Small Beers That Taste Big

Giant

SMALL BEERS THAT TASTE BIG

WORDS ° Lukas Raschilla

Beer lovers have conventionally viewed mid strength beers as watery, tasteless, poor cousins to their full strength counterparts that lack complexity, body, and flavour. With the popularity, knowledge, and appreciation of beer and beer styles growing at a rapid pace, beer fans are welcoming the arrival of full-flavoured beers without the need for a high percentage ABV. In fact, some of these beers are so amazing, there’s no way you would ever think they were mid strength.

Traditionally, low alcohol mid-strength beers have been seen as light, easy to drink brews that are only suitable for afternoon sessions or those wanting to enjoy a drink with a meal without feeling bloated. However, often for the avid beer lover, mid strength beer can lack depth and flavour with a lot of mid strengths being brewed as lager or pilsner styles. As an IPA and Pale Ale lover, I was intrigued to find out how the idea for mid strength or “session” IPA’s and Pale Ale’s came about, and the inspiration for breweries to add them to their range, so I reached out to some of the best in the business to delve deeper into the category.

Based in Melbourne, Brewcult produces the Reset Robot Pale Ale, a 3.5% ABV (0.9 standard drinks per 330ml bottle) and 15 IBU beer made with mosaic, citra and cascade hops with a tropical fruit and citrus aroma, that has a medium body and subtle malt flavours. Reset Robot came about because Brewcult wanted to brew a beer for the summer festival season, or a “quaffer” if you will – a beer suitable for quaffing. They’ve now decided to brew Reset Robot year round. Steve ‘Hendo’ Henderson, director and brewer at Brewcult developed the beer in the summer festival season of 2014/15, where he usually mans a beer stand at various events and wanted to have, as he puts it, “A couple of sly beers during the day”. Hendo says, “I thought that if I could make a beer that tastes awesome and is mid strength, then I could enjoy a few more. Hence, that’s how Reset Robot was born”.

Victoria’s Bridge Road Brewers, based in Beechworth, offer a selection of IPA’s in their Bling range, from the double Bling Bling and Bling IPA to a Little Bling mid strength IPA. At

3.4% ABV, Little Bling is a sessional beer that does not compromise on flavour or intensity, perfect for craft beer lovers. Ben Kraus, founder of Bridge Road Brewing says, “The Little Bling came about as we saw opportunity in the marketplace to offer a mid strength beer that didn’t compromise on flavour. We wanted to make a lower ABV beer that enthusiasts could enjoy just as much as they do their favourite Pale Ale or IPA. We’ve (craft beer enthusiasts) all been in the situation of having to give up all the enjoyment of a big, full flavoured beer when we drink mid or low strength beer. The big challenge was making sure we achieved balance, and in the case of low ABV beer, this equals body. The malt profile of the Bling provided the perfect first step to developing this beer that I can honestly say would be unrecognisable as mid strength to 99 per cent of drinkers. No longer do I have to feel like I’m missing out when I choose to drink mid strength!”

Similarly, Adelaide brewers Pirate Life were one of the pioneers of the mid strength IPA in Australia, offering their Throwback IPA as part of their original core range of three beers. This 3.5% ABV brew sacrifices nothing on taste and comes in at 35 IBU giving consumers a hoppy bitter taste true to an IPA, made with crystal, cascade and simcoe hops. The guys at Pirate Life have somehow, (and gloriously I might add) managed to extract as much of that big hop flavour from the beer without the need for additional ABV, as traditional IPA’s. Very sessionable!

There are a number of great mids currently on the market including Brisbane’s Newstead Brewing Co, who offer a beer that’s perfect for football fans (and everyone) with their Three Quarter Time Session Ale. Brand Ambassador Darren Magin points out that the beer was made because, “Quite simply we knew we needed to brew a tasty, full-flavoured mid strength beer for the Australian market – in particular, Queensland, our home state”. The brew is high flavoured fruity Queensland ale with a malt profile that rounds out the palate, while still allowing the fruity hop taste to shine through. At 3.4% (get it, ¾?) and 35 IBU, the Three Quarter Time Session Ale is ideal for those wanting a great mid strength beer, be it for watching the last quarter, or a few cheeky Sunday afternoon summer beers in the backyard.

Aptly named, Colonial Brewing Co’s Small Ale is a mid strength that’s big on taste. Colonial’s Head of brewing Justin Fox says, “The brew is a result of our beer department’s love of the big flavour and aroma combination of American style IPA’s and the need to still be able to drive home after a couple of after work beers”. Ironically, there’s nothing small about Small Ale with the brewers using the same malt and hop profiles they would in brewing an IPA, but scale these down slightly to balance the lower alcohol (3.5%ABV). In fact, Colonial’s Small Ale is one of the more difficult beers to brew due to the complex malt bill and high hopping rates. Upping the coolness factor of the Small Ale is the 360-degree removable top that turns the can into an open-topped drinking vessel, which allows the drinker to savour the aroma while drinking. It’s also nifty as it removes the need for glassware. In other words, rather than just pulling back a ring and slugging through the resultant hole, you can peel off the lot and use the can like a proper drinking glass.

Of course, Coopers have been making a great mid strength brew since 2004 with Coopers Mild Ale providing all the flavour of a fullstrength beer. Mild Ale is made with Pride of Ringwood hops to provide a hoppy bitterness and Saaz hops in late hopping to provide citrus and floral notes. At 3.5% Coopers Mild Ale is brewed with a selection of barley and wheat malt with no added sugar, giving it a smooth malt character. And, of course in true Coopers fashion, the brew is additive and preservative free, and a secondary fermentation is carried out in the package. Extra points for Coopers Mild Ale being available in bottle, can and keg! Those who love Coopers’ flagship Pale Ale, but are yet to try the Mild Ale, do yourself a favour and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

So, next time your customer feels like something lower in ABV, no need to reach for the watery staples and sacrifice taste. The options for small beers that taste big are ever growing and will please the most refined palates and lovers of hops.

DRINKS WORLD’S MID STRENGTH TOP PICKS

1. Pirate Life Throwback IPA (SA) 2. Coopers Mild Ale (SA) 3. Colonial Small Ale (WA/VIC) 4. Bridge Road Little Bling (VIC) 5. Newstead Three Quarter Time Session Ale (QLD)

BEER FESTIVALS

Beer lovers are spoilt with the amount of amazing beer festivals happening around the country. Here’s a list of some of the upcoming beer festivals. • Ballarat Beer Festival, January 21. Also includes a degustation on Friday, January 20 with five courses of food provided with matching beers. • Hobart Beer Fest, January 27-28.

• The Great Australian Beer Festival,

Geelong, February 18

• South West Craft Beer Festival, Busselton

February 2017 (date TBC). • Beerfest Asia, Hong Kong, March 2-5

• Canberra Craft Beer and Cider Festival,

March 18.