Froth Craft Beer Magazine

Australia’s Craft Beer Magazine Issue 7 – May/June

Independent. Awesome. Free.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Hello lovely readers!

So I thought it would be a good idea to make a bumper edition of Froth magazine for May because of Good Beer Week and the Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular (let’s just call it GABS) making it such a fun and exciting and crazy month!

So that was a good idea except it was a ton of extra work so now I am literally dying and I’m going to take June off and just sit in the bath (possibly filled with beer) and read a book and then come back in July and do it all over again.

This edition is filled with so much epic delightful content I literally cannot handle it. Froth designer Clint Weaver has once more “weaved” (woven?) his aesthetic magic, our amazing contributors have written some wonderful articles, and I think we’ve created something that’s pretty damn nice.

In this issue we plumb the depths of some of the more extraordinary GABS beers, check out some fun Good Beer Week events, review some autumn beers and catch up with Exit Brewing who just celebrated their second birthday.

We also head to Tassie to chat with a fun new brewer in Launceston, and then we get hugely distracted by a shiny new coin made for the 500-year anniversary of the Bavarian Purity Law. My mum goes to the Yarra Valley Beer and Cider Festival and has an alright time, and we hike out to Mount Macedon to enjoy the stunning surrounds and the beer at our country pub of the month.

Enjoy!

Emily Day – Editor

Editor: Emily Day Printer: Printgraphics Design: Clint Weaver (@pocketbeagles) Contributors: Emily Day, Gem Mahadeo, Matthew Mister, Silvia Day, Frida Rowe, Will Ziebell, Dan McEvilly, Marie Claire Jarratt, Graham Frizzell, Annabel Meagher Cartoon: Michael Alesich Frothword: Oliver Hayes Cover Art: Michael Alesich

CONTACT Editorial: frothbeermag@gmail.com Advertising: frothbeerads@gmail.com Facebook.com/frothbeermag Instagram @frothbeermag Twitter @frothbeermag www.frothbeer.com TO SUBSCRIBE FOR $5 A MONTH OR PURCHASE BACK ISSUES, CHECK OUT FROTHBEERMAG.COM/SUBSCRIBE

THANK YOU

Thank you so much to all the excellent people who help to make Froth the beautiful weird magazine that it is! My parents for distributing and drinking beer and writing about it and being nice to me, all the amazing contributors,

Beer News Get in the know, yo!

8

Finely Crafted We chat to Greg Mace from Craft & Co

10

Gift of the GABS Chilli, ginger, coffee and belly button fluff

15

Briefcase Full of Awesome Good Beer Week gig offers beer and blues

16

Autumn beer reviews We delve into the deciduous

18

Exit strategy Dandenong brewery that’s kicking goals

21

Strictly Craft Beer We chat to Paul Mercurio about brews and travel

22

Mum’s Beer Reviews It’s what the people want

24

Sydney Pub Crawl Where to drink in the inner west

26

Five saisons in one day Farmhouse ale that’s back in fashion

28

Beer that clicks Eight reasons to like online Tassie brewer Ocho

31

Make it Rain We chat to an artist who makes custom tap handles

33

The Wonderful World of Wheat Annabel from Himmel describes her fave beer style

34

The Meaning of Beer In Five Words or Less (But Sometimes More)

36

Serious Coin Celebrate 500 years of Bavarian beer purity

37

Pure and Simple We chat with historic brewery Weihenstephan

38

Home brew story Made with love

40

Beer label of the month Local design with bite

41

Country pub of the month We go to Mount Macedon Hotel for a cheeky pint

42

Brews and Tunes / Books and Beer Prince and sloths / Praline and Fifty Shades of Grey

43

Things that aren’t beer Just trust us on this one

44

Uncle Worty / Bartender of the Month Bad advice column / excellent bar skills

45

Mostly Beer Quiz, Crafty Comic, Frothword!

The fun stuff at the back!

writers and artists, Frothword compilers, the wonderful people who help to distribute and are generally awesome. My aunty Frida who writes us awesome articles, the guys from Exit for being absolute champs, Emma Lenck and all the lovely brewers we’ve met in Tassie, Kelly Morton for being an angel, McCoppins for helping to give out the mag, Beer Mash for always having great beer suggestions, Suzi and Lliam at Purvis Beer in Richmond for leading me astray on Friday nights, Miro Bellini for his support and sharing his beer knowledge, and all our lovely subscribers around Australia!

And last but not least, massive completely unrepayable thanks to Clint Weaver for being a design whizzkid and putting up with me. You rock!!

CONTENTS

7

W W W. G O O D B E E R W E E K . C O M . A U

BIGGER

THAN

XMAS 270 EVENTS

OVER 10 DAYS DOWNLOAD THE APP TH ANKS TO W E M A K E A PPS

&

Hawkers

WHAT’S BREWING?

The latest news and releases in the craft beer world. Words by Emily Day Boatrocker released their latest Ramjet Russian Imperial Stout aged in Starward whisky barrels, guaranteed to make beer geeks weak at the knees, and with good reason. Adam Holliday from Boatrocker filled us in on the details: “This year’s Ramjet has spent a longer time in Starward whisky barrels than previous releases. Typically it is around four months, however this year the beer was in barrel for five months. As well as a higher ABV (this year’s is 11.4% ABV, last year’s was 10.6%) it has led to a much more pronounced whisky characteristic. We are very intrigued to see how the beer develops as it ages.”

Pirate Life released a superb bunch of cans and sent us all into a tizzy with a new IPA, a NZ Pale Ale collaboration with Tasmania’s Hopco, and a golden ale brewed with Adelaide rappers the Hilltop Hoods and Golden Era Records. The fresh IPA on tap was simply divine, and the first shipment of cans in Melbourne were snapped up in about 35 seconds, so it’s good to see more deliveries arriving in bottleshops such as Carwyn in Thornbury and Purvis Beer in Richmond.

Quiet Deeds released their latest version of their award-winning Lamington Ale. This beer won a bunch of awards when it came out last year, and I reckon this tasty drop could even get the tick of approval from my gran. Quiet Deeds say that it pairs well with Asian food due to its coconut flavour, but I think it would also go well with, well, a lamington.

Available on tap at various pubs (check Now Tapped for the latest venues) and in six-packs at good bottleshops.

The team from The Local Taphouse (left) have opened a brewery in Collingwood called Stomping Ground – the first brewery in the suburb for 100 years. To celebrate, they will be opening the doors to the public for the first time at Breaking Ground with Friends on May 15 as part of Good Beer Week. The event will showcase Stomping Ground’s first beers along with eight collaboration beers brewed on site with Stone & Wood (NSW), Burleigh (QLD), BentSpoke (ACT), Mornington Peninsula (VIC), Mash (WA), Big Shed (SA), Willie Smith’s (TAS) and Garage Project (NZ).

Blackman’s Brewery in Torquay hooked up with gypsy brewers Barrow Boys to create a fresh hop beer. Ash Hazell from Barrow Boys (right, with Renn Blackman) schlepped it up to Victoria’s High Country to visit Rostrevor Hop Farm and bring back 20kg of fresh, wet Galaxy hops straight from the bine. The hops were added as late as possible in the brewing process to extract as much flavour and aroma as possible. Called Wet Hop Red Bock, the beer comes in at 5.8% ABV and has a red colour and subtle caramel notes. The hops give it a distinct floral aroma and layers of melon, passionfruit. There is a medium bitter bite and the back end rounds off for a malty finish.

Speaking of Barrow Boys, they launch their new porter in mid-May, adding to their existing range of the Stormy Lager and Pedlars Pale.

The porter will be released on May 13 at Lulie Street Tavern in Abbotsford, and will also be available at their various GBW events. Brewer Ash Hazell describes the beer: “Black Ink Porter was brewed with six different malts.

Each of these added a distinct character to this robust porter including biscuity, toffee, coffee notes and a hint of smoke. The hopping is assertive but doesn’t overpower the beer. English, Australian and US hops work together to create a balancing and complimentary hop profile with an earthy palate and fruity, tropical aroma which contrasts the rich malt. Try not to spill it on your shirt.”

Another exciting collaboration took place in Melbourne’s south-east, with a bevy of awesome brewers making an American Stout for Good Beer Week. The joint effort involved Bad Shepherd, Boatrocker, 2 Brothers, Riders Brew Co, Exit Brewing, Kaiju!, Wolf of the Willows and Dainton Family Brewing. Dereck Hales from Bad Shepherd revealed: “It’s an American Stout with loads of big roasty, chocolatey and malty flavours supported by a big wallop of hop aroma and flavour. We’ve used Gladfield malts including Gladfield Ale, Roasted Barley, Medium Crystal and Dark Chocolate. And then we backed that up with Warrior hops for bittering and a good dose of Simcoe and Centennial late in the boil to complement the roastiness in true American Stout style. At 7% it comes with all sorts of intensities of flavour!”

FINELY

Brewer Greg Mace from Craft & Co.

CRAFTED We talk to brewer Greg Mace from Craft & Co about dark beers and moving to Melbourne.

There’s some pretty cool stuff going on at Craft & Co, Collingwood’s new foodie destination. Packing a pretty solid gourmet punch in the tracksuit end of Smith Street, Craft & Co is a lovely large space creating all kinds of homemade treats such as cheese, cured meat, passata, wine and olive oil. Punters can also do classes to learn these skills.

There is also an extremely shiny cafésized brewery on site which is used to make beer to sell on tap at the venue, as well as for gypsy brewers to come in and use. Craft & Co head brewer Greg Mace also has plans to collaborate in the brewery with other local brewers to create some fun beers.

Greg was born in Brisbane but grew up in New Zealand, and says that he went straight into brewing after high school.

“My last year of high school I didn’t know what to do so I wrote down some crazy things and one was beer brewing, skate photographer and ranger,” Greg says.

“And then I got work experience at Dux Deluxe in Christchurch New Zealand and after my one week they offered me a job.”

The venue was a vegetarian brewpub in a Gothic 1800s building. “It was a bit of an institution. All the nurses from the

hospital went there, all the policemen from the police station, all of the people from one of the best private schools in New Zealand … It had three bars in it – the tavern, the grungy bar where live music was played, and a cocktail bar upstairs.”

Sadly Greg’s job ended after the earthquake in Christchurch in 2011, with the building in left a condemned state and the staff without a job.

Greg moved to Brisbane, but soon found the weather there too warm, and

returned to Christchurch. After working as a lab technician in civil engineering for two and a half years, Greg and his partner decided to move to Melbourne.

Since becoming head brewer at Craft & Co, Greg is keen to work on collaboration beers with fellow brewers such as James Booth from Black Dog in Taminick, near Beechworth.

He is also raring to indulge his love of brewing stouts and porters.

“I like dark beers. Porters, chocolate stouts, oatmeal stouts. [In New Zealand] we used to do one called Black Shag that was a Guinness-style nitro beer that had a lot of oats and roasted barley in it.

“We did another one called Sou’wester which we always did for the first All Blacks Test, which was a really good beer.”

Words and picture by Emily Day

G o o d B e e r W e e k events at Craft & Co MEGA DEGA IV Sat 21 May, 6.30pm-late, $140 Craft & Co is hosting a couple of pretty cool events at this year’s Good Beer Week. The Mega Dega IV on Saturday May 21 is a suitably indulgent way to end the week, with brewers and chefs converging to create a feast of epic proportions. The line-up is sublime and will no doubt be one of the standout events of the week. Special guests include Garage Project (NZ), Brewdog (UK), Rodenbach (BEL), Temple Brewing Company (VIC), Pirate Life (SA) and Craft & Co to create the beer list. To create the six-course menu, Craft & Co’s Dom Marzano will be joined by Shaun Clouston (Logan Brown, NZ), Robin Wickens (Royal Mail Hotel), Ian Alexander (O’Connells), Katia and Sabrina Cappodocio (La Latteria) and Bernard Chu (Luxbite).

BREW FC – CHAMPION BEER UNVEILED Sun 15 May, 6pm-9pm, $70 Several home brew clubs in Melbourne recently faced off to see who could make the best stout. While the Merri Mashers put in a valiant effort, the talented kids from the West Gate Brewers took the gold, and their winning stout is going to be included in a very fancy dinner held at Craft & Co. The event includes a dinner paired and created with the winning beer, a dark beer lover’s paradise which will be a culinary exploration of cured meats, duck liver parfait, croquettes, porchetta, lamb ribs, arancini and greens matched with stout-made condiments. Bookings essential. (A percentage of proceeds from the winning beer will be donated to the winner’s charity of choice.)

Words by Emily Day

STEVE ‘HENDO’ HENDERSON FROM BREWCULT GABS BEER: GINGERBREAD MANIAC

I love that you’re making a Gingerbread stout, how are you going to get beer to taste like gingerbread?

I’ve concocted a stout recipe that’s quite sweet with the grist having loads of biscuit malt from Belgium. Then the beer has loads of adjuncts commonly used in gingerbread: ginger, more vanilla beans than I’ve ever seen in my life, cinnamon and about 160kg of honey. The complexity and length of palate in the beer has exceeded my expectations.

How did you get the idea for the gingerbread beer?

When I was on my motorcycle vacation during the summer, I was quenching my thirst on those long, hot days on the road with non-alcoholic ginger beer. I guess I got hooked on ginger Brewer Nat Reeves from KAIJU!

which is a bit of a turnaround from when I got work as a teenager picking ginger. Shittest. Job. Ever. I didn’t want to do another run of the mill “Ginger Beer” so I thought why not use the ingredients of gingerbread to inspire a beer.

You won the People’s Choice award last year with Milk and Two Sugars, do you think you can pull off another win this year?

Ha ha, that’s not up to me! That’s up the awesome people who attend GABS. Hopefully I’ve created a unique beer experience that fits the ethos of GABS and that makes it worthy of a vote or two but I’ve no expectations, I look forward to the punters trying the beer and talking about Gingerbread Maniac whether they love it or hate it.

NAT REEVES FROM KAIJU! GABS BEER: COMPENDIUM MONASTIC RED IPA So KAIJU! is known for it’s pretty big beers, what are you going to unleash on us?

It’s a beer brewed in conjunction with our old beer school mate, Simon Bardill. He is much better at working with the interplay of malt and yeast character than The Grand KAIJU! So after an unauthorized Vulcan mind meld we stole his best recipe and set to work on making a quick million. Then we chucked in 60kg of the finest American hops, gave it a crappy name and ruined it for everyone.

What does “monastic” mean in your beer name?

Well basically it’s a Belgian IPA but we’ve used an Abbey Ale yeast that gives off more bubblegum character than spicy and phenol characters. Also we wore monk’s habits and blasted Sun O))) whilst we brewed it, seemed fitting.

EWAN BREWERTON FROM MISMATCH BREWING, SA. GABS BEER: NEGRONI IPA

You’re making a Negroni IPA - what does that mean?

We created a beer inspired by the classic cocktail, the Negroni.

Traditionally, this delicious aperitif is crafted with equal parts gin, Italian bitters, vermouth rosso and garnished with orange peel. We created an IPA with a clean malt base, generously hopped it with Amarillo and then blended in a custom-made bitters post-fermentation. Expect a balanced IPA with a bitter finish and an elegant orange aroma.

What are you looking forward to most about coming to GABS? Trying all the amazing beers from brewers around Australia.

Also getting direct feedback from punters on our beers.

What do you think Melbourne people will think of your GABS beer?

No idea to be honest! There will be people who get it and love the cocktail and others who’ll be exposed to a Negroni for the first time. I’m excited to see how people react. The craft spirit scene is really growing at the moment and we have a heap of Australian distilleries who are creating incredible products.

This beer is an ode to them!

STU MCKINLAY OF YEASTIE BOYS GABS BEER: HELLZAPOPPIN’

RENAE AND SCOTT McKINNON FROM WOLF OF THE WILLOWS GABS BEER: TIRAMIBRU

I see you are making a tiramisu beer – sounds amazing – can you tell us more about how you will make the beer?

Does the Colonel divulge the secret herbs and spices?!?! ;-) This beer has been designed to provide all the wonderfully balanced flavours and mouthfeel sensations of tiramisu. The beer has a robust porter base that has also taken components from an oatmeal stout by the addition of rolled oats to provide a silky, velvety mouthfeel, and components of a milk stout with the addition of lactose to provide body and residual sweetness. Other malts have been specially selected to give the base flavours of sponge biscuits, chocolate and espresso. Raw cocoa has been added to enhance the chocolate sensation without being dominating. The final and most important components are the specially selected Toby’s Estate coffee beans that have had their beautiful coffee aromas and flavours extracted using a special (and secret) extraction process using Campbell’s Muscat.

What are you looking forward to most about coming to GABS? GABS is a celebration of all things in Australian craft beer. It’s a yearly benchmark for how quickly the industry is moving in Australia and how much consumers are crying out for beer with flavour and character. It’s also a good excuse to relax and have a few awesome beers.

What do you think people will think of your GABS beer?

We just hope they enjoy it, and possibly pause for a moment as it provides memories of enjoying a good tiramisu in one of the many awesome, familyrun Italian restaurants in Melbourne or Sydney.

Tropical fruit, smoke and chilli – sounds like a pretty crazy beer! Tell us more!

Hellzapoppin’ is the debut album of legendary New Zealand rockers The 3D’s ... one of their members now has my old homebrew fermenter sitting in her house, as her partner is a home brewer, and I started listening to a lot of their music after he picked it up. Hellzapoppin’ immediately struck me as a fantastic beer name and I just started thinking about what a beer with that name would be. Fire and brimstone was the first thing I thought of. And, then, about how many hop heads will probably end up in hell ;-) In the end we’ve created something that’s a good fit for hop heads and the hot heads! It’s got a lot of tropical fruit

7 CENT BREWERY GABS BEER: BELLY BUTTON BEER I don’t even know where to start here so I’m just going to let them tell it in their own words…

7 Cent Brewery is pleased to announce the launch of Belly Button Beer, a truly unique brew which will see first light at the 2016 Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular (GABS). Perhaps the first beer in the world fermented from yeast captured from the brewer’s belly button fluff; there will be a little bit of 7 Cent in every glass.

Some say why? We say why not?

The process of isolating our own yeast strain involved swabbing samples of each of the brewer’s belly buttons and getting our full science on by streaking out the samples on agar plates. After allowing the plates to incubate, we found all sorts of interesting things growing, including what appeared to be colonies of yeast. Positive controls were used to help us identify yeast colonies and

from the Nelson Sauvin and Rakau hops, with a generous dose of Manuka smoke from the malt ... and then a warming finish from the Peach Bhut and Fatalii chilli. We’ve purposely avoided making it too hot. This is meant to be reminiscent of a good day in hell!

What are you looking forward to most about coming to GABS? We love the fact that the festival nature of GABS goes well beyond simply getting a load of brewers together. The festive beers bring out the competitive nature of us all, makes it a lot more fun for the attendees, and gives all the brewers a chance to play with an idea they might not normally have the excuse to do.

What do you think Melbourne people will think of your GABS beer?

They are going to dance themselves silly over the symphony of flavours! negative controls were used to ensure our techniques were sterile. We selected individual yeast colonies and grew them up until we had pitchable quantities for trial batches.

Tasting the sample batches from each brewer was great fun and we selected the one that we thought had the best character as our GABS beer.

Can you guess which brewer it came from? Bakes? Bousa? Doug?

The beer itself is in the style of a new world-ish Belgian-ish Witbier with fresh orange zest and toasted coriander seeds. The yeast exhibits qualities of Belgian beer with characteristics of spiciness, clove and light banana esters.

A calculated amount of Riwaka and Mosaic hops were added to increase the citrus qualities and give it a refreshing hop kick. Four different grains were also used to add body and complexity including: barley,wheat, oats and rye.

The inspiration for this beer arose a couple of years ago when Rogue produced their Beard Beer fermented with yeast captured from the brewer’s beard. We tried the beer and instantly started talking about other places you could capture yeast from. We are really interested to see if the idea of drinking something that originated from a brewer’s belly button is too much for even the most hardened beer geek. Once you get used to the idea that yeast is yeast no matter where you get it from and that the water we drink is really recycled dinosaur urine, then you can just sit back and enjoy the beer … in theory.

MORE BEERS ON THE NEXT PAGE...

Adam Betts from Edge Brewing

JAZ FROM MODUS OPERANDI GABS BEER: MEXICAN CHOCOLATE STOUT You’re making a Mexican Chocolate Stout, what will go into it?

Apart from the usual things that make a stout marvellous, a hell of a lot of delicious malts, we are adding cocoa nibs from South America, cinnamon, coffee from our local roaster, vanilla beans and a number of different chilli varieties to create a stout inspired by the Aztecan aphrodisiac beverage, Xocolatl (cho-co-lat-ul).

Will the beer have a special name?

If there is one thing we like at Modus, it’s a beer with a story! Our 2016 GABS beer is called “Black Magic Woman”. It will make a devil out of you!

What are you looking forward to most about coming to GABS? It is the one time of the year where all the breweries really get to show off their creativity – and to get to share it at a festival like this is really quite magic.

What do you think Melbourne people will think of your GABS beer?

Well you do hear Melburnians love their black coffee, a little magic and strong women, so I think it may just work!

Modus Operandi’s Mexican Chocolate Stout

ADAM BETTS FROM EDGE BREWING GABS BEER: CUVÉE – GRAPE FARMHOUSE ALE How do you blend beer and wine?

Edge Brewing Project and winemaker Born & Raised joined forces for a unique brew, bringing together craft beer and small batch winemaking. Brewer Adam Betts says: “We start off by brewing a simple bill of Australian wheat and pale malt, and fully attenuate with both a saison and champagne yeast

co-fermenting to creating a crisp, bone dry body with farmhouse aromas. A very small amount of hops are used, keeping the bitterness low, allowing the tannins from the grape skins and acidity to reign in the final product.

“After the beer has undergone its primary fermentation, the wine is blended into the secondary. The hybrid is then allowed to rest and cold condition at 1°C for two weeks. As with all Edge beers, the product will be unfiltered and unpasteurised, retaining its full flavour and freshness.

PULAR A T C E P S H S I T OF BRI od o F d SAT MAY 14 BEST n a r e e B t f a hty's Cr g li B ld O f o t s e The B AILS T K C O C R E E B ERS & K A M R E L I O 6 1 B Y A MON M T (NZ) C E J O R P E G A R ers w e r B t s WITH GA e t t o H aland's e Z w e N h it w e ire SA) A Speakeasy So U ( G N I W E R B STONE H T I W S R A T S Stone f o r e d n u o TUE MAY 17 ALE F y r a Legend h it W n io s s e S Appreciation ERS W E H C & S R E pions W m a h C r e e B t WED MAY 18 BRE f a r y With C t r a P r e n in D l a SE E Famous Annu E H C D N A R E G - BE N I R I A P Y L N E V A heeses C l a n THU MAY 19 A HE io t p e c x E d With e ir a P s r e e B t f Local Cra THE LOCAL TAPHOUSE IS A MAJOR PARTNER OF

GABS 2016 BEER|CIDER|FOOD FESTIVAL

ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING MAY 20- 22, GABSFESTIVAL.COM

FOR MORE INFO AND TO BOOK EVENTS VISIT GOODBEERWEEK.COM.AU

thelocal.com.au

s r e p e e k s Finder s r e p e e w losers

Its a beer club with super exclusive small batch brews and seasonal releases delivered straight to your door!

Visit HolgateBrewhouse.com to pledge your allegiance.

FinreteheTemoenth

r of May, foonline all new bers subscri

BRIEFCASE FULL OF AWESOME Froth chats with James Grimm, Ben Wicks and Paul Slattery about their Good Beer Week gig Briefcase Full of Beers.

Paul Slattery and James Grimm.

Words by Emily Day / Pic by Eryca Green WHAT IS YOUR MISSION? PS: We want to spread the word about good beer.

JG: Good beer and good blues. And good people. And do it with a 10-piece band.

BW: We decided that we wanted to do a Blues Brothers show, and that’s how many were people were in the band.

JG: It’s will be a large suitcase full of beers.

BW: It’s going to be a lot of fun. There’s some really, really good players. Not only these two amazing gentleman – PS: I’ve never been called an amazing gentleman before.

BW: – and I’m a little scared about what’s going to happen, having never seen these two guys share a stage together.

PS: It’ll be fine. We’re going to try to keep everything with a level of decorum.

JG: And clothed.

PS: Well I can’t make too many promises.

JG: I’ve been frantically trying to learn the blues harp, so that has been a fun process. It’s like a harmonica but you play it differently, you bend the notes and add little flourishes – PS: But before you can start playing it you have to get this thing fixed on it, it’s called a ‘decrapulator’.

JG: I haven’t got that fixed yet. It will be fine by the time the

show’s on. And I’ll dance to make up for any shortcomings.

PS: He’s a wonderful dancer. Absolutely wonderful. I’ve seen him do blues dancing, ballroom dancing, hip-hop dancing and the Macarena.

UM, TELL US MORE ABOUT THE SONGS YOU’LL BE PLAYING? PS: We’re looking at doing the repertoire off the Briefcase Full of Blues record.

BW: Which is a Grammy-nominated record from before the Blues Brothers film. Because they were actually a band before the movies. And they were a comedy skit before they were a band. We’re not just doing the popcorn, funny ha-ha stuff from the film, we’re actually playing amazing blues by a band that’s next level.

PS: It should be in everyone’s record collection.

BW: Cavalier were also really keen to get behind it.

JG: A big blues band, good beer and the Catfish. It’s a pretty good trifecta of things.

PS: And there may or may not be a fairy floss machine.

Briefcase Full of Beers: Sat 14 May, 7.30pm-late.

Beers by Cavalier Brewing. The Catfish, 30 Gertrude St, Fitzroy.

Tickets: $30 at goodbeerweek.com.au

GOOD BEER WEEK INTERVIEW WITH MIRO BELLINI There are 270 events this year, what’s it like being one of the people behind the biggest Good Beer Week ever?

Excited and proud and it’s bloody gratifying – to have 180 venues involved.

Considering the first year we had 39 or 41 events, to see it like this right now, that’s sharper than the growth of beer. It gives us an insight into Melbourne and how Melbourne likes to get involved with something. I’ve always looked up to the Melbourne Comedy Festival, it introduces people to venues that they didn’t realise were there and to comedians they mightn’t have known, so those sorts of ideas of showing someone around Melbourne and how fun it can be are at the heart of what Good Beer Week is.

What is your favourite part of GBW? What I do love is the Pint of Origin events.

Whenever you go down to [the venue] there’ll be a couple of brewers hanging out. The Palace in South Melbourne hosts the South Australian Pint of Origin, last year there were about a dozen brewers from South Australia having a raucous night. They pulled me aside and said, ‘Do you know we never get to do this back home?’ I think the Pint of Origin really sums up the Good Beer Week spirit – and it’s free to attend. Then on the other side of it there’s the geeky pinnacle such as the Barrel Barons Masterclass which is 8 Wired, Boatrocker and Brooklyn all bringing sour beer to blend in Australian whisky barrels. It’s $250 a ticket and

you have mini classes with each of the brewers and a degustation with beer and food pairing.

What’s your must-do event?

There’s usually an amazing glassware event where you can learn about how beer tastes differently in different glasses. I’ve worked at beer events for 12 years but it never ceases to amaze me when I taste the same beer in various glasses and get different flavours and textures. Also something really fun to check out is the guys at 1806, the cocktail bar, they always have something creative. They’ve been with the festival since the very first year.

I think as cocktail makers they’re used to exploring different ideas and flavours and offering it to you in a different way.

AUTUMN BEER REVIEWS

‘THE TEXTURE IS DIVINE, IT’S LIKE TAKING A LARGE SPOONFUL OF SMOOTH PEANUT BUTTER STRAIGHT IN THE FACE.’

Words by Dan McEvilly @crafty_kev Illustrations by Clint Weaver

BREWERY: FORTITUDE BREWING CO. (NOISY MINOR) BEER: ADMIRAL ACKBAR ABV: 8.5% ABV BEER TYPE: IMPERIAL INDIA PALE ALE (IPA) AVERAGE PRICE: $8.00 BREWED IN EAGLE HEIGHTS, QLD In case you didn’t know, Admiral Ackbar is a veteran commander. With his distinctive salmon-coloured skin, highdomed head and large fish-like eyes, Ackbar led the defence of his oceanic home world, Mon Cala, during the Clone Wars, and the Rebel cruiser assault of the Battle of Endor during the war against the Empire, but is most famous for his “It’s a trap!” line in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

Now that’s out the way, I’m happy to confirm that Admiral Ackbar doesn’t smell like a fish! Surprisingly this brew has one of the best aromas I’ve had the pleasure of smelling so far. A huge, hoppy tropical punch fills the air with hints of melon, passionfruit, toasted nut and caramel. You don’t even need to put your nose to the bottle to catch a whiff of this amphibious creature. The Admiral pours much as you would expect, dark red-brown with a high-domed head, although no large fish-like eyes unfortunately. Ackbar packs a punch at 8.5% ABV, it’s a big anti-Imperial ale with a silky smooth body. The aroma really does flow through into the taste with a big hop kick, hearty malt backbone and just enough bitterness to finish.

This brew is essential for any adventures into galaxies far, far away and I would imagine a constant feature in any Jedi’s beer fridge!

BREWERY: 2 BROTHERS BREWERY BEER: GROWLER ABV: 4.7% BEER TYPE: BROWN ALE AVERAGE PRICE: $5.00 BREWED IN MOORABBIN, VIC Growler was the very first beer ever produced in the 2 Brothers Moorabbin brewhouse and after reading a somewhat amusing story on the label about a tree getting between a man and his beer, I was looking forward to tasting the brew named after the solution (it’s a chainsaw, in case you were wondering).

Known as batch 0001GRL, at the time this was the only American-style brown ale in the country.

Growler pours a dark chestnut brown with delightful ruby highlights topped with a small, fast-dissipating head.

Another fantastic-smelling brew from 2 Brothers, the aroma is made up of brown sugar, caramel and toffee with notes of lightly roasted vanilla and dark fruit. Sounds good doesn’t it? Well it’s glorious!

The flavour’s not bad either, with slightly roasted caramel and nutty notes, a hint of chocolate combined with a nice helping of citrusy hop character backed up with biscuity and toasted malt qualities. As the 2 Brothers say (Dave & Andrew), satisfy yourself with one of these.

BREWERY: PRANCING PONY BEER: FIRE BREWED INDIA RED ALE ABV: 7.9% ABV BEER TYPE: INDIA PALE ALE (IPA) AVERAGE PRICE: $12.00 BREWED IN MT. BARKER, ADELAIDE, SA Prancing Pony’s first beer to appear under their special release range aptly named ‘Thoroughbred’ was the love child of a New World IPA and an American Imperial Double Red Ale which resulted in a rather delightfully quaffable fullbodied brew.

This pony pours a glorious hazy bloodorange with an alluring red glow topped with a firm creamy head, and wouldn’t look out of place on the podium of a dressage event. There is an array of citrusy, tropical fruit aromas filling the nose that are truly wonderful. It’s up there with the bigger IPAs but is a surprisingly easy ride considering the ABV. The taste is much of the same with a ramped-up malt profile (making full use of the pony’s old school ‘fire brewed’ caramelisation approach) showing plenty of caramel, biscuit and toasty malts in addition to citrus and tropical hop varieties filtering through, there is a late light bitterness that dries towards the end.

It’s no Black Caviar but this pony is definitely worth a punt. If I was a betting man I would back this one to place because it won’t let you down.

FOR THE LOVE OF BEER

NEED A CRAFT BEER HIT? DON’T WORRY, WE’RE OPEN UNTIL MIDNIGHT EVERY NIGHT

HUNDREDS OF CRAFT BEERS WITH NEW ARRIVALS EVERY WEEK FITZROY - 165 Johnson St • ABBOTSFORD - 501 Victoria St • Follow us on Facebook BREWERY: BAD SHEPHERD BREWING BEER: HAZELNUT BROWN ABV: 5.9% BEER TYPE: BROWN ALE AVERAGE PRICE: $6.00 BREWED IN MELBOURNE, VIC Bad Shepherd’s Hazelnut Brown is the NUTS! Pouring a deep and alluring rich mahogany with glimmers of red topped off with a minimal burnt caramel head, Hazelnut Brown is an autumnal beauty packed with more nuts than a squirrel before doomsday. The aroma is genuinely delightful and one that evokes memories of cold nights by the open fire with big chocolate and caramel notes and of course hazelnuts, a huge hearty helping of hazelnuts.

There’s an abundance of hazelnuts in the taste too with plenty of dark chocolate and a subtle vanilla essence to round things off. The texture of this beer is divine, It’s like taking a large spoonful of smooth peanut butter straight in the face, it’s creamy and smoother than a well-oiled bald head. There’s a robust nuttiness as the brew hits the back of the throat and every sip gives you another reminder that this beer has got nuts, lots of nuts as the aroma lingers long into the depths of the glass.

Hazelnut Brown wraps up with a dry and toasty refreshing earthy bitterness and if you want my thoughts on this brew, please refer to my opening statement.

EXIT STRATEGY Froth talks to Exit Brewing about The Simpsons, saisons and their exciting new core range.

Fraser Rettie (left) and Grum Knight from Exit Brewing.

By Emily Day

Exit recently celebrated their second birthday, and are already kicking massive goals, with a fabulous West Coast IPA which blew the socks off many a hop-lover, and are now releasing their core range of an IPA, amber ale, saison and milk stout.

“It’s a little bit left of centre in terms of what a brewery’s core range usually is when it starts out,” Fraser admits.

Left of centre is certainly a good way to describe Exit’s one-off beers they are brewing for Good Beer Week.

“They are going to be named after Simpsons references,” says Frase.

“John Truckasaurus Double IPA; I was saying Boo-urns Saison; The Simple Joys of a Monkey Knife Fight Vanilla Coffee Milk Stout; I Choo Choo Choose You Chilli, Cherry, Chocolate Stout.”

However, Frase admits that not every aspect of the brewing has been flawless. “We did a cherry chocolate chilli stout that almost didn’t have any cherries, chocolate or chilli in it.

Because we literally forgot. I mean we had them all ready to go, and then I was standing here saying to Grum, I’m f---ing starving, because on a typical brew day you don’t typically have time to stop and break. So it got to 2 o’clock and I said to Grum, oh I really want my banana, and then I was like oh wait – cherries, chilli, chocolate – we haven’t added any of that have we! Quick, bang, chuck it in last minute.”

The Exit duo, Fraser Rettie and Grum Knight, met while working on an IT project. “That’s where the name Exit came from – ex IT,” says Frase. “So we met in about 1999 or 2000. Then we found out we’d actually grown up five minutes from each other –our mums

knew each other, they actually played tennis at the same tennis club, so that was quite funny.”

Fraser moved to the UK in 2001 for work, and Grum was in Ireland visiting his brother. They ended up hanging out again, and with their partners took a lot of trips to Belgium. “We probably fell in love with beer there,” says Frase. “It’s probably safe to say that’s probably the biggest thing that kickstarted us off onto craft beer. We were just blown away by all the different styles and flavours over there.”

The guys decided to give it a go.

“We started home brewing about eight years ago and moved on to all-grain brewing pretty quickly. And we were both pretty bored with our IT jobs, and we decided independently to move back to Australia and do something commercially.”

They first began gypsy brewing at Cavalier in Melbourne’s west. “It was a great way to get into it,” says Frase.

In late 2015, Exit Brewing joined forces with Kaiju!, Melbourne’s brewer of feisty monster beers, and now share a brewery in Dandenong South.

“We were really rapt when the Kaiju! guys asked us to come along and be a part of it,” says Frase. “Starting off, something like this – the bottling line, etc – there’s a shitload of money in these things, so if every brewery has to buy their own one of these, it’s a hell of a lot of expense. So if you can share the costs it makes things a lot easier.”

Exit’s beers have been winning fans far and wide, and Frase attributes their success in part to Grum’s hard work in the early stages. “He had about a year in Ireland, but it was quite a fairly dead part of Ireland, so he was bored shitless so he brewed beer. He was just constantly developing recipes.

“We’d done a lot of travel in Belgium and the US so we knew what type of beers we liked so knew we just had to develop them.

“I’m very lucky to have someone like Grum as the other part of Exit, who’s really passionate about learning as much as he can about the brewing side of things.

Frase says it helps to not be motivated by financial drivers. “The good thing about being small like us is that if you want to leave the beer in the tank for another week, you don’t have accountants looking over your shoulders saying ‘you’ve got to get this beer out to sell it’.

“No – if it needs to stay in the tank another week, it stays in the tank another week.”

Frase says: “I never thought I’d be doing something for a living that I love and am absolutely passionate about, and that’s a beautiful thing.”

Exit’s tap takeover at Slowbeer is on Mon 16 May, 6pm-9pm, free entry. Exit and Kaiju! host an Ultimate Brewday Party on Sat 14 May, 1.00pm-late.

Tickets $65 at goodbeerweek.com.au.

FROTH CRAFT BEER MAG

19

JALAPENO POPPERS IN BEER BATTER INGREDIENTS 12 green jalapenos about 5-6cm long* 250g packet of Philadelphia Cream Cheese 1 bunch of fresh mint 1 bunch of fresh chives 1/3 cup of plain flour 2/3 cup of rice flour 1 bottle of American-style pale ale: Mornington Peninsula, Arctic Fox, Hargreaves Hill, Wicked Elf, Temple, anything crafty!

Salt Oil for deep frying

Recipe from Cooking with Beer by Paul Mercurio, published

by Murdoch Books.

*You can use also canned pickled jalapenos to save time – Just slit and remove seeds.

METHOD • In a wok, fry pan, saucepan or chip fryer, add enough oil to fry the jalapenos and bring up to heat.

• Put the flour into a bowl, season with salt and then mix in the cold beer until you reach the desired consistency. You don’t want it too thick or too thin. Rest the batter in the freezer while you prepare the jalapenos.

• Place the jalapenos under a hot grill and char the skins until black, turning them as you go. When blackened and charred all the way put them in a plastic bag to sweat for five minutes, this makes them easier to peel. Peel all the skin off but make sure you leave the stems intact. Slice down one side and carefully remove the seeds and the vein – this removes most of the heat so if you want them hot leave some of the vein and seeds in.

• In a mixing bowl add 1½ tbsp of finely chopped chives and 1½ tbsp of finely chopped mint with the cheese and mix vigorously.

Using a teaspoon carefully stuff the jalapeno with the cheese mixture until they are full. Carefully push the cut sides together over the cheese so that the jalapeno looks whole and intact.

• Remove the batter from the freezer and dip the stuffed jalapeno into the beer batter and gently put them into the hot oil. Deepfry till golden brown then remove and drain on absorbent paper.

Let them cool a little and then eat.

• Best to eat with the beer you used for the batter!

Froth has a signed copy of Paul Mercurio’s Cooking with Beer to give away! For your chance to win, send an email to frothbeermag@gmail.com with the answer to the following question in the subject line: What number did Scott Hastings dance under at the PanPacific Grand Prix in Strictly Ballroom?

STRICTLY CRAFT BEER Actor, dancer and beer aficionado Paul Mercurio is hosting a tour to some of Europe’s most exciting breweries.

Words by Emily Day

I don’t know if anyone else was a 12-year-old girl in the mid1990s, but when Strictly Ballroom came out it was a pretty big deal, and since then I’ve always had a pretty special place in my heart for Paul Mercurio – the talented star of this iconic Aussie film.

Froth met up with Paul to talk about beer and his latest endeavour as a beer-drinking travel guide, but I can’t help mentioning the movie. Paul laughs: “Things have changed a little – when we made the movie I used to get chased down the street by young girls, and now I get accosted in the pub by older mothers! It was 25 years ago that we made the movie but it’s nice that people remember it. And all over the world – it’s not unusual for me to get a Facebook message from someone saying ‘I live in Georgia, Atlanta’, or ‘I’m from Ireland, and someone told me about the movie and I watched it and I just want to say thank you.’ And that’s lovely, you know.”

Strictly Ballroom was a turning point in Australian filmmaking.

“It was the first film that the Australian Film Commission funded that actually made money,” says Paul. “It set off a really healthy period, you had Muriel’s Wedding, Priscilla … a really nice period in Australian filmmaking.”

A ballet dancer who became an actor and then a TV chef, writer, cook and more, Paul has worn many hats over the course of his career. One thing he keeps coming back to though is cooking, and beer. “I’ve always loved cooking. I did my first cooking on TV back in 1978 on a kid’s show in Perth. For me I always loved it.”

Since then, Paul has filmed 72 episodes of food TV, including Mercurio’s Menu, Food Trail and New Zealand on a Plate. He’s also brewed his own beer under the label Merc’s Own. Paul says that cooking was a way to unleash his creative energies. “I was lucky enough to start to do beer dinners around Melbourne in 2004. Real beer dinners, like not a steak matched with an amber ale, but I’d say let’s start off with a stout and French onion soup, then we’ll have a Chimay bourguignon, and finish off with a sticky date pudding with Hoegaarden Grand Cru.” Paul says that with a little planning, cooking with beer can produce top results. “You’ve got to do it right though. Some people will say to me ‘I made a stew [with beer] and it was quite

bitter.’ And I’ll say ‘What did you use?’ And they’ll say ‘I used an India Pale Ale that had 160,000 IBUs, and I put that in my stew when I’m browning the meat’. When it boils that accentuates all the bitterness, so what you’re going to have is an acridly bitter dish. So you put your stock in first, then the beer.”

Choosing the right beer to cook with is also important. “That’s what I’ve tried to do [in the cookbook],” Paul says, “I’ve used a beer that added to the flavour and worked. Yes, you can put VB in everything. Should you? No.” Paul is taking his love of beer and brewing history to new heights by hosting a beer tour to Europe later this year in conjunction with Helloworld Travel, and guiding guests to some of Europe’s most exciting beer destinations.

Beginning in Brussels, the 12-day tour takes in Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic, with trips to iconic breweries such as Timmermans in Belgium, Paulaner in Munich and Pilsner Urquell in the Czech Republic. The tour also includes Bruges, Ghent, Cologne, Wurzberg, Bamberg, Pilsen, Prague and Bavaria, with visits to fairytale Czech towns, Trappist breweries, Munich beer halls and the 1000-year-old Weihenstephan Abbey – the oldest brewery in the world.

Out of all of these amazing locations, Paul says that it’s easy to pick the day he is most looking forward to.

“The first day, landing in Brussels, because that means I’ve got the next 12 days to absolutely love.”

Book a place on Paul Mercurio’s guided tour of Europe on October 9 at helloworld.com. au. Phone: (03) 9852 0200 or email lowertemplestowe@ helloworld.com.au.

SH*T MY MUM SAYS ABOUT CRAFT BEER

WHAT? MORE BEER REVIEWS!!

Words by Silvia Day

It’s amazing how many people I come across who feel good that I now like beer. I have been converted! Hurrah!!

Well, actually, no. If you read my reviews properly, I have on some occasions, tasted a beer that is actually palatable – only two in fact until Craig from Boatrocker insisted I try three that he especially chose for the likes of me.

But, read the rest of my reviews. Who knows, I may be converted. After all, many people change their religion, (but please do not try & make me accept any religion. You see, I learnt science at both primary and high school). I believe that many beer-swillers actually hated the taste at first, but persevered under

SO, WHAT DID HE CHOOSE FOR ME? Napoleone Rauchbier 6% A darkish gold colour, almost red, with a strange mix of a sweet creamy soda taste and a smoky gingerish malty taste.

Can’t quite decipher it. Strangely, not a bitter aftertaste despite the 6% alcohol.

Am I coming to the realisation that it really is the hops, (which unfortunately seem to be an essential ingredient for most beers) that I do not like? So, if there’s not too many of them, the beer is drinkable – to a degree. Mind you, I could be wrong as I have no idea how many hops go into each beer!

pressure from friends or enemies or whoever. I have also been told that you should not taste it, but swill it. OK, enough about how to get to love beer!

Let me get on with my reviews.

But where do I begin? The truth is that I have drunk a lot of beer recently. One must help one’s daughter at whatever cost to oneself. She had to swan off to Byron Bay (for beer work, of course), so I had to fill in the gap as I did earlier on when she was off somewhere else and I was her substitute at yet another beer event. There certainly seems to be no end of beer events nowadays. Long gone are the days of guys hanging around the

pub drinking VB or Fosters Lager while the women are hanging out clothes in their suburban backyards.

Unfortunately for her, while she was getting about as much sun in Byron Bay as we were getting here in Melbourne, she missed out on the Yarra Valley Beer & Cider Festival in Lilydale. An incredibly popular event with thousands crowding out the site, eager to stand in long lines, just to taste a bit of beer! Each to their own, I guess. I had my reliable one with me to wait in the long line while I tried to find some shade. He doesn’t mind as he gets to have most of my beer & what’s more, he gets to choose which beer!

Grand Ridge Brewery Golden Ale 4.3% A pale golden colour, but not totally clear.

Not like a strong beer at all, in fact, it is also a bit sweet & leaves no long-lasting taste! Uh oh, that’s 2 already that I can sip at without disgust!!

Watts River Blonde 4.7% Ben Hamilton (pictured top) chose this one. Sorry Ben, it turns out you finally Mountain Goat Zymurgist IPA 7.5% restored my belief that it really is hops This one was chosen for me by Rory that I do not like as this beer is so much from Mountain Goat (above right). It’s like what a beer should be like! That is, a new beer, nice golden colour, clear, hoppy & beery & not to my taste despite fruity, almost pleasant, no strong hoppy the pale golden colour and not so much aftertaste & only a tiny bit beerish. Hah! alcohol.

It must be the hops I don’t like, given the alcohol content of this one!

Killer Sprocket Bandit 4.8% What the!!! Is this a beer or a winter soup?

It is a darkish brown, not transparent, but not totally dark, with a strange mix of creaminess & smokiness in taste, reminiscent of smoked hock. Great on a cold, wet evening, but too hoppy for me!

FROTH CRAFT BEER MAG

23

Young Henrys

Thirsty local or curious weekend scene than drinking a fresh brew Inner West – home to some of another, making them the perfec The Grifter Brewing Co

If there’s anything Young Henrys is prouder of than their beers, it’s the surrounding Newtown community that inspires them. The high brick walls of their brewery double as a public gallery space for local artists, which you can peruse whilst listening to a killer rock’n’roll playlist and sipping on a beer that might’ve been brewed with a local musician, chef or business. To experience a taste of community pride yourself, they’ve brewed Aussie Pale Ale Newtowner, originally released for the council’s 150th anniversary. The rest of the core brews come in a range of styles to suit every palate, from the crispy and fruity Cloudy Cider, brewed with fresh Pink Lady and Royal Gala Apples, to the complex Hop Ale, made with a huge seven different varieties of dark roasted malts. Not content to stop at just beer, they even produce their own variety of gin, Noble Cut, a London Dry style with added noble Enigma hops (locally grown, of course!)

76 WILFORD ST, NEWTOWN MON-SAT 10AM-7PM, SUN 12-7PM

The newest addition to the Inner West family, the Grifter’s brewery bar is the epitome of beautiful design. The openplan space is filled with handmade wooden tables and stools, native flowers and Australiana prints, giving it a refined old-school pub look – something only fortified by the presence of a pool table hidden in a small alcove.

Decorated in the Grifter colours of black and orange, the bar serves up a range of brews which taste as good as their accompanying painted metallic tap decals look. This includes watermelon pilsner Serpent’s kiss, which sold out on opening weekend, creamy and dark The Omen oatmeal stout and of course the flagship brew that started it all, Pale Ale (the beer formerly known as Edward). To take some Grifter design home with you, beers are available in 946ml gilded squealers, the perfect size for polishing off in one night with a mate (mate is optional). If you’re anything like me though, you’ll probably never fill it with beer and use it to decorate your house instead – they just look that good.

1/391-397 ENMORE RD, MARRICKVILLE FRI-SAT 12-9PM, SUN 12-7PM

d visitor, there’s no better way to explore Sydney’s craft beer w or two straight from the source. Just south of the CBD is the Sydney’s best craft breweries within walking distance of one Pics and Words by ct route for a lazy weekend afternoon brewery crawl. Marie Claire Jarratt.

Batch Brewing Company

Batch’s name captures the philosophy of their brewing process quite succinctly – they specialise in limited release, small volume brews, which often come with a unique twist. The brewery’s taplist is an ever-changing selection of some amazing styles, which in the past have included beers such as nectarine sour Nectorious B.I.G., coconut brown ale The Big Kahuna and nitrogenated Elsie the Milk Stout, to name a few. Given that they release a new beer on average every 11 days (that’s 70 unique beers by the time they celebrated their second birthday), there’s no telling what will be on tap during your visit. The only thing certain is the availability of their two core beers, an American Pale Ale and a West Coast IPA, styles that US-born founders Chris and Andrew have long perfected. Still putting plenty of manual effort into the production of their beers, the tasting bar focuses heavily on the theme of handcraft – apparent in everything from the stacked pallet bar, chalkboard taplist and even down to the stamped recycled paper tags hung on the necks of takeaway bottles. This is also the perfect place to grab a snack, with the variety of food trucks outside changing as regularly as the beers inside.

44 SYDENHAM RD, MARRICKVILLE MON-SUN 10AM-8PM

Willie the Boatman

Stepping into Willie the Boatman’s brewery is like stepping into a quaint lakeside boathouse, with nautical objects like oars and buoys adorning the white corrugated walls. If sinking into a piece of mismatched furniture in the sun-soaked front room isn’t enough to make you feel comfortable here, then the brewers will certainly do the trick. Friendly and gregarious founders Nick and Pat are often the ones to pour you beers from behind the bar, beers which are primarily named after their friends and local heroes. For instance, plumber Hamish Foo is the

namesake of popular golden ale Foo Brew, while the brewer’s mates Todd and Ivan are forever immortalised in Todd’s Trailer Ale and Crazy Ivan IPA respectively. Then, there’s the absolute must try Albo Corn Ale, personally endorsed by local MP Anthony Albanese himself. All the beers are brewed out the back of the space in what’s known as the “eBay brewery”, something worth a peek for any avid homebrewer. Made out of second-hand brewing gear and repurposed dairy equipment, it’s testament to what can be done with a bit of creativity and a lot of know‑how.

202/75 MARY ST, ST PETERS THU 4-7PM, FRI 3-7PM, SAT 12-7PM

FIVE SAISONS IN ONE DAY

Words by Graham Frizzell @blindtastetestgf

BRASSERIE DUPONT / SAISON DUPONT A classic so big it is clichéd, but clichés are often clichés because they are so good!

Saison Dupont (also known as Vieille Provision) is the perfect starting point for anyone new to the style, for it is as complex as it is approachable.

Saison Dupont’s golden-straw appearance and flocculent snow-white head are as instantly recognisable as the black-labelled bottle from whence it came. The aroma is all esters with notes of banana and slightly sour lemon pith. The palate is overall slightly dry, with bright fruit notes completing the picture. Thanks to Saison Dupont’s light-to-medium body and lively carbonation there are few better examples for providing full-flavoured refreshment.

LA SIRÈNE / SUPER SAISON Alphington is a long way from Wallonia, though you wouldn’t know it thanks to local favourite La Sirène and its long line of Belgian-inspired beers. Super Saison is among the very best in La Sirène’s range – suffice to say it does exactly what it says on the package.

Pouring a glorious amber-orange with a rocky white head, Super Saison is a delight to behold. Banana, fruity esters dominate the nose, with notes of clove, pepper and citrus playfully shining through. On the palate an underlying layer of sweetness provides ballast for a complex array of qualities from lemon pepper through to orange zest. Super Saison’s mouthfeel is a delight unto itself – creamy-like with moderate carbonation.

BEAVERTOWN / QUELLE (2016) Eye-catching artwork, cans and great beer … It all comes together in perfect harmony when Beavertown is on the case. Saison in a can may seem as wrong as a backpack occupying a priority seat on public transport but somehow it works.

Beavertown’s Quelle is a dry-hopped thing of beauty. Pouring the sort of yellow that matches the label, the nose is immediately taken by surprise thanks to the bright, floral notes. Thereafter, funk and fruity esters take a back seat on the palate to a somewhat more hop-forward presentation. Beavertown’s Quelle may not be steadfastly true to the saison style but it matters not when it’s refreshingly delicious.

8 WIRED / SAISON SAUVIN In no way is Saison Sauvin a traditional example of the style, and in no way is that a bad thing. New Zealand’s 8 Wired turned the rulebook inside out and the rigid oldworld style on its head – all in the name of showcasing hops from what is known worldwide as Sauvignon Blanc country. Indeed, Saison Sauvin is a whacked-out, truly wonderful beery picture of incongruity.

As one might expect, dry, vinous qualities are present throughout the experience.

With its firm though plentiful head and amber colour, the appearance certainly suggests traditional saison, though this signals the end of the line for rigid adherence to convention. The nose is wonderfully complex with citrus notes – both from hops and esters – mingling harmoniously alongside subtle vinous and barnyard characters.

A somehow dry and musty vinous character dominates the palate right through to the very last, though there is plenty more going on besides with this wholly unique take on the saison style.

‘SAISON IN A CAN MAY SEEM AS WRONG AS A BACKPACK OCCUPYING A PRIORITY SEAT ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT BUT SOMEHOW IT WORKS’ TUATARA / SOLSTICE (2015) Modern, “new world” saisons are often characterised by the addition of whatever might be found lying around in the spice rack. The end result varies from a spicy melange to something a little special. Tuatara’s Solstice (2015) – another great Kiwi saison – sees ginger and kaffir lime used to great effect.

Solstice 2015 pours hazy, golden amber with a solid white head. On the nose, ginger jostles for dominance with notes of pepper, subtle citrus esters and barnyard funk. The palate is much the same, though lime and citrus notes shine through more prominently. This is indeed a fantastic saison to savour no matter what solstice may be approaching.

SAISON D’ETRE Words By Will Ziebell

So what even is a saison? If you consult most books, bars and blogs about the style they all tend to come back with a similar description: a type of yeastdriven farmhouse ale that was originally brewed in the French-speaking parts of Belgium (the name itself is French for ‘season’).

So is it still a saison if it isn’t Belgian?

Or made on a farm? While most beer styles have changed over time the point remains that it isn’t completely clear what makes an ale a saison.

Historically speaking, even the word ‘ale’ is problematic; the term is from Old English and was used for centuries to describe a sweet, malt-liquor which contained no hops. It’s possible that this confusion around the style comes from the fact that saisons have always been about difference, making the lack of any concrete definition a central feature of the style itself.

on by Illustrati

During the 19th century saisons were commonplace in Wallonia; a region of Belgium near the French border.

The origin of the name comes from the fact that they were brewed in the cooler months when conditions were most favourable for fermentation and then stored to be drunk during the summer harvest.

This beer was a provision given to the seasonal farmhouse workers (called saisonniers) to enjoy while working the fields. Rather than give their farmhands water, which could be of pretty questionable quality, the farmers provided beer. Importantly this meant the alcohol content of saisons was kept quite low, typically around the 3-3.5% mark, which allowed the workers to quench their thirst without getting too hammered. A drunk workplace may be a fun workplace but it’s also a pretty lazy one.

That’s pretty much where any certainty or consistency ends. Beyond those few points there’s no clear way to really define the historical saison, let alone to know what one tasted like. In fact, it’s pretty unlikely that any two saisons would have tasted much alike at all. Those farmers that produced the beer were often required to use whatever was available, making the addition of local botanicals

and a variety of grains common practice.

This was a product of the household, not the work of professionals, so it’s unlikely that any real consistency would have existed from year to year, let alone from farm to farm.

It was the professionalisation of beer and the advent of industrialisation that saw the steady decline in saisons. As brewing moved out of the household and into the factory, beer became less of an agricultural product and more of a manufactured one. Importantly, this process of industrialisation also occurred on the farm which put an end to the need for so many seasonal workers.

What good is a saison without all the saisonniers?

aver

Clint We

was almost discontinued by the brewery.

It is this beer that is often considered a classic of the style, despite sitting at 6.5% and being about twice as strong as the traditional saisons.

American beer importers Vanberg & DeWulf began importing Dupont during the 1980s on advice from the famous British beer writer Michael Jackson.

This beer that had never received much attention in Belgium quickly started to impress American mouths and – most importantly – American brewers.

Those remaining Belgian brewers who continued the tradition now had an entirely new market, while new-world brewers also developed a keen interest in the style. While many of the early new

“RATHER THAN GIVE THEIR FARMHANDS WATER WHICH COULD BE OF PRETTY QUESTIONABLE QUALITY THE FARMERS PROVIDED BEER” It was during the 1980s that saisons had a resurgence, thanks largely to a single beer. Located in the Hainaut province in Wallonia, Brasserie Dupont became one of the few remaining farmhouse breweries in an area that once had hundreds. Within its range was a background player, called Vieille Provision (better known as Saison Dupont) which was such a poor seller it

world saisons may have been loving tributes to Saison Dupont, more recently broader interpretations of the style – particularly a desire to experiment with indigenous yeast and local botanicals – have also returned.

With such a rich history which has always favoured diversity over compliance, it’s no surprise that it’s still pretty hard to work out what a saison is.

FROTH CRAFT BEER MAG

27

Tassie newcomer Ocho is delivering finely crafted, small-batch beer straight to consumers.

There is a lot of cool stuff coming out of Tasmania at the moment. I’ve gone there twice in the past two months (thanks cheap Jetstar flights!) with my tongue hanging out like a parched Labrador, knocking over people in my haste to get to Launceston’s craft beer haven Saint John Bar to lap up all the latest releases.

Some of these awesome new Tassie breweries were documented in our April edition of Froth, but newcomer Ocho escaped our attention.

While in Launceston recently for the Fresh Hops festival we sat down for a chat with Stu Grant, head brewer and one of the two guys behind Ocho, Tassie’s new online purveyor of delectable smallbatch beer.

Stu has been home brewing for about 15 years and is also the coffee roaster at Ritual Coffee. Through this job he met Will Tatchell of Van Diemen Brewing at Evandale, outside Launceston, and was taken on as assistant brewer.

How long have you been working with Will Tatchell from Van Diemen?

About six months now. He’s been around for about 7-9 years and he’s got good established recipes but he’s happy for me to say ‘What if we did this instead?’ and have a play with it. I’ve been home brewing for about 15 years,

‘I THINK THERE’S ENOUGH INTEREST IN UNIQUE, WELL-CRAFTED BEERS THAT THE CONCEPT IS GOING TO TAKE OFF.’ but translating that to a larger scale has been really different, so it’s been good finding out what works and what doesn’t when you’re going from a 20L batch to a 400L batch.

How did you start working with Will?

Three or four years ago, Will approached [Ritual coffee boss Tim Jarosz] and I in our day job, which is roasting coffee, and said he wanted to do a collaboration coffee beer, which we did, called Dubbel Shot. It was a nice dark spicy Belgian beer with cold-drip coffee in it. So that was fun and that was how I met Will.

Then the guys opened Saint John [Ritual Coffee and Saint John Craft Beer Bar are sister businesses], so I kept bumping into Will through that.

I ended up winning a few awards at the state home brewing competition last year and Will was looking for someone about the same time to take the load off him in terms of brewing, so we started talking. We went through a process with

the [coffee] beer that we collaborated on with tasting how much coffee should be put in this beer, and getting a syringe and squirting 0.2ml in a glass of beer, and trying to get that balance of coffee versus beer exactly right, so I guess he respected my palate based on that.

And now you have your own beer brand.

What’s that been like?

I’ve been homebrewing for a long time and pretty much everyone who knows me knows that I’ve been saying for the past three years I’ve got to start doing this professionally. But I’ve just not really had the kick up the arse to do it. So I was chatting to my brother-in-law, also called Will, and we came up with the concept of an online brewery: to be able to brew beer specifically to sell online and post directly to consumers. I loved the idea straight away because it allows us to brew a different beer every month. And that’s a lot closer to home brewing.

I think a lot of professional brewers

The Deciduous IPA was the second release from new Tasmanian brewery Ocho.

they are passionate about brewing and feel constrained by having to offer a pale ale, an amber ale and a stout or that kind of thing.

Whereas if you speak to any home brewer they’ll be like ‘oh yeah I had this crazy idea of a beer that I wanted to brew so I brewed that.’ They’ve got no shareholders, they’re not aiming for mass appeal, so there’s an element of that. We obviously still need to sell beer, so we’re not going for the most crazy out-there beers we can think of, but it means we don’t have to produce copious amounts of a particular beer, we can just experiment with ingredients that we can get locally and beer styles that we’re really passionate about. I think there’s enough interest in unique, well-crafted beers that we think the concept is going to take off.

Is your business partner also based in Launceston?

Will [Rainbird] is actually based in Melbourne, his background is web design, so he does the website and the graphics and whatnot. Because I can brew beer but I probably can’t sell beer.

What was the first beer that Ocho released?

A saison fermented in a Tasmanian

whisky barrel. So you get some oaky flavour and you get a bit more body like you do with wine, you get a bit more of the tannins which provide mouthfeel.

We also used a pretty unique yeast, I cultured it up from local sourdough, I got a local baker and asked for a little chunk of sourdough, before he’d baked it obviously, and treated it like a normal yeast culture … it ended up tasting really nice. I’d already used it three or four times with home brew-size batches, then I chucked it into the barrel. The beer has quite a clean, almost winey character, like chardonnay or something.

Your second beer uses fresh hops from Bushy Park, can you tell us about that?

The Deciduous IPA is our second bottled release, which came out at the end of April. We had the concept of doing it that beautiful autumn leaf colour and were brainstorming names and deciduous came up and we stuck with that. We had trouble trying to fit that long word on a label so we ended up splitting it up so it’s Deci-duous Ale. I’ve shown the bottle to a few people, so if they know the name of it they’re like, Deciduous, cool. If they don’t know the name they’re like ‘Deci… oh you’ll have to help me.’ And then like ‘oh… right I see!’

This was a much larger batch of beer, so we’ve got some selling to do. But it’s good to have repeat customers, people who even after one month have gone ‘yep this is good, I’m going to jump on and buy again’.

We made such a large batch we thought we’d hold some back so we filled a wine barrel, just to see what a bit of ageing in an ex-pinot barrel will do.

We’ve got another barrel we filled about the same time with a different IPA and I had 15 kilograms of chardonnay grapes picked an hour up the river. They were amazing grapes, incredible, really sweet, really crisp and nice, so we crushed them and racked a wine barrel full of IPA on the top of that. That IPA uses a lot of Mosaic [hops] which has kind of a berrylike character, and a bit winey as well, so that’s why we chose that one to put the chardonnay grapes in, so we’ll see what that does.

We’re going to aim to do a lot more stuff in barrels. I would definitely say I think oak is my favourite ingredient in beer. I love what happens to a beer or a wine or a cider when it’s in contact with oak. They talk about the oak breathing, [the barrel has] got all the pores in the wood, and when it heats up the wood expands and it basically sucks in beer, and when it cools down again it pushes it back out. So that kind of filters the beer, plus you’re getting all that character from the wood.

How do we buy Ocho beers?

We say that we are exclusively online but at the beginning we’re going to have a few beers on tap and in select bottleshops.

Is there any risk in sending beer in the post?

Australia Post has its pros and cons but we haven’t had any broken bottles yet!

We actually reserved a fair bit of the first stock just in case we had a lot of broken bottles that we had to resend but we Words by Emily Day haven’t had any.

ORDER AN 8-PACK OF UNIQUE 330ML BEER POSTED AUSTRALIA-WIDE FOR $55. A DIFFERENT BEER EACH MONTH

ORDER ONLINE AT OCHOBEER.COM.AU FROTH CRAFT BEER MAG

29

BEER WITH AN INTERESTING PERSON

We chat with artist Rain Gidley, maker of bespoke beer tap handles Words and pictures by Emily Day Sculptor Rain Gidley started creating eye-catching beer tap handles after musing on how Melbourne’s ubiquitous coffee machine could be made more interesting.

“It’s an unused potentially creative space,” he explains. “My original idea was to do custom coffee handles, which I’m now getting back into as well. I’m also getting into doing custom paint jobs for coffee machines.”

His first job making beer tap handles was for Moon Dog, one of Melbourne’s most interesting and zany breweries.

In a fortunate coincidence, the Moon Dog brewers frequented the Abbotsford café where Rain’s wife worked, so Rain approached them with his tap handle idea. It turned out they had actually been thinking of getting something similar done, and a deal was struck.

“I think they’re the best guys I could have really gotten in with in the beginning, they’re just up for the craziest stuff,” Rain says.

He made a handle for their Love Tap beer which features a plump pig wearing a top hat and monocle, similar to the illustration on the Love Tap beer label.

The pig sits on an elegant pillar, which Rain says was Josh Uljan of Moon Dog’s idea. “We were trying to figure out how to give him elevation, and Josh decided he was a dapper little pig who should be sitting on top of a regal Greek pillar. It works quite well actually.”

It now adorns the tap handles in several Melbourne bars, including Foresters Hall.

“There are 30 or 40 of the pigs floating around,” Rain says.

Rain has since attracted more clients and for the past 16 months has been working full-time making handles for breweries including Temple, Exit, Blackman’s and Boatrocker. He also made handles for Collingwood’s new gourmet venture Craft & Co, featuring blackboards and magnets which allow the details on the front to be changed

regularly to match new beers coming in.

Making the handles often involves different processes. “Most of the stuff I do is a cast resin. Sometimes people come to me with a specific design, or sometimes people come to me and they say can you create something. And then we agree on the basic design and then I do a rough sculpt out of a waxy, plasticiney clay and get the proportions right so we can make sure it’s going to work.

“Once that’s approved I usually go on to do a final sculpt. I usually do the majority of the sculpting in a softer clay, then I usually make a mould of that and cast it in wax, and then refine all the wax so I can get really fine detail. Then I’ll make another mould of that final piece and then cast resin and airbrush and hand-paint all the pieces.

“I’m trying to keep the feeling of handmade, because it can get too perfected and start to look like a factory piece. If that works for someone and that’s what they want, I can produce that as well. But most people I think who are in craft beer at the moment are looking for something handmade, to differentiate between themselves and say CUB.”

The Bjorn to Boogie tap handle that Rain Gidley (top) made for Moon Dog. Rain says that the quirky tap handles draw attention at the bar and start a conversation between the customer and bartender. This is not surprising when you see some of his creations, such as the shark-watermelon character with gaping jaws and a long mullet, perched atop a totem pole, that he made for Moon Dog’s Bjorn to Boogie Watermelon Weizen.

“That was a complex one because it was really difficult to make the open mouth and the teeth. So the head and the body are all cast in one piece and then the teeth are cast in separate moulds so there’s a top and a bottom teeth, and then they’re placed in later and epoxyed in.”

Painting the authentic watermelonlooking texture involved lots of stippling with sponges. He also carved the totem pole out of wood first and then cast it in resin to get the look of wood grain.

The shark’s open mouth even has tiny watermelon seeds painted in it.

“That one was fun to do because it’s just quite ridiculous!” says Rain. “They’re all fun. They’re all interesting in their own right.”

HIMMEL HUND B R E W I N G C O.

himmelhund.com

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF WHEAT

Wit, Weizen, Lambic, Gose, Biére de Blanc, Berliner Weisse… wheat beers – they’re all the same, right? Wrong!

There are a plethora of different styles of wheat beer, all with their own distinctive flavours. And with the well renowned Good Beer Week coming up this month, it’s the ideal time to learn a little bit more about wheat beers and get those thirsty palates ready to wow your friends with some expert observations about “phenolic characteristics” and “ferulic acid” while you’re sipping away at the festival.

Traditional wheat beers are only lightly hopped, with the wheat and yeast being the flavour heroes of the beer. The use of wheat contributes a unique mouthfeel and special wheat beer yeasts exhibit fruity, spicy and clove character due to the phenolic esters formed during fermentation. If the fermentation temperature is too warm, banana and bubblegum aromas dominate the profile, which can sometimes also be a desired outcome. Beers that are meant to be sour, such as Berliner Weisse or a Lambic use a similar wheat beer base, but special yeasts and bacteria to achieve a tart flavour that overrides traditional phenolic qualities. Belgian wheat beers are often spiced with citrus fruits and a variety of spices, offering yet another sensory experience.

Wheat beer is one of my favourite styles. In fact, I love wheat so much that I chose to commit what is considered a faux pas in many brewing circles and

brew a less-popular-than-pale-ale wheat beer as my first commercial release.

Every so often at tasting events, I come across a person who when offered to taste a wheat beer, screws up their face in a look of disgust as though I’ve just suggested they consume a glass of Australian lager home brewed from a can of wort that has been fermented in a toilet. At first it really bothered me that these few consumers were completely against even trying my witbier, until I was informed by a qualified beer tasting aficionado that approximately one tenth of people taste a medicinal flavour when they drink a wheat beer.

The cause of this is sensitivity to guaiacol, one of many phenolic substances making up the complex flavour and aroma profile of wheat beer. This compound contributes a medicinal, phenolic attribute and if you are hypersensitive to this, you will likely taste medicine well below the detectable threshold of the average beer drinker. To the rest of us, it is just one small part of the overall spicy, fruity, estery, wheaty package.

So don’t be shy – give your palate a new experience and try a wheat beer during Good Beer Week.

FIVE REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD DRINK MORE WHEAT BEER! Traditional wheat beers are unfiltered and unpasteurised, so contain essential nutrients such as B vitamins in the yeast and let’s face it – taking a multivitamin tablet just isn’t quite as experiential as drinking a Hefeweizen.

1

2

The yeast is also said to be good for a healthy complexion – in fact an old Germanic remedy for acne was to drink more wheat beer for the nicotinic acid in the yeast.

3

It tastes great (unless you have the misfortune of having one of those rare guaiacol-sensitive palates).

4

You can drink it at breakfast with German Weisswurst and Brezen (white sausages and pretzels) – just mention to anyone concerned that you are maintaining an old Bavarian tradition

5

A Berliner Weisse is an excellent light palate cleanser in between a lot of strong, flavoursome, hoppy ales (particularly good advice during Good Beer Week!)

Annabel Meagher from Himmel Brewing.

Words by Annabel Meagher

FIVE OF MY FAVOURITE WHEAT BEERS

Pink Boots Society Victoria Salt N Pepa-berry Gose This limited edition 60% wheat beer was brewed by female brewers of Victoria at White Rabbit in Geelong to commemorate International Women’s Day last month. It’s a little bit salty, a little bit sour and very refreshing!

Weihenstephan Hefeweissbier Dunkel It wouldn’t be a list of top wheat beers without something from this world famous Bavarian brewery. This is a delicious dark, malty wheat beer with the characteristic banana aroma of a Hefeweizen.

Quiet Deeds White IPA Combining two of my favourite things, wheat beer and a good dose of hops in a can.

Hitachino Nest White Ale It’s a lighter-bodied wheat that packs a serious spice punch with the phenolic clove character and addition of nutmeg.

7 Cent Buzz Killington A deliciously tart and funky Berliner Weisse aged in shiraz barrels that’s regularly released in limited amounts.

FROTH CRAFT BEER MAG

33

Last night, I read through several editions of Froth magazine while sipping a glass of shiraz, and wondering how on earth my sweet niece could possibly hope to fill the pages of a monthly mag with beer talk. Why would anyone prefer stinky beer burps to the voluptuous taste of a velvety red, or the ‘OMG it’s been a long day’ relief of a chilled white. Read on, I cautioned myself, don’t be judgmental, be attentive to what the young ones are saying.

The pages, bursting with colour captured me. Funky, quirky, ‘I like this,’ I had to admit, and so, I read, gradually feeling, and then absorbing, the passion of beer brewers and drinkers both.

Armed with the magazine, I marched into work on Monday morning and cornered colleagues. Shoving the mag into unsuspecting, and I have to admit, quietly alarmed noses, I demanded they look, flick pages, read, feel the texture of the paper (which I love, dear Emily, I am a tactile being) and tell me if they drink Craft Beers. I was a desperate woman in search of

understanding. Does everyone out there know that Craft Beers exist … except me? I knew there were beers with pretty labels and cute names, I’d bought a few for presents, never tasting a single drop. The response was mind-blowing, I was flooded with favourite beers, breweries, pubs, bars, you name it, they spilled it … the information that is, not the beer. I was swept up in the glow of a new mission. I need to understand, I want to taste, I want to join the band!

What is the meaning of beer? I questioned those who had succumbed to the joy of Froth.

‘Five words or less, tell me the meaning of beer, and I am talking Craft Beer, the pretty stuff, the beer made with love.’

My crusade has begun. I scribbled furiously in my notebook as words flowed from those who imbibe. I collected and sorted and now I hope to share, The Meaning Of Beer, in Five Words, more or less, from a bunch of random, but unique beer drinkers.

by Frida Rowe

THE MEANING OF BEER IN 5 WORDS OR LESS*

*but sometimes more

STOUT &

SERIOUS COIN Celebrating the anniversary of the Bavarian purity law with a very classy collectable.

Words by Emily Day To celebrate 500 years of the Bavarian purity law – also known as the Reinheitsgebot, which ruled that beer could only be brewed using water, barley and hops – the Melbourne Mint is selling some sweet-ass silver coins in the shape of a bottletop. These limited edition coins come in a cute little box with a certificate of authenticity, and interestingly enough can be used as currency on the Pacific island of Palau, although with a face value of $1, you probably would not be inclined to spend this beautiful piece of memorabilia on an ice cream.

‘A FEW YEARS AGO THEY MADE A 20-CENT COIN CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF THE TAX OFFICE. NO ONE WANTED IT’ Froth sat down for a chat with Alan Marks from the Melbourne Mint to talk about the anniversary coin and the charm of collecting.

Alan has worked in the coin business for some time and says that the rarity value of such collectables plays a big

MALT HOPS WATER YEAST

part in people’s desire to acquire them.

And just like rare beers or records, once you have started to collect something, it’s hard to stop. “With all collectables, part of it is the acquisition,” Alan says.

“That’s why limited releases of anything are important – because it is like ‘I have this and not many people do’.”

I have to admit to being a giant coin nerd who had a much-treasured and carefully labelled coin collection as a child, which is nothing to be ashamed of.

Alan says that over his Mint career he has amassed “more than I’d like to admit”. But he reckons we’re totally normal. “So many people who would say that they are not collectors, will keep a fancy 50-cent coin that they find in their change,” says Alan.

Made by a company in Lichtenstein, the 500 Years Bavarian Purity Law coin is unusual in that it is shaped as a crown cap, unlike most commemorative coins which are the regular flat shape.

The Melbourne Mint sells a range of coins celebrating anniversaries or honouring people such as Ned Kelly or Anzac soldiers. However, Alan says that sometimes more unusual institutions will also get a look-in.

“A few years ago they made a 20-cent

GIVEAWAY

The Melbourne Mint has generously given us one of these super cool coins to give away to a deserving Froth reader!

To be in the running, email frothbeermag@ gmail.com with the answer to this question in the subject line: What word means the study or collection of currency?

coin celebrating 100 years of the Tax Office. No one wanted it, but then a few years later the collectors who hadn’t bought it had a hole in their collection so they all wanted it, but now it’s really rare.”

The 500 Years Bavarian Purity Law coin is available now from the Melbourne Mint for $99. www.melbournemintcoins.com.au

Limited Edition Pure Silver Bottle Cap

Celebrate 500 Years of the Bavarian Purity Law with this pure silver bottle cap.

Available now from the Melbourne Mint

www.MelbourneMintCoins.com.au

We reflect on 500 years of Germany’s beer purity law.

In case you missed it, April 23 was the 500th anniversary of the Reinheitsgebot – the Bavarian purity law enacted by Duke Wilhelm IV in 1516 which forbade beer to be made of ingredients other than water, barley and hops.

According to Wikipedia, it was serious business, and “whosoever knowingly disregards or transgresses upon this ordinance, shall be punished by the Court authorities’ confiscating such barrels of beer, without fail”.

Wiki goes on to say that the rule was introduced in part to prevent price competition with bakers for wheat and rye. Religious conservatism may have also played a role in adoption of the rule in Bavaria, to suppress the use of plants that were allegedly used in pagan rituals,

such as gruit. The rule also excluded problematic methods of preserving beer, such as soot, stinging nettle and henbane.

The Reinheitsgebot had a huge impact on Germany’s brewing history, and iconic brewhouse Weihenstephan has made a special beer to commemorate the anniversary. Weihenstephan has a pretty interesting story as the world’s oldest existing brewery, with beer made there for 1000 years and hops first recorded as being grown there in 768.

The anniversary beer is called “Weihenstephaner 1516” and is an unfiltered Kellerbier brewed with local and premium ingredients. It is amber in colour and typical in character to one of the most traditional Words by Emily Day Bavarian beer styles.

WE CHAT WITH THE PEEPS AT WEIHENSTEPHAN ABOUT THE ANNIVERSARY BEER What is a Kellerbier?

Kellerbier is a unique type of German beer which is typically not filtered or pasteurised which can be either top- or bottomfermented. The term Kellerbier literally translates as “cellar beer” referring to its cool lagering temperatures, and its recipe dates to the Middle Ages. In comparison with most of today’s filtered lagers, Kellerbier contains more of its original brewing yeast, as well as vitamins which are held in suspension resulting in a distinctly cloudy beer described by German producers as naturtrüb (naturally cloudy).

Why did the purity law come into being?

The Bavarian order of 1516 was introduced in part to prevent price competition with bakers for wheat and rye. The restriction of grains to barley was meant to ensure the availability of affordable bread, as wheat and rye were reserved for use by bakers. It has also been argued that the rule had a protectionist role, as beers from Northern Germany often contained additives that were not present in Bavarian beer.

The Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan is focused on tradition while continuing to be a state-of-the-art enterprise at the same time. The Purity Law is the oldest food law in the world. It stands for transparency, clarity and purity – all principles for which Weihenstephan brewery stands for.

How has the purity law affected German’s beer industry?

Beer is no longer brewed as it was 500 years ago – in open vats, over an open fire. Today beer is produced in modern breweries under the highest hygienic standards, but even with the latest brewing technology it does not change the ultimate principle of the purity law. German breweries are not allowed to use any additives like artificial flavours, colours, emulsifiers, stabilizers and preservatives. Thus brewing beer in Germany is considerably complex and demanding. Throughout the world high-quality German beer that has been brewed under the purity law has become famous and a real export hit.

Do you think that such laws are still relevant given that so many breweries these days are playing with styles and creating new beer varieties that depart from tradition?

The Purity Law does not harm the variety of beer. Although brewing in Germany is restricted to the ingredients water, malt, hops and yeast, there is an immense variety of possibilities to brew good beer. The brewers have the choice between 170 kinds of hops, 40 different malts and over 200 different yeast strains. Also the origin of the water might influence the taste.

Taking these four natural ingredients and the brewing expertise under consideration it enables us to produce more than one million different kinds of beer.

FROTH CRAFT BEER MAG

37

HOME BREW HOME BREWER: JEREMY McWILLIAMS BEER: COFFEE AND CIGARETTES SYSTEM: BRAUMEISTER Home brewer Jeremy McWilliams is a bit of a romantic – his latest creation is a beer that he made for his wife Laura.

“I wanted to make a beer for her, and to celebrate us, and Laura loves dark beers so I thought I’d make her a dark beer,” Jeremy says. “Then I thought I wanted to make a beer that tasted like coffee and cigarettes.

He explains: “We used to work together, that’s how we met, and we used to go out the back on breaks and have a coffee and a cigarette together – that’s when I used to smoke.”

‘IT’S THE PERFECT MACHINE FOR HOME BREWERS WITH SMALL KIDS’ To try to achieve the flavour of coffee and cigarettes in beer, Jeremy used dark malt, smoked malt and “a whole lot of things”. He even soaked a vanilla pod in whisky, and also sourced some coffee beans, ground them and made cold drip coffee to add to the mix.

The resulting beer is smooth and black with dark, roasty and chocolatey notes and a deep tan frothy head. It certainly tastes like coffee, with the flavours becoming more pronounced as the liquid warms. There’s a whiff of smoke, but the cigarette flavour is not easy to discern, and Jeremy admits that maybe he was too conservative with the smoked malt.

Jeremy brews on a Braumeister, a very sleek‑looking system which he says was the equivalent of “two and a half Christmas presents”. He says it’s the perfect machine for home brewers with kids, as he can walk away from it if necessary to take care of the little ones – three-year-old Rufus, who loves helping out on brew day, and six-month-old Florence. It’s also a safer option than a three-vessel set-up and has no open flames.

Jeremy has also sorted out a pretty sweet recycling system with this brewing – the spent grain is fed to the chooks and the water is saved and used on the veggie patch.

Jeremy’s home brew shop of choice is Grain and Grape in Yarraville, and he takes Rufus there on Saturday mornings to get brewing supplies. It seems he’s not the only one. “It’s like a crèche in there on Saturdays!” he says. “It’s all blokes in their 30s with small kids who are running around everywhere.”

Little Rufus clearly loves brewing with his dad, and the pair are making a chocolate stout together in the backyard when I visit. When it’s time to add hops to the brew, Rufus pours them in himself, declaring confidently “More HOPS!” No doubt a future fan of big IPAs! But what does Laura think of the beer? She’s charmed. “I love the beer and the beautiful mind that concocted such as thing!”

Words and Pics by Emily Day

Above: Jeremy and three-year-old son Rufus on brew day.

Below: Jeremy and wife Laura, Rufus and baby Florence.

Inset: The Coffee and Cigarettes beer.

BEER LABEL OF THE MONTH

When I was a kid I was obsessed with GI Joe (the cartoon and toys, not the shitty film that was released a few years ago). For those of you who have lived untouched by the magic that is GI Joe, a quick run down … GI Joe was a line of action figures that were hugely popular in the early 80s and became a cartoon series depicting the epic struggles between good (America!) and the bad (The Cobra Command).

That’s right, the villain in this story was a fighting force of ninjas and Cobra troopers and their logo just happened to be … yep, you guessed it, the head of a cobra.

So you can imagine the tidal wave of flashbacks that smacked me in the face when I came across a bottle of Venom Brewing’s Golden Ale. Venom Brewing is the brain child of Joel Drysdale, his wife, Janna, his father, John, and his step-mum Heather.

The name came about after a day of gardening which led to John getting bitten by a tiger snake. John’s immediate reaction was to head to the fridge and crack open a beer and he only agreed to go to hospital if he could bring his beer. (total GI Joe move right there). The seed was sown and Joel enlisted the help of his friend and local tattooist Hal Chesire.

Putting his amazing art skills to work, Hal very quickly conceived the artwork

of the Cobra with fangs of dripping beer/venom.

At first glance there isn’t a huge amount going on here. Just a kick-ass design of a cobra on a big fat block of orange.

But keep looking and its actually the simplicity that makes this label work so well for me. The cobra itself is beautifully detailed with a drawing style that leans heavily on cult comic-book classics with a pinch of manga. The typography is bold and aggressive and has a kind of Frank Miller, Sin City thing going on.

From a label perspective it’s both refreshing and engaging to see so little create so much. It’s different and wholly distinctive. For me though it was the bottle cap that sealed the deal. Stripped of its colour you’re left with an awesome array of line art that really shows off the detail in Cheshire’s work.

Its nice to see these sort of labels hitting the shelves. Craft beer is such an individual thing and its great to see that same sense of individuality and distinction flow through to the label art. With any luck we’ll be seeing more great things from Venom and more great labels for future brews. Did I mention that Snake Eyes was my favourite GI Joe character? Just putting it out there…

Words by Matthew Mister @mouseinthefield

VENOM BREWING GOLDEN ALE

COUNTRY PUB PUB COUNTRY

MOUNT MACEDON HOTEL

694 MOUNT MACEDON RD, MOUNT MACEDON mountmacedonhotel.com.au PHONE: (03) 5426 1888 Just an hour’s drive from Melbourne is the town of Mount Macedon, set amongst something of a natural wonderland, especially in autumn when the trees start to turn golden and red and drop their leaves. Nestled below the slopes of Mount Macedon, the charming town is home to one of the best regional craft beer pubs in Victoria.

The Mount Macedon Hotel is something of a local icon, and is a favourite for craft beer lovers, locals, daytrippers and tourists alike. The inviting red-brick pub has everything you want in a venue – a spacious courtyard, excellent menu, friendly staff, and great beer. The tap list is divine and the list of bottled beers is extremely comprehensive and helpfully divided under the headings of pilsner/lager, pale ale, IPA, golden ale, wheat/saison, red/amber, brown/ESB, and dark. The hotel is big on supporting local breweries, with Gisborne’s 7 Cent getting a good run, as well as Bridge Road, Mornington Peninsula, Holgate, Two Birds, Boatrocker, Tooborac, La Sirene and Temple.

Hardened beer geeks are also catered for, with Feral’s Watermelon Warhead

on tap when we visited, and for the less adventurous there is also a selection of “stock standards”.

To accompany these beverages is a tasty pub menu, featuring a selection of delicious pizzas with old favourites such as margherita alongside more interesting choices such as Souvlaki Lamb, Tandoori, and Caution Pizza, which features Caution Hot Sauce, jalapenos, salami, capsicum and mozzarella (we had the pumpkin, goat’s cheese and roasted beetroot pizza which was sensational). There is also plenty of pub classics such as burgers, parmas, steak sandwiches, fish and chips and even kangaroo fillet. Smaller appetites can snack on a range of bite-size meals such as oysters, crispy chicken bites, popcorn shrimp, mussels, and salt and pepper calamari.

The courtyard is the perfect place to enjoy a beer in the afternoon sunlight and the atmosphere is very convivial as a local band plays live music and punters enjoy the view of the township and hills.

For those who love it so much they want to stay longer, the hotel also has reasonably priced rooms overnight guests. Located a short drive from Hanging Rock, this is the perfect option for those seeking a weekend away in this beautiful part of Victoria.

Words and photos by Emily Day

BREWS AND TUNES Well it’s been a shitty year for celebrity deaths. With David Bowie departing our earthly shores and now Prince leaving us at the age of 57, it’s heart-breaking that these legendary figures that you grew up can pass away. In fact it seems impossible that a person who has seared themselves into the world’s psyche can ever stop living. Surely the rules of biology must bend a little when encountering such personality and genius?

But sadly, even legends come to an end, and there’s not much more you can do than have a good cry, dig up your old records and sit back and reflect on these artists who meant

so much to so many people around the world.

When David Bowie died I struggled to find a beer I could compare to his music – the ale would have to be made of stardust.

Prince, however, is a little bit more of a mortal earthly creature, and it is slightly easier to pick a suitable beverage to sip on while mourning.

In fact it was hard to go past Merchant Brewing’s golden ale, When Sloths Cry. These Sydney brewers have been creating some top-shelf beers – most notably the Earl Pear Blonde Ale – and this is also superb. The charming label has their distinctive sloth character

dressed in Prince’s iconic purple suit and frilly shirt with dark hair and clutching an electric guitar.

Crisp, citrusy and tropical with a very sensible ABV of 5.2%, this lovely beer will help you get all the way through Purple Rain and reminisce about one of the world’s most sensational artists. Words by Emily Day

BOOKS &BEER Book: Fifty Shades of Grey Beer: La Sirene - Praline

“...WARM AND HUSKY LIKE DARK MELTED CHOCOLATE FUDGE ...

OR SOMETHING.” Are you hoping the above quote is in reference to the beer accompanying this month’s book? Sadly, this isn’t the case. It’s Anastasia Steele’s description of Christian Grey’s voice in Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James. To channel Ana, my “inner goddess” is cursing herself for suggesting this book as potential review material. Luckily, La Sirène’s delectable Praline made it bearable.

The brewery’s description of the beer is worth quoting in full: “A very special Belgian chocolate ale. Building on a Belgian stout base, it is brewed with organic vanilla pods, cacao nibs from Mexico and hazelnuts and with a creamy body, it is velvety, dark and seductive.”

In short, it’s divine, and it comes in 750ml bottles! As La Sirène says: “Can

you stop at one?” No, I couldn’t, and given the length of the book, you shouldn’t.

Over 500 pages of overworked clichés chronicling an emotionally abusive relationship that fancies itself as an example of a sadomasochistic union for popular literary consumption probably deserves something stronger than beer. It was an intensely painful reading experience.

Prior to publication, Fifty Shades appeared online as fan fiction inspired

by Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series.

The story begins with Ana interviewing Christian Grey, a rich and successful businessman. Grey finds himself drawn to Ana, and she to his “molten gray eyes” (vomit). After the interview, he spends wads of cash to appear where she works

and pick her up after she gets drunk with friends. This is apparently permission to engage in stalker-like behaviour that he calls “concern”. Oh, and Ana is a virgin, gasp! Christian is mesmerised and amused because of her clean-slate potential upon which he can enact his self-professed “fifty shades of f---ed”.

How can such a patronising bastard appear irresistible? He wants a sadomasochistic relationship with Ana - he the dominant, she the submissive.

Such relationships require consent from both parties to achieve mutual erotic gratification. Christian instead uses Ana’s attraction to him to manipulate her into engaging in sexual practices that frighten her, invalidating her doubts.

Shockingly, he’s not the only entitled prick in the book - Ana’s friend José forcibly kisses her and co-worker Paul pesters her regularly for a date, despite being refused. The lady said no.

My inner goddess sighs with relief and reaches for the sanity-saving Praline.

Recently, a friend gave me Florentine chocolate oolong tea as a gift. It smells intoxicating - imagine chocolate mingled with hints of subtle, herbal florals. Praline reminded me of this tea.

On tap, it has more coffee, nutty and sweet chocolate notes, and is silk sliding down your throat. The bottled version is lighter in the mouth. The fluffy head says stout, the liquid more porter-like.

Just when you think Praline couldn’t get better, La Sirène released a beefed-up version, the Imperial Praline. Can you stop at one?

WORDS BY GEMMA MAHADEO

THINGS THAT AREN’T BEER THAT TASTE LIKE BEER

Words by Michael Pankhurst

BRUNCH Brunch. Truly the Breakfast of Champions of breakfasts. Not so overeager as the early rising bowl of oats, nor as truly nihilistic as breakfast entirely forgone. Instead, a mighty hybrid of the two; proud in its ability to satiate and entertain the palate, beautifully paired to the wisdom that it too will be forgotten to the inevitable and unceasing passage of time. And no beer stands on the same vast stage as brunch quite as well as Kaiju’s Cthulhu Black IPA, a monster in its own right. Its unashamed punch to the mouth that is its midnight

black ale, deftly coupled with the sweet reassuring tones of a lively IPA: the wonderful Stockholm syndrome of a pint that, true to its maddening namesake, drives the drinker insane with imposing heavy tones that seemingly vanish like a ship off the coast of the country, leaving honest doubts they ever existed at all.

THRIFT SHOPPING The thrift shop - one of the great pleasures of modern life. Known by a variety of names; the humble Op Shop, Vinnies, the Whoopsy-Way Round Clothing Depository - truly a freshly unearthed vein of pure fashion gold for the apt miner of the New. The great highlight of which is the tantalising discovery of a treasure thought lost to time – an aggressively torn pair of skinny jeans, whose owner had cast them away thinking they had far outlived their purpose, when their true life was only just beginning. And for those looking to pair their archaeological dive with the refreshment of an equally forward ale, Moon Dog Brewing have stepped forth to aid with Bosco’s Grapefruit & Cucumber IPA. The epitome of a treasure that was foolishly passed over in favour of the traditional and the

uninspired; an experience of unfettered ecstasy from the pop of the cap to the last drop being drained, that leaves only a wish for just one more sip partnered to the knowledge of a great new trail of inspiration blazing ahead.

LIVE MUSIC Sitting through an acoustic set of a musician who is desperately trying to prove that their own music is of the same quality as that of the band as a whole, but is failing, despite the great lengths they went through in order to create a new style – a style more true to themselves – that also coincidentally happens to be incredibly distant, both lyrically and musically from the one song that gained significant traction with mainstream critics, while simultaneously being the one song from their set that the band seemed least interested in playing, but despite this would inevitably arrive as the reliable, or more rightly so predictable encore performance which was conspicuously absent from their final performance of their national tour at The Corner Hotel.

Evil Twin Brewing’s Hipster Ale seems reasonably appropriate.

Join us as we launch our Obsidian Black Ale. GEELONG Odyssey Tavern, Friday 13th May. BENDIGO Handle Bar, Saturday 28th May.

WERRIBEE The Park Hotel, Friday 3rd June.

For info follow us on facebook @valhallabrew www.valhallabrewing.com.au facebook.com/valhallabrew Enquiries: Scott 0431 474 721 FROTH CRAFT BEER MAG 43

BAD ADVI CE

WORTY LE NC

N WITH LUM O U C

Dear Uncle Worty, As a female beer drinker, I’ve been concerned about the number of beers popping up lately with the word “balls” in the name. There was Young Henry’s Big Balls IPA, US brewery Boulevard had a Nutsack Ale, Dainton had a frankly terrifying Santa’s Cherry Sack Attack, and the Meatball & Wine Bar is pouring several varieties of Balls Beer. What’s a girl gotta do to get a non-scrotal tipple in this town?

Frustrated Female, Ferntree Gully.

Dear Frustrated Female, Balls, nuts, cajones, bollocks, all words that conjure up the same image … a pair of thinly fleshed gonads that dangle at varying levels depending on the weather.

In direct contrast they also seem to mean something big, strong, brave and kind of obnoxious. Funny thing is every time I see any of these words associated with a beer they are from one of the more obnoxious breweries/brewers.

I have drunk a few of the beers you mention and they all sucked balls, so kudos to the brewers for at least saying it how it is. Of special note are the “Balls Beers” from the Meatball & Wine Bar. I’ll have you know that whilst the beers did suck balls the mash potato was sublime.

No idea how they did that, good mash is something much harder to achieve than a good beer or at the very least a good beer list.

There are plenty of brewers claiming their beer has “balls”. Does it have balls like those revolting testicle decorations some bogans have hanging off the back of their utes? Balls are shit, everybody knows it. Do I want sweat, pubes and underpant lint in my beer, probably not.

You may have read recently about a crowd-funded beer to be brewed using the bacteria extracted from the private areas of a lovely young Czech lass.

Somehow by magic the brewer claims that “the bacteria, lactobacillus, transfers woman’s features, allure, grace, glamour, and her instincts into beers and other products” (I wonder if lactobacillus sampled from a fella’s spunk bunkers would have the same magical effect?).

Seems that people aren’t too interested in this seeing as it has only managed to reach 1% funding.

But just remember for all you ladies there is Vergina beer from Greece, but I’m pretty sure that’s just the name of a town.

Hope that helps.

Uncle Worty

BARTENDER OF THE MONTH

What do you love about Boilermaker House? The sheer immensity of our product range and the passion of people on both sides of the bar.

What do you hate about it? Catching the 6am train home after a 5am close while everyone else goes to work makes me feel like a scumbag.

What is your favourite drink to make?

Anything that comes served on a perfectly chipped ice block.

Do you ever get tired of chipping ice?

Nope!

Do you ever get tempted to make an ice sculpture? Spheres are about as creative as I get, there’s only so much you can do with an ice pick and a bread knife.

What is your favourite drink to have?

Ice-cold Fernet Branca.

If you weren’t a bartender what would you be? Wasting my life!

MAX ALLISON BOILERMAKER HOUSE

MOSTLY BEER QUIZ

FROTHWORD

1. How old is the Earth?

2. The town name Wagga Wagga, derived from the local Wiradjuri language, means what?

3. How many terrestrial planets are there in the solar system?

4. Where is Mismatch Brewing based?

5. Which mountain inspired the name of Stone and Wood’s Cloud Catcher ale?

6. Which brewery did Bridge Road collaborate with to make their recent Dark Harvest beer?

7. Which US brewery makes a beer called Kentucky Breakfast Stout?

8. The brewers from 7 Cent in Victoria made their GABS beer using yeast extracted from which part of their body?

9. Authorities are planning to tackle the invasion of European carp in the Murray Darling Basin by giving them which embarrassing disease?

10. What is the word ‘eight’ in Spanish?

CRAFTY COMIC

Artwork by Michael Alesich @ironoak Pick the brewery and beer pictured for the chance to win a prize! Email your answer to frothbeermag@gmail.com The winner will be drawn at the end of the month.

ACROSS 1. Brewery located in Torquay, Victoria (8'1) 7. Pub and venue located in Carlton, The John _ (6) 8. Varieties of dark beer made using roasted malt (6) 11. Exotic and potentially illadvised ingredient featured in the last issue of Froth (13) 12. Brand of discount beer sold in Aldi stores (5) 14. High-alcohol Indian beer that shares a name with Prince Adam of Eternia (2-3) 16. Drive home after a few too many, and you will run afoul of this individual (6,7) 18. Often the only source of entertainment at garage drinking sessions in years gone by (6) 20. The New York Schmaltz brewery produces beers themed around this faith (6) 21. Colloquial term for a 40oz of Olde English 800 (5,4) DOWN 1. Queensland brewery named for the Roman god of wine, featured in the last issue of Froth (7)

2. A section of last month's Froth referenced this traditional day of japery (5,5,3) 3. Australian brewery named for giant Japanese monsters (5) 4. Colloquial term for the gas used in some beer lines (3) 5. Motorcycle company who collaborated with Sydney brewery Young Henry's (4,2,7) 6. Term for the breaking down of yeast's cell walls (5) 9. Defunct NSW brewery that produced KB Lager (5) 10. Sierra Nevada barley wine beer named for famous woodland monster (7) 13. Term for small-scale brewing operaions, producing limited runs (5) 15. Sierra Nevada imperial stout named for the unicorn of the sea (7) 16. Traditional Melboune pub meal, usually accompanied by a pot of beer (5) 17. James Squire's eponymous brewer arrived on the first of these (5) 19. US colloquial term for a beer, brew--- (3)

Answers to last month’s Frothword!: Across 1. Hard Earned 6. Tote 7. Steam 10. Pints 12. Baden 13. Basil 16.

Loki 17. St Bernards Down 1. Hops 2. Rice 3. Edam 4. Retsina 5. Dregs 8.

Tea 9. Alewife 11. Tui 12. Bells 13. Bran 14. Sour 15. Lips FROTH CRAFT BEER MAG

45

8. Belly button 9. Carp herpes 10. Ocho 3. Four 4. South Australia 5. Mount Warning 6. Mikkeller 7. Founders QUIZ ANSWERS: 1. About 4.5 billion years old 2. The place of many crows

DEVASTATINGLY GOOD VICTORIAN BEER K A IJ U B EER . CO M . AU