Randall? Is That You?

Folks, there’s a new kid in town. Well a relatively new kid anyway.

As if there needs to be another excuse to head to a microbrewery for a few brews, or a casual meal. Surely there’s dozens of reasons to do that already. The tasty, often hard to find beers should be enough to get you through the door alone.

But the emergence of a certain cylinder shaped device planted on the bar next to the beer taps has got my attention. What is this mysterious shiny thing? Is it for looks? Can I drink out of it? There doesn’t seem to be a way of getting into it yet it’s filled with…well I don’t know. Hops? Fruit? Cloudy brown liquid?

I initially didn’t know what these space aged devices were called. It seems that a specific brewery calls them one thing, another might call them something else.

What I do know is they are rare in these parts and no doubt expensive. I’ve only come across three of them. And considering the amount of breweries / bars around, that’s not many.

A bit of further research suggests they are called a ‘Randall’. Invented by the brilliant Dogfish Head Brewery in the US, they were looking for a way to make their 120 Minute IPA even more hoppy at a beer festival, way back in 2002.

So how does it work?

Despite looking rather mysterious, this little bad boy is simply an encased filtering device containing whatever the owners want to put in it. Let’s just say it’s filled with hops just like Dogfish Head invented it for. The device is attached to a particular beer on tap, so that when the beer is poured, it passes through the device to take on the additional flavours trapped within. Want more hops on the palette when you drink a Pale Ale? Pass the keg of Pale through the device. It’s like the beer has received a last minute tea bagging of flavour.

Fancy the Witbier with a bit more flavour? Maybe add some cut up fruit and spices to the device.

Brilliant.

Why am I so impressed?

As I said, there’s always a reason to go to a brewery. But, thanks to our US friends, there is officially one more reason. Yes, you can still drink that Pale Ale on tap at a particular brewery, but if they also run it through the ‘Randall’ then a whole new, additional beer has been created. A beer you will never drink again, and certainly never be able to find bottled. Re-visit said brewery and gone are the hops from the device. Suddenly a dark coffee and vanilla like substance has been added and their Stout is being passed through it. Just like that, a brand new, unique beer has been created on the spot. A brand new beer that I just must try…!

As mentioned, I’ve come across three of these devices recently. All seem to be slightly different. All three have their own unique name. Whilst none have been introduced to me as Randall, they all operate pretty similarly to the Dogfish original.

Temple Brewery in Melbourne’s northern suburbs has recently attached two devices and dubbed them ‘Fat Boys’ (one for each bar). The Fat Boys are the biggest and certainly the widest of the ones I’ve seen, so the name is pretty apt. It was filled with East Kent Goldings hops with their ESB passed through it when I visited last. The ESB is a great beer as it is, but the hops made it extra, extra special!

The second of the devices is at Mornington Peninsula Brewery down in Mornington, Victoria and is called the ‘Tardis’. This one has been there for a bit and was recently encased with lemons and attached to their Witbier, however they do change it often enough depending on what beer they attach it to.

Thirdly, I came across one in Hobart at the New Sydney Hotel. Nicknamed the ‘Hopinator’, this one was full of hops, plums and spices. The owner of the pub seemed pretty impressed with what he’d stuffed in there, and it made a local stout more like a Christmas Ale. According to the pub, the ‘Hopinator’ is the only one in Tassie.

So beer folks, as you can see I’m rather taken with the ‘ol Randall…or Fat Boy…Tardis…Hopinator. Whatever people want to call it, it is a brilliant invention. Whilst it gives me ideas of creating a little tea bag of hops and flavours and adding it to my glass of homebrew IPA at home…I probably should just accept that it won’t be as good, and keep heading to breweries with one installed.

They might be expensive to install, but as a beer enthusiast, they are well worth it I reckon!

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

Bull at a Holgate

Approximately 45 minutes drive north west of Melbourne is the quaint little Victorian town of Woodend.

Sitting proudly at the end of the main street the brewery is rich in history. Originally operating as The Commercial Hotel, it was a popular stopover for horse drawn carriages between Melbourne and Bendigo during the Gold rush years.

Now it’s a bloody good stop over for craft beer enthusiasts. 

I originally visited the brewery with my wife in 2009 as a curious beer drinker on a casual days drive to the area. Thanks to Holgate and their range of brews, that day turned into an overnight trip, and nearby accommodation was required to avoid a beer fuelled drive home. That wouldn’t be such a good idea.

The grand Holgate Brewery is very much multi purpose. Operating as a brewery, it is also a bit of a ‘local’ for…well…locals. It has a fine restaurant (more on that later) and upstairs even has 10 refurbished rooms for B&B style accommodation.

The latest visit to the brewery was a little more civilised. Lunch with my wife and parents. I won’t go into the food details too much but I do want to say that the meal was a complete surprise. Breweries often favour simple meals to accompany the beers. Wood fired pizzas for instance. Nothing wrong with that, but at Holgate there is real emphasis on a relaxed, high quality lunch. Beer is certainly not the only reason to visit.

You have the choice of ordering from the Bar Menu – usual pub fare such as fish and chips, parmas, bangers and mash etc, or as we did, sit in the restaurant area and dine on eye fillet, pork belly, mixed grill or game burgers. Beer is ever present in the ingredients and I do have to say, the ‘beer garlic bread’ was divine.

A lot of breweries in Australia are very much pitched at the beer drinker. Well of course they are. Stupid thing to say. But after lunch at Holgate I left thinking the place is perfect for anyone. No non beer drinker could seriously groan at being taken there when the food is that good. Besides, the well stocked bar offers plenty of wine and spirit options.

Anyway, enough about the food and history lesson. Holgate has a reputation for making one of the country’s most highly acclaimed dark beers, but also constantly produce seasonal beers of extremely good quality. As usual, we opted for the beer paddle so we could try everything on offer. Here’s a run down of the beers…

Pilsner (5.1%)

To me, Pilsners are a pretty small step from lagers and are only just on the craft beer scene. They are often described as a ‘session beer’ and are brewed for easy drinking. Holgate’s version certainly fits that description but is malty and hoppy enough to be a pretty damn good attempt. Rather Bavarian. Nice work.

Mt. Macedon Ale (4.5%)

Another ‘session beer’ to an extent, the Ale is very much Euro malts meets US hops. And it works. Goes down easily enough and is just a little complex on the pallet; meaning it will pretty much please all beer style drinkers.

Brick Kiln Road – Wheat Beer (5.0%)

Another homage to Bavarian beer, the wheat beer is very much what you’d expect – low on the hops and high on the yeasty, fruity taste. No ignoring the clove and banana aftertaste. Personally I’m not the biggest fan of wheat beers (largely due to disliking the taste of banana), but credit where it’s due. This was high quality and easy to drink. My non-beer drinking Mum even liked the taste of this one!

Gruit Expectations (6.0%)

I hadn’t previously come across this beer, and have to say it epitomises craft beer. It’s unique and complex in every way, and very tasty. It’s based on their Belgium Blonde recipe, but uses herbs and spices instead of hops. Like drinking a beer from the days of medieval brewing. This is one to be enjoyed whilst watching Game of Thrones…

ESB (5.0%)

Holgate’s version of the classic English style ale is a complete winner. It quite literally is, as it’s won numerous awards over time. Along with Hargreaves Hill’s version, this would be my favourite ‘local’ ESB. English hops and crystal malts…it’s English. Special. And just a little bitter.

Hopinator (7.0%)

Wow. That’s all I’ve got. Wow. Our visit was the first time I’d tried the Hopinator and I’ve been drinking it ever since. Since my wife and I visited the US in 2011 we have been drawn to US style, big hopped IPAs or even better, double IPAs. Reminded me of Sierra Nevada’s Hoptimum or Torpedo, to say you can really taste the floral/citrus hops would be a massive understatement. A brilliant beer for hop lovers.

Temptress (6.0%)

What can be said about the chocolate porter that hasn’t already? It’s award winning and highly rated (regularly features in the top 5 of the annual Critic’s Choice Top 100 Australian Beers). Cocoa, coffee and vanilla beans…it’s all in there. No Winter should pass without having at least one Temptress.

Double Trouble (8.0%)

A Belgium style Abbey Ale, at 8% this one has an immense alcoholic kick but is brilliantly smooth. Toffee flavour with a hint of rum, this is very much a sipping beer to be enjoyed over a massive wedge of cheese. Well named (it matters); this was very much enjoyed, even without the cheese. 6 pack to go thanks!

Anyway, that’s probably enough for me. In summary, Holgate Brewery is an awesome place to visit for either a quiet drink or a delicious meal. Even better, do both and stay the night!

Can’t wait to go back.

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

Be True to the Beer in Mornington

Be true to the beer and those who drink it.

That’s the motto of Mornington Peninsula Brewery and it couldn’t be more apt. Create great beer and in turn reward loyal drinkers. And boy, they sure are creating great beer!

Set in a fairly non-descript industrial street off the highway in Mornington goes to show how serious they are about creating great beer. Sure, the owners could have spent millions on a seaside block at the end of Mornington’s main street, but that would create a false impression that their main priority is to run some sort of fine dining tourist attraction. It’s not. Creating great beer is the number one priority.

That said the set up inside Mornington Brewery is excellent. Open in 2010, the brewery boasts a large courtyard outside, plenty of space in front of the bar, an additional (more relaxed) area upstairs with couches, and best of all, the operating brewery is set behind the bar for all to see. Ask nicely enough and you’ll get a walk around / short tour of the equipment. Beer geeks rejoice.

The only food on offer at the brewery is more than adequate – wood fire pizzas made to order. In fact they are great quality and go ridiculously well with their hop slapped beers. My wife and I loved them. There are even a few hops in the bases of the pizzas…another win!

As for the brews, Mornington Brewery has a real US craft beer feel to it. Lots of Pales and IPAs. As a fan of US craft beer, this is a damn good thing.

Here’s a run down of their beers. All simply named, no gimmicks or quirky names, just really good beer that grabs your attention. Just like the brewery’s medieval logo featured on all the labels…

  

Witbier (4.7%)

A Belgian style wheat beer, this version is refreshing and goes down pretty easily. It’s a bit more ‘citrus and spice’ than some wheat beers. I’m not a huge wheat beer fan, but I can acknowledge that when they are good they are really good, and I certainly enjoyed this one. 

Pale (4.7%)

An American style Pale Ale this one is a cracker. Not too hoppy it could almost be described as a ‘session beer’. That said the American hops and malts are easily recognisable. Those after a Pale where the hops kick you in the teeth may not rush to this one; however it is a very fine, easy drinking brew.

IPA (6.2%)

What to say about the IPA? Like the Pale it is an American style brew and one of their best. It’s a great step up from the Pale with more hops and fruity bitterness. It’s my favourite brew of their regulars, but just be warned if driving to the brewery and ‘having a few’. At 6.2% it won’t take too many to put you over 0.05. 

Brown (5%)

This one is actually an English style Brown rather than an American Brown. It’s full of English malts with a tasty toffee flavour. It’s a lot smoother than what you might expect making it a year round brew rather than one to keep aside for the cooler months. I’m loving Browns like this more and more.

Porter (6 %)

Another fine English style beer, the Porter is dark brown with a tan coloured head. It’s pretty easy to detect the chocolate and malty aroma and taste. The brewery describes the beer as ‘rich, silky smooth and moreish’. I concur! Especially during a long cold Melbourne winter.

Specials

The great thing about any good microbrewery is the ever changing specials, seasonal brews and one offs. Mornington is no exception. At the time of my recent visit two brilliant IPA based beers were available to taste.

Imperial IPA (8.5%)

At 8.5% this monster IPA is big. In every way. It’s fruity bitter with stacks of American hops, yet despite the bitterness the malts makes it rich and tasty. Pouring a dark, burnt orange in colour it’s one of the better attempts at an imperial / double IPA. There’s a lot going on in there, but there’s definitely a lot to like.

White IPA (6.3%)

A newcomer to the beer scene in Australia, a White IPA is pretty much what you get if an American style IPA got it on with a Belgian Witbier. Whilst the combo may seem strange it really does work. With the light citrus wheat flavours of the Witbier combined with the hops and bitter goodness of the IPA, it’s a match made in Euro-US heaven. Like Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi, it somehow works.

That’s it folks. If you still aren’t sold, the brewery also has live music sessions on Sunday afternoons. Stop reading and go. Now. Or Sunday if you like. I might be there too.

Mornington Peninsula Brewery

72 Watt Road

Mornington VIC 3931

www.mpbrew.com.au

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

Whine and Dine

Okay so I'm a little peeved and need to get this off my chest.

I love a good beer and do enjoy going out to restaurants with my wife. Fine food, tasty beverages, what a great night out. Well no actually. Not at all unless I plan on drinking wine. Whilst there is nothing wrong with that (I love wine as much as the next person), my issue is with beer and the fact I am rarely able to enjoy good beer with a great meal in the vast majority of restaurants.

Whilst the consumption of craft beer is increasing and microbreweries and boutique beer dedicated bars are popping up around the place, the beer options on drink menus in restaurants is consistently a disgrace.

This was highlighted recently during a meal in a very good restaurant in Melbourne. We simply did not feel like wine, especially after a couple of quality beers before hand at Beer Deluxe. So, hopeful there might be a decent beer option to have with dinner I asked what beers they had available. Sadly I should have guessed:

• Carlton Draught
• Pure Blonde
• Crown Lager
• VB
• Cascade Premium Light
• Asahi
• Heineken

What a great idea. Add two recognisable foreign beers and 'everyone should be happy'. So typical of most restaurants. Why is it that when a restaurant plans a menu it takes the time to consider its wine list almost as much as the food itself; making sure various wine options and styles are considered. The restaurant in question had dozens of wine options with a pretty extensive Victorian selection. That's great. Yet putting together the beer list read like they had 30 seconds to come up with something. And its pretty much the same everywhere. I have sat in some of the best restaurants in Melbourne and been saddened at the beer options on their menu. As a beer drinker I think it detracts from its 5 star status.

How can a restaurant charge hundreds of dollars for a meal and offer up Carlton Draught (for example) as a beer option? It would be like merging Vue De Monde with McDonald's. Makes no sense to me.

Any beer enthusiast would know how well good beer can and should be matched to food. Some restaurants (such as Josie Bones in Collingwood) make the effort to ensure guests can drink excellent beer with great food, but that is such a rarity. The recent Brooklyn Brewery Degustation Dinner during Good Beer Week also showed how easily (and well) beer can be matched with food.

I understand that in a standard pub the majority of beer taps are going to be dedicated to the corporate giants. Fosters/CUB in Melbourne, Toohey's in Sydney and so on. There's various reasons why this occurs, most of them economical. But surely a restaurant has much more freedom to stock the beers they want on their menu? By all means offer Carlton Draught or Crownies if people are asking for them, but why on earth can't a selection (even a small one) of decent craft beer be on the menu? Make it regional if they like so tourists and locals get to try some of that state's finest ales. Restaurants bother doing that with wine don't they? It's good for the restaurant, it's good for the breweries, it's good for the economy...right?

But no. Restaurants continue to have a 1980s attitude that beer is a beverage best suited to pubs where cheaper is better and its primary purpose is to get people drunk. It doesn't really sit well in restaurants but the odd person (especially older, overweight males from previous generations) will probably ask for a beer with their meal because they don't drink wine, so we better stock a few generic, bland brands. But lets impress the sheila with plenty of good wine selections...

My gut feel is that the beer options in a number of good restaurants is getting worse not better. This is despite the increasing availability of good beer. Go to the website of any decent restaurant and 99% of the time you'll find the lunch/dinner menu and the wine menu. It's so irrelevant to the restaurant that the beer selection isn't even mentioned most of the time, when it could be a selling point! I've given up even checking for it on menus before going to a restaurant.

It's highly annoying that at home I know how well a Two Birds Brewing Golden Ale goes with Thai food. Or a Holgate Temptress with chocolate pudding. Or a Red Hill Imperial Stout with oysters. But that's okay, beer at a fine dining establishment seems to mean pork belly with Carlton Draught, wagyu beef with well, Carlton Draught or seared salmon with...well you get the idea. Thought I was in a restaurant not sitting at the football.

No wonder I stick to wine every time. Such a shame really...

Anyway rant over, I'm out of breath. Until next time!

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

Life’s too Short to Drink Bad Beer

It’s Friday 11 May 2012.

In Victoria, that means the start of Good Beer Week. How very awesome. Dozens and dozens of beer events, tastings, beer infused dinners, festivals, brewery showcases…

That said, this blog is not about Good Beer Week. That speaks for itself.

In fact this blog isn’t really about anything. You may call it the ‘Seinfeld of blogs’.

With Good Beer Week only hours from starting this seems an apt time to flog the merits of craft beer and stick the boot into bland corporate swill. Quite frankly, life is too short to drink bad beer. Seriously, just because it’s made cheap and therefore sold cheap(ish) and is widely available, does not justify drinking it by choice.

Yeah craft beer can be a little expensive. But as a beer drinker there is nothing better than exploring craft beer, trying different styles and types and learning what suits your palate. I guarantee that once you realise how nice a good IPA or Red Ale is, the thought of drinking a ‘pot of draught’ will make you reach for a red wine. I mean, did any hops even die for that beer?

Despite a drop in beer consumption in Australia over the past decade, the sale of craft beer is increasing roughly at 3% per annum. That’s a great start but could be a lot better. Australia is a good decade behind the United States in terms of the number of craft breweries, sales and how craft beer is simply a part of the local beer drinking psyche.

Not convinced you should put down that generic lager which is on tap everywhere and reach for a beer with actual taste and flavour? Well let me put it in perspective for you by comparing it to that other major alcoholic beverage that most of us enjoy…wine.

Let me set the scene. You’re partial to a wine and therefore like everyone, make the effort to know what you like. It might be Shiraz, Pinot or Sav Blanc. You also know a few wineries that you enjoy and therefore make the effort to look for them when in the bottle shop. Maybe it’s a State or a Region you trust. Either way, most people have a maximum amount they want to spend on wine but wouldn’t touch the $5 bottle just because it’s cheap, or because you see it around everywhere like it’s soft drink. You assume it will taste like vinegar, right? So why on earth do you treat beer with such discontent and accept the cheap, tasteless shit as the ‘preferred choice’? Don’t be so lazy and show a bit of respect to your taste buds!

And hey, supporting small business is cool too right? What’s more enjoyable than realising that tasty Ale comes from Bright or Mornington Peninsula? Suddenly you have a damn good excuse for a weekend away! Sell it as a romantic getaway if you have to, but just do it!

Deep breaths Todd, deep breaths.

Anyway, enough from me…see you all over a glass of tasty, flavoured beer…

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

Beer - The Anticipation

Yeah okay, sounds like a corny line from a VB or Carlton Draught commercial. Or even Guinness for that matter!

Let me explain…

Enjoying good beer is a bit like looking forward to something special. Christmas morning. Carlton winning the flag. My wife’s Malaysian Chicken Curry. Being handed a briefcase full of cash. All exciting things! Gone are the days for me where drinking beer was something to do just for the sake of it.

Now I generally get excited about drinking good craft beer and seeing as I have been thinking about this for some time, I think I should try and put it in writing.

Here are some of those exciting things that I think you just don’t get with other tasty beverages. And more importantly, here’s a list! Woohoo, I love a good list…

• Beer Deluxe. If you’re a lover of good beer and you haven’t been to Beer Deluxe then I am just speechless. Yes there are some other great craft beer joints around – Mrs Parmas, The Taphouse etc but Beer Deluxe is special to me as it’s located at Fed Square in the heart of the city where I work. These days it’s my must visit place for a good beer before heading to the footy or dinner. Whilst personally there is room for more beer taps (cos I’m greedy) than what they have (or at least don’t repeat the same beer over more than one tap), I do get mighty excited knowing I’m heading to Beer Deluxe for a beer. It’s the anticipation of what they might have on tap that night.

• Purvis Cellars. Purvis is also special to me as it is my main source of drinking craft / international beer at home. Since having a dedicated cupboard for craft beer, trips to Purvis (or for that matter Slow Beer) have gotten a little bit more interesting. These days a few beers at home ‘whilst watching the footy’ means sampling the highest quality Pales, IPAs or Red Ales. Now that’s worth looking forward to!

• Brewery visit. Bridge Road in Beechworth, Bright Brewery, True South in Blackrock, Holgate in Woodend, Temple in Brunswick East, Mornington Brewery in umm Mornington, a trip to the Yarra Valley or Red Hill…is there anything more exciting than lunch and beer at a local brewery? During the dreary winter months of Melbourne unless I’m watching the mighty Blues, nothing beats a planned trip to a brewery. The anticipation literally kills me! Okay it doesn’t but you know…

• Seasonal brews. Possibly the best thing to anticipate about craft beer are the seasonal / speciality beers. For instance, here in Victoria at the moment we have Bridge Road and Mikkeller’s Dark Harvest, Mountain Goat and Mikkeller’s The Gypsy & The Goat and Temple and Weihenstephan’s Unifikator. In America, beer fans are known to queue overnight at their favourite brewery for the release of a speciality beer. Many breweries create a speciality beer to match the season such as Summer Ale or Pumpkin Ale (for Fall/Halloween) and the beers simply aren’t brewed outside those seasons. Now that’s something to anticipate!

• New Brewery / Brew. Nothing quite like the anticipated launch of a new brewery or for that matter a new permanent beer from an existing brewery that you know and enjoy. A couple I'm currently looking forward to - the second brew from Two Birds Brewing (a Red Ale to follow up the great Golden Ale) and the wider availability of beers from newbie Black Dog Brewery. Cannot wait.

• Homebrew. Oh the anticipation. Look I’m not a great homebrewer. I think it comes out alright and others seem to like the beer (or are at least very polite), but there’s nothing quite like the anticipation as the bottles sit for a month before cracking into them. At the moment a Boston Red Ale sits in the dark cupboard seductively telling me to take its top off. Anyway, I look forward to having one…

• Good Beer Week. It’s nearly here! Good Beer Week in Victoria runs 12 to 19 May 2012 with 50 events around the state. Think Comedy Festival but for beer. Cept there’s nothing funny about this. I’m heading to ‘The Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular’ – where the Royal Exhibition Building will resemble a massive craft beer hall. The exciting thing is there will be 60 beers brewed specifically for the event! Unavailable anywhere else! I’m also attending the ‘Brooklyn Brewery Degustation Dinner’ at Beer Deluxe. Having been to the brewery when in New York in 2011, this one is just a little exciting too! I can barely wait!

 

Whether it’s a specific event that doesn’t come around that often like the Good Beer Week, or just stumbling across a new craft brew that you are yet to try, the anticipation with good beer cannot be denied.

And for that maybe those corny VB or Carlton Draught ads are actually right. Just a shame about the beer…

Stay tuned folks.

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

This Bushranger Knows his Beer

The minute you walk into Bridge Road Brewers just behind the main street of Beechworth you are greeted with dozens of references to Ned Kelly. Posters, signs, t-shirts. The image of ol' Ned on their beer labels isn’t by accident or coincidence.

Ned certainly adds charm to your visit. You are after all in Victoria’s high country where Australia’s most famous bushranger once did his thing. However if the brewery was actually around in the mid to late 1800s, Mr Kelly would have been a whole lot easier to catch. This place screams afternoon session. Avoiding it is…well, just stupid.

In terms of the brewery itself, you have the option of sitting inside near the bar (where you can look lovingly at brewing tanks and take in that familiar smell of a brewery) or outside in the spacious courtyard. Many ‘small’ breweries get the visiting experience completely wrong despite how good their beer is. Some are in the strangest setting such as an industrial or manufacturing area, which leaves you just a little flat. Bridge Road nails it. Beechworth itself couldn’t be a cosier town and the brewery is perfect for a family lunch, boozy afternoon or pre dinner drinks. Or all three as we did!

Quite simply it’s a damn good brew pub to visit. There’s an impressive pizza menu and leave room for one of their giant pretzels with dipping sauce. Goddamn…

One of the main highlights is the range of beer available. Whilst a lot of craft microbreweries produce 4 or 5 brews, Bridge Road puts out 7 regular beers, 3 beers under their Chevalier range and numerous seasonal / specials. Many of the regulars started out as specialty beers but simply took off and are now available all year round. That’s a credit to them in itself! Considering the quality of their beer it really is hard to believe the brewery has only been open since 2005!

With such a wide range of beers (which obviously try and appease the ‘I only drink lager so what should I get’ drinker right through to the seasoned craft beer drinker), the best thing to do first time is get a tasting paddle. Interestingly you can choose how many beers you’d like on your paddle (one, four, six, eight or ten) but we weren’t going anywhere in a hurry and certainly weren’t driving so we opted for the paddle of ten…each!

Here’s a run down of their beers –

The Regulars…

Hefe Weizen

A German styled wheat beer, this one isn’t at all bad. I’m personally not the biggest fan of wheat beers as I find they usually lack a bit of a hop kick and the banana/citrus hit doesn’t do a lot for me, but I can certainly appreciate the attempt. Would certainly go down with the giant pretzel (I wouldn’t know, the pretzel was demolished well before I tried the beer!).

Australian Ale

The brewery describes this as the perfect introduction to craft beer, and that’s exactly what it is. Think lager but with plenty of flavour, it would appeal to drinkers who are a bit ‘scared’ of most craft beers often loaded with hops and malt. A great session beer on a hot day, I suspect it sells very well on tap at the brewery!

Chestnut Pilsner

Pale and crisp the pilsner is actually brewed with local chestnuts (or so they say!). This is another beer that suits summer months and lager drinkers as it’s very approachable. I’d never tried this beer before visiting the brewery as I rarely seek out pilsners but I must say I was very impressed with this effort.

Beechworth Pale Ale

Hello hops! I would describe this pale as US in style. Full flavoured and plenty of hops like Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale or similar. Good pales have plenty of aroma and this one was stacked full of it. We ended up in a pub later that night and I found myself ordering this beer.

Bling India Pale Ale

I’m currently going through quite the ‘IPA phase’ and Bridge Road’s Bling doesn’t disappoint. Malty, hoppy, this is a big, brash IPA. Loads of aroma, IPA lovers will surely love it. Also check out their speciality (often milder) IPAs including the now widely available Galaxy IPA.

Robust Porter

First thing that hits you with this porter is the chocolate and coffee aromas. The second thing is the chocolate and coffee taste! This is a cracking Porter, which would obviously be suited to the colder months. Would go down a treat with English style pudding or as the Irish do - fresh shellfish. Bring on winter.

Celtic Red Ale

Hard to have a favourite with so many high quality beers but this one would have to come close. This also started out as a speciality beer to celebrate Beechworth’s annual Celtic festival. It’s now a staple and it’s easy to see why. Very malty, very Irish, very yummy!

The Chevalier Range…

Biere De Garde

Spicy, toffee, fruity, this is a big dark, Belgium/French style ale. A tad sweet this isn’t a beer to have to start your night! It’s a nightcap beer or would suit desserts or I’d be keen to try it with stinky cheese. Any excuse really.

Hefe Weizen Dunkel

Slightly dark in colour, this Bavarian styled brew has a strong aroma of spice, citrus and banana. Lots of banana. Goes down very smoothly…this is a quality beer even though style wise it isn’t the type of beer I’d usually go for. 

Saison

Australian microbreweries seem to have a love of Saison at the moment and this one is one of the best. Ranked #5 in the ‘Critics Choice Top 100 Beers 2011’ and you can see why. Their take on the classic Belgium ale is a real winner. Light, amazing aroma, yeasty and just a little tart. A Saison like this can be anything – food accompaniment, wine replacement. Do yourself a favour as Molly would say, and go and try this beer.

The Specials…

Far too many to mention and ever changing, a real highlight of this brewery is the range of speciality ‘one off’ beers that they produce. Pride of Ringwood IPA, Stella IPA, Summer IPA, India Saison, Dog’s Breakfast, B2 Bomber…the list goes on and on! I’d love to say more but this blog is already long enough and if I haven’t convinced you to go out and try anything (or everything) donning the Bridge Road label then I have already failed!

Admittedly Bridge Road’s beers are widely available in bottle shops that stock a range of craft beer, and often on tap in places like Beer Deluxe in Melbourne. But the 3 hour drive from Melbourne (7 from Sydney) gives you a much greater appreciation of this already impressive brewery.

Owner Ben Kraus has done a fabulous job with his beers and you just know he’s only going to get even better, which is a massive win for us craft beer lovers. Can’t wait to see what they produce next!

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

A Worship to Great Beer

One of the latest microbreweries to open their doors to the public in the inner Melbourne area is Temple Brewery & Brasserie in Brunswick East.

Temple has been brewing their craft beers for a few years now (I had tried a number of their brews thanks to Purvis Cellars), however the brewery only opened up to the public in late 2011.

First impressions obviously count…and the solid timber doors with their polished ‘logo door handles’ are mighty impressive and give off an aura of class and professionalism. These guys mean business! Inside isn’t much different. Shiny new floors, mirrored rear wall (making the place look a lot bigger than it really is!), black and silver ceilings. Solid white/silver/black bar. This isn’t a rustic old ‘English style’ pub! The highlight however is the active brewery itself. If it wasn’t for the large glass wall separating the bar from the tanks and other brewing equipment, you’d think you were actually sitting in amongst it all. It’s a perfect use of the space.

A visit to the toilets is also a bit of a treat (not in any perverse kinda way)…the trip up the stairs behind the bar not only takes you past a second (secret) bar on the second floor, but at the toilet doors you get a birds eye view of the brewery. Special mention also goes to the image of the two jugs of beer on the female toilet door. I got the double meaning! At least I hope that was a double meaning otherwise now I do look like a perverse fool!

The Brasserie

Let’s quickly look at the food being dished up at Temple. When someone decides to open a brewery I doubt the food is the first thing the brewers think about. It’s the beer. Surely. But the food at Temple is in no way an afterthought. It’s good. Bloody good.

The menu includes gourmet snacks and nibbles – chicken liver pate, roasted almonds, fried potatoes, beer rarebit, olives, popcorn (yes homemade popcorn!), as well as more substantial mains such as beef chilli, pulled pork sop and goulash.

We went with the more dinner options and selected the beef chilli (‘Chilli Bag’) and pulled pork sop (‘Drowned Pork Sop’) and also munched on the Almonds (with herbs and pink sea salt) went very well with the beer.

This is a beer blog rather than a foodie blog but I do have to say the food was delicious. After travelling the US last year we both have a soft spot for pulled pork and all things chilli and these dishes were right up our alley. 

The biggest disappointment on our behalf was not trying the popcorn, but we just couldn’t manage to eat anymore. It sucked at the time but now I’m okay with it cos it just means heading back there again soon!

The Beer

As I said, the beers on offer are not as new as the establishment itself; however their range is certainly a lot wider than I had previously appreciated.

We started (like you should) with the Tasting Wheel ($12) which included five of their brews – Brunswick Draught, Bicycle Beer, Pale Ale, Soba Ale and their highly regarded Saison. Thanks to my wife’s sad puppy eyes we were also allowed to try the Midnight IPA! Bonus! 

Brunswick Draught

This is a good draught beer…very easy drinking and like most lagers or draughts made by microbreweries, has a good noticeable amount of hops and malt so you can actually taste something in the glass. Certainly suited the 30 deg weather!

Bicycle Beer

Temple’s lightest beer but isn’t especially light in alcohol (4.2%). The thing stopping it from being a run of the mill ‘lager’ is its level of tartness. I found this one really unique, which could be the ‘salt from an ancient sea bed in the Grampians’. That or they’re just taking the piss!

Pale Ale

An American style Pale Ale that is damn good. Not a lot to say really. Lots of hops and taste. If you like Pale Ales or more importantly IPAs, this is a beer you’ll enjoy. I certainly did!

Soba Ale

I tasted this half expecting some sort of Japanese noodle flavour! Whether it’s Japanese inspired I couldn’t tell. I could tell that it was a tasty, crisp ale and just a little bit bitter. I guess the wheatie taste gives it its clever name. Another good crisp brew that sits between the Pale and Bicycle in terms of lightness.

Saison

This is a cracking take on the infamous ‘Belgium farmhouse ale’. It seems every Victorian microbrewery is having a go at creating a Saison and Temple do a great version. High on aroma, faintly sour and very refreshing. Actually it’s almost too refreshing. It made me want another!

Midnight IPA

Hard to split the Pale Ale, Saison and this brew as the standouts. All three are excellent and this one is as unique as you’ll get. I’d previously tried Kooinda Brewery’s (excellent) Black IPA and this one is also fantastic. Black as stout and as hoppy as, well, an IPA…it’s a seriously good tasting beer. I wait with baited breath until this becomes more widely available!

That’s it folks! If I haven’t convinced you to head over to Temple Brewery & Brasserie sometime soon then clearly you mustn’t like beer. Or food! I certainly look forward to heading back there and sharing the place with a few friends.

Temple Brewery & Brasserie
122 Weston Street, Brunswick East
http://www.templebrewing.com.au
03 9380 8999

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

Drunken Pork Tummy

This recipe for beer steamed pork belly was created when I found a few cans of lager in my fridge that someone had brought over and left. Basically I didn’t want to drink it (I think it was Toohey’s Red) and started thinking of ways to cook with it.

This just worked. I’ve made it a number of times since and never really adjusted the ingredients (other than the type of beer used. More on that later)…

The best thing? It’s one of those meals that couldn’t be easier to make, but looks (and tastes) really flash. That I like!

Okay here’s what you’ll need –

·        1kg (approx) slab of pork belly

·        1 can/bottle of light coloured beer (lager, pale, pilsner)

·        3 or 4 garlic cloves

·        Tablespoon fennel seeds

·        Teaspoon of Chinese five spice

·        ½ teaspoon of cinnamon

·        Olive oil

·        Salt

Dipping Sauce –

·        Dijon Mustard

·        Honey

·        Light Soy Sauce

Prepare the pork belly by rubbing the fat/skin with some paper towel to remove any moisture, and then rub in with your hand a few good dollops of olive oil. Then cover the skin with a healthy (I mean unhealthy) amount of salt. Make sure all the skin is covered.

Heat a bit of olive oil in a fry pan (enough so the pork doesn’t stick) and fry the pork (skin side down) for 2 or 3 minutes. Stand back cos the pork will crackle and spit like a cut snake. This should give the skin a slightly crisp look about it. Remove from fry pan and set aside.

Take a roasting tray that’s at least a few inches deep and pour in the beer, fennel seeds, Chinese five spice, cinnamon and the garlic (simply smack the cloves with your hand or base of a knife and throw them in skin and all).

Place a roasting rack in the centre of the tray and sit the pork on the rack (skin side up). The pork should be sitting just above the beer but not submerged in it. You can add more beer if the tide looks a long way out, as long as piggy isn’t wet. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the skin (don’t touch it unless you want 3^rd degree burns) and crack a tiny bit more salt over the skin as you would have lost some in the fry pan.

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees centigrade and cook uncovered for 30 mins. Then reduce to 200 degrees and cook for a further 1.5 hours.

After 2 hours in the oven the pork flesh should be light brown in colour and juicy/tender, and the skin hard and crackly.

Whilst the pork belly cooks make sure you prepare the dipping sauce. Quantities will depend on how many are eating the dish but you’re basically looking at a mix of half Dijon mustard, half honey (couple of tablespoons of each) and a small dash of soy sauce.

Now whilst that’s cooking lets talk briefly about the beer. As I said, I’ve tried this with cheap run of the mill lager, home brew (pilsner, lager) or a more hop driven pale ale. Any difference can’t really be noticed which is very handy when looking through the bar fridge last minute to make it. Remember that the pork is only steamed by the beer rather than cooked in it so using different beer styles is not going to dramatically affect the finished product.

Cut into equal portions and serve with the honey mustard dipping sauce, oven roasted rosemary potatoes and green beans…or whatever the heck you like!

Whilst wine is traditionally the drink of choice when it comes to cooking with alcohol, there’s many things you can do with beer in the kitchen…whether you even like beer, or simply don’t want to drink a particular beer stuck up the back of your fridge!

Stay tuned for future instalments of Short & Stout Slurrings…which you never know, might even include other original recipes using beer!

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

Nice Work Bro!

Like a lot of people, I have travelled the world, worked overseas and (happily) returned to Australia. You drink the local beers of the country you’re in (at least I hope you do) and then return home hoping to find those beers. You do it cos you like them but to also relive that travel experience.

However what brothers Dave and Andrew have done is very much the fantasy of many of us beer drinking types.

After working in the US, they returned to Australia but missed American craft beers so much they decided to start a brewery and make their own US inspired beers. Stuff fantasies are based on. Or at least beer fantasies…

The first thing you notice before entering 2 Brothers Brewery is the fact it’s set in an industrial area of Moorabbin. Not the sort of area you’d expect to visit a brewery. Or at least not the type that doubles as a really cool beer hall.

The first thing you notice when you enter the brewery is the brewing equipment they have shipped in from the US (from a defunct New York brewery). In homage to the US each tank is named after a New York district – Brooklyn, Harlem, Hells Kitchen and so on. Quaint.

The other thing you notice is the size of the brewery. From the front it looks tiny; barely big enough for 20 people let alone beer making equipment. I home brew in my laundry. What on earth do these guys do? But once inside it is rather spacious. And what a great view! Behind the bar is the working brewery itself. There’s something about sitting and drinking your beer whilst looking at an active brewery brewing its brew. Hard to say. Good to do.

The brewery does basic really well. Simple $8 pizzas served on a paper plate (but bloody tasty), and what’s on tap you’re welcome to try if you ask – which is handy as they don’t actually offer a beer paddle option. We made sure we tried everything then settled on a pint of Growler to savour.

2 Brothers is well known for their numerous award winning seasonal beers such as Rusty, Voodoo, Guvnor, Terminator and so on. Being seasonal however means none were currently being brewed. Best you get for now are posters of the beers covering the walls!

Here’s a brief overview of their current brews on tap:

Taxi Pilsner

Very light coloured pilsner. Easy to drink and would go down very well during a beer drinking session on a hot summer’s day. Much more flavour than its pale light colour would suggest!

Growler

American style brown ale. You’d have to brew an American brown ale with all that American brewing equipment wouldn’t you? It’s an extremely good brown ale…malty, slightly hoppy and just a little fruity. Very much enjoyed the Growler.

Kung Foo (Seasonal Beer)

Their current seasonal beer, colour wise Kung Foo is as light as a lager but its taste is a pleasant surprise. Reminded me of numerous craft beers available in Japan, there’s a hint of lemongrass, ginger, grass…the brew is actually classified as a rice lager. Very summery, would go well with a massive plate of sashimi. Not bad at all.

Tabooki (Seasonal Beer)

Not available for tasting, however I have come across this funky named brew at a previous Fed Square Microbrewery Showcase. It’s an African Amber…unique name wise, but taste is more akin to a strong Belgium Ale (8%). Malty biscuit in a glass.

Gypsy Pear Cider

I’d say available more widely around Melbourne than any of their beers, Gypsy Cider is what a cider should be – crisp, dry but with a slightly sweet aftertaste and refreshing. A very decent microbrewery cider if you dig the pear variety.

Unfortunately the brewery is only open Thursdays and Fridays (until late), making it a little difficult to get to, but it really is worth checking out. To assist in drinking their beers, 2 Brothers offers a take home 2 litre bottle (‘growler’) filled with the beer of your choice (also an American inspired concept). As it is tapped draught beer, it should really be consumed within two weeks. Mine, filled with their Growler (no relation) was gone 2 days later. 2 Brothers can refill the growler at any time for $18 making the overall beer drinking, brewery visiting experience just that little more special. 

Now it’s just a matter of finding some time to get back there so they can refill it!

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!

Something's Brewin' Down South

It’s difficult to get much further south in Melbourne than its bayside suburbs. If you did, you’d end up either getting pretty wet or on a boat heading to Tassie. Hence the name of Melbourne’s excellent bayside brewery; True South.

Located on Beach Road in Black Rock, the brewery is across the road from Port Phillip Bay. You couldn’t get much more beach side without actually having sand under your feet whilst drinking your beer.

The brewery itself appears to be an old bicycle or auto repair shop…or something similar. I guess I could have asked as I was intrigued but I actually liked the idea of not knowing and holding onto the thought that the building had some interesting past. The truth itself may have been something quite lame.

As this is a beer blog I will stick to writing about the beers themselves…however special mention has to go to the restaurant. So often a brewery’s food selection is basic stuff that accompanies beer. Pizzas and the like. Nothing wrong with that…nothing at all. But the Argentinean restaurant at True South is first class. It’s far from simple fare but I challenge you to find better tasting chorizo!

Okay, it’s not an inexpensive restaurant and someone hoping for a few beers and a pizza will be disappointed. Rather, it combines two great Melbourne experiences. Fine dining and drinking local craft beers. Not often you get to combine them both at the same time!

Despite drinking the odd True South beer previously, we wanted to make sure we tried every beer during our visit and therefore got the good ol’ tasting paddle. Not getting a paddle at your first visit to a particular microbrewery is not just an outrage but should be made a crime in all states and territories.

Anyway, here’s a brief overview of True South’s (excellent) beers:

Summer Ale (Kolsch)

Apparently their biggest seller, it is (like most Kolsch) pretty easy to drink. Lager like in its appearance it goes down well as it isn’t too hoppy or malty. Basically think drinking session…and that’s not a bad thing!

American Pale Ale

Tasty. Having recently been to the States it’s a really good version. Doesn’t slap you in the face with hops and bitterness as much as some do in the States, but personally has a great balance of hops, malt and bitter after taste. Was very happy with this one.

New World Pilsner

Few years ago this would have been my pick of their beers before getting a real taste for hops. As far as pilsners go it’s a good one. Bit less hoppy than some German/Czech pilsners, but I guess that’s the point with the ‘new world’ reference! I’d say it’s a very good beer for lager/pilsner drinkers.

Dark Ale (American Brown)

This is a damn good dark ale. Nice amount of sweetness (bit of chocolate/caramel) without being too desserty…which isn’t even a word! Again, I’d say a great effort for an American style ale.

Red Truck Lager

My favourite! Like being on the East Coast of America where red ales are everywhere, this bad boy goes down a treat (I note however that it’s considered a more European style red). Little bit hoppy, malty and bitter, but doesn’t taste too ‘burnt’ like a few Aussie red brews I’ve had. This is one of those beers I’ll constantly keep an eye out for; in the hope I’ll see it in bottle shops.

So that’s it folks! If you’re interested, True South also does an excellent apple cider with the catchy name Little Miss Muffet. And I mean excellent. It’s actually one of the better ciders I’ve had from a microbrewery, which is a big call considering so many are doing such good ones these days.

Only disappointment from our visit to True South which I just have to mention is the fact they were sold out of their special Clock Tower IPA. Such a shame as I’d heard good things about it. Just sounds like an excuse to keep going back in the hope they brew some more!

Till then,

Cheers!…Prost!...Salute!...Kampai!