream Brewing Co on Sunday December 2, 10% of every sale goes to RSPCA QLD to help fund their work to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome animals in need. thegoodbeerco.com.au Bad Shepherd Brewing embraces local Bad Shepherd Brewing Co has launched a new beer called Victoria Pale Ale – a 100% locally produced beer using historic Melbourne yeast. Made with malt from Geelong, hops from Rostrevor Farm in the High Country and water from Melbourne, the beer also uses a yeast, made in Melbourne in 1889 by the famous bacteriologist Auguste de Bavay. “Most Australian beers use American and European yeast,” says Bad Shepherd owner and brewer Dereck Hales. “We set ourselves a tough challenge to create the first 100% locally produced beer which meant finding not only Victorian hops and malt, but also a Victorian made yeast.” Available now in kegs and cans. badshepherd.com.au Valhalla Taproom opening Valhalla Brewing is opening a new taproom and bar in Geelong’s CBD, with owner and brewer Scott Hunt keen to create a space that celebrates his passion for all things craft beer and music. Says Scott: “It is exciting to not only realise a 16-year-old dream and open our own bar, but to be able to create an environment that we want people to come and enjoy our beers in. To be able to welcome beer lovers Into a space that sums up what we are all about is pretty special.” The bar will feature eight taps, with four pouring Valhalla beers, and four showcasing independent Australian craft beer. The bar is in Union St in a newly developed building bearing a striking mural of musicians Jay-Z and Beyonce. Expect a “cruisy, retro vibe, like walking into someone’s lounge room in the ’70s but without the kitsch”, with vinyl music and a bar snacks menu. valhallabrewing.com.au
Silverlake Social hosts crafty events The Silverlake Social has a bunch of cool events in December at its American-themed, dive-style bar on Chapel Street, Melbourne. On December 4, the bar is hosting a “Meet & Greet” with Stone Brewing coowner Greg Koch. Stop by The Silverlake Social for a pint and a chat about all things craft beer, with the bar putting on an amazing tap list of eight Stone beers for the occasion. On December 7, Silverlake Social celebrates its 2nd birthday with Brooklyn Brewery in an event that includes a free bar shout from 6-7pm. On December 13, there will be a free bar shout with Lagunitas from 8pm-9pm ‒ limited spots, so book online. For more info head to facebook.com/thesilverlakesocial. The Silverlake Social, 198 Chapel St, Prahran. Holgate creates witty brew Woodend brewery Holgate is releasing a new seasonal beer, a Belgian Wit and American IPA hybrid, called At Wit’s End. Holgate explains: “Our brewer assures us that ‘At Wit’s End’ is not named for the emotional response he gave when; during the busy lead-up to summer months and with Holgate’s new brewery in the middle of its commissioning phase, he was tasked with producing a spring seasonal. Rather it is a reference to this hybrid style of two beers, a Belgian Wit and an American IPA, amped up to 6.5% ABV and with a lash more bitterness than you would expect from the style. This White IPA takes elements from both styles to bring you a beer with bold tangerine aroma, a creamy yet light wheat malt body and a vibrant orange and spice finish to refresh your palate in these warmer nights.” holgatebrewhouse.com Froth Beer Magazine p7
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ALL THE BEER NEWS FROM AROUND AUSTRALIA / ALL THE BEER NEWS FROM AROUND Wolf of the Willows creates ‘Pacific Sour’ Wolf of the Willows has added a new beer to its burgeoning sour repertoire, ‘Pacific Sour’, a delicious tropical ‘session sour’ perfect for the summer months. Bursting with lush tropical fruit flavours of pineapple, passionfruit, mango and guava, and finishing with a quenching tang, this 4.1% session sour has your thirst covered. It’s easy on the booze yet uncompromising in tropical hop aroma and juicy flavour. wolfofthewillows.com.au
Mountain Goat releases Mountain Goat’s new Christmas beer is a Wheatwine – a strong, American-style wheat beer aged for 30 days in fresh Rye and Tennessee whisky barrels to create a smooth 11.1% beer. As with all Mountain Goat’s Christmas Ales, this one has been designed to be enjoyed in the festive season so drink fresh with friends and family this year! MG has also released a salty-sour refreshing summer brew, North Street Gose. Fine-tuned over a number of batches and intensive tasting sessions to deliver the perfect summer thirst-quencher. This gose is driven by the citrus aroma from Szechuan pepper and lemondrop hop, cut through with grapefruit juiciness and acidic tartness before finishing with the salty taste of a beach holiday that will have you ready to go back for another sip. goatbeer.com.au
Craft Beer Touring Map The Great Australian Beer Festival (GABF) and Visit Albury/Wodonga have collaborated to release a regional craft beer trails map in time for the thousands of visitors expected to attend the second annual Albury festival on December 1. Featuring the region’s growing number of independent breweries, the map highlights the unique geography of the region, taking visitors along the river, through Kelly country, valleys and mountains and into farming country through the Riverina. Festival director Kieran Blood says the idea for the craft beer trail was inspired by the success of a similar trail he and his team helped establish for the Geelong, Bellarine and Surf Coast regions. “We wanted to help promote local breweries and provide the many out-of-town visitors to the festival the opportunity to better plan their stay in the region. It was a great success with local tourism bodies getting on board to further develop the concept leading to the printing and distribution across the region and at the festival,” he said. gabf.com.au Westside Aleworks expands South Melbourne brewery Westside Aleworks has expanded its brewery with the addition of extra tanks and is planning another expansion soon. Owner Casey Wagner is also excited about their new canning line, which should be up and running by January. Punters can also savour a new food option, with American West Coast-style pizzas made fresh to order, using dough made in-house with a hefty addition of Pale Ale. With more seating added and a takeaway beer fridge with rare and interesting beers from around the world (at affordable prices), there’s never been a better time to visit this inner city brewery! westsidealeworks.com.au
WA BEER NEWS It’s been a few months since Eagle Bay Brewing’s Hazy Boy first hit lips in the west and now it returns with a wider release in kegs and 640ml bottles. The brewer behind the recipe is Keegan Ross and the hazy IPA is 7.8% ABV. Cheeky Monkey Brewing has joined forces with Mane Liquor and Chi Cho Gelato for the second year in a row to bring another fruity sour to our summer days. Following their Frosty Fruit collaboration, this time they’ve added blueberry and yuzu to a Berliner Weisse base to create Bluzu. Available on tap and in 375ml cans. Staying sour, BeerFarm partnered with Gingin strawberry farm, Mal’s Black
Label, who were severely affected by the recent strawberry crisis after two needles were found in a couple of punnets in South Australia. Using their strawberries, along with mint and lime, BeerFarm created a Berliner Weisse called Strawberry Sour which will be available on tap and in 375ml cans.
Rocky Ridge Brewing have reissued the third version of their popular Stairway to Resin. A collab with North Fremantle bottleshop, Old Bridge Cellars, the beer is a West Coast Double IPA and will be around for however long it takes us to drink two batches! Rocky Ridge are also releasing a Session Summer Ale in cans, brewed with south-west summers in mind with a light malt body and Galaxy and Ella hops.
By Pia Poynton girlplusbeer.com
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Froth, As a shortish middle-aged woman, how can I make trendy young bar people smile when they serve me. Do I have to grow a beard or pierce my face? I have often been left standing while everyone around me is served. Even those behind me. And then I am served with an exasperated sigh as though I have ordered a VB shandy. Thirsty, Smith’s Gully Dear Thirsty, I am sorry to hear this. As a shortish youngish(?) woman myself I am often crowded aside in bars by large men who seem to get served a lot quicker than me. I console myself by thinking that while my size makes me harder to see at the bar, at least I can fit into small spaces, like under the couch to hide should aliens invade the Earth. Take that, tall men! Who’s thirsty now?? Good luck, ED
Hi Emily, Congratulations on your interesting and informative magazine. I have been a beer drinker for well over sixty years and very happy to see that the art of brewing has not only revived but is going from strength to strength. I remember my Dad back in the 1940s in England drank Mild and Bitter (and introduced me to it) and I thought your readers should know that a very fine drop of this classic ale is now being produced by the Semi Pro Brewery in East Brisbane. This may be a first for Australia! The mix is a fine English Best Bitter at 5.4% and an equally fine English Mild at 3.4%. I’ve always been very much a Bitter man myself but for old time’s sake was happy to try the mix when the Mild came on tap a couple of weeks ago. For any readers in the Brisbane area or anyone visiting our sunny city, I certainly recommend they call into the SemiPro and have a pint (or two) of this very traditional and tasty brew mix. One will probably lead to another! Cheers to you and all of your readers. Ray Clark Dear Ray, Thank you for your kind letter and this excellent public service announcement! I have only heard good things about Semi-Pro so it is great to hear they are reviving some classic beer styles to delight beer drinkers old and new. Thank you for letting us know and keep up the great work! Cheers, ED
Hate dirty glasses? Love independent beer? Got a burning issue you’d love to share? Email emily@frothbeer.com with your letters to the editor about all things beer-related.
IT’S ABOUT TIME YOU MEET THE FAMILY. @urbanalleybrewery
@urbanalleybrewpub
BEER REVIEWS Brewery: Sailors Grave
Brewery: Cavalier
Brewery: Wolf of the
Brewing (VIC) Beer: Summer Farmhouse Ale ABV: 5.2%
Brewing (VIC) Beer: REDЯUM & Raisin IPA ABV: 7.4%
Imperial Porter ABV: 11.2%
BY GEM MAHADEO
BY DEAN SMITH
BY MATT HOFMANN
This release has been available for a while and it’s worth finding a few cans for the Melbourne summer that doesn’t at all feel like it’s round the corner. The first glass poured a really clear, dark amber with big bubbles both in the froth and beer, and isn’t anything like a farmhouse ale, but the second was this pink-tinged opaque, cloudy, murky liquid more in keeping with farm funk. It tastes like a beer that cider fans would really dig. The can notes are pretty comprehensive and help explain why there’s so much going on in this brew – fermented on Lightfoot & Sons chardonnay lees (there’s a massive dry white wine element in the second glass), using strawberries and rhubarb from Joe’s Garden (sour, tart, ripe berries, with a hint of fragrant, bitter darker red fruit), then dry-hopped with wild foraged fennel pollen (the aniseed-like, spicy, fresh herb aroma and taste). Stuff it, don’t waste this on ciderfan beer-haters; impress your fancy foodies mates with multiple cans of it at your next actual summer barbie.
The Rum Diary Bar is a jaunty sort of venue, with far too many rums for a sensible sort of person to approach, which is appropriate given the Hunter S. Thompson & piratey references. This could be why Derrimutbased Cavalier Brewing took some specially made Rum Diary Bar Spiced Rum, soaked a heap of raisins in it, and threw the lot in a bold, hoppy Red IPA, before adding some creepy The Shining details to the bottle, to create REDЯUM & Raisin IPA. No explanation necessary. The beer is clear, deep amber and copper glinting beneath the off-white, coppertinged head. The bouquet is heavy on spice ‒ ginger snaps & orange peel ‒ but bready malt shines through, with just a whiff of citrusy American hops. These hops show up on the palate ‒ big & bitter ‒ but the specialty ingredients are somewhat missing in action until this potion warms up. Then, the spices start to mobilise, the malt opens up, and a hint of dark fruit develops. The hop/spice combination adds some astringency to the long bitter aftertaste. The rum brings some alcoholic warmth, but little sweetness. This is a dry, bitter beer, quite unlike the rum and raisin it promises. Still, it’s a decent example of a Red IPA, indubitably best enjoyed as a boilermaker with Rum Diary Bar Spiced Rum... I just don’t really know what rye tastes like although I have eaten rye bread.
Willows (VIC)
Beer: Lark Barrel Aged
Earlier this year, Wolf of the Willows brewery and Tasmania’s Lark Distillery joined forces and embarked on a joyous adventure: The Barrel Exchange Program. The Wolfs headed down to Tassie to select six whisky barrels they would then fill with an imperial version of their much-lauded Johnny Smoke Porter. These barrels were then shipped back to the distillery and filled with whisky. A treat for all. So how does it compare to the original Johnny Smoked Porter? Well. Real well. I was thoroughly expecting a face full of peat heading into this, however brewer Scotty kept it reasonable, and while the smoky aspect of this beer is still prevalent, the rich, decadent, chocolatey porter at the base of this 11.2% behemoth is what really comes out to play, enveloped in an oaky, vanilla, whisky blanket. I made the mistake of opening this by myself at home when this is definitely a sharing beer, however this bottle is still too small for the amount of this I would consume if I could. Anyway, I would dearly love to write more about this, but I’m currently floating in a haze of boozy happiness and Red Dead II is calling my name.
“THERE’S A MASSIVE DRY WHITE WINE ELEMENT IN THE SECOND GLASS.” Brewery: Sailors Grave (VIC) Beer: Featherlight Berliner Weisse ABV: 2.7% BY NICK CLAUS
With a lot of Sailors Grave beers, the clues to the drink are hidden in the can design (and of course the name). And this one’s no different! An attractive freeform feather with bright yellow and pink ‒ or fuschia ‒ colours, on a backdrop that Invokes highly polished aluminium. Pouring the beer, the head dissipates quite quickly. But that colour, wow! A pale, straw yellow
with a slight haze that looks like it could almost glow in the dark. There is no doubt about the high level of carbonation, with spritzy, elegant bubbles eager to burst right through my glass. I would have liked a slightly higher presence of passionfruit. But it’s definitely there and is accompanied by notes of lemon tart, all built on a very polished version of a classic Berliner Weisse. In short, a very refreshing summer beer for anyone who’s looking for a bit of a sour bite with subtle lemon and fruity flavours.
Brewery: Stomping Ground (VIC) Beer: Watermelon Smash Sour ABV: 4.2%
Brewery: Dainton Brewing (VIC) Beer: Pina Colada Punch ABV: 4.5%
BY NICK CLAUS
BY NICK CLAUS
Stomping Ground has been coming out with some interesting beers as of late, and I’m keen to try this one. There is also a guava version, but this is the one I was recommended. The beer pours a very fluffy, white head with low retention. A medium-hazy, sunny yellow colour fills the glass, as if someone has mixed the beer with cloudy apple juice and a few drops of sunshine. When bringing this very spritzy beer to the lips, it is super obvious this is a gose as a salty effervescence tingles the nose hairs immediately. There is a slight doughy undertone on the first sip, with hints of ripe banana and slight lemon. The main feature, watermelon, shines through the palate from start to finish. The sourness almost has the intent of slapping you around the face, but after the initial shock, it all mellows out quite pleasantly. Mid-palate the saltiness is teasing me into a game of hide and seek, only to come out and yell “Surprise!” on the finish. If you like your goses with a twist, then this is a match made in heaven.
Originally brewed for a 131-beer tap takeover, Pete the brewer hates it. Yet Dainton describes this beer as “delish up the wazoo and yum-nuts”. Let’s see who’s right. To fully appreciate this beer, let it warm up a few degrees after taking it out of the fridge. My first impression is that the beer is very clear for a PIna Colada Punch. Pours a nice white head with medium-low retention. On the nose, the pineapple is definitely playing first violin, albeit in a very subtle manner. There is a creamy note somewhere that is hiding backstage, and too shy to bring out her friends ‘Coconut’
Brewery: Rocky Ridge Brewing (WA)
Beer: Rock Juice Double
IPA
ABV: 9% BY PIA POYNTON
You crack the can, start pouring the beer and the tropical hop aromas practically climb out the glass. Crazy, bold mango and pineapple on the nose continue onto the palate followed by a little apricot and grapefruit. Low bitterness with an ultra clean finish and a hint of the booze inside; it’s not rough but certainly nothing to make you think it’s 9%. This is the third outing for Rock Juice and the balance is spot-on, a beer like this should not be so damn drinkable but it absolutely is.
Brewery: Hope Brewhouse (NSW) Beer: Mango Sour ABV: 3.7% BY CLAYTON WATERS
Music festivals are a great way to see some of your favourite bands but the downside can be the boring beer lineups. Hope Brewing took on this problem and created a Mango Sour beer for the indie rock FKA festival hosted at their brewery. This beer is super sessionable and very easy to drink. Sessionablity, particularly if you are having a long day in the moshpit or on the picnic rug, is timely. Stacked full of mango and passionfruit goodness, the added touch of the sour flavour at the end palate draws out flavours even more and leaves a subtle tarty feeling in the mouth. This beer flies in the face of boring and puts the bad festival beers to bed!
and ‘Mango’. However, on the palate, the roles seem somewhat reversed. Pineapple has taken a back seat, so that Coconut can step into the limelight, while Mango is watching from behind the curtain deciding if it wants to come out and play or not. There is a subtle bitter finish to tie it all together, but not the grand finale I was hoping for. A refreshing, very subtle alternative beer perfect for summer, though it leaves me somewhat pining for a real Pina Colada.
Brewery:The
Welders Dog (NSW)
Beer: Pea Blossom
Lemonade ABV: 4.2%
BY CLAYTON WATERS @ WATERSTOBEERS PIC @BITTERPHEW
Armidale in the New England High Country is home to one of the best brewpubs in NSW ‒ The Welders Dog. The Welders Dog have also thrown a bone to Tamworth, opening another venue there. This year they have brought out a light and tasty lemonade to their range. The pink colour immediately sets the taste buds alight and treats them to a floral and bitters-style flavour. The addition of the pea blossom flower and the natural fermentation, brings the fluorescent aroma, pink colour and takes the taste to a new level, giving it that summery refreshing feeling. This lemonade is a great substitute for your standard beer and may even surprise the avid beer fan. On a hot summer’s day, whether the beach or the country, look no further. Froth Beer Magazine p11
NEW BEGINNINGS IN WOODEND With a brewery expansion and tourist centre underway, Victoria’s Holgate Brewhouse is set to usher in an exciting new chapter
T
he story of Holgate Brewhouse began in 1999, when Woodend locals Paul and Natasha Holgate started brewing out of their back shed in the beautiful small town an hour’s drive northwest of Melbourne. After facing challenges to sell their craft beer into the nascent Australian market – before “craft beer” was really thing and Little Creatures was yet to come into existence – when an old pub in town came up for sale they decided that having their own venue to sell from would be the next sensible step. “It wasn’t our original intention to be running a hotel,” says Paul, “but we fell into it. This building came up, and it was in the middle of the town, it was a historic building – it’s 125 years old. It’s just minutes’ walk from the train station, so it ticked all the boxes.” It wasn’t as simple as just moving in and getting started, though, says Paul. “It was badly run down, so we took a bit of a dog-leg turn from trying to set up our beer wholesale business, because we had to spend a lot of time and money getting this building going. And it was also a time when we had little babies and toddlers, so it was pretty hectic days!” One perk of setting up a brewery in the historic building was the piece of land adjoining it, which Paul envisioned could come in handy down the track. “It was originally a stagecoach stopover to Bendigo, so the land next door had the stables out the back and there was a big horse turning circle. So we thought, in the short-term we can put our little brewhouse in the hotel building, and when we need to expand we’ve got that land out the back.” Fast-forward to the mid-2000s and the beer industry was booming, and the need to grow was becoming more pressing. “It was very easy to get lost in the mix,” says Paul. “From an efficiency point of view, we were also hitting capacity, so we decided we
It was originally a stagecoach stopover to Bendigo, so the land next door had the stables out the back needed to start the project of designing and raising money for the expansion.”
for almost 20 years, would add another drawcard to the region.
A grant from the Andrews Labor government in 2017 helped the Holgates to realise their dreams, with $1.5 million from the government’s Regional Tourism and Infrastructure Fund going towards the brewery expansion and an adjoining tourist centre, the idea being to draw more people to the region.
The soon-to-be-opened tourist centre will offer guests a place to taste Holgate beers, buy merchandise and takeaway beers. Guests staying at the venue’s accommodation can walk across the new elevated walkway to their rooms – while non-staying visitors can also go up there to have a sticky beak at the shiny new brewery.
The Macedon Ranges area has plenty of attractions, from the nearby mineral springs, bushwalking destinations such as Hanging Rock and the Macedon Ranges, as well as wineries and cycling. The plan is that the expanded brewhouse, which has been attracting visitors to the town
Paul says his philosophy with the build was, “if we’re going to bother doing it, let’s go large”. His vision was to build “the biggest facility we possibly can, and the best we can, in that space”. The original brewhouse barely has enough room to
Clockwise from top left: The new German brewery equipment at Holgate Brewhouse will enable greater efficiencies; owners Paul and Natasha Holgate; the expanded brewery has greatly increased capacity; beside the historic Woodend brewhouse is the new tourist centre.
swing a cat, but the new digs could easily house several well-fed lions. Paul thought it was best to go as large as possible to avoid having to upgrade again down the track, and invested in sophisticated, hightech German brewing equipment. While Paul and his brewing team have spent years doing back-breaking work such as shovelling spent grain out of the tanks, the new fit-out offers such labour-saving devices as a keg-filling machine, new bottling line and malt-handling silos. There are also environmental bonuses to the new equipment, such as greater energy efficiencies and less waste. A special hop back will also enable the brewers to experiment and do more interesting things with hops in the brews. The new building has been in the works for two years, with Paul saying that overcoming the various challenges of such an ambitious project was like an episode of Grand Designs. First and foremost, Paul wanted to ensure the production facility would be built in Woodend, as opposed to tucked away in a soulless industrial area. “I suppose one of our points of difference is we’re not a beer brewing and wholesaling machine in an industrial complex somewhere. We have a real consumer interface and tourism aspect to our business. We’re operating in an historic hotel with beautiful accommodation, full
restaurant, bar, function spaces, as well as a production brewery right next door to it. Not many breweries have all that under the one roof, so it’s pretty special.”
If we’re going to bother doing it, let’s go large Holgate will keep the original small brewhouse and use it to created special, limited-release beers. “Now that we’ve freed up that little brewhouse we can do more collaborations or special brews for venues who support us, as well as monthly special releases,” says Paul. “It’s quite exciting, we’ll have more time to spend playing around with new hops, or new processes, special releases, different releases and so on.” With the number of entrants in the Australian craft beer scene skyrocketing in the past few years, Paul knows of the importance of staying relevant and fresh in people’s minds. “It is a very difficult time, especially in the last two, three years, where it’s getting to saturation with the number of brands and breweries. Everyone’s trying to come up with ways to cut through the noise. So we’ve certainly had to change our strategy. Compared to back in the day, when we first
started, there was no strategy. We were just making the beers we loved and if people wanted to buy it, great, if people didn’t want to buy it, we didn’t really care.” For Paul, the point of the expansion is to bring the brewing operations closer to the public. He wants to inspire their imagination and showcase the wonderful story behind brewing, to educate drinkers about the raw ingredients and process of making beer. He thinks the tourist centre will help to show people the difference between mainstream and craft brewing. “I get a buzz out of talking to people about beer, educating people, I suppose. And we see that as our role, not just us but the industry. And that’s one of the reasons for the visitors’ centre is to educate the consumer about the wonderful history that this planet has with brewing since the days of agriculture, 10,000 years ago, and how it’s come forward – and treating beer like a noble beverage and an art, just like wine. “Because in the 20th century, beer was seen as an industrial beverage coming out of a big factory somewhere, and people didn’t really know what it was or how it was made. So we see that as our role, to educate people and bring them along on the craft beer journey.” Holgate Brewhouse is at 79 High St, Woodend. www.holgatebrewhouse.com
LIAM’S PICK
By Liam O’Hare Brewery: 8 Wired Beer: iStout Affogato ABV: 10% 8 Wired iStout is the stout that got me into stouts many moons ago. First brewed nearly a decade ago, it has been a staple in 8 Wired’s renowned portfolio of killer drops. Over the years there have been some variations on their flagship stout, both keg only and in bottle. Here we have a dessert edition of the beer in a slick-looking 440ml can. Brewed with coffee, vanilla and lactose, this has all sorts of things going on. The base of the iStout is still very prevalent but then you cop a massive coffee whack, then the sweetness and mouthfeel from the vanilla and lactose. Still managing to have that roast and a fair amount of bitterness really makes this beer interesting ‒ I find a lot of the dessert beers just go off the deep end on sweetness and aren’t balanced. Maybe it’s my lack of sweet tooth, who knows? Once again the team at 8 Wired have put out another belter, try this as it won’t last long in Australia.
CUSTOM BEER COOKIES & CAKES hello@deblieubakes.com.au instagram.com/deblieubakes deblieubakes.com.au
Deb Lieu
0420 676 465
BEER LABEL DESIGN
By Clint Weaver
Continuing on somewhat from last month’s column, I have again gone for a label that champions simplicity, albeit in a much bolder fashion. ‘Loral or Yanny’ by Blackman’s Brewery jumps off the shelf with its bold colours and striking typography. It utilises the colour split like many other local labels, but rather than going for a one-third split, which creates a sense of primal comfort in the viewer, this label splits right across the middle which evokes a sense of balanced tension, enhanced further by the colour choice. A considered choice, with the bright cyan matched triadically to a bright golden yellow, or complementarily to orange. Both colour harmonies demand attention, and the pared-back, centred type and logo do well to not take anything away from their intent. The two cans in the series both contain the US hop Loral, and are dry-hopped with different hops ‒ the name plays off a viral audio clip where listeners hear one thing or another, depending on the frequency that the audio is heard at. I actually had no idea about the clip until i googled the name, but liked the concept presented by Blackman’s: to challenge their drinkers to spot the difference. A great exercise in marketing, tied together with beautiful branding. Bloody delicious beer too ‒ the can i got was Yanny, and that’s also what i heard on the audio clip ‒ coincidence? i think not.
We’re all Boneheads
BONE
HEAD BREWING 468 Bridge Rd Richmond Vic
the place to talk and taste the best craft beers ! beer360.com.au
in a can... on a tap... near you... Taproom 86 Parsons St, Kensington Vic, 3031
• BREWERY • BAR • RESTAURANT • ACCOMMODATION HOLGATEBREWHOUSE.COM Woodend, Victoria
SUMMER BEERS AROUND THE WORLD
JULIEN LANGLET TAKES US ON A TOUR OF HIS FAVOURITE WARM WEATHER BEERS
Ah, summer! You can picture it: backyard cricket, sand in your hair, Christmas carols echoing around the streets, the faint smells of a BBQ, and of course, beer. Hot days and cold beer... Is there a better marriage? This is what summer is about, right? Well, depending on where you are, you’ll experience summer in a few different ways. So I thought I’d take you, Froth reader with your sunglasses and sunblock-smeared face, for a quick whip around the world to places I’ve lived to see what summer and beer looks like elsewhere.
FRANCE
Ah, France, with your cheeses and wine, the place I hail from, the bon vivant and the joie de vivre, the wine... did I mention the cheese? Well, not quite so. France is actually big into beer, and I don’t mean Kronenburg and 1664 ‒ the Foster’s equivalents of ‘best for export’ beer. I mean craft beer, or ‘biere artisanale’. French craft beer is blooming. There are more than 1000 craft breweries in France, and one of them is the Brasserie Galibier, situated in the French Alps. Their ‘Galibier Alpine’ is a French APA (17IBU, 4.8%), a light and refreshing golden beer with aroma of tropical fruits, citrus and resin with a very fresh nose. Picture this: a balmy evening, the setting sun painting the mountains hues of pink and orange, the aperitif is served ‒ Galibier Alpine, starting off a casual alfresco soiree, la vie en rose, non?
CANADA
“O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.” Or so the National Anthem goes. The last word of the line could easily be replaced by “beer”, such is the passion with which the liquid is consumed over summer. A Canadian summer is a short affair, an intermission in the year-long winter, where people make the most of the long days and glorious weather. Local crops are ready and some make their way into beer, such as
the Pumphouse Blueberry Ale (Moncton, New Brunswick). The taste of Canadian summer for me will always be this golden pale ale: malty, with some residual fruity sweetness and a medium body (5% ABV). It doesn’t have that tart flavour associated with blueberries, but it’s oh so very sessionable. And if you get it from the brewery, it’s served with fresh blueberries in the glass!
“If you get it from the brewery, it’s served with fresh blueberries in the glass” USA
Ah, the US of A, a nation where the beer scene is as fractured as its politics, with the beer giants of the world on one hand and the leading edge of craft brewing on the other. Parish Envie Pale Ale (5.5% ABV) (New Orleans, Louisiana) is a superb pale ale. Imagine walking in downtown New Orleans, sipping this dizzying beer under a shimmering night in the French Quarter (where authorities turn a blind eye to public drinking). Think Queensland-like humidity, intermittent fresh sea breeze, heady perfumes, jazz street music, and in your hand a refreshing milky orangey almostIPA with fruit punch (pineapple, peach, citrus, passionfruit) and a dry hoppy finish: “Let the good times roll!” A passing mention should also go to “Sex in a Canoe”, an American
light lager by Noble Rey Brewing (Dallas, Texas). The name is from a Monty Python joke: “American Beer is like making love in a canoe. It’s fucking close to water.” Full points for the name and self-deprecating
humour (a rare trait in the US). I was handed a can of this when I asked for “something better than a Budweiser”, and it was. Just. You could just see it as a mouthwash after gritty fast food, but on a crushing hot day where you feel like beerflavoured cold water, I enjoyed it more than I’d care to admit.
SINGAPORE
If you get lost deep enough in Singapore (away from the hawker food stands where you’ll get a Mars bar-sized iceblock in your Tiger poured from cans which have been left in the sun for weeks), you will find a thriving craft beer scene. With its constant hot weather, Singapore is ideal to savour summer beers all year around. Stumble out of the train station at Raffles Place and you’ll easily find Red Dot Brewing. While many Singapore breweries produce in neighbouring countries, Red Dot manufactures locally, and one of their most refreshing beers is the Lime Wheat (5% ABV, 13 IBU). It will cool you right down with its fresh citrusy taste and lime esters, and a lovely cloudy straw colour. It’s a summer breeze in a glass. Julien is one of the Three Greens of Three Greens Brewing, a Melbournebased gypsy brewer, and tries to balance his time between his love for beer and a full-time job in insurance.
SUMMER FROTHING Check out these breweries on your holidays By Emily Day Mr Banks, Dainton Brewery So much to do, you might want to make a weekend of it!
1. Destination: Wilson’s Prom, VIC
Stunning natural environment, gorgeous beach, dolphins. BREWERY: Copperhead Brewery, Brouhaha, Ten Toes Brewery Plenty of new breweries popping up on the Sunshine Coast, well worth exploring!
Beautiful beaches, pure white sand, clean waves, tons of adorable marauding wombats. BREWERY: Loch Brewery Beautiful family-run brewery and distillery in the town of Loch that makes fantastic English-style traditional beers. 2. Destination: Torquay, VIC
One of the world’s most famous surf breaks, chilled out vibe, weekend markets, sunshine. BREWERY: Blackman’s Brewing, Rogue Wave Brewing Get your fill of excellent local beer at Blackman’s, check out the view of Airey’s Inlet at Rogue Wave. 3. Destination: Mornington Peninsula, VIC
Wineries, orchards, breweries, beautiful surf beaches and tranquil bay beaches. BREWERY: Mornington Peninsula Brewery, Two Bays Brewing, Jetty Road, St Andrews Brewery,
4. Destination: Noosa, QLD
5. Destination: Byron Bay, NSW
You don’t have to be beautiful to live here, but it helps! Hippie vibes and rich people mingle with backpackers and other quirky souls. BREWERY: Stone & Wood, Byron Bay Brewery Taste the original Pacific Ale in its natural environment. 6. Destination: Hobart, TAS
MONA has put Hobart on the map, but its small breweries are also worth checking out. BREWERY: Bruny Island Brewery, Winston Brewpub, Hobart Brewing Co, The Shambles You might need a cold beer after seeing the art at MONA.
7. Destination: Canberra, ACT
I once went to Canberra on holiday to go to the art gallery. BREWERY: Bentspoke Brewery, Capital Brewing, Wig & Pen Canberra has a vibrant beer scene for a town filled with pollies, and we applaud this.
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8. Destination: Perth, WA
The mining boom may be waning but there’s still plenty to do in this sunny city. BREWERY: Blasta Brewing Co, Otherside Brewing, Nowhereman Brewing Also check out Perth’s bars like DTC, Petition and more! 9. Destination: Alice Springs, NT
Australia’s red heart, and a popular tourist destination. BREWERY: Alice Springs Brewery Be one of the first to visit Alice’s first microbrewery! 10. Destination: Adelaide, SA
More like Radelaide, amirite? BREWERY: The Wheatsheaf Hotel, Prancing Pony, Little Bang So much cool stuff going on in Adelaide and surrounds. Book in a week to explore properly!
ABBOTSFORD VIC
the editor
passionfruit & guava hoppy sour
coconspirators.com.au
Summer is the perfect time to explore our great country – and schedule in a sneaky brewery visit while you’re there!
SEVEN BEERS TO ENJOY THIS CHRISTMAS By Emily Day
Brewery: Bridge Road
Brewers Beer: Fat Man Red Suit Big Sack Style: Red IPA Match with: Christmas Ham, turkey
This Australian Christmas ale from the Beechworth brewery is an India Red Ale that showcases some of our country’s great hop varieties: Galaxy, Topaz and Enigma. Rich toffee malt flavours combine with big hop aroma and flavour to create a joyous 7.5% brew that you can either enjoy yourself or leave out for Santa and his reindeer. bridgeroadbrewers.com.au
Brewery: Wildflower Brewing & Blending Beer: Gold Style: Australian Wild Ale Match with: Fish, cheese, salads
Known for their unique Australian ales that use locally foraged ingredients, Wildflower beers are super classy, packaged in an elegant wine-style bottle with beautiful labels. The beers themselves are just as attractive, and the Gold Australian Wild Ale is my favourite ‒ a medium strength wild ale that’s bone dry with a subtle spicy bitterness. Sure to impress your family and friends, and maybe bring around that relative who “doesn’t like beer”! wildflowerbeer.com
Brewery: Bridge Road
Brewers Beer: Magical Unicorn Christmas Beer Style: Vanilla Ice-Cream Ale Match with: Pavlova, pudding
Christmas is all about excess, and treating yourself (and your family and friends), so why not treat yourself to this hilariously quirky brew that is smooth, creamy and sweet like vanilla ice-cream. At 7.3%, this might not be a beer you will knock back a six-pack of, but is best enjoyed beside the pool after Christmas lunch. bridgeroadbrewers.com.au
Brewery: Kaiju! Beer Beer: Kaiju Krush Style: Tropical Pale Ale Match with: Pre-lunch drinks, everything
This beer by Melbourne cult favourites Kaiju! encapsulates the taste of summer, and with its colourful, fun packaging, could grace the dinner table in any home this Christmas. Hoppy and refreshing with heaps of tropical fruit flavours, Kaiju’s Tropical Pale Ale is still accessible enough for your VB-loving uncle to give it a burl. Pairs well with prawns, ham, chicken, turkey, pavlova and other Christmassy foods! kaijubeer.com.au
Brewery: Mountain Goat Beer: Christmas Ale 2018 Style: Whisky Barrel Aged Wheatwine Match with: Lying on the couch groaning in a food coma
Mountain Goat’s Christmas beers are invariably special, presented in large bottles with wax tops, they are satisfyingly heavy to hold and delightfully tasty to sample and share. This year’s Christmas edition is a whisky barrel-aged wheatwine ‒ a strong, American-style wheat beer featuring US hops, and aged in a mix of fresh Rye and Tennessee whisky barrels for 30 days, resulting in a deceptively smooth 11.1% beer. Don’t hide this one away in your cellar, it’s made to be enjoyed with family and friends over the festive season! goatbeer.com.au
Brewery: Goodieson Brewery
Beer: Christmas Ale Style: Spiced Brown Ale Match with: Mince pies It’s Christmas in a beer bottle! Throughout history, beer of a somewhat higher alcohol content and richness has been enjoyed during the Christmas season. Many American or Belgian breweries produce unique seasonal offerings that may be darker, stronger, spiced, or otherwise have more character than their normal beers. This Christmas Ale from McLaren Vale brewery Goodieson is brewed using the spices of Christmas wrapped up in a Chestnut Brown Ale. The perfect complement to the festive season. goodiesonbrewery.com.au Brewery:
Semi-Pro Brewing
Beer: Merry
Scotchmas - Trag’s Christmas Pudding Style: Scotch Ale
Match with:
Christmas pudding, mince pies
Just like the Brisbane beer lover this brew is named after, this Scotch Ale is full-bodied and very complex. Lashings of cinnamon and smoke on the nose with dark fruit and raisin on the tongue. It’s the warm hug of Trag in a glass. A medley of dried fruits and spices are added to the boil and in post-fermentation for a rich, complex ale. semiprobrewing.com.au
CRACK OPEN A COLD ONE AND 10% OF EVERY SALE GOES TO THE AUSTRALIAN MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY & THEIR WORK TO PROTECT THE GREAT BARRIER REEF TO PRE ORDER, OR FIND OUT WHERE YOU CAN BUY GREAT BARRIER BEER PLEASE VISIT: GREATBARRIERBEER.COM.AU
Dan McEvilly checks out Sydney’s most rock ’n’ roll brewery
YOUNG HENRYS LOCATION: 76 WILFORD STREET, NEWTOWN, NSW OPENING TIMES: MON-SUN 12-7PM YOUNGHENRYS.COM THE STORY
Like most good stories, it started over a beer... Many years ago, meeting on opposite sides of a bar, Richard Adamson and Oscar McMahon got talking. As it turned out, they both rather loved beer and shared the view that Sydney’s beer scene was behind the times. It should, they thought, be more adventurous, more innovative and certainly more fun. Since Richard already knew how to brew and Oscar knew all the ins and outs of hospitality, they decided they could do more than just talk. The idea of opening your very own brewery is easy. Doing it wasn’t. At the time, few people in high places understood the concept of hand-crafted beer, so several development applications were rejected ‒ including one in the rather trendy suburb of Surry Hills ‒ just think how different things could have been. Fortunately, in 2012 the green light was given for an industrial warehouse space in the diverse and delightful suburb of Newtown, and with the help of a few friends, a small brewing kit was purchased and Young Henrys was officially in business. The first Young Henrys beers were brewed in March 2012. The ethos was pretty simple, keep things local and reduce the environmental impact while brewing beer the local community would enjoy and be proud to call their own. Through packaging beers in cans, which are lighter and easier to transport, to donating spent grain to a farm where it’s eaten by some very happy cattle, and much more, they were doing their bit. It also turned out that people rather liked the beer, in fact, the Newtown locals enjoyed what was on offer so much that within months, Young Henrys were struggling to meet demand. Doing everything by hand, they worked seven days a week but couldn’t keep up. More tanks were brought in but that still didn’t help. So they took the warehouse next door, knocked down the wall and built a brewery big enough to ensure no one would go thirsty again! And not much has changed since. The same beers that poured back then are the same ones you’ll find at the brewery now, still as fresh, still as delicious.
What’s more, Young Henrys love to work with anyone who shares their passion for what they produce, whether that’s music, art, food or anything else. Over the years they’ve hosted some truly amazing and talented people at the brewery to share ideas and brew beers, including the Foo Fighters, Dune Rats and Jameson Irish Whiskey, to name a few. The resulting collaborations have been on stage for national music tours, downed at global festivals, behind the curtain at theatre companies, served at restaurants, back in time with an historical society, live on the air at radio stations, written in print and made permanent in artworks.
THE BREWERY
A tasting bar that closes by dinnertime? Young Henrys is all about the inclusive afternoon sessions and it’s an idea that has proven crazy enough to work, especially when you let everyone and anyone turn up with their four-legged friends, their young ones and their elders. Young Henrys are unquestionably the coolest kids in a town that’s unequivocally cool. You could be forgiven for assuming the little patch where Young Henrys now resides isn’t so much a brewery as some sort of permanent beer festival, and that laid back rock ‘n’ roll attitude flows beautifully through the part brewery, part gallery adorned with funky artwork, graffiti and edgy beer paraphernalia amongst high tables dressed with growler lampshades and vases. There’s big old amplifiers blasting out every genre of music you could imagine, set amongst the backdrop of huge metallic beer tanks and shipping containers. The bar serves up all the locals’ favourites plus one-off and seasonal brews from the taps which include a hand pump. The fridges are filled with tinnies, longnecks and growlers for takeaways, and with most of the beer being sold within a few suburbs of the brewery, Young Henrys encourage the use of the refillable glass growlers which can be used over and over again. Enmore Road is only a stone’s throw away but food trucks pull up to the brewery door, so there really is no need to leave the comfort of the brewery. Young Henrys is a sensational venue, inclusive, wonderful and delightfully friendly. It’s the kind of place that forces you to adjust your afternoon/evening plans so you can spend a bit more time kicking back at the bar with a fresh beer. There’s something special about a brewery that has become so integrated with its local community, it’s a Newtown treasure that brews darn good beer, gets local people interested and has a jolly good time doing it.
THE NEWTOWNER | BEER: NEWTOWNER PALE ALE | ABV: 4.8% Newtown has really made Young Henrys what it is today. It’s their home, community and inspiration. So when the suburb celebrated its sesquicentenary (150th anniversary) in December 2012, and Young Henrys were invited to brew a unique beer to celebrate, they jumped at the chance. The resulting beer was an Aussie Pale Ale called Newtowner. Originally planned as a one-off, the beer was originally only available to the local community. But, Newtowner was a beer brewed to be enjoyed by everyone, whether it was being thrown back at a gig or sipped slowly in a beer garden. The people responded and it wasn’t long before Newtowner became a permanent part of the core range, going on to become the brewery’s biggest selling drop.
Pouring from tinnies designed to look like a full stack amp, it’s a beautifully bright copper-orange topped with a perfect white head. A delightful aroma of citrus and lemon, that’s a tad peachy, with hints of tropical fruits waft from the glass thanks to the addition of three local hop varieties. Victoria’s Secret, Cascade and Galaxy to be exact, and by golly do they make it fun, fruity and even a little bitter ‒ just like Newtown. In a nod to the suburb’s past and present influences, Young Henrys used a blend of English and Australian malts that have added malty, biscuit and caramel notes to the whiff alongside those local hops. On the palate, Newtowner delivers caramel and biscuity malts upfront together with citrus, hints of pine and floral flavours. It’s full in the mouth, slightly spritzy and somewhat satisfyingly bitter with a fresh and clean finish. It’s uncomplicated, delicious and an incredibly drinkable beer.
Froth Beer Magazine p23
SH*T MY MUM SAYS ABOUT CRAFT BEER Silvia Day heads to Canberra and tries beers from our nation’s capital
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Bentspoke Brewery
Hell’s bells! This is the third Christmas for Froth. How does a magazine year compute? Is it like a dog: one year = 7 of ours? Maybe it’s 10 years for a magazine, so technically, Froth could be reaching 30 now! Who knows, but it can certainly classify as longevity in this uncertain world for paper publications! Back to Christmas. Ignore the religious aspect. If there was no religion, there would definitely be fewer problems of all sorts all over the world. Think of Christmas as a lovely excuse to get together with family &/or friends. Ok, that can be a problem at times, I know. Some quiver at the prospect of another family gathering, but what the heck, it’s only for a brief time. For some
“It tastes quite sweet, like a mixture of watermelon, passionfruit and maybe a hint of grapefruit” family members, it is such an important & necessary gathering, so go along & make their day! Then, enjoy the rest of your summer, or if you can’t handle the heat, (I mean literally, I’m not talking about Christmas), then nick off to a colder place. New York might be a better idea than California. Recently, we were back in Canberra where it was way too hot during the day & quite
cool at night. What has Canberra got to do with Christmas? Not sure, but they both begin with a “C”. I did some ‘Wig & Pen’ beers a long time ago, so I had to try some different Canberra beers this time. For a break after a long day at the National Library, we went off to Capital Brewing Co in Fyshwick. Never been there before. Great place to chill out with a drink & a meal. Got a 4 beer tasting paddle. COAST ALE (4.3% ABV) A very pale, clear beer with a smell of? Beer! Tastes like a not very hoppy light beer. There is a bit of that herby smell & taste that is so common but I can never pin down what it is. Overall, not too bad. TROPICAL POPSICLE SOUR (4.8% ABV) Pale but cloudy with that herby smell again. It is a sour, but it actually tastes quite sweet, like a mixture of watermelon, passionfruit and maybe a hint of grapefruit. That may be the sour bit! I need a hop or beer specialist to hunt down that herby smell. FIRST TRACKS STOUT (5.2% ABV) It is pitch black, like tar, and has a strong coffee smell with a hint of chocolate. It tastes like a bitter coffee, but no chocolate. It leaves my tongue feeling dry. At the next sip, I can’t even taste coffee, just bitterness. Not for me. Disappointing. HANG LOOSE JUICE (6% ABV) A bit more golden colour than the first 2 beers, cloudy, with a hoppy smell. Can’t discern other flavours. Strangely, it tastes more like an orange or grapefruit than hops, although it is a bit bitter. Weird!
Lake Burley Griffin
Next, I tried a Bent Spoke Brewery Co beer called Barley Griffin, Canberra Pale Ale (4.2% ABV). I’m sure that the designer of Canberra, Walter Burley Griffin, would be chuffed if he was still alive! First a lake named after him, now a beer! What more can a person want!
Strange can. Pull the tab off & the whole top comes off! Never seen that before! This is a pale but cloudy beer with a big frothy head which fizzes away quickly. It smells hoppy & a bit citrusy, like a Tropicana juice. Taste? Not very hoppy. Not very sweet. A bit of a pineapple & grapefruit mixture. Doesn’t excite me. My final Canberra beer is 42.2 Summer Ale (4.2% ABV) from Pact Beer Company. Clever naming! The 42.2 refers to degrees of summer heat, not alcohol content. Totally believable in Canberra. The alcohol content must have been made at exactly 4.2% to pair with the title! Pale golden colour, but clear, with a very slight fizziness & not much froth on top. This also smells like a tropical fruit mix with a sweet hoppy smell. It tastes a lot more hoppy than the smell implied! Not excessively bitter, nor long lasting, but hoppy enough to delete most of the other flavours, although strangely, a slight sweet/ citrusy taste lingers on. Confusing! I give up! Ok folks, that’s enough for now. Enjoy summer. Be nice to those around you & have fun at Christmas.
Aunty Frida’s Kitchen
By Frida Rowe
Summer is all about sharing with empanadas and beer sangria
Come the festive season, food and drink are constantly on my mind. Actually, food and drink are on my mind all the time, but summer tends to inspire relaxed food. Share food. Jolly food … and of course, bountiful Eskys of beautiful beer. Now, I am a bit anxious about my Beer Sangria. Worried that the purists will raise an eyebrow. Eh. I did it anyway. Salud! (I was going to say Chin Chin until I found out it apparently means penis in Japanese.)
Beer Sangria Ingredients
1 orange – cut in half, with one half cut in quarters and sliced thinly 1/2 lemon, cut in half and sliced thinly 1/2 lime, cut in half and sliced thinly ½ red apple, cut into small cubes 1 cup pineapple juice, cold 1/3 cup vodka 1 bottle or can of white ale or wheat beer (I stuck with Sailors Grave Brewing and used Sea Fret White Beer with Coastal Saltbush) Method Combine the fruit, pineapple juice and vodka in a pretty jug. Squeeze in the half orange not sliced. Pour over the beer, gently. Done! Enjoy.
Empanadas (makes 20) Ingredients
500g beef mince ½ red onion 2 tsp paprika 1 tsp chilli powder, flakes, whatever is your preference ½ tsp ground cumin Salt and pepper to taste Dollop of olive oil 1/2 cup beer – I used Sailors Grave Brewing ‘Into the Pines’ Forest Ale 1 spring onion, chopped nice and fine 2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley – no big ugly stalks please. Remove them! 5 sheets of shortcrust pastry 12 stuffed green olives, cut in half 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped into 12 pieces 1 egg, white and yolk separated
Method 1. Combine the mince, red onion, paprika, chilli, cumin, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Use your hand. Don’t be prissy with a spoon. 2. Pour a dollop of olive oil into a pan and toss in the mince. Stir until it is browned. 3. Pour in beer. If you are sipping on the leftovers, save some in case your meat becomes too dry and sticks, add dollops as needed and stir until it is cooked. 4. When the mince is cooked, let it cool and then add the spring onions and parsley. It now looks and smells beautiful. 5. Time to assemble the little beauties. Lay a sheet of pastry out and cut it into four squares. At the risk of stating the obvious… make sure the pastry is not frozen!! Place a tablespoon of the meat into the centre of a pastry quarter, add two halves of green olive and a piece of egg. Brush the four edges of the pastry with the egg white. Fold it into a triangle and squeeze the edges together so it is fully sealed. Trim off the three corners of the triangle so you don’t have an ugly thick clunky empanada. Then pick the little baby up gently and starting at one corner, fold over the edge and press down a finger width, move a finger width and fold over the next bit and repeat. Keep following the rounded edge squeezing and folding down finger widths. This can take time to perfect. If you really can’t manage, look up ‘How to fold an empanada. Sheesh,’ or just press the edges with a fork. 6. Lightly brush the tops with the egg yolk which will give them the deep golden colour when they bake. 7. Cook at 200C for 20 minutes. Note: Make heaps and freeze them uncooked. They store well. Just brush with egg while still frozen and bung ’em in the oven until golden.
Find more recipes from Frida at auntyfridaskitchen.com
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home brew heroes
berry nice Fem Russell creates a Strawberry Milkshake IPA
I
n September, newspapers all over Australia went to work reporting the ‘Australian Strawberry Scare’ after sewing needles were found in store-bought strawberries. Shelves were rid of their stock and supermarket chains took further precautions, dropping prices to a fraction of their regular cost and even taking sewing needles off the shelves. This unfortunate series of events resulted in hundreds of berry farmers all over Australia dumping their stock at the peak of production season. With prices lower than the cost of production, farmers were facing (a damn huge) hiccup. Social media, not too late to the party,
fermentation. Huell Melon, a German hop with aromas of honeydew melon and strawberry, was showcased. To make it a ‘milkshake’ IPA, a large addition of lactose (milk sugar) went into the boil, along with oats and wheat in the grain bill to give body and reduce overall malt prominence. Lactose is an unfermentable sugar that results in a creamy sweetness in the final product. The sweetness would also complement the tart character of the strawberries. Vanilla extract, added during secondary fermentation, was added to round out the sweet, tart and hop flavours already present, as well as reinforcing the ‘milkshake’ intention.
About one-third of the strawberry addition was cooked down for an hour or so until quite jammy became the platform for farmers to share their distress, with videos uploaded of thousands of berries being disposed as waste before even leaving the strawberry fields. Like many others, this did not sit well with me. So, why not buy a bunch of them and make a strawberry beer? After deciding I would use this opportunity to experiment with fruit, I decided to also experiment with style. Milkshake IPA? How about a Strawberry Milkshake IPA?! Working at Bonehead Brewing means that fruit is no stranger when it comes to designing recipes. From prickly pears to pomegranate, and Belgian wits to fruited goses, strawberries were the next beast to conquer. With a 10-hec brewhouse at hand, but only 10kg of strawberries, I designed and brewed a recipe for a single-keg release. This meant the brewery’s 50-litre pilot system would suit well. Building from the base recipe for a hazy India Pale Ale, I toned down the bitterness by adding most hops in the latter stages of the boil, and a majority during
In regards to the strawberries, they were the biggest gamble of making the beer. Ten kilograms were cut into small chunks (no needles were found!), placed in santised plastic freezer bags, smooshed around a bit with table sugar, and let to sit at room temperature for about two hours. This process was intended to macerate (soften in own juices) the berries before freezing. Freezing the fruit ensures the further breaking down of cell walls, which I hoped meant more flavour! About one-third of the total strawberry addition was cooked down in a large pot for an hour or so until quite jammy in consistency and concentrated in sweetness, with minimal tanginess remaining. This was done to mimic the sweet-tasting syrup used in strawberry milkshakes. The strawberries were added in secondary fermentation for about two weeks before the beer was racked off, filtered (as little strawberry seeds would probably not go well floating in a someone’s pint) and kegged. The final ABV landed at 6.7%, and it poured a hazy
orange with a slight pink tint. The nose was straight-up fresh strawberry, while it tasted slightly tangy and had a sweet and creamy strawberry milkshake flavour that intensified as the beer warmed. Overall, it was a great learning experience in brewing with fruit, and brewing for a good cause! It was named Needle in a Haze-Stack (ha ha) and for every pint sold $1 was given to Aussie Helpers, a charity supporting Aussie farmers in times of need. So, definitely give brewing a Milkshake IPA a go.* It is a definite pick for summertime brewing, and would be suited to many fruit additions. Experiment yourself, refer to brewing literature, online sources or your local homebrew store and bask in the sweet ’n creamy result! *cannot guarantee the Milkshake IPA will bring all the boys to the yard
Fem Russell works at Bonehead Brewing in Kensington, and studies brewing at the University of Melbourne.
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E G N A U F P CRAFTY COMIC Crafty Comic by Michael Alesich / @ironoak
BEER QUIZ
1 In June 2017, the American Brewers Association launched what to differentiate independently brewed craft beers from the offerings of larger breweries: a) Different shaped bottles b) An “Independently brewed” seal c) Special Bottle Cap 2 Elvis Juice by BrewDog is an IPA infused with which fruit? 3 Yeast can only produce alcohol content up to a particular point, due to the alcohol killing off the yeast. From England, White Labs Super High Gravity Ale Yeast claims to be able to create beers up to what percentage? 4 Styrian Golding is a hop with origins in which European country? 5 True or false: In 1814, a wave of beer swept through the streets of London, killing eight people? 6 Lion-owned Panhead Custom Ales plans to open a taproom in which European city next year? 7 Blasta Brewing opened this year in which Aussie city? 8 The Little Creatures venue in Fremantle used to be what kind of farm? 9 Prime Minister Scott Morrison last month found himself at the centre of a bizarre advertising stunt for which AB InBev-owned American beer? 10 Each year, the brewers of the Victorian High Country come together to create a collaboration beer. What style did they make this year?
FROTHWORD
ACROSS 1. Queensland city where you would find Balter brewery (4,5) 5. Creamy festive booze (6) 7. Traditional meat of 8-down meal (3) 10. New beer made by the Good Beer Company to raise funds for the RSPCA (4,4) 12. The warmest season of the year (6) 13. Woodend brewery that is currently expanding to add a tourist centre (7) 14. Victorian brewery that makes a Peach Melba Pavlova Cream Sour (7,5)
DOWN 2. Victorian summer holiday destination and home of Blackman’s Brewery (7) 3. Saint who became the basis for the character of Santa Claus (8) 4. Yuletide demon who punishes wicked children (7) 6. Salty beer style that goes well with fruit (4) 8. Christian holiday combining pagan winter ritual and consumerism (9) 9. Melbourne brewery that means “monster” or “strange creature” in Japanese (5) 11. Name of a new brewery on the banks of the Brisbane river (6)
THIS MONTH WE HAVE TWO COMICS - A HARD ONE AND AN EASY ONE! GUESS THE BREWERY AND BEER ABOVE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A PRIZE! Email your answer to emily@frothbeer.com Winners will be notified by email and announced in next month’s Froth. The solution to last month’s Crafty Comic was Old Wives Ales Pop’s Passion Tart. Thank you to all our entrants and congratulations to our winner, Dave Hinchey! QUIZ Answers 1 .b) An “Independently brewed” seal 2. Grapefruit 3. 25% 4. Slovenia 5. True (a large vat of porter in the Horse Shoe brewery exploded, creating a 1.4m wave of beer) 6. London 7. Perth 8. Crocodile 9. Goose Island 10. Brut IPA
Frothword Solutions (November) / Across 1. SUMMER 3. HOLGATE 5. WILDPOLLY 6. TWOBAYS 7. PATRON 8. GOAT Down 1. STRAWBERRY 2. LITTLE BLING 4. AKASHA