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 EDITOR’S LETTER
If the return of warmer weather wasn’t reason
enough for celebration, we are, for the first time in
a year and half, actually running a What’s On page
this Spring as we’re confident the days of last minute,
heart-breaking beer event cancellations are behind us.
WE ENCOURAGE And while that by no means indicates the shit show that has
RESPONSIBLE DRINKING transpired in the intervening time is over, it is reflective of the human capacity for
Get the facts DrinkWise.org.au resilience and the desire to just get out and make the most of this one life we lead.
So in the coming months of Spring, beer lovers can get out and about and attend a
PUBLISHED BY multitude of events as the likes of the Australian National Homebrewing Conference
Food and Beverage Media
(see main story page 56) and Oktoberfest celebrations nationwide all re-emerge from
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Tel: 02 9660 2113 Fax: 02 9660 4419 long COVID hibernations. Hats off to the people behind such events, for ploughing on
PUBLISHER and providing some much-needed normality back into all our lives, and here’s hoping
Paul Wootton | pwootton@intermedia.com.au plenty of you can get out and repay the favour.
EDITOR
Keeping with the season, we’re welcoming a return to lighter drinking styles this issue
Gifford Lee | gifford@beerandbrewer.com
by looking at the enduring popularity of the Australian-style pale ale that continues to
HOMEBREWER EDITOR
Jake Brandish | jake@beerandbrewer.com sell volume, and attract new palates, despite the heavy onslaught by more de rigueur
EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS beers. In our feature from page 8, brewers Jayne Lewis, Paul Holgate, Ryan Nobbs and Pat
Briony Liebich, Jono Outred, Steve Brockman, Adam Carswell
Keeble all discuss the style’s place in our beer culture and how it has been shaped, and in
NATIONAL SALES MANAGERS
turn evolved, to remain meaningful and a benchmark beer for many a brewery.
Joanne Davies – jdavies@intermedia.com.au
Lachlan Oakley – loakley@intermedia.com.au And somewhat continuing that theme on the pale ale’s evolution, brewer Steve
GENERAL MANAGER SALES – LIQUOR & HOSPITALITY GROUP Brockman deep dives (page 24) into mastering the mid-strength. The circa 3.5% beer,
Shane T. Williams especially in the pale ale category, has become a giant segment of the industry here
GROUP ART DIRECTOR – LIQUOR AND HOSPITALITY
in Australia as many craft breweries nail the category – offering fullness and flavour
Kea Thorburn | kthorburn@intermedia.com.au
when before there was not much of either. Thanks to Steve’s tips, you can have a
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Jacqui Cooper | jacqui@intermedia.com.au decent crack at making a good one for yourself.
SUBSCRIPTIONS Briony Liebich also charges you with good-to-have skills as she nose dives into our
Tel: 1800 651 422 | Fax: +61 2 8580 6312
sense of smell (page 20) and how it is vital to the overall sensory experience of beer.
subscribe@beerandbrewer.com | www.shop.beerandbrewer.com
Mail: PO Box 55 Glebe NSW 2037 Briony is also part of our tasting panel this issue (page 58) as we make our way through
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Copyright © 2022 - Food and Beverage Media

Spring 2022 3
CONTENTS

inside...
Spring 2022
FEATURES
8 Not paling in comparison
The Aussie pale ale clings on as
rivals approach

28 Hopping forward
36
Pushing beer’s boundaries with
advanced hop products

36 Treading softly
Breweries taking action on
sustainability

REGULARS
18 Style shoot
Pale ales

20 Senses Working Overtime

Sensory analyst Briony Liebich
nose dives into our sense of smell

24 The Deep Dive

Brewer Steve Brockman’s tips for
mastering the mid-strength

58 The Brew Review

137 craft releases with a focus on
Aussie pales

HOMEBREWER
46 Editor’s letters
48 Q&A with John Palmer
Sparkling ale

50 Jake’s Brew Log

Pacific ale

52 Seasonal focus “Our gas and electricity bills are one-tenth

55
Australian pale ale

Show us Yours
of what a similar sized brewery
57
Reader’s home brewing set-ups

Recipe
here in town is,”
A classic Aussie pale ale Scott Shomer, Helios Brewing

4 www.beerandbrewer.com
 A clear
improvement
to rapid
carbonation

Alfa Laval craft brewery centrifuges

with ProCarb inline carbonation
High-quality carbonation can be time-consuming, adding stress to your production
schedule. By integrating carbonation with clarification, we’ve created a groundbreak-
ing solution. What used to take days is done in a couple of hours. Now, you can boost
efficiency while staying true to the craft.
Alfa Laval’s centrifugal separators maximize product recovery, while securing the qual-
ity and character of your beer. By adding CO2 during centrifugation, ProCarb readily
dissolves the gas into tiny bubbles throughout the liquid. Giving you clarified beer
with nothing added but tight, stable carbonation.
You can rely on Alfa Laval’s proven technology to promote quality and sustainability in
your brewery, no matter the size. Oxygen pick-up is eliminated in the centrifuge. And
thanks to exceptional energy-efficiency, environmental impact is kept at a minimum.

Contact Alfa Laval Australia to find out more.

alfalaval.com.au
WHAT’S ON

Things to do in Spring
PENINSULA VINEHOP FESTIVAL
Mornington Peninsula VIC: November 12 & 13
Celebrating and showcasing the craft beer,
cool-climate wines, cider and spirits produced
on the Mornington Peninsula, this year’s
VineHop takes place across two days in
November. VineHop Saturday features eight MP
venues and celebrates around 30 wine, spirit,
spritzer, craft beer and cider brands. Festival-
goers travel by bus between venues and enjoy
tastings, live music or DJs and food trucks at
each location. Then, coupled with 20-plus craft
beverage bars and food trucks, makers market
and plenty of kid’s entertainment and activities,
VineHop Sunday Sesh, held at The Briars in
Mount Martha, will be a fun, memorable day out
with family or friends. vinehopfestival.com.au

PLUS DON’T MISS

GOLD COAST BEER &
CIDER FESTIVAL Kangaroo Valley Craft Beer & BBQ
Broadwater Parklands, Southport September 17 & 18 The Friendly Inn
QLD: October 22 kvbbq.com.au
After being rudely interrupted last
year by the pandemic, the inaugural Oktoberfest at Hofbräuhaus
Gold Coast Beer & Cider Festival September 17 – 29 Melbourne
will now take place on Saturday 22
hofbrauhaus.com.au
October. The festival will be staged in
the Broadwater Parklands between
Oktoberfest in the Gardens
11am and 5pm, with over 40 premium
craft beer and cider producers and Various locations and dates in October
five distilleries expected to participate. oktoberfestinthegardens.com.au
The festival is being organised by the
Schwartz Family Company, which has Australian National
operated the Canberra Craft Beer & Homebrewing Conference
Cider Festival for over a decade, and the Hunter Valley Wine & Beer Festival. Tickets will cost October 14 & 15 Melbourne
$20 per person for online pre-festival bookings or $30 per person on the day (under-18s are
anhc.com.au
free), giving access to a wide range of premium local and interstate craft breweries, gourmet
food vendors, live music, and other festival activities. Individual tastings will be from $2 per (see our story on page 56 for more details)
100ml tasting. The family-friendly atmosphere will include free activities for children.
Bitter & Twisted
gcbeerciderfestival.com.au
November 5 & 6 Maitland Gaol
bitterandtwisted.com.au

6 www.beerandbrewer.com
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AUSSIE PALE ALES

Not paling in
comparison
THE MODERN AUSTRALIAN PALE ALE HAS BEEN SHAPED
BY DECADES OF INNOVATION AND CULTURE, BOTH ON
A COMMERCIAL AND CRAFT SCALE. FROM CULT-LIKE
INTERPRETATIONS, THAT HAVE WELL AND TRULY STOOD THE
TEST OF TIME, TO THE FRESHEST OF ITERATIONS BOASTING IN
VOGUE “JUICY” OR “HAZY” CHARACTERISTICS, THE HUMBLE
PALE ALE HAS NOT ONLY EVOLVED BUT HAS HELPED SHAPE
WHAT ALL MODERN AUSTRALIAN BEERS LOOK LIKE.
BY JONO OUTRED

8 www.beerandbrewer.com
 AUSSIE PALE ALES

T
he Australian pale ale has become
somewhat iconic throughout its
history. From some of the original
Australian craft breweries of the late
80s and early 90s, the uncomplicated
Aussie pale has been a catalyst in
many ways. From beer styles and pale ale derivatives,
through to the brewers and breweries who brewed them,
this once simple style has had immeasurable influence
on the current Australian beer landscape and identity.
Today, you would be hard-pressed to find a brewer
in Australia who hasn’t brewed or isn’t at least familiar
with the style. Although there are perhaps fewer pale
ales today in lieu of haze bombs, fruited sours and the
like, many modern styles have their roots in pale ale,
not least the obvious sub-styles like the popular XPA
and hazy pale ale.
The Australian pale ale has without a doubt stood
the test of time and has moved with the ebbs and
flows of the craft beer industry. But with modern
interpretations and sub-styles emerging, and
subsequently sustaining its popularity, it seems the
humble Aussie pale has plenty more strings to its bow
as we move into the future.

Spring 2022 9
AUSSIE PALE ALES

“Other styles have

come and gone but
the Australian pale
seems like it will
last forever. The
people buying it
might change, but
the volume of those
buying it doesn’t,”
Jayne Lewis,
Two Birds Brewing

THE BEGINNINGS
The Australian pale ale has long been a staple
in the local craft drinker’s diet and whether
they’re a current fan or not, it’s likely where
most really started to develop their taste for
a simple, climate appropriate beer but with
flavour. For many, once the likes of light
lagers had been explored, it was common
in the 2000s to move onto something
with a little more character, perhaps Little
Creatures’ Pale Ale, James Squire’s 150 Lashes
or Coopers’ Pale Ale, for example.
One of those, and celebrating its 21st
birthday this year, is Holgate Brewhouse’s Mt
Macedon Pale Ale.
Holgate have released many pales and
pale ale derivatives since founding in 1999 to
much acclaim, but that original Mt Macedon
recipe still stands strong within their core
range offering.
“We haven’t chased trends and evolved the
style (with this one). It’s a well-balanced, lower
ABV pale with good hop character, but not too
bitter or resinous, and using traditional hops
such as Cascade that make it an easy-drinking
crowd-pleaser,” co-founder Paul Holgate said,
who believes staying true to its original style
has helped to sustain its success.
“Whether it’s a lager in most markets, or
wheat beer in Germany – pale ales in Australia
fit the same spot, where consumers want to
drink something not too taxing on the palate
or hip-pocket, so there is always going to be
demand for that style of beer, I think there is
always going to be a market for that.”
Jayne Lewis is another early adopter of
the Australian pale, having co-founded
Melbourne’s Two Birds Brewing in 2011. The
style has featured within their product range
in one way or another over the last 11 years
and Jayne believes it hasn’t had to change
too much over, instead becoming a local craft
beer staple.
“I don’t think the pale ale has changed too
much, to be honest. I think it’s a bit of a
stalwart in Australian beer and they do still
exist, it’s still a healthy category. Other styles
have come and gone but the Australian pale
seems like it will last forever. The people
buying it might change, but the volume of
those buying it doesn’t.”
For many, the pale ale is merely a gateway
beer for bigger things and for others it’s their
regular go-to. But for brewers, it’s a catalyst
for expansion, brand recognition, quality and
innovation. Not many other beers within the
craft world can boast such a diverse, multi-
faceted identity among both drinkers and
brewers alike and the pale ale, despite all it
has done already, has many more tricks up
its sleeve.
BREWING THE MODERN VERSION
Despite its long, celebrated history as a staple
of local brewing, the Australian pale finds
itself at the forefront of contemporary craft
beer. Where many iterations have stood the
test of time and offer consumers a safe and
repeatable product, many brewers are looking
to this style as a firm footing for more
adventurous offerings, too.
Although it should be noted that many
classically styled pales are certainly not
dull, brewers have found ways to elevate the
simple style into something that walks a fine
line of offering consumers an approachable
product, while also standing out amongst
the highly varied shelves and taps of craft
beer establishments. One such brewery is
Western Australia’s Cheeky Monkey Brewery,
who have been brewing a hugely successful,
multi-award winning XPA since 2021.
Their head of brewing operations Ryan
Nobbs believes the pale ale has remained a

10 www.beerandbrewer.com
www.stoneandwood.com
.au
AUSSIE PALE ALES

steady ship through an evolving beer world, but new variations find a
sweet spot between flavour, creativity and the required drinkability.
“You have a direct trade-off with drinkability and complexity, and I
think this is the appeal of the Aussie XPA. We need to build a beer that
can carry a decent hopping regime and relatively firm bitterness but
remain in the high drinkability area for drinkers.
“When you get into fruited sours and 10 per cent hazy beers, you’re
there to taste, evaluate and have a sensory experience. For us, a true
XPA is all about focus and balance.”
Pat Keeble is the production manager at Stone & Wood who have the
Cloud Catcher Pale Ale. He also believes the Australian pale ale relies
on a simple equation, one that is tried and true at the Northern Rivers
brewery he calls home.
“It’s just the four basic ingredients – water, hops, malt and yeast
– and the same brewing techniques we’ve always used. Balance is
always at the forefront of everything we do, so when adding lots of
Aussie hops like we do in Cloud Catcher, it’s important we’ve balanced
it out with the right malt bill.”

“You have a direct trade-off with drinkability and complexity,

and I think this is the appeal of the Aussie XPA,”
Ryan Nobbs, Cheeky Monkey

Importantly, the pale ale still manages to hold its own amongst
its craft counterparts. In some cases, they’re the easy drinker
between the pantheon of firmer-flavoured styles. But for many, they
provide plenty of flavour and variety on their own, thanks in part to
innovative breweries and the necessity of adapting to changing tastes.
Ryan explained: “I think the spectrum of beer has changed to
accommodate higher alpha acid Australian and American hop varieties.
Since Australian pales first hit shelves, many different ABVs and malt/
hop bills have come out. I think that’s a great thing, that creativity and
interpretation is a driver of the craft beer industry.”
Over the years, the Australian pale ale, with all of its stability, has
somehow managed to not only be an impetus for style innovation, but
has also cleverly ridden the coat tails of the creative, contemporary
craft beer movement to remain highly relevant and progressive.

A CULTURAL ICON
For many, the Australian pale ale isn’t just a style, but a significant
cultural contribution to our beer landscape. Many consumers look
back at the origins of the current craft beer world and picture what
would have been a defining beer of the times.
Beers like Holgate’s Mt Macedon, Nail Brewing’s Nail Ale, Bridge
Road’s Australian Ale, Coopers’ Pale Ale and Matilda Bay’s I.G.P all
leant into the concept of a unique pale ale for Australian consumers
when firm boundaries as to what that looked like didn’t exist.
Today, the style is well-defined and has remained relevant for many
drinkers. Jayne believes the style’s familiarity may play a part in its
enduring status.
“It’s a crowd pleaser and it’s a beer that has captured the
Australian mindset. It’s a beer that people keep going back to. There’s

12 www.beerandbrewer.com
IN CANS SPRING 2022

330mL bottles available now fromww

holgateshop.com
w.holgateshop.com
and a stockist near you
@holgatebeer
AUSSIE PALE ALES
a view that some beers, like IPAs and sours,
can be too intense and there’s something
familiar about pale ales that’s approachable
and offering something for everyone.”
And Pat believes the style isn’t only
enduring but is a big contributor to the
functionality of Australian craft beer.
“The popularity of pale ales came about as
an overall reaction to the norm of the time:
mass produced lager with an inoffensive,
neutral flavour profile. It has been a good
foundation for the evolution of other styles
but importantly, it’s been a key driver in
the emergence of a successful and local hop
industry in Australia with a now global reach
and presence.”
The significance and impact of the style
can’t be understated. Brewers and drinkers
alike recognise its contribution to the
Australian craft beer landscape, and despite
all the fanfare around more eccentric styles
that dominate beer fridges and social media
feeds, Australian brewers are still brewing the
style in one way or another.
Paul muses that the style will likely change as
consumers do, which isn’t a predictable thing.
“It’s an evolving style both here and
overseas. I think it’s going to be extremely
difficult to identify any common consumer
perspectives as there is a such a wide
14 www.beerandbrewer.com
demographic drinking craft beer these
days, there are so many different views and
subjective tastes on what a pale ale should be.”
BEYOND THE PALE
It’s hard to determine whether longevity is
the driver of innovation, or vice versa for the
Australian pale ale, but both are ensuring the
style continues to evolve and prosper.
In recent years, a rise in the genre-
bending XPA has been noticeable with many
sound examples being brewed by Australian
brewers, while the style also hasn’t been
immune to craft beer’s obsession with the
hazy and the juicy.
But where does the style go from where it
is now? In a world, where on one end of the
spectrum of popularity sits dense, lactose-
bolstered smoothie sours and on the other light
European-style lagers, the pale ale hangs out
somewhere in the middle. It’s a style that may
be challenged by a lack of visibility at times, but
Australian brewers are standing by it.
For Pat, the style has plenty of evolving to
come too
“I think we’ll continue to see more blurring
of lines between styles and variations of
pale ale, like we have with hazies and IPAs. I
personally think we’ll see more exploration
in the yeast used in APAs, similar to how
we’ve seen it in cold IPAs and IPLs. There’s
no ‘should’ when we’re talking craft beer.
Things will be what they will be and people
will drink what they drink. People’s tastes are
very subjective and should be respected.”
Mirroring Pat’s thoughts, Jayne also
believes the style may change, but the style’s
popularity will prove enduring.
“It’s hard to see the pale ale going away.
Sure, there’s the potential for it to decline as
other things get more popular and I think there
will be some adjustment as people’s palates
change, but I think they’re most definitely
here to stay. They’re well understood and
don’t require too much thought, there’s a
comfortable reliability tied into the pale ale.”
Its apparent that many brewers, and
consumers alike, throw their support behind
the pale ale – and will continue to do so
into the future. With all the choice available
to craft drinkers today the pale ale acts as
somewhat of a barometer for innovation and,
for many, a respite from some of the more
intense styles that are currently in vogue.
“I hope they stay approachable for the wider
audience,” Ryan at Cheeky Monkey added.
“I think the Australian pale and the XPA are
fine where they sit, where you don’t have to
worry about who you hand a tin too, as they are
approachable enough for everyone.”
IT’S
PRETTY
GOOD
HERE.
EUMUND
PALE ALE
A fresh, full-flavoured, mid-strength
pale ale. This Australian pale ale is a
deep golden colour, with a delicate stone
fruit-come-tropical aroma from Galaxy
and Enigma hops balanced with a slight
biscuity malt note. It’s pretty good in
your favourite hotel’s beer garden.
Like ours, right here in Eumundi.
AUSSIE PALE ALES

As Aussie as it gets
As it stands, the modern Australian pale ale finds itself represented in many different formats – from the classically
styled to contemporary interpretations featuring hops, yeast or malts of interest. We’ve gathered a cross-section
of these from across our brewing landscape to highlight the evolution and diversity of the much-loved style:

BentSpoke Brewing Stomping Ground Nail Brewing Cheeky Monkey

Barley Griffin 4.2%
Firmly in the sessionable end of
the pale ale spectrum, a touch of
haze is evident along with tropical
notes and some grassiness with a
crisp, clean finish.
See page 64 for a full review.
Big Sky Park Ale 4.3%
Though not labelled as such, this
lands firmly in the hazy pale realm
where light citrus and grass is
prominent against a clean yeast
profile and a light body.
See page 62 for a full review.
Hazy XPA 6.5%
By one of the OG Aussie pale
brewers, this might feature US
Sitiva hops but is brewed for
our climate. Peach, mango and
nectarine all feature atop a light
body with a tight, clean finish.
XPA 4.8%
Light, balanced and entirely
uncomplicated, the winner of the
2022 AIBA for Best Australian
Style-Pale Ale boasts bright citrus
and pine – sans resin – against a
pale, clean base beer.

The Grifter Holgate Brewhouse Wayward Brewing Young Henrys

Pale Ale 5.0%
Citrusy, zesty hop character is
met with lasting soft lemon and
grapefruit notes. A golden pour is
striking and carries some gentle
malt sweetness.
See page 64 for a full review.
Mt Macedon Pale Ale 4.5%
Honey coloured, with a soft white
head, it’s lean and clean, with
caramel malts complementing
the light citrus and tropical
hops perfectly.
See page 64 for a full review.
Everyday Ale 4.2%
A ripping beer and definitely easy-
drinking, good malt texture and
pronounced bitterness puts this
in-between a classic and a
modern pale.
See page 64 for a full review.
Newtowner 4.8%
A classic of the last decade, It
provides a subtle aroma and
flavour, with good balance and
low bitterness, delivering easy-
drinking refreshment.
See page 64 for a full review.

16 www.beerandbrewer.com
 Eumundi Brewery
Day
Pale Ale
A fresh, full-flavoured mid-
strength pale, it’s a deep golden
colour with a delicate stone fruit
and tropical fruit aroma from
Galaxy and Enigma hops that’s
for it!
balanced with a slight biscuity
malt note.
FOOD MATCH
Burger & fries
ABV: 3.5%
SPRING, BEACHSIDE, FISH AND CHIPS, COLD, Style: Australian Pale Ale
CRISP AUSSIE PALE ALE – SAY NO MORE. RRP: $16 per four-pack
eumundibrewery.com.au
PHOTO:
Oneill Photographics
oneillphotographics.com.au
18 www.beerandbrewer.com
Balter Brewing
XPA
Tropical and floral aromatics set
off a fruity palate that punch
your taste buds in the pleasure
zone. Finished with a refreshing
bitterness, it’s tailored for those
who enjoy a fully-hopped beer
that’s still easy to drink.
FOOD MATCH
Fish & chips
ABV: 5.0%
Style: Extra Pale Ale
RRP: $18.99 per four-pack
balter.com.au

Wayward Brewing
Everyday Ale
Super sessionable, this is a beer
for enjoying everywhere, anytime.
The crisp, light malt profile is
complemented by aromatic tropical
fruit and citrus notes courtesy
of Australian-grown Galaxy and
American Cascade hops.
FOOD MATCH
Smoky meats
ABV: 4.2%
Style: Australian Pale Ale
RRP: $23.99 per six-pack
wayward.com.au
Brick Lane Brewing
One Love
Soft-bodied and bursting with
fresh and bright hop aromas
and stone fruit, passionfruit and
citrus flavours from a late dry
hop, it’s golden straw in colour
with a delicate haze from malted
and flaked wheat.
FOOD MATCH
Takeout curry & footy on TV
ABV: 4.4%
Style: International Pale Ale
RRP: $22 per six-pack
bricklanebrewing.com
PALE ALE PROMOTION
Holgate Brewhouse
Mt Macedon Pale Ale
First brewed in 2001 and their
third beer taken to market, it’s
designed to be a refreshing,
everyday pale with a balanced
malt and hop profile with bright
and fruity aromas from a mix of
Australian hop varieties.
FOOD MATCH
Wood fired pizza
ABV: 4.5%
Style: Australian Pale Ale
RRP: $19 per four-pack
holgatebrewhouse.com
Stone & Wood
Cloud Catcher
A refreshing pale hopped with
Galaxy, Ella and Enigma to deliver
tropical and stone fruit aromas
and flavours. With a medium
bodied mouthfeel from the blend
of pale and crystal malts, it finishes
crisp, with a firm bitterness.
FOOD MATCH
Trout ceviche
ABV: 5.0%
Style: Australian Pale Ale
RRP: $78 per 24-pack
stoneandwood.com.au
Spring 2022 19
SENSES WORKING OVERTIME

The nose
knows best
SENSORY ANALYST BRIONY LIEBICH NOSE DIVES INTO OUR SENSE OF
SMELL AND HOW IT IS VITAL TO OPTIMISING A BEER TASTING EXPERIENCE.

20 www.beerandbrewer.com
 SENSES WORKING OVERTIME
W
e perceive the
world through
our eyes, ears,
skin, nose and
mouth. These
sensory organs
continuously feed information via our nerve
cells into our brain, we then act based on our
interpretation. Sensory communication can
be physical (touch, sound, temperature), or
chemically detected from smell or taste.
There is far less investigation on smell
compared with vision and hearing, as smell
was widely believed to be an inferior and
underdeveloped sense. This false belief
traces back to 19th Century neuroscientists
who noted that the human olfactory bulb is
smaller than other mammals like dogs that
rely heavily on smell, making our sniffing
skills far less acute. Although this is the case,
our human brains make the most of what we
have. Our olfactory bulb has a similar number
of sensory neurons to other mammals,
and we use scents to manage much of our
behaviour and emotional responses.
SMELL TRIGGERS MEMORY
Odour molecules and receptors take a direct
path to the brain’s limbic system – the region
related to emotion and memory – unlike
other senses like taste. That’s why smell can
trigger memories of your childhood or have
associations with people you know. What
we smell and how we react is a continuous
process that develops our sensory memory.
It is not easy to recognise and identify
smells immediately, but when you can
pinpoint them, they will stay with you. The
more you consciously use your nose in
everyday life, the stronger it gets. By smelling
and tasting a variety of foods and beer styles,
you are improving your memory recall and
tasting ability.
SMELL IS THE KEY
We sense smells wafting from a glass when
we breathe in, and flavours in the mouth
when we breathe out. For that reason, the
terms aroma and flavour are interchangeable.
I demonstrate this in my workshops by asking
people to pinch their noses when eating a
jellybean. Instead of noticing the flavour, all
you can taste is sweet. Try it next time you
sip a beer. You should only notice basic tastes
like bitter and mouthfeel sensations like cold
or fizzy carbonation. When you unpinch your
nose, there are chemical sensations at play to
help you determine flavour.
Flavour is a combination of what you
smell via the nose (orthonasal) and through
the back of the mouth (retronasal). These
two smelling pathways to receptors in the
olfactory bulb can lead to discrepancies in
specific smells compared with those you get
in your mouth as flavour perceptions after
sipping a beer.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT
TO SMELL BEER FIRST?
The evolutionary role of smell is to give us
detailed information about what’s around us
or about to be swallowed. Will it be spoiled or
harmful or be pleasant and refreshing?
One problem with the olfactory system is
that odours are airborne and volatile, a word
derived from the Latin verb volare, meaning
“to fly”. These molecular compounds in
flight can be tricky to catch which is why
there are different smelling techniques at
our disposal (see table). Once you’ve poured
beer into a glass, it’s important to start with
a few short sniffs before you consider the
appearance as aromas are so fleeting.
Never underestimate the role your nose
plays in beer tasting. Besides smell informing
most of what you perceive as flavour, you
can build your expectations of quality and
enjoyment which enriches the whole tasting
experience. Is the beer fresh? Are the aromas
attractive? Are they jumping out of the glass or
a bit muted? Remember, the colder the beer,
there will be less noticeable aromas to detect.
BEER TASTING IS A
MULTI-SENSORY EXPERIENCE
Try to describe the flavours of that fabulous
pale ale you had on the weekend and you’re
likely to only recall if you liked it or not.
Aromas are especially tricky to find words for,
but why is that?
Odours are almost never perceived as
isolated compounds, but in a mixture. Beer is
a complex product made from four seemingly
basic ingredients: water, malt, hops and
yeast. Each ingredient contributes its own
aromas with lots of background noise, not
to mention the possibility of additional
ingredients. To sharpen your sensory skills,
become a sensory detective noticing what you
smell and taste and how it can change during
a tasting. Ask yourself what specific aromas
can I smell? How could they get in the glass?
Spring 2022 21
SENSES WORKING OVERTIME
Smelling techniques
Distant: swirl while holding glass 15-20cm
away from your nose, take 1-2 short sniffs.
Drive By: swirl, slowly pass glass under
your nose, take 1-2 short sniffs.
Short: swirl, bring glass to your nose, take
1-2 short sniffs.
Long: swirl, bring glass to your nose
taking a long sniff.
Covered: use hand to cover glass, swirl 3-5
seconds, bring glass to your nose, remove
hand and sniff.
Remember, flavour perception continues
after sipping and swallowing beer.
(This is based on the Cicerone Certified
Beer Server syllabus.)
22 www.beerandbrewer.com
An effective way to train your senses is
to organise a blind tasting. Disguise labels
and brands of different foods and beers or
ask someone to serve you. Our senses are so
easily confused. Removing information that
can bias your perceptions allows space to
focus on aromas and flavours and engage all
your senses.
FINDING THE RIGHT WORDS
This is a challenge. The “tip of the nose”
phenomenon is real. We often say “I know
that smell, but what is it exactly?”. It helps
to have a reference in our mental library of
smells. Even when we can find descriptors,
we all use different words for the same
stimuli and find it hard to agree on intensity
levels. A malty beer with caramel aromas can
be described as toffee, vanilla, burnt sugar,
nutty, confection and candy. There are many
resources to improve our knowledge and
causes of flavour such as beer flavour wheels
which categorise common descriptors into a
user-friendly design.
TUNING OUT TO TUNE IN
Our senses quickly adapt to the
environment. We tune out overpowering
smells when given time to adjust like when
stepping into a café with freshly ground
coffee. It commonly happens during tasting
when you lose the ability to distinguish beer
aromas after sniffing a glass continuously or
for too long.
Olfactory adaptation is a natural defence to
avoid overwhelming our senses. Without it, we
might miss other unique or important aromas
that might cause us to recoil like smoke. As
smell heavily influences taste, your taste buds
also adapt when eating and drinking. Your
first sip of a beer may be quite bitter, but the
effect decreases as you get used to the taste.
The best way to avoid overloading your senses
is to rest your nose and palate. Pause regularly
and smell something neutral like your sleeve
or a glass of water, especially if tasting
multiple samples or strongly flavoured beers.
BECOME A SENSORY DETECTIVE
The nose knows the benefits of conscious
smelling to greater appreciate what’s in
your glass. No one can tell you exactly what
you’re smelling so you need to listen to your
nose. You can improve your ability to name
aromas and memory recall by smelling a
variety of foods and tasting different beer
brands and styles. Be guided by your nose
and trust your instincts.
Briony is a Certified
Cicerone®, sensory
consultant and
tasting coach for
her brand Flavour
Logic. Her focus is
to improve quality
and education of all
things boozy.
 THE FUTURE OF HOPS THE FUTURE OF HOPS

HOPS HAVE BEEN THE DOMINANT

FACTOR IN THE CRAFT BEER
WORLD OVER THE LAST DECADE
AND CURRENTLY BREWERS ARE
SPOILED FOR CHOICE WHEN IT
COMES TO THE VARIETIES, AND
THE TECHNIQUES TO HARNESS
THEM, AT THEIR DISPOSAL. BUT
INCREASINGLY SO THEY’RE
ADDING ADVANCED PRODUCTS
TO THEIR BREWING REGIMES TO
PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF WHAT
A HOP-FORWARD BEER CAN BE
AND IN TURN ARE HELPING TO
SHAPE THE FUTURE OF BEER.
BY JONO OUTRED

T
he world of hoppy beers
has never been cut and dry.
Instead, these beers fall
within a broad and diverse
spectrum that encapsulate
a multitude of styles that
all have the one common and vital ingredient:
the bitter, fragrant and lush green flowers of
Humulus lupulus.
The use of hops and hop-derived products
today is not only a necessity, but responsible
for much of the identity of modern craft beer
and the diversity of contemporary styles.
MASTER THE MID-STRENGTH! PRO BREWING TIPS FOR LOW ALC BEERS
The use of hops within beer across the globe
is prolific, with supply sometimes even
struggling to meet demand, while consumers
INCLUDING
crave the latest in vogue varieties. As is the
case with any hot commodity, this demand
has spurred on innovation and a modern
evolution of the once humble hop flower.
Thanks to ongoing demand and the way in
which the modern beer industry functions,
hops are at the heart of exploration within
the wider craft sector. From packaging,
processing, and logistics, down to the

FORWARD
chemistry and biology of the flowers and
plants themselves, hops have evolved
considerably in recent years.
This evolution is in part driven by
ISSUE 62 SPRING 2022
the trends that dictate
PRICE a$9.95
need(NZfor more

ALPHA
$11.95)
engrossing hop-forward beers, but also due
MASTER THE MID-STRENGTH! PRO BREWING TIPS FOR LOW ALC BEERS to a demand for improvements in efficiencies

INCLUDING and quality across all beer styles. In any case,

hops play a vital role in the current realm of

137
PALE
craft beer and given the rapid rate in which
they’re evolving, they’re likely to continue
CRAFT BEERS
being the centre of attention.
REVIEWED
28 www.beerandbrewer.com Spring 2022 29 BREWER JAYNE LEWIS
ISSUE 62 SPRING 2022
ON THE AUSSIE PALE’S
ALPHA
PRICE $9.95 (NZ $11.95)

ENDURING POPULARITY
137
CRAFT BEERS
REVIEWED PALE
BREWER JAYNE LEWIS
THE NOSE
ON THE AUSSIE PALE’S
ENDURING POPULARITY KNOWS
TASTING SECRETS
THE NOSE
KNOWS
TASTING SECRETS
HOPPING
HOPPING
FORWARD FORWARD
THE FUTURE THE FUTURE
OF HOPS
OF HOPS

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THE DEEP DIVE

24 www.beerandbrewer.com

Mastering the
mid-strength
AS THE BEER INDUSTRY MOVES TOWARDS BEERS WITH SHRINKING ALCOHOL VOLUMES, BREWER
STEVE BROCKMAN DEEP DIVES INTO SOME OF HIS BEST TIPS AND TRICKS FOR MAKING MID-STRENGTHS SING.
I
f you were to cast a quick eye over
the Australian brewing scene of
the last thirty years, you would
be able to easily spot a consistent
beer trend. A volumetric tax excise
regime means that the more
alcoholic a product is, the more brewers
and breweries have to pay in excise tax. As a
result, many beers in Australia have tended
to be between 4.0 and 6.0% alcohol. Because
of this it can be said that Aussie brewers are
some of the best in the world when it comes
to driving flavour, balance and body in lower
alcohol beers. So how can you make these
mighty mids?
WHAT IS MID-STRENGTH?
Firstly, let’s define the category. Broadly
speaking it’s an evolving spectrum of beers
that are between 3.5 and 4.5% alcohol by
volume. Full-strength is deemed above
4.5%, and low alcohol is generally sub 3.5%
ABV. “No alcohol” can contain up to 0.5%
alcohol. Within this small slither of alcohol
boundaries, many of Australia’s highest
selling beers fit within the mid-strength
definition, for example XXXX Gold, Great
Northern, Hahn Super Dry 3.5 and Carlton
Mid. To many beer drinkers, mid-strength
beer is often derided as low flavoured and
thin-bodied. But many modern craft classics
buck this trend – think Bridge Road’s Little
Bling, Pirate Life’s Throwback IPA and
Colonial Small Ale are just some of many
mid-strengths delivering big flavour on small
ABVs. How do they do it?
MALT
When constructing a mid-strength recipe,
it’s often tempting to take a regular beer style
and then adjust it to make it lower in alcohol.
Brewers should be mindful, however, that
alcohol itself is a flavour driver and simply
scaling down a recipe so that it is lower in
alcohol will not yield great results. Care has
to be taken to replace the flavours lost, and
build a fuller bodied product.
Consider Rogers’ Ale from Little Creatures.
Named after Roger Bussell and Roger Bailey,
it was the former who took on the task
of helping to improve an out-of-favour
mid-strength – the Amber Ale –in the
Little Creature line-up. The beer now is
often described as a bit of a hybrid: a mix
between the body of an English Bitter, with
the hopping schedule of an American Amber
ale. To achieve this Bussell and the team at
Little Creatures tweaked the recipe to include
more Caramalt, bittered with East Kent
Goldings and late hopped with US Cascade
and Australian-grown Galaxy. Lessons can be
learned from the Amber Ale redevelopment:
increasing or introducing caramel malts into
the malt bill lends sweetness that can then
carry higher bittering and hopping loads. The
hop bill is clean up front, a nod to English
Bitter heritage, and is deftly balanced with
newer world hops in the end. The result is a
great beer, and one that most people don’t
realise is a lower alcohol product.
Including caramel and crystal malts,
especially from the English maltsters, can
help to boost body. Other grains, such as
wheat or spelt, are higher in proteins that
positively affect head retention. Wheat can
make up to 15 to 40% of a malt grist; higher
proportions can start to result in lauter and
run-off problems. If you’re really chasing a
fuller, thicker beer, using flaked oats, flaked
barley and flaked wheat can significantly
THE DEEP DIVE
increase the perception of a bigger bodied
beer. These flaked grains contain higher levels
of beta-glucans which add viscosity to beer.
Specialty malts such as Dextrin Malt and
Carapils can also improve the perception of
the body, and also help to maintain good head
retention. Deft use of chocolate or lighter
roast malts, such as Weyermann’s Carafa I,
can add yet another layer of flavour and bring
beers within recommended colour ranges.
Increasing the mash temperature is a must.
A mash temperature of 68°C to 70°C ensures
plenty of body is left in the beer at the end of
fermentation. Aim for a longer boil too - the
longer the boil, the more Maillard reactions
take place. Honey, malty, toffee and lighter
chocolate flavours can be derived from a
longer boil and add real depth to a lighter
alcohol beer. If you’re worried about your
post-boil gravity, simply replace enough
water to hit your desired target. Rest assured
that any flavour hard won in the kettle will
carry through any minor gravity adjustments.
WATER
Getting your water chemistry right is the
cherry-on-top of brewing. If you nail all the
fundamentals of brewing, you should end
up with a good beer, but small changes via
brewing salt additions can take that good
beer and elevate it into a great beer. Water
chemistry can be, ironically, a relatively dry
subject, but if you’d like to brush up and learn
more, dive into John Palmer’s book Water.
There are also tools out there like Martin
Brungard’s famous Bru’n Water spreadsheets,
or apps such as BeerSmith and Brewfather.
You can simply select your current water
profile, and then select a water profile that
suits the style of beer you’re brewing. The
Spring 2022 25
THE DEEP DIVE
calculators do the rest and let you know
what salts you can add into the mash and
the sparge. In very general terms, you can
add chloride to boost the perceived fullness
of a beer. Many current NEIPAs work on a
chloride to sulphate ratio up to 3:1 to present
the fuller bodied, pillowy mouthfeel that’s
characteristic of the style.
YEAST
There are many options when it comes to
yeast, but the simple core strains often give
great results. Yeasts with English origins
will often have lower rates of attenuation,
and leave more body in the final product.
Yeasts such as White Labs WLP002, Danstar
Windsor and Fermentis Safale S-04 can
be great additions to a lower alcohol beer.
Fermentation is also a key driver of flavour.
Take a minute to think about the overall
aim of the beer. If you’re looking to have
fruity hops on the nose, create some of
that fruitiness with yeast-derived esters by
turning up the fermentation temperature.
Generally for a full bodied beer, ale yeasts
will be the best option. Try to ferment
towards the higher end of the recommended
temperature range.
HOPS
If you’re just scaling down a standard beer
recipe to make it mid-strength, hops will
often be the downfall. Adding the same
26 www.beerandbrewer.com
proportion of hops will often not deliver the
same hop character in a lower alcohol and can
overdo it. Bitterness and hop-derived flavour
and aroma is best balanced according to the
malt bill, rather than alcohol.
An easy way to calculate the hops required
for your next mid-strength is to brew to the
BU:GU ratio. The ratio is a measurement
of Bitterness Units (measured in IBUs) to
Gravity Units (Original gravity, measured
in Specific Gravity points, divided by 1000).
There are plenty of charts and tables to find
the approximate BU:GU ratio for any beer style
you’d like to brew. Wheat beers sit somewhere
around the 0.25 BU:GU mark, pale ales 0.70
and IPAs neatly on the 1.0 BU:GU ratio. This
ratio gives you the ballpark in which to aim
for, but make sure you look at your recipe as
a whole. If there is a higher level of crystal
or caramel malt, a higher rate of hopping
(specifically bittering hops) can bring balance
and avoid overly sweet, syrupy beer. Dry
hopping can also be used to add fresh hop
character, elevating relatively normal beers
to something special. Don’t be afraid to use
aroma hops late in the boil to pack a punchy
nose for a relatively small beer.
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
Instead of reinventing the wheel and creating
recipes from scratch, turn to European
brewing traditions to find inspiration and
building blocks for your mid-strength recipes.
Saisons, especially French-style, are
conventionally mid-strength ales. In recent
years many saisons have been amplified,
resulting in higher alcohol booze bombs. But
their traditional counterparts are often much
lower in alcohol, bone dry and deceptively
hoppy. Berliner Weisse – a soured wheat beer
from Germany – is also a lower alcohol beer
that proves popular with beer drinkers and
“non-beer” drinkers alike.
Moving into fuller-bodied ales, English
style milds and bitters are a great category
of beers to emulate. Designed to be both
full-bodied and easy-drinking, milds and
bitters form the backbone of traditional
pub culture in the UK and can be a great
starting point when developing recipes. A
little further north, 60 Shilling Ales out of
Scotland are ruby red, infinitely smooth pints
of deliciousness.
Use the beer styles to provide springboards
for your ideas. Fancy a hop forward easy-
drinker? Lean on saison’s dry finish and dry
hop with new world varieties such as Citra
and Mosaic. Fancy a beer to warm up during
the wet weather? You could take an English
style mild and incorporate a small proportion
of smoked malt to add depth of flavour and
interest. You could add dark roasted malts
to a bitter, you can fruit a Berliner Weisse.
And remember, just because a beer is lower
alcohol doesn’t mean it can’t be full-bodied
and full of flavour!
THE FUTURE OF HOPS

28 www.beerandbrewer.com
 THE FUTURE OF HOPS

HOPS HAVE BEEN THE DOMINANT

FACTOR IN THE CRAFT BEER
WORLD OVER THE LAST DECADE
AND CURRENTLY BREWERS ARE
SPOILED FOR CHOICE WHEN IT
COMES TO THE VARIETIES, AND
THE TECHNIQUES TO HARNESS
THEM, AT THEIR DISPOSAL. BUT
INCREASINGLY SO THEY’RE
ADDING ADVANCED PRODUCTS
TO THEIR BREWING REGIMES TO
PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF WHAT
A HOP-FORWARD BEER CAN BE
AND IN TURN ARE HELPING TO
SHAPE THE FUTURE OF BEER.
BY JONO OUTRED

T
he world of hoppy beers
has never been cut and dry.
Instead, these beers fall
within a broad and diverse
spectrum that encapsulate
a multitude of styles that
all have the one common and vital ingredient:
the bitter, fragrant and lush green flowers of
Humulus lupulus.
The use of hops and hop-derived products
today is not only a necessity, but responsible
for much of the identity of modern craft beer
and the diversity of contemporary styles.
The use of hops within beer across the globe
is prolific, with supply sometimes even
struggling to meet demand, while consumers
crave the latest in vogue varieties. As is the
case with any hot commodity, this demand
has spurred on innovation and a modern
evolution of the once humble hop flower.
Thanks to ongoing demand and the way in
which the modern beer industry functions,
hops are at the heart of exploration within
the wider craft sector. From packaging,
processing, and logistics, down to the

FORWARD
chemistry and biology of the flowers and
plants themselves, hops have evolved
considerably in recent years.
This evolution is in part driven by
the trends that dictate a need for more
engrossing hop-forward beers, but also due
to a demand for improvements in efficiencies
and quality across all beer styles. In any case,
hops play a vital role in the current realm of
craft beer and given the rapid rate in which
they’re evolving, they’re likely to continue
being the centre of attention.

Spring 2022 29
THE FUTURE OF HOPS

WHEN A HOP IS NOT A HOP

In the past, a hop was just a hop. You would have picked it, thrown
it into wort and called it a beer. But centuries of brewing and hop
growing has taught us a lot about the hop flower and how we can best
utilise it to produce better quality beer. Paired with environmental and
economic impacts, hops, and the people who grow and use them, have
had to innovate.
In 2022 you might hear words like biotransformation, terpenes,
polyphenols and isomerisation being bandied about and wonder what
kind of tertiary degree you need to understand the complex subject of
hops. Realistically, you can leave most of the techy stuff to growers
and brewers. But consumers can enhance their experiences with craft “WE ARE SEEING SO MANY NEW
beer by having some insight into how different hop products and
varieties can contribute to the beer you love (or hate).
PRODUCTS AND WAYS OF USING
Ross Terlick is the head brewer at Rocky Ridge Brewing in Jindong,
WA, where hops feature heavily. Ross believes the variety of hop
HOPS COME FORWARD, IT FEELS
products on the market today – some which are used at Rocky Ridge – LIKE WE LEARN SOMETHING NEW
is exciting on many levels.
“It’s a really exciting time around craft beer now. We are seeing so EVERY DAY,” ROSS TERLICK,
many new products and ways of using hops come forward, it feels like
we learn something new every day.
ROCKY RIDGE BREWING
“I think Cryo hops and Lupomax are both great for bags of
aromatics and increasing our yields. I like to layer them with normal
hops though, as I still love the character T90 (hop pellets) give you.”
Ross certainly isn’t alone in his excitement for new, innovative hop
products with many brewers getting behind new technologies and
hopping procedures in the brewhouse. One Australian company at
the forefront of research and product development is Hop Products
Australia (HPA) – the largest hop grower in Australia who have their
own plant breeding program as well.
Their head of sales and marketing Owen Johnston said the range
of innovative hop products on the market right now offer modern
brewers a stack of benefits.
“There are real benefits to brewing with flavour-focused innovation
products from HPA, regardless of whether it’s an enriched pellet or a
liquid solution,” he said. “It’s about bang-for-buck, it’s about beer
recovery and it’s about creating flavour impact. In some situations,
it can be about getting older equipment modified to apply modern
brewing techniques.
“Many different techniques have been explored to maximise the
impact of traditional T90 pellets in beer, but brewers are increasingly
moving toward the elimination, or management, of these challenges
through the use of flowable and fully dissolvable liquid hop products
like Flex, Incognito and Spectrum.”
Although hopping requirements vary between brewers and
conventional pellets are still widely used across the industry, the world
of hop products has evolved considerably over the last five to 10 years.
But alongside these new products, technologies and equipment,
modern craft brewers are also experimenting with new techniques and
ideas that improve or enhance their hop-forward beers.

“IT’S ABOUT BANG-FOR-BUCK, IT’S ABOUT BEER

RECOVERY AND IT’S ABOUT CREATING FLAVOUR IMPACT,”
OWEN JOHNSTON, HOP PRODUCTS AUSTRALIA
30 www.beerandbrewer.com
Our Aussie hops have

STACKS OF
FLAVOUR
Now they have stacks
of personality too!

Scan
for their
fresh new
look
THE FUTURE OF HOPS
“THE IDEA IS BIGGER PUNCH
WITH LESS MATERIAL,”
DANNY WARNER,
MOUNTAIN CULTURE
MAKING MODERN BEERS
IN A MODERN WAY
Beer is greater than the sum of its parts and
hops are but one of the ingredients that
conspire to yield noteworthy beers. With the
evolution of hops, hop-derived products and
modern hopping techniques and concepts,
comes a shift in the way brewers create the
beers that require them. Thanks to these
innovations, brewers have more control than
ever when it comes to showcasing hops.
Where once upon a time the rule of thumb
was more hop volume equalled more hop
flavour, the many products now within
a brewer’s toolbox enable an ability to
manipulate their hopped beers and to dial in
very specific flavour and aromatic profiles.
HPA’s advanced hop product Spectrum, for
example, is a 100 per cent hop-derived fully
dispersible liquid product for dry hopping
that’s available in a range of hop varieties
including Citra, Eclipse, Enigma, Galaxy,
Mosaic and Vic Secret. For brewers, this
means all the hop aromatics of dry hopping
with pellets or hop cones but with increased
brewing yields and reduced tank time for
more efficiency.
Cryo hops, similarly, help brewers to
achieve higher, cleaner hop flavour with
less bitterness and astringency thanks to
cryogenic hop-processing technology that
yields pellets of concentrated lupulin-
containing resins and aromatic oils.
Hop extracts – for achieving bitterness
with minimal hop flavour or aroma – and
anti-foams have also grown in popularity
among craft brewers due to their propensity
to reduce waste and ultimately save money.
32 www.beerandbrewer.com
But how do these innovative hop products
translate into the beers we drink? Depending
on what is being brewed, these products can
increase yields and reduce cost for brewers,
which likely means more affordable beers
for consumers. Though not necessarily an
overriding consideration for either party, it
can ultimately result in beers that feature big
hop flavour for fewer dollars at the checkout.
Danny Warner, head of production at
Mountain Culture, said: “The idea is bigger
punch with less material, so there are savings
on yield since you shouldn’t lose as much
beer in spent hops. You can also argue that
it’s beneficial for keeping grassy character
in check when using large hopping ratios.
The potential savings in material and in yield
need to be weighed against price.”
Danny added that it isn’t just new,
innovative products that get a look in at
Mountain Culture, but new ideas about how
brewers should be using hops, as well as
some classic thinking, too.
“Brewers are certainly keen to be playing
with all the various products and new hop
varieties, as well as experimenting with
different ways to use hops. Playing with new
varieties and finding creative ways to blend
them is always exciting for us. We also like
to play around with where and when we add
hops. For us, it’s all about making the best
beer possible. We experiment a lot. And
sometimes it’s the old school, tried-and-true
methods that come out on top.”
When it comes to modern thinking
about hop utilisation in the brewery,
experimentation and research has led to some
interesting and successful movements across
craft beer. The way in which hops interact
with yeast, as well as a focus on specific times
and temperatures across the brewing and
fermentation process have been pivotal in the
way contemporary beers look and taste.
One example of a technique that is truly
changing beers is dip hopping – a process
akin to steeping tea, where a portion of the
boiled, unhopped wort is separated and
cooled to a certain degree before hops are
added. The remaining wort has bittering hops
added but relies on the steeped, unbittered
portion to provide the aromatic component
of the beer. In theory, it then yields a highly
fragrant hop profile with balanced bitterness
and less undesirable compounds than beers
hopped via conventional methods.
This recently popular process is just one
innovation that brewers are quickly getting a
handle on and are using to their advantage.
Biotransformation (a process where yeast
changes less desirable hop compounds into
more desirable ones), double dry hopping
and “micro-dosing” are further examples
of brewers pushing the boundaries of how
hops can better work for them and the beer
they make.
For Ross, it’s do or die for the modern
brewer, and developing more efficient ways
to use hops can be as important as developing
new products.
“As the industry continues to grow, and
with increasing climate pressures hops are
going to get a lot thinner on the ground,
we need to continue to innovate to survive.
Finding ways to maximise the extraction
we get from current hop products might be
more important than developing new ones.”
 THE FUTURE OF HOPS

Innovatively hopped beers

Hoppy beers come in many shapes and
sizes, where hop products of all definition
feature. Though perhaps perceived as
“non-conventional”, many of these products
feature in some of our favourite hoppy beers
and are often the defining factor in others.
Here’s a few of our current favourites hailing
from both the west and east coasts:

Rocky Ridge Ctrl C/Ctrl V

IPA 6.0%
With Citra in Lupomax, Cryo and T90 form
(Vic Secret also makes an appearance), the
balanced bitterness almost goes unnoticed
against vibrant, pulpy stone fruit and citrus drinktec 2022
characters that last long into a fruit- Krones Pacific Pty Ltd. Munich,
dominated aftertaste. Tel: +61 2 9647 0200 12-16 September
E-mail: info@krones.net.au Hall B6

Deeds Brewing Snake Oil

Triple IPA 10.5%
Dry hopped at 30g/L and featuring Cryo Citra
and liquid Incognito, this is heavy with Citra
hop character with moderate sweetness and
tacky, lasting hop flavours of pine, pineapple
and overripe stone fruit. See page 60 for a
full review.

Eagle Bay Brewing Hop Punch

Hazy IPA 6.6%
Utilising the popular dip hopping method
and liquid Citra (plus T90 Vic Secret, Strata
and Talus), this is loaded with citrus, sweet
pine and stone fruit. Bitterness is just
present against a touch of malt sweetness
and hangs on a medium finish.

The future starts

in our heads
Bridge Road B2 Bomber Discover our sustainable innovations
Mach 12.0 at krones.com
Imperial Belgian Black IPA 10.1%
This a mish mash of bright, clean hop
character, yeast esters and rich, complex
malt. Clean, sharp tropical notes come care
of Cryo Sabro without the dank and are
deftly layered on intense, rich, malt-leaning
flavours. See page 59 for a full review.
THE FUTURE OF HOPS
HOPPING TO CONCLUSIONS
The world of hop products has advanced exponentially over the past
decade and is trending to continue that way, which will adversely
impact the way hoppy beers are presented to consumers. A neoteric
relationship between brewers and hop producers has now been well
established, where product developers offer solutions while brewers
continue their pursuit of making hop-centric beers better whilst
dialling in efficiencies.
Economic and climate pressures are also playing a big part in
the way hops and hop products are evolving, but so is that drive for
better, more exciting beer.
In 2022, consumers are seeing beers that not only use innovative
hop products but celebrate and champion them. Products like
Lupomax, Cryo hops, experimental clones and liquid hop terpenes
are now in many cases the entire focus of a new range of hyper-
specific beers. The same goes for techniques, of course, where
brewers can now offer new interpretations of beers where process is
the defining factor.
For many, a hop will always just be a hop, but within the blurring
lines of style guidelines and limitations in the contemporary world of
craft beer, brewers and hop producers have pushed the frontiers of
what hop-driven beers can and should look like. You wouldn’t expect
it any other way.
34 www.beerandbrewer.com
The hop doctor
The name Ron Beatson may have only hit major headlines fairly
recently due to his namesake hop, and what he calls his “baby”,
Nectaron becoming one of the brewing world’s newest rockstars,
but the good Doctor’s lupulin-stained fingerprints are all over many
more of the most sought after and performance-driven varieties to
emerge out of the South Pacific. Having only recently retired from
New Zealand’s Plant & Food Research after almost four decades at the
helm of the country’s hop breeding program, Dr Ron has helped bring
the likes of Nelson Sauvin, Motueka, Riwaka and many more exotic
sounding varieties through the long and rigorous road to commercial
release with NZ Hops – Aotearoa’s major co-operative of master
growers. Now working in an ambassadorial role with said co-op, he’s
well-placed to speak on the future of hops in this part of the world
because the next hops to emerge out of New Zealand will still bear
his handiwork. In fact, NZ Hops will this Spring unleash their first new
commercially available hop variety since Nectaron’s release in 2020
which Dr Ron has nursed through their breeding program for the last
decade (he still said it’s being “fast-tracked”!). They plan to repeat
the formula with other new cultivars every couple of years for the
foreseeable future.
“I started my hop research in 1982 and back then it was all about alpha
acids – that was it. In many respects that’s what hops contributed
to beer and no one thought any more of it. But the swing towards
specialty hops, or new world hops, has been huge as the craft beer
industry took shape and boomed. That will continue to be the future
of hops.
“But I also like to think that hops have a future in breaking into the
non-beer world. We know they’re closely aligned with cannabis, with
similar biological characteristics, and I’m sure a lot of those same
compounds in hops have similar health benefits – from their soporific
qualities through to anti-anxiety properties.”
In terms of the advanced hop products that NZ Hops’ varieties
are being showcased in, brewers will be familiar with Total Natural
Solution’s range of hop oil extracts that offer full or partial
replacement of pellets for dry or late hopping. Nectaron, as well as
Motueka, Kohatu, Moutere, Rakau, Waimea, Wai-iti and Taiheke can all
now be accessed in extract format which carry sustainability attributes
alongside punchy and consistent hop performance.
Dr Ron said these types of products will only increase in prevalence
and their specialty uses.
“I think we’re only at the tip of the iceberg. Diversification of products
is, and will be, very important in the modern way of approaching
brewing and particularly when breweries are mindful of expense and
their overall footprint.
“If you can make a hop’s characteristics go further but with less, then
it’s only going to help drive the future of hops.”
 Working with
brewers to shape the
future of Hops

bract
brewing
programme official_bract_brewers
BREWING SUSTAINABLY

“You’ve got to
put community
above profit, you
just have to,”
Corinna Steeb,
Prancing Pony

36 www.beerandbrewer.com

TREADING
Softly
ADAM CARSWELL SPEAKS WITH A GROUP OF INDUSTRY-LEADING
BREWERIES DETERMINED TO REDUCE THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINTS, ONE
STEP AT A TIME.
B
rewing our national drink of
choice has traditionally been
a huge consumer of water and
energy, as well as a significant
producer of waste, with,
formerly, no apologies given and
none particularly asked for.
But it’s also 100 per cent true that nowadays
the passion many breweries hold for their
product is just as much reflected in their
concern for the environment, and they’re
busting their bellies in a myriad of ways to
reduce the overall mark they’re making on
the planet.
For example, there’s a growing batch of beer
brands designing and building breweries from
the ground up with sustainability at the top of
the agenda; those working with scientists to
improve sustainability across industries; and
many more making it easier for drinkers to
recycle packaging materials.
“I have children and grandchildren and I want
them to have a planet to live on,” said Corinna
Steeb, the irrepressible co-founder and CEO of
BREWING SUSTAINABLY
Prancing Pony Brewery in the Adelaide Hills.
“It’s more expensive to be conscious about
the environment. But the price that the future
pays for us not doing it is much, much higher.
You’ve got to put community above profit, you
just have to.
“To me, it’s not about having to big note
yourselves about what you do. It has to become
part of your business model and has to be there
right from the start.”
On the other hand, Young Henrys’ co-founder
and Independent Brewers Association chair
Richard Adamson believes consumers have also
become “very savvy” in making purchasing
decisions, based on manufacturers that meet
their “moral and ethical standpoints and maybe
have a similar worldview”.
“(They’re) definitely looking at companies
to take the lead,” he said. “They want to see
genuine change.
“This idea that being independent and being
small is enough of a story, I don’t think it is
anymore. I think people’s expectations have
gone beyond that.”
Spring 2022 37
BREWING SUSTAINABLY

“Our gas and electricity bills are

one-tenth of what a similar sized
brewery here in town is,”
Scott Shomer, Helios Brewing

BUILDING FROM WITHIN

You’d be hard-pressed to come across a
more passionate champion of sustainability
in Australian beer than Helios Brewing
Company owner Scott Shomer. He’s a former
environmental engineer, Al Gore-trained
climate change presenter and a member
of the Independent Brewers Association’s
Sustainability Project Group, who designed and
built his brewery in Brisbane’s Yeerongpilly with
the environment front of mind. (Helios was also
the recipient of the 2021 Brisbane Lord Mayor’s
Award for Environmental Sustainability in
Business, no less.)
“I sat down for a couple of years with some
butcher block paper and I said ‘alright, let’s Kiwi ingenuity
use your engineering for good’,” Scott said. Winning Wellington brewery Garage Project is taking things so seriously it’s one of a
“First, I mapped out ‘how do you brew beer?’. growing band of breweries to appoint its very own, standalone sustainability manager in
For months I went through the same sort of Steve Almond.
linear process. “Earlier on, a lot of the focus was on waste minimisation because we didn’t have tons of
“Then… I said ‘right, okay, let me put in a cash to do stuff like change plant and equipment,” Steve said. “Then we started tracking
box all the things that require heating up’. Then and measuring our emissions. Then Pete Gillespie, our co-founder and head brewer,
wanted to formalise things and we looked at a range of different carbon off-set options.
I put in another box all the things that require
cooling down. “I think it’s becoming expected. You see it regularly in the news and surveys that
consumers want industry to do this. But it really came from the founders.
“All of a sudden it was as clear as the light and
the day that all of the efficiencies in a brewery “The off-set projects are really cool, (but) the goal is reduction. We’re trying to reduce our
emissions per litre (of beer) made – kilograms of CO2 per litre. We’re making some gains
are about the transfer of heat.
and we’re only in year three.
“So I went ‘a ha!’ and started designing the
brewery (around that).
“It’s got to be embedded in day-to-day decisions, which is something we’re constantly
working on. How can we do it sustainability with everything else we need to do?
“We use a heat exchanger, like all breweries
Sometimes it’s tricky to balance.
do, but most breweries dump the hot water that
“There’s other things that trump sustainability sometimes. It’s got to work. It’s got to be
comes off down the sewer,” he explained. “But
affordable. It’s got to be attractive to the customer. And sustainable.
we capture it (the waste heat is 65 to 70 degrees
“That’s where that emissions per litre comes in. It just makes it really clear. An easy way
Celsius) and save it for the next batch of beer.
to reduce our emissions would be to make less beer. If we want five per cent reduction
“Then I have a super high efficiency solar per year, we could just make five per cent less beer. Measuring per litre makes it a lot
thermal hot water system here on the roof. I more meaningful.”
send small batches of this 65 to 70 degree water

38 www.beerandbrewer.com
SMART • SUSTAINABLE • SIMPLE

PakTech has Repurposed a Billion Recycled Containers into Packaging Handles

ON DEMAND CAN APPLICATORS

www.paktech-opi.com
BREWING SUSTAINABLY

up to the roof, and in minutes, it comes back down at 95

degrees. And we haven’t spent anything on power or gas.
“Then we do the exact opposite. We have solar PV
(photovoltaic) panels, and when we’re producing more
power than we need, instead of exporting it to the grid,
we turn on the chiller to a second big tank, and we chill
three tons of water down to three degrees.
“The result? I have two giant tanks – one of them
has three and a half tonnes of 65 to 70 degree water,
which is effectively a solar battery, storing solar energy
as heat, and the one next to it, I’m storing solar energy
as cold.
“What it means overall is that our gas and electricity
bills are one-tenth of what a similar sized brewery here
in town is.”
Corrina is also putting her money where her mouth is,
after joining up with Endeavour Group (Dan Murphy’s,
BWS) to reuse and recycle PakTech can clips.
Through the program, Prancing Pony collects the 100
per cent recyclable
clips from selected bottleshops in South Australia and
reuses them at their brewhouse.
“Our brewery has very strong principles about the
five Rs – that is: recycle, reuse, reduce, rethink and
renewable,” Corinna said. “We’re constantly thinking
about the circular economy. It’s a totally ingrained
principle in everything that we do, so it was just logical for
us to extend that (through the program).
“From the moment we switched from bottles to cans,
the can clip was always (problematic) for me. So from Pack leaders
day one, internally we had the recycling program. Then Designed and made with FSC Certified cardboard by Johnston Packaging – the
I bumped into (a representative) from Endeavour at the Sydney-based Australian-owned and family-run business that’s been servicing
2021 Australian International Beer Awards. I was sitting the likes of the beverages industry for over 50 years – KlippaKan is one of the
more recent beer can handle solutions to hit the increasingly footprint aware
next to him and he said they wanted to roll the project
local craft beer industry. With Sydney brewing company The Grifter the first to
out on the eastern seaboard, and I said ‘well hang on. I pioneer its credentials, we’re now starting to see more and more brands jump
want this to be rolled out in South Australia (too)’. on Johnston’s cardboard wagon to solve this packaging need in a greener way.
“So we joined forces. Basically, Endeavor puts those
But the KlippaKan, and its complementary applicator the KlippaPly, are no
recycling bins into the Dan Murphy’s store and people overnight sensations. Almost five years “and hundreds and hundreds of hours”
drop their clips off, and when our driver delivers our have gone in to the design and testing of KlippaKan to produce its unique
beers to them he picks them up and they get reused double layered locking system, making it exceptionally strong and versatile to
again and then recycled. hold up to the rigours the modern-day brewery and consumer expect a beer
can handle to withstand.
“We now get, of course, other people’s clips. Our
clips are four-packs and black, and we now end up with “We recognised the need for an environmentally friendly product in the
market, especially with the push to remove plastic from the supply chain,”
all sorts of colors. They go to our front of house and
director Rodney Johnston said. “It’s made from beverage grade cardboard to
they get reused there when people make up their own give the consumer confidence when taking from fridge to car to Esky. Both
(takeaways).” KlippaKan and KlippaPly have now been in the market for over 12 months
PakTech’s Director of Marketing Elizabeth Kouns (and)… the best test has come from the consumer. This has proven to be an
said: “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do outstanding success.”
at PakTech – from the way we produce, to the material As manufacturers, Johnston can offer bespoke solutions depending on a
we use and to the product design. We believe a circular brewery’s needs, which include providing a three dimensional view of the
product for a boosted fridge presence plus they can be individually barcoded to
economy is key to achieving a sustainable future. This
reduce labour needs.
is why we manufacture products made from 100 per
cent recycled containers that are in turn recyclable Rodney added: “With KlippaKan, it’s as easy as sending (the brewery) our
design outline and letting (their) creative team get started with some exciting
and reusable. This model perfectly encompasses full
artworks before handing it over to the team at Johnston Packaging to take
circular packaging”. care of the rest. Our experienced staff will help make this process seamless.”

40 www.beerandbrewer.com
FORGET
PLASTIC
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PACKAGING PLASTIC BRANDING
BREWING SUSTAINABLY

“This idea that being

EMBRACING THE SCIENCE
independent and being small
Another widely covered and hugely innovative project, that literally
threatens to take the brewing and rest of the world by storm, is of course
is enough of a story, I don’t
Young Henrys’ and the University of Technology Sydney’s Climate
Change Cluster Algae Project. According to Richard, it all started,
think it is anymore. I think
fittingly, over a beer.
people’s expectations have
“I met the people from UTS socially, and they invited us to come down
and have a look at what they were doing. It was really fascinating to see,” gone beyond that,”
he said. “It struck me that a lot of things they were talking about in terms
of managing algae were similar to what we did with managing yeast. It just
kind of did the opposite job. Richard Adamson, Young Henrys
“That led to the thought of maybe there’s a way you can have an almost
symbiotic relationship between yeast and algae, in that yeast is taking in
sugar and making alcohol and producing CO2 as a by-product. (With) algae
you’re taking in the CO2, turning it into sugar to grow and produce oxygen.
“Then the question came around, what would you do with that algae?
I remember reading about the macro-algae seaweed asparagopsis that
was being fed to cattle to reduce methanogenesis. So I put that to the
scientists. That was the start of what’s been now coming into four years
of research.
“Once we’ve proved all the science behind it, that’s where we see it
working, is that you would capture all the CO2 from your fermentation and
the excess would go into growing the algae. Then that would ultimately
find its way to the farms to be fed to the cattle.
“We’re hoping that from the farmer’s perspective, what’s essentially a
supplement will assist them in getting better value out of their cattle feed,
because they’re not wasting some of the input in terms of turning that
into methane.
“We really just wanted to contribute to the science. At this stage we
definitely believe we’ve got something that’s going to be useful.”

42 www.beerandbrewer.com
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BREWING
SUSTAINABLY

“Some people are driven

by money, some people
are driven by branding
and their image, and
some people are in
corporate responsibility
and reporting. I don’t care
why somebody wants
to be sustainable.
I’ll help anybody,”
Scott Shomer, Helios Brewing

MUCH MORE TO DO
Looking forward, Scott at Helios said that
while he’s got his brewery’s footprint down
“very, very low… as long as (we) still burn gas
and burn electricity, we have a footprint”.
“(The award) has given us a huge amount
of recognition. This is now getting me in
front of other business leaders to talk about
the need for sustainability across industries.
“Some people are driven by money, some
people are driven by branding and their
image, and some people are in corporate
responsibility and reporting. I don’t care
why somebody wants to be sustainable. I’ll
help anybody.
“There are lots of simple solutions. It
may not work with all systems, but like
I said, it’s a matter of sitting down and
getting your butcher block paper and
mapping out what you’re using and how you
use it and what you really need to use.”
Richard added: “It’s a constant effort.
It’s one of those things that you don’t just
solve your sustainability problem. You’ve
got to keep on working at it. It can be really
daunting when you first look at it, too. I
think it’s just a matter of taking achievable
steps to get you on the path.”
Getting a grip
A Melbourne-based family engineering business owner and craft beer devotee responded to
a slowdown in work during COVID by designing the first recyclable plastic can holder to be
manufactured in Australia.
“I run a mechanical engineering business (A.B.U. Engineering). We build and design
machinery and machine components,” Jonathan Buntz explained. “When COVID hit,
everything went really, really quiet.
“Ecogrip was born out of ‘what else can we do?’. It was something I’d always thought about
doing and COVID presented the opportunity to actually go out and have a crack.
“It was sort of like a perfect storm. I’ve got the background in designing, packaging and
packaging machines. So I have that knowledge, and that gave me a bit of a head start to
design my own product.
“I’ve always been a craft beer enthusiast, so I’m always seeing the other types of packaging
that’s in the market and thought there was space for a locally made product. And then with
COVID and all the supply chain issues, it really helped a lot of breweries think about what
other options might be out there for them to use.
“We source the recycled plastic locally, from a company around the corner.
“Brouhaha (our first customer) heard about us and got in contact. They really liked the
product and said they’d like to come on board and place an order. It’s always a massive,
massive help when other potential customers see that there’s someone else in the market
that’s using it.
“We’re dealing with a few other breweries, Tallboy & Moose, Your Mates, Shapeshifter…
I’ve spoken to 30 to 40 different breweries since the start of the year now and being
environmentally conscious is definitely up there with one of their key focuses. That is a big
driver for them. It definitely helps them make the decision to move across (to Ecogrip).
“The feedback that we’ve been getting, as well as the environmental aspect of it, is that
(although) the packaging that they were using is recycled, it’s recycled overseas. So all
you’re doing is importing more plastic into the Australian system, whereas by recycling it
onshore, you’re creating a continuous loop rather than bringing in more.

44 www.beerandbrewer.com
www.ecogrip.com.au
info@ecogrip.com.au
 46 Editor’s letters
48 Q&A with John Palmer
50 Jake’s Brew Log
HOMEBREWER

52 Feature: Aussie pales

55 Show us Yours
56 ANHC
57 Aussie pale recipe

Editor’s letter
G’day brewers! It’s time to put the Uggies away and get ready for our Spring issue. With the new season
delivering, hopefully, a little bit more warmth, it’s time to start heading towards lighter beers, so this issue
sees us exploring Australian pale ales in all their glory and history. We also head out to Wolli Creek to see
Simon’s home brew set-up, John Palmer gives us the low down on sparkling ale and we showcase the return of
the ANHC after a four-year, COVID-driven hiatus.
Cheers, happy brewing!
Jake Brandish
HomeBrewer Editor
jake@beerandbrewer.com

Letters
WRITE IN FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN! TELL US WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND BY EMAILING
JAKE@BEERANDBREWER.COM OR THROUGH OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS, FACEBOOK, TWITTER
AND INSTAGRAM: @BEERANDBREWER

WIN
OUR EPIC
SPRING PRIZE PACK!
I want to hear from more of you so I’m giving one reader each issue
the chance to win a fantastic goodie pack from KegLand while we’ll also
throw in a year’s subscription to the print and online versions of the
magazine as well. Send me letters, recipes, photos of your set-ups, your
home brew club news, anything, and the best response (separate to the
Editor’s choice letter winner) during Spring will win. Email me at
jake@beerandbrewer.com

The $280+ KegLand gift bag includes:

30L FermZilla All Rounder Pressure Brewing Kit, Fermentation
heating wrap belt with velcro strap (30watts), FermZilla All
Rounder 30L jacket, KegLand trucker cap, beanie and more!
Go to KegLand.com.au for all your brewing supplies
Last issue’s winner of the KegLand prize pack and magazine subscription
was Simon from Wolli Creek in NSW who is the focus of our regular Show us
Yours segment in this issue. Turn to page 55 to check out Simon’s fantastic
homebrew set-up.

46 HomeBrewer
 Editor’s Choice

HI JAKE,

Long time reader, first time

writer. Over the last couple
of years I’ve tried to make at
least one recipe from each
Beer & Brewer issue and
have recently tapped your
Jake the RIPA red IPA recipe
from the Autumn 2022 issue.
I loved this beer, with its
malty flavour profile, which
is a perfect cooler weather
drop. I did struggle to find
Northdown hops in Perth but
a friend suggested subbing
in Challenger which worked
a treat. And I’m thinking of
upping the Galaxy hops next
time around. If anyone is
looking for a bolder version of
Little Creatures’ Rogers, I can
highly recommend this recipe.
Now I’m looking forward to
trying Cowaramup Brewing’s
Chocolate Porter from the
last issue. Keep up the great
work guys!
Cheers,
Pete

Love your work Pete, and for

that you’ve just scored the
Ss Brewbucket as this issue’s
Editor’s Choice letter!

Thanks to the legends at New Era Brewing, Pete’s letter wins our Editor’s Choice award this issue –
the Ss Brewtech 26 litre Brewbucket fermenter that’s made with only the finest brewer’s
grade 304 stainless steel. Retailing at $269, it features a stackable design, a conical bottom which allows
trub to settle and a rotatable racking arm to let you rack off clean beer.

Go to: newerabrewing.com.au for more great home brewing equipment.

Spring 2022 47
 Q&A
Sparkling
ale THE GURU OF HOME BREW JOHN PALMER LOOKS
AT THIS MOST AUSTRALIAN OF AUSTRALIAN PALE ALES.
E
very beer producing and
consuming country has their
own version of pale ale – a
simple combination of malt
and hops, generally at a 1:2
bitterness to gravity ratio,
although that can creep up to a 3:4 ratio if they
like their beer more bitter. India pale ales hit
the 1:1 ratio, for comparison. But your basic
pale ale is a simple beer, generally a single pale
ale malt, a single hop variety for bittering and
aroma, and much of the character of the beer
coming from the yeast. British pale ales are
known for their fruity esters, Belgian pale ales
for their phenolic spicy character, American
48 HomeBrewer
pale ales for the lack thereof, and Australian
pale ales for being sparkling.
WHAT’S ITS EXACT CHARACTER?
It has been 10 years or so since my last visit
Down Under, and I confess that Coopers
was not high on my list because of the many
other local craft breweries that were plying
me with their wares. But when trying to
define the sparkling ale’s nature, I turned
to my good friend and homebrewing author
Peter Symons of Sydney who has made a
detailed study of the beers of Australia. He
replied that Australian sparkling ale got its
start at Coopers in 1862, then called just ‘ale’
and distinguished from other pale ales by
continuing to use bottle conditioning with its
less flocculent yeast, which therefore tended
to have greater attenuation and resulted in
the beer having higher carbonation in the
bottle, hence “sparkling”. This moniker
grew in popularity in the late 19th Century
with both Adelaidean and imported brands
where sparkling was meant to imply both
clear and high carbonation. The style was a
contemporary of the last of the India pale ales
and Burton ales, and likely shared the same
yeast(s). All yeast cultures at the time were
multiple strains and the Burton strain was
known for its high attenuation.
SPARKLING’S EVOLUTION
The strength of sparkling ale has decreased over the years, from about
7% in 1890, down to near 6% in 1927, and has held steady at 5.8% for
Australian Sparkling Ale
the last 50 years. The malt bill has always been simple, initially being
pale malt with added sugar and later adding a bit of specialty malt for
All grain
colour. The malt character is supposed to be bready, like a pilsner, not (expected figures)
nutty or biscuity, so a maltier base malt, such as Maris Otter pale ale OG: 1.045
malt is not appropriate. It is a simple beer, but a fair drop. The yeast FG: 1.005
character adds to the smoothness and drinkability of the brand, much ABV: 5.6%
like it does for German wheat beer. The suspended yeast smooths out IBU: 35
Volume: 19 litres
the bitterness of the beer and makes the mouthfeel creamier despite
the high carbonation. The hops were originally imported from England Ingredients
but were eventually home grown. Pride of Ringwood were introduced 3.5kg Voyager pale ale malt
around 1960 and have been a staple in the beer ever since. These beers 300g Wheat malt
are not dry-hopped and only receive a single bittering addition – but 100g Dark crystal malt
(120L)
more recently a flavour addition also.
The fermentation of this beer was interesting. The wort was originally 30g Pride of Ringwood hop
cooled in a coolship, then open fermented in wooden vats with the house pellets
strain(s), and cleansed of the yeast in oak casks. This practice persisted Coopers Ale yeast or
until about 1980 when it was modernised to the usual stainless tanks. The WLP023 (Burton Ale Yeast)
yeast strain was also cleaned up in the 80s, improving flocculation for Recommended water profile
clarity, yet keeping the Burton-like attenuation. Ca2 75-125, Mg2 10-20, Total
Alk 0, SO42 150-250, CI 100-
Today’s Coopers Sparkling Ale is very similar to its heyday. From
150, RA -100-0
what I have read, I believe the current practice of rousing the yeast was
a marketing effort in the 90s to turn a bug into a feature, and maintain Method
the appearance from the 70s, however misguided that may have been. 1. Mash in to hit 65°C for
Most of the people I have talked to about the style prefer to decant the 60 minutes.
clear Sparkling ale off the yeast. The cornerstone of the style is the
2. Sparge and transfer to
fermentation character, having refined pear-like esters with hints of kettle.
apple, banana and citrus. Other aspects of the yeast character can be
3. Once boiling add all
yeasty and earthy. hops for a 60 minute
Lastly, a relatively new pale ale style, the Pacific ale, could be boil.
considered a modern version of sparkling ale – where the malt and hop 4. Flame out and
bill are opened up to typically wheat and specialty malts, and other whirlpool.
Australian hop varieties – but at a sessionable strength somewhere in 5. Cool wort to 18 °C and
the region of 4%. run into fermenter.
6. Oxygenate or aerate
and pitch yeast and
maintain 18°C during
fermentation.
7. When FG stabilises, keg
or bottle as usual.
Extract with
specialty malts
(expected figures)
OG: 1.045
FG: 1.005
ABV: 5.6%
IBU: 35
Volume: 19 litres
Ingredients
2.7kg Pale malt extract
300g Wheat malt
100g Dark crystal malt
(120L)
30g Pride of Ringwood hop
pellets
Coopers Ale yeast or
WLP023 (Burton Ale Yeast)
Method
1. Heat 5 or 6 litres of
water in a large pot,
and mash specialty
malts at 65°C for 30
minutes in a malt bag
or large hop bag.
2. Remove bag from
liquid and allow to
drain, then bring to
the boil.
3. Once boiling, add all
hops for a 30 minute
boil.
4. At 30 minutes,
flameout and whirlpool
for a few minutes.
5. Transfer pot to ice
bath or cool water
to cool wort, then tip
into fermenter leaving
behind as much of the
hop matter etc as you
can.
6. Add fresh cool water
and stir in extracts
to reach 17 litres,
checking temperature.
7. Add warm or cool
water to hit 20 litres
at 18°C.
8. Oxygenate or aerate
and Inoculate with
yeast.
9. When FG stabilises, keg
or bottle as usual.
Spring 2022 49
 JAKE’S BREW LOG
Pacific
Ale
JAKE BRANDISH LOOKS AT THE MODERN AUSTRALIAN PALE ALE.
Y
ou could be forgiven for
saying, well out here in the
west anyway, that Little
Creatures’ Pale Ale was
our Aussie pale. But even
though this awesome beer
introduced a great many of us to hoppy beers,
it just isn’t Aussie enough.
But a Pacific ale, brewed with Aussie grain
and hops? Now that’s a bit more like it.
It’s fair to say that the US brewing
scene has had a large impact on not only
Australian brewing, but the entire planet.
By this I mean, they took a meek and mild
pale ale and hopped the bejesus out of it,
50 HomeBrewer
turning it into hop forward beers with hop
character of the likes brewers had never
dreamt of before. Over the years I have
said to myself more than a few times when
brewing a US IPA “how much hops? That
can’t be right”.
Pacific ale is one of those US-inspired
versions of a simple and unassuming beer:
a simple pale which has been hopped up on
the aroma and flavour side but with not so
much bitterness so it differs from a US pale.
Is it the new Australian pale? It certainly
has gained popularity over the years,
with Stone & Wood winning the top spot
a few times with their Pacific Ale in the
GABS Hottest 100. There has even been
a court case or two over the name, so the
struggle is real! One of the many awesome
qualities Aussies have picked up on from
US brewing is the wonderfully diverse hop
aroma and flavours available and creating
our own varieties. Galaxy must be one of
my favourite hops. It’s bitter, punchy, full
of aroma and flavour. But use with care as
Galaxy can be a bitter bitch if you overdo
it – literally!
BREW DAY
This is my version of a Pacific ale. It’s a
lovely, light, crisp and refreshing ale with
 Pacifically Speaking
All grain Extract with specialty malts
(expected figures) (expected figures)
OG: 1.047 OG: 1.045
FG: 1.010 FG: 1.010
ABV: 4.7% ABV: 4.7%
IBU: 27 IBU: 27
Volume: 20 litres Volume: 20 litres

Ingredients Ingredients
2.6kg Ale malt 2kg Pale Ale extract
1.65kg Wheat malt
1.3kg Wheat Malt Extract
36g Galaxy hop pellets
36g Galaxy hop pellets
30g Summer hop pellets
30g Summer hop pellets
US-05 Ale yeast
US-05 Ale yeast
Method Method
1. Mash in at 66°C for 60
1. Heat 6 litres of water in your
minutes.
brew pot
2. Sparge and transfer to
2. As the water heats up, add the
kettle.
Pale extract and stir to dissolve.
3. Once boiling add 11g
3. Once boiling, add 11g Galaxy
Galaxy hops for a 60
hops.
minute boil.
4. Boil for 25 minutes then add
4. After a 55 minutes
25g Galaxy hops.
boil, add 25g Galaxy
hops. 5. Boil for another 5 minutes then
flameout.
5. Boil for another 5
minutes, then flameout 6. Remove from heat and set the
and whirlpool. pot in a cold/ice water bath to
cool for 15 minutes then strain
6. Cool wort to 18 °C and
into a Fermenting Vessel (FV).
run into fermenter.
7. Add the remaining extract then
7. Oxygenate or aerate
stir to dissolve.
and pitch yeast and
maintain 18°C during 8. Top up with cool water to the 17
fermentation. litres mark and stir vigorously.
8. On day five, dry hop 9. Check the temperature and
with 30g Summer top up to the 20 litre mark
hops. with warm or cold water
(refrigerated if necessary) to
9. When FG stabilises,
pleasant melon and grapefruit aroma. The combination of get as close as possible to 18°C.
keg or bottle as usual.
Galaxy and Summer hops work well but the beauty with this Enjoy fresh. 10. Pitch the yeast and ferment
brew is you can change up the hops to whatever you want to at 18°C.
use or showcase. You can even increase the hops that I have 11. On day five add 30g Summer
used, but as mentioned before, proceed with caution with hops in a sanitised hop bag.
Galaxy, she can ruin your beer very easily. You will notice that 12. On day seven check the specific
the grain bill is pretty standard for a sparkling ale, but the hops gravity (SG). The brew is ready
take this beer to the next level. The high wheat quantity gives
once the SG has stabilised over
a couple of days.
it a lovely grainy taste along with a solid white rocky head. And
beware, such a light malt profile will not carry big bold hop 13. Keg or bottle as usual.
Enjoy fresh.
character so use some constraint (easier said than done for us
homebrewers!).
Brewing music should be strictly Aussie so I’m talking some
Nick Cave, AC/DC et cetera – but if you like things a bit heavier
like me, get some Thy Art is Murder pumping! So now, go brew!

Spring 2022 51
 FEATURE

Australian
pale ale
THE HUMBLE AUSSIE PALE ALE HAS
BEEN BREWED ALMOST CONTINUALLY
SINCE SETTLERS FIRST ESTABLISHED
THEMSELVES DOWN UNDER.
BY JAKE BRANDISH

52 HomeBrewer
A
s early Australian
colonies starting
welcoming new
settlers, whether
they were new
immigrants or
by courtesy of Her Majesty’s one-way
cruise program, beer was one of the main
products being produced. Back in the
1700s and 1800s, fermented beverages
were mainstream in most parts of the
world as the low pH and fermentation
made it a much safer and tastier option to
water – which was usually contaminated
or undesirable to drink – and in Europe
the lighter lagers, especially the famous
pilsner, were becoming popular.
There is not much in the history
books regarding beers and brewing in
the 1700s in Australia. But it is thought
that the first beers in the new colonies
were brewed along the same lines as an
English pale ale, but of course modified
due to the unreliable availability of raw
ingredients. Having said that, what
was to become the Australia pale was a
relatively simple, light-coloured beer
with a hopping regime like English pale
or IPA, as this was the roots of the style.
Yeast was the main difference here, and
the beers brewed ended up being very
different to their English cousins. As the
climate was very different to back in Old
Blighty, this pale and hoppy beer was
very popular and easy to drink. Bright,
sparkling, higher carbonated beer was
becoming the popular style and choice of
brewers and drinkers.
CLASSIC EXAMPLES
Out of all the first commercial brewers
in the new colonies, the most famous of
them was Thomas Cooper, a talented man
with many skills under his belt who left
England in 1852 with his wife Ann and his
children to start a new life.
It is reported that his first brew, made
with English malt and Kent Goldings
By definition
The Beer Judge Certification Program lists Australian sparkling ale under Category
12 Pale Commonwealth Beer and is listed as 12B – Australian Sparkling Ale: “A well-
balanced, pale, highly-carbonated, and refreshing ale suitable for drinking in a hot
climate. Fairly bitter, with a moderate herbal-spicy hop and pome fruit ester profile.
Smooth, neutral malt flavours with a fuller body but a crisp, highly-attenuated finish”.
hops, was brewed as a tonic for his ill wife
but his neighbours got a taste and word
spread quickly. It wasn’t until 1862 that
his famous ale was released commercially,
and it very quickly took hold as the pale ale
in Australia.
Probably the first and most popular
Australian ale was their Sparkling Ale,
which to this day remains one of their
most popular beers. It started as a
stronger version of what it is now but it
has pretty much remained the same bottle
conditioned ale for quite some time.
James Squire started brewing in the
late 1700s, and of course we are familiar
with his beers because of Chuck Hahn
and the Malt Shovel brewing team in
Sydney’s Camperdown.
My first leap in to “craft” beers decades
ago was James Squire so I have fond
memories of my first IPA and Porters. He
was convicted of highway robbery and
sent to the colonies as a prisoner. After
his seven years incarceration, he became
a farmer and brewer, and is thought to
have been the first person to successfully
grow hops in Australia as a result of the
inability to get the ingredients to brew
his ale. He acquired a large parcel of land
in Kissing Point in NSW and became
quite successful. Squire was also a very
community-minded chap and served time
as district constable as well as taking care
of the likes of his neighbour’s banking. He
had a great deal of respect and admiration
in the community, and the brewery was
passed to his son James when he died on
16th May 1882.
John Boston was a particularly clever
chap, who seemed to have quite a few
skills. Among them were farming, trading
and manufacturing but his love for
brewing is undoubtedly what he was most
famous for. It’s said that his corn (maize)
beer was his first commercial release
in the late 1700s. John Boston beers are
now brewed and owned by the Endeavour
Group, part of Woolworths.
Spring 2022 53
 FEATURE

Coopers The Voyage Pale Ale

Extract with specialty malt All grain
(expected figures) (expected figures)

OG: 1.045 OG: 1.047

FG: 1.010 FG: 1.010
ABV: 4.7% ABV: 4.7%
IBU: 29 IBU: 29
Volume: 23 litres Volume: 19 litres

Ingredients Ingredients
1 x 1.7kg Coopers Australian Pale Ale 2kg Ale malt

Win a Coopers prize pack! 1 x 1.5kg Thomas Coopers Wheat Malt Extract
1 x 250g Light Crystal Malt
1.75kg Wheat malt
250g Light Crystal malt
To score yourself an awesome prize pack from
1 x 25g Amarillo Hops 25g Amarillo hop pellets
Coopers, that includes beer, merch and more,
simply send me one of your homebrewing 1 x 25g Galaxy Hops 25g Galaxy hop pellets
pictures that feature a Coopers product to jake@ 1 x 15g Coopers American Ale Yeast US-05 Ale yeast
beerandbrewer.com and the best one will win.
Method Method
1. Heat 2 litres of water in your brew pot 1. Mash in at 66°C for
to hit 70°C. 60 minutes.
2. Crack Crystal grains and add to muslin 2. Sparge and transfer
bag, add to pot. to kettle.
3. Mash for 30 minutes at 65°C. 3. Once boiling add
25g Amarillo hops
4. Lift grain bag from pot, allow to drain.
4. After a 60 minute
5. Bring to the boil and add half of the
boil, flameout and
Wheat malt extract.
whirlpool for 10
6. Once boiling, add 25g Amarillo hops and minutes.
boil for 10 minutes.
5. Cool wort to
7. Remove from heat and set the pot in a 18 °C and run into
cold/ice water bath to cool for 15 minutes fermenter.
then strain into a Fermenting Vessel.
6. Oxygenate or
8. Add the Coopers Australian Pale Ale and aerate and pitch
the remaining Thomas Coopers Wheat yeast and maintain
Malt Extract then stir to dissolve. 18°C during
9. Top up with cool water to the 20 litre fermentation.

Brew day 10.

Our mates at Coopers have been good enough to
share their recipe for The Voyage Australian Pale
Ale. They said: “This Australian Pale Ale pours
a pale gold with a slight haze and a white fluffy
11.
head thanks to the addition of wheat. The blend of
Amarillo and Galaxy hops result in fruity aromas
with hints of passionfruit and grapefruit. Flavours 12.
of tropical fruits and citrus are rounded out with a 13.
refreshing low bitterness, and crisp wheat zip.”
Who better than Coopers to take us on a Voyage 14.
back to where Australian pale ale started? Hoist
the main sail me hearties! And given the history
and heritage of this style and recipe, your brewing
music should be Sepultura – Roots! 15.
mark and stir vigorously.
Check the temperature and top up to
7. On day five add 25g
Galaxy hops.
the 23 litre mark with warm or cold 8. When FG stabilises,
water (refrigerated if necessary) to get keg or bottle as
as close as possible to 18°C. usual. Enjoy fresh.
Sprinkle the Coopers American Ale
Yeast over the brew then fit the lid.
Ferment at 18°C in a cool dark location.
On day fived add 25g Galaxy hops in a
sanitised hop bag.
On day seven check the specific gravity
(SG). The brew is ready once the specific
gravity has stabilised over a couple of days.
Keg or bottle as usual. Enjoy fresh.

54 HomeBrewer
 SHOW US YOURS

Show T
his is what Simon says about his set-up: “My
brewing cart is basically two Ikea Hostess trolleys
bolted together. On the right is my Grainfather G30
with Bluetooth controller which is connected to my
iPhone for a remote control. On the left is my Ss Hot

us
Liquor Tank mounted on an electric induction plate
for heating the sparge water. The sparge water is transferred to the top
of the Grainfather by a 12 volt pump under the shelf via silicon tubing
that runs inside a plastic tube that also holds the counterflow chiller
in place. The electric control box has an emergency stop button for
isolating the whole system and switches for the sparge pump and spare

Yours
IEC-C13 (Euro) socket for the Grainfather pump during cleaning. The
counterflow chiller is supplied from the hose tap on the left and the
hot water is collected for cleaning the equipment and watering plants
(once cooled!). It’s a very simple set-up but works well and is covered
when not in use by a small BBQ protector. I hope you like it!”.

G’DAY BREWERS. THIS ISSUE WE’RE OFF TO For sending this in Simon has won this issue’s awesome gift pack from
WOLLI CREEK, JUST OUT OF SYDNEY, TO KegLand and a year’s subscription to our mag. Congratulations Simon! If you
CHECK OUT SIMON HAYNE’S RIG. AND WE want to see your set-up here and stand a chance to win epic prizes too, send
JUST LOVE THAT THE WATER IS BEING RE- your pics to me at jake@beerandbrewer.com
USED FOR CLEANING AND WATERING THE
GARDENS RATHER THAN BEING DUMPED
DOWN THE DRAIN!

Spring 2022 55
 ANHC 2022

ANHC returns!
AFTER A FOUR YEAR COVID-DRIVEN HIATUS, THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL HOMEBREWING CONFERENCE
(ANHC) IS COMING BACK TO MELBOURNE ON OCTOBER 14 AND 15.

H
eld at the William Angliss Conference Centre,
the ANHC will see Australia’s homebrewers
back together under one roof in what will again
be the nation’s biggest celebration of all things
homebrewing.
Headlining this year’s line-up of presenters
are two amazing brewers from the USA in The New IPA author Scott
Janish – who is an award-winning homebrewer and founder of
Sapwood Cellars who specialises in experimenting with hop-forward
beers – plus Yazoo Brewing’s Brandon Jones – co-founder of the
largest independently-owned professional wild beer program in
southern USA and an avid proponent of the art and science of funky
fermentation. The ANHC has a stacked program of local presenters as
well, including the Beer Diva herself Kirrily Waldhorn and many more.
ANHC CEO Andy Davison said ANHC 2022’s overarching theme is
“provenance and change”. dinner where they showcase beers from the best homebrewers our
“The COVID pandemic has really driven home how important it is to nation has to offer plus Club Night 2022 will go ahead too.
think about where our ingredients are coming from, and how quickly ANHC will again run back-to-back with the Australian Amateur
the world around us can change and adapt,” Andy said. Brewing Championship where the top-ranked beers from every state
“After a crazy two years, where most of Victoria and large parts of and territory come together and are judged to decide who our nation’s
the nation were just not able to come together in large groups, it’s best homebrewers are.
a relief to think that our homebrewing family will be back together, Tickets are available at the www.anhc.com.au, with a Basic package
sharing a few frothy beverages while hearing about some great giving access to the presentations and Club Night, and a Premium
innovations and news from our wonderful presenters, as well as being package offering the presentations, Club Night and the pairing dinner.
able to get involved in some special events we have planned.” A Barfly package is also available for punters just wanting to get in on
ANHC 2022 is bringing back their signature food and beer pairing the fun at Club Night.

56 HomeBrewer
 RECIPE

All grain
(expected figures)

OG: 1.044
FG: 1.010
ABV: 4.5%
IBU: 24
Volume: 23 litres

Ingredients
4kg Coopers Australian Pale Ale malt
300g Sucrose
100g Wheat malt
100g Acidulated malt
22.5g Pride of Ringwood hops
Whirlfloc
Yeast nutrient
Coopers Australian Pale Ale Yeast
(harvested) or US-05 Safale yeast
Recommended water profile
Ca2 35, Mg2 16, Na 26, Cl 53,SO42 157

Method
1. Prepare your brewing liquor with
mineral additions if able.
2. Heat strike water to mash in at
68°C for 60 minutes.
3. Sparge with 75°C water to mash
out, and run off into kettle with
29 litres at 1.035 OG.
4. Bring to boil and add all the hops.

JUSTIFICATION
5. With 15 minutes left on the boil,
add the whirlfloc and yeast
nutrient.
6. Also at 15 minutes left, draw a
small amount of wort off and mix

Classic Australian Pale Ale

the sugar in to dissolve, then add
back to kettle.
7. At 60 minutes, flameout and
whirlpool.
A FEW ISSUES AGO WE HAD A LOOK AT GEORGE’S SANDGROPER
8. Aim for 26 litres at 1.044
BREWERY IN OUR SHOW US YOURS SECTION. GEORGE HAS HAD GREAT post boil, cool and transfer to
SUCCESS IN BOTH STATE AND NATIONAL COMPS AND EVEN TOOK OUT fermenter.
CHAMPION BREWER LAST YEAR. THIS AUSTRALIAN PALE ALE RECIPE, 9. Aerate or oxygenate and pitch
THAT HE’S BEEN KIND ENOUGH TO SHARE WITH US, IS A MULTI-AWARD yeast.
WINNER AND HAS EVEN BEEN ADOPTED AT HIS LOCAL HOME BREW SHOP 10. Ferment at 18°C for the first 24
FOR THEIR AUSTRALIAN PALE ALE KIT. hours.
11. On day two, increase temp to

A
19°C and hold for five days.
s with all beer styles, quality ingredients are the key. This recipe uses RO
12. Increase temp to 21°C for
water, so the brewer can manipulate the brewing liquor to exactly what is
another three days.
needed, so if you are able to do so hit the suggested profile. If not, crack on
13. Once gravity stabilises, cold
any way with clean filtered water but you will get much better results with
crash before packaging.
mineral additions. It seems George has also harvested Coopers yeast from
14. Keg or bottle as usual.
bottles of Coopers Pale, but if you are not able to do this then just go ahead
Enjoy fresh.
and use US-05. Remember, healthy yeast is everything to award winning beers, so look after your
wee beasties and always aerate or oxygenate wort prior to pitching. Cheers George!

Spring 2022 57
The Brew Review O
AS N

A
SE

L
This is the largest tasting section in our 15-plus year history which has been in no small part aided by the
enduring popularity of the pale ale – and more specifically, as they are our seasonal focus this issue, the
Australian-style pale ale. From the pioneering through to very modern interpretations of the style, we take a FO
close look at arguably the most Australian of all Australian beers while getting our way through a whopping CUS
137 releases. As well as Aussie pales, you’ll find a very broad spectrum of styles in the following pages that
What’s our
again allow us to showcase all that is good and diverse in the local brewing landscape. If you’re a brewery not
Seasonal Focus?
receiving our invite email to partake in our tastings but would like to, email us at info@beerandbrewer.com
Australian-style Pale Ale

Not all submissions to our tasting panel are featured in the following pages. This could be because of space restrictions, that we already reviewed it in the ecent past or the product did not meet our panel’s
requirements. We’re not in the business of running any one down, and if there is a chance to speak with a brewery about issues that may have arisen during a tasting, then we will endeavour to pass that
information on in the interest of transparency.

The Panel
Jono Outred, WA
Based in Margaret River, Jono is a
beer writer that predominantly covers
the South West of WA. He’s been
involved in the state’s beer industry in
various capacities since 2011.
David Ward, ACT
Head of sales for BentSpoke Brewing
Co and with over 10 years’ experience
working in the craft beer industry,
David is constantly on the lookout for
new beers to try and trends to watch.
Evan Belogiannis, NSW
Evan has been brewing beer at
Frenchies Bistro & Brewery for over
two years. He’s on a never-ending
quest to find and brew the crispiest,
tastiest lagers.
Tina Panoutsos, VIC
One of Australia’s leading beer
judges, Tina is a beer sensory expert
with over 30 years’ experience in
the brewing industry in roles across
technical and commercial functions.
Tiffany Waldron, VIC
A Certified Cicerone® and Pink Boots
President, Tiffany is focused on
making changes in the world of beer
through education and furthering
beer culture beyond standard boundaries.
Justin Fox, VIC
Justin is the Australian agent for
Bespoke Brewing Solutions. He has a
decade’s judging experience, expertise
in brewing ingredient distribution and
has held technical roles with breweries of all sizes
throughout his 15 years in beer.
Lewis Maschmedt, SA
Based in Port Adelaide, Lewis is head
of brewing at Pirate Life. He’s been
brewing beer in one form or another
since 2011.
Tom Pigott, NSW
The bar manager at Sydney’s Batch
Brewing who used to run Uncle Hops
in Newtown, Tom is also one of the
hosts for the Pixels & Pints Podcast.
Scott Hargrave, NSW/QLD
Scott is Balter Brewing’s multi-award
winning head brewer and a regular on
some of Australia’s and the world’s
most prestigious judging panels
including the Great American Beer Festival and the
World Beer Cup
Rosemary Lilburne-Fini, NSW
A Certified Cicerone® Beer Server,
Rosemary has worked in the beer
industry for the best part of five years
and has now landed in hospitality
marketing. Nothing excites her more than classic
beer styles executed perfectly. @libationslady.
Josh Quantrill, NSW
Currently Beerfarm’s head of sales,
Josh is a Certified Cicerone® who’s
had a long and varied beer career. He
strives to help grow and expand the
footprint of Australian craft beer.
Ian Kingham, NSW
That Beer Bloke, Ian’s decorated
beer career has included judging at
Australia’s best competitions while
he’s currently the Sydney Royal’s
Chair of Judges.
Michael Capaldo, NSW
National sales manager at Hop
Products Australia, Michael is a
qualified and experienced brewer and
an accomplished beer judge (GABS,
World Beer Cup, Indies, AIBA etc).
Jamie Webb-Smith, NSW
Previously a brewer at The Australian
Brewery, Jamie is currently head
brewer at Yulli’s Brews in Sydney.
He’s a home brewer turned pro, who
completed the NSW TAFE micro-brewing course.
Benji Bowman, NSW
With a background in Australian craft
beer and cider, Benji is now part of the
sales team at Capital Brewing in NSW
where he leads the beer and quality
training for the sales team.
Jake Brandish, WA
Beer & Brewer’s HomeBrewer
Editor, Jake has a post-grad Dip
in Brewing, is a BJCP judge, has
brewed commercially and is an
all round beer geek.
Briony Liebich, SA
A Certified Cicerone® focussed on
helping people boost their tasting
skills, Briony led the sensory program
at West End Brewery for 10 years and
judges at national beer and cider awards.
@flavourlogic
Adam Carswell, VIC
Based in Bendigo, Adam’s been the
proprietor of the award-winning
Cambrian Hotel for almost a decade.
He’s a passionate advocate of
independent beer and traditional pub culture.
Briony Nicholls, SA
Based in Port Adelaide, Briony is
Quality Manager at Pirate Life. She
has been a student of beer science
since 2013.
Mark Dowell, ACT
A beer broker for BentSpoke with
a background in liquor retail, Mark
is always trying new beers while
appreciating the classics that bought
us here
Craig Butcher, SA
Based in the Barossa Valley, Craig
has 20-plus years’ experience in
the liquor industry including winery
cellarhand, tastings and sales, newbie
homebrewer and beer-mad bottleshop guy.
Alice Lynch, WA
A Perth-based sales rep for Beerfarm,
Alice’s start in the craft beer world
came by slinging pints at Two Birds in
Melbourne. She’s here to force an end
to random men being shocked that women love beer.

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King River Brewing
King River Pale
ABV: 5.4%
Style: Pale Ale
With new school looks but
drinking old school, this is like an
old-style flasher wearing a new
trench coat. A clear mid gold with
just the slightest hint of haze
beneath a dense white foam,
aromas of mango and candied
citrus are met with wisps of pine
and melon with light bready malt.
Light tropical flavours and citrus
undertones are met by clean
sprucey pine and a lick of resin as
it discards its cloak to reveal its
true self. A firm mouthfeel and
no-nonsense bitterness are on
the front foot while there’s great
structure in the finish.
Glass: Pint
Food: Capricciosa pizza
kingriverbrewing.com.au
Bridge Road Brewers
B2 Bomber Mach 12.0
ABV: 10.1%
Style: Imperial Belgian Black IPA
Bridge Road know how to
celebrate a birthday in style, and
for their 17th they really went all
out. Mach 12.0 is like a layer cake
of aroma and flavour that just
keeps on giving – from the almost
instant coconut hit thanks to the
Cryo Sabro addition to those
distinctively fruity Belgian yeast
esters followed by the smooth
chocolate and coffee notes before
ending with the warming and
slightly boozy dry finish that
lingers on your palate without
overwhelming it. Something to
savour and probably best shared
with beer-loving friends. Happy
birthday to a stalwart of the local
brewing scene.
Glass: Goblet
Food: Bitey cheese
bridgeroadbrewers.com.au
Stomping Ground
Monk’s Tipple
ABV: 8.5%
Style: Belgian Tripel
What a beer! Part of Stomping
Ground’s Belgian classics-inspired
2022 Into the ‘Wood series of
limited releases (all reviewed in
this issue), it’s got licks of floral,
lemon and clove aromas. Cloves
linger and finish long with hints
of banana bread and overripe
mango. It’s moreish, delicious
and complex as every sip brings
something new, leaving you
wanting more. Some would
usually err on the side of caution
with massive ABV Tripels, but this
goes down uber easy. Better call
an Uber!
Glass: Tulip
Food: Seared scallops
stompingground.beer
TASTING
Nowhereman Brewing
Mr Otter’s Barley Wine
ABV: 11.0%
Style: English Barley Wine
Holy roasted figs and tobacco
Batman, this is amazing!
Wonderfully rich and complex,
full-bodied and decadent, it is
medium mahogany in colour
with deep orange hues. The
aroma is all stewed prunes,
roasted figs and sweet rich malt
while a first sip is a rewarding
experience where a rich body
boasts beautifully crafted flavours
of tobacco, caramel and dark
fudge with a lingering alcohol
zing on the tongue, balanced out
by earthy English hops. Enjoy
on a cool evening in your best
glassware and perhaps even with
a cigar if you dare.
Glass: Chalice
Food: Sticky date pudding
nowhereman.com.au
Spring 2022 59
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Five Barrel Brewing
Biere De Maison
ABV: 6.0%
Style: Australian Farmhouse Ale
With a can that calls out the
NSW ingredient suppliers
Ryefield Hops, Voyager Craft
Malt and Mogwai Labs, this is a
phenomenal, truly local beer with
immediate and powerful notes
from the yeast as soon as your
nose touches the glass and then
quickly followed by light fruit
aroma and flavour. The complex
flavour profile is accentuated with
native wattle flowers and distinct
citrus. It pours a pale straw colour
with great head retention and a
delicate, subtle mouthfeel.
Glass: Tulip
Food: Seared scallops
fivebarrels.com.au
60 www.beerandbrewer.com
Deeds Brewing
Snake Oil
ABV: 10.5%
Style: Triple IPA
This is a phenomenal beer
which somehow manages to
be approachable and delicious
despite coming in hot at 10-plus-
per cent with all the thickness and
mouthfeel that often entails. The
beer is very well balanced with
piney and resinous hop flavours
with some stone fruit characters
and aromas. A slightly viscous
mouthfeel adds to the drinking
experience and softens any
alcohol burn. Pouring a beautiful
colour and presenting very well in
the glass, it’s one to savour and
enjoy fresh!
Glass: IPA
Food: Pad see ew
deedsbrewing.com.au
Deeds Brewing
In Vino Veritas
ABV: 8.5%
Style: Hazy DIPA
Made with Sauv Blanc grape
must added mid-fermentation
and then dry hopped at a rate
of 20g/L with Nelson Sauvin,
Citra and Galaxy, its straw colour
and consistent haze makes it
so appetising to look at. Initial
aromas of lime and lemon citrus
are followed by an almost sharp
grape aroma that mingles with
the lime beautifully. On the
palate, the sharp but clean white
wine flavour continues and is
supported by a passionfruit
sweetness and a subtle but
certain guava and strawberry
finish. Pillowy in mouthfeel and
with a bitterness there to balance.
Glass: Tulip
Food: Washed rind cheeses
deedsbrewing.com.au
One Drop Brewing
The Big Bad Wolf
ABV: 10.0%
Style: Nitro Imperial Pastry
Stout
Aromatically enticing, liquorice
features first, complemented
with a chocolate waft that
triggered thoughts of Easter and
overindulgence. The palate is
smooth and creamy, an almost
velvety texture that is clearly
enhanced by the choice to
nitrogenate. The oak is subdued,
with coffee and cacao more
pronounced on the palate. Nougat
and hints of hazelnut emerge
as things warm up. Overall,
delectably delicious from start to
finish and a great representation
of just how many elements can
be packed into a beer that is still
sufficiently balanced.
Glass: Balloon
Food: Lamb shoulder
onedropbrewingco.com.au

Beerfarm
Native Series 8
ABV: 3.0%
Style: Fruited Gose
Pouring a blush peach colour
with a lasting dense white foam,
the aroma is a blend of pink
grapefruit, fresh and stewed
peaches and a hint of earthiness
via the native quandong fruit
and samphire succulent that
also provides a saltiness typical
of the style. It finishes with an
enticing light and lingering salty
dryness, that’s very well balanced,
moreish and refreshingly exciting.
Definitely a must try.
Glass: Tulip
Food: Grilled scallop & mango
salsa tacos
beerfarm.com.au
Frenchies
Kamchatka
ABV: 6.1%
Style: Bière de Garde Noire
An absolutely intriguing beer
from the get-go, this black bière
de garde is uncompromisingly
true to its style throughout. The
spicy yeast character blends in
beautifully with the dark, mildly
tannic malts that also add a
lovely layer of vanilla bean-like
sweetness. There is some mild
hop character present, but
this beer is all about the malt
and yeast interaction, which it
captures superbly.
Glass: Tulip
Food: Crème brulée
frenchiesbistroandbrewery.com.au
Hop Nation
The Heart
ABV: 4.6%
Style: Pale Ale
With beautiful clarity it pours a
super light straw and upholds a
solid white head. Aromas of lime
citrus are followed by notes of
green melon that continue to
the palate. Whilst it has low level
bitterness this is greatly balanced
by an equally low amount of
sweetness which, with a great
palate cleansing carbonation,
puts this up among the most
refreshing pales you can find.
Glass: Schooner
Food: Sashimi
hopnation.com.au
TASTING
Modus Brewing
Neon Nectar
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Hazy IPA
Heavy on the peach, orange and
pineapple juice aroma, this is
smooth and juicy with a dreamy
creamy mouthfeel that’s just
so soft and fluffy. Peaches and
pineapple shine on the palate
– like that breakfast juice in the
grocery store – and this is a hazy
IPA as bright as its neon name
suggests.
Glass: IPA
Food: Lemon meringue
mobrewing.com.au
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Rocky Ridge
Jindong Juicy
ABV: 5.0%
Style: Hazy Pale Ale
A moderately hazy body
and light but creamy
mouthfeel carry punchy
citrus, pine and stonefruit
flavour, derived from Vic
Secret, Ella, Melba, Strata
and Mosaic hops. Modest
alcohol and noticeably
low bitterness enhance
drinkability and yield a
noteworthy balance of
flavour. From the initial sip
through to the clean finish,
where only gentle hop-
derived flavours persist,
it’s highly refreshing and
entirely moreish.
Glass: IPA
Food: BBQ & salad
rockyridgebrewing.com.au
Stomping Ground
Bonnet Rouge
ABV: 4.3%
Style: Framboise Witbier
Very similar to Raspberry
Smash but with the
intricacy of the yeast and
barrel attributes, this is
very pleasant and super
easy-drinking. It’s a hazy
peachy pink with a thick
white head that holds
while there’s a note of
sulphur first up followed
by the aromatic blend
of raspberry and yeast
phenolics and esters.
Raspberry’s sweet and
sour bite leads to the
complexity of yeast
flavours as barrelling
calms the palate.
Glass: Tulip
Food: Havarti & fig jam
stompingground.beer
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Stomping Ground
Big Sky Park Ale
ABV: 4.3%
Style: Pale Ale
Pouring an opaque yellow
bordering on orange, the
smell of stone fruits and
melon hit you almost
immediately. While the
head disappears pretty
soon after pouring,
the tropical flavours
linger throughout each
mouthful with just a hint
of bitterness right at
the end to balance you
for the next sip. Expect
this to grace BBQ Eskies
across the nation once the
weather warms.
Glass: Stemless Tulip
Food: Pre BBQ nibbles
stompingground.beer
Stomping Ground
Rye Whisky Barrel
Aged Imperial
Stout (2022)
ABV: 10.0%
Style: Imperial Stout
Stomping Ground’s 2022
Into the ‘Wood BA imperial
stout is beautiful in
appearance with foam oh
so nice for something barrel
aged. There’s a volatility
on the nose, with soft
caramel fudge, tiramisu,
dark soy, choc bullets and
a pepperiness all carrying
over into flavour while a
very clean malt profile
doesn’t attack at any one
part of the palate. A slick
oily finish works to keep the
taste on the tongue.
Glass: Goblet
Food: Tiramisu
stompingground.beer
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Nomad Brewing
Budgy Smuggler
ABV: 5.0%
Style: Pale Ale
There’s something to be
said for an everyday kind
of beer and with Nomad
beers #beachesbrewed
this is where it’s meant to
be drunk. Pop it open to
reveal orange, grapefruit
and berry aromas you’re
looking for in a pale. It’s
well-balanced and brings
just the right amount of
hop flavour. The finish is
tight, dry and brings you
back for another sip. A
beach Esky-filler for sure.
Glass: From the can
Food: Hot chips
nomadbrewingco.com.au
Balter Brewing
NZ Hazy
ABV: 6.0%
Style: Hazy Pale Ale
Big hits of sweet peach
notes are followed up by
a tart passionfruit and
citrus flavour that lingers
throughout this luscious
beer. A thick creamy body
helps carry those fruit
flavours from start to
finish resulting in a beer
that sends you reaching
for the glass as soon as
you put it down.
Glass: Tulip
Food: Sea salt crisps
balter.com.au
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Burleigh Brewing
Burleigh 28
ABV: 4.8%
Style: Pale Ale
Ever so well made and
balanced, this won its first
international gold medal
in 2010 and has won
many more since. Pale
gold in appearance, with
low foam and a tropical
aroma of passionfruit,
grapefruit, lychee, lemon
and orange, it’s medium
bodied with a lingering
orangey citrus palate.
Glass: Schooner
Food: Tropical chicken
skewers
burleighbrewing.com.au
Exit Brewing #029
Grapefruit IPA
ABV: 6.0%
Style: Grapefruit IPA
If we had to guess, we’d
say Exit have thrown
somewhere between
“lots” and “heaps” of ruby
red grapefruit into this
limited release but it never
feels overdone. In fact, it’s
balanced incredibly well.
Slightly hazy in the glass,
a zesty citrus goodness is
met with a bunch of fruity
hops and an assertive
bitterness which results in
a fantastic beer just built
for warmer months.
Glass: IPA
Food: Pulled pork sliders
exitbrewing.com
Stomping Ground
Raspberry Smash
ABV: 4.2%
Style: Fruited Sour
Hazy pink with a thick
head, berry notes are up
front with the bacteria
notes to follow, while
sourness bounces across
the palate with a pillowy
raspberry that coats in a
good way. The mouthfeel
is full and soft with an
effervescent carbonation.
Overall, this is a very
moreish and easy-
drinking gose and a very
impressive showcasing of
the raspberry. Faultless.
Glass: Tulip
Food: Raspberry rugelach
stompingground.beer
Jervis Bay Brewing
Bright Idea XPA
ABV: 5.0%
Style: Extra Pale Ale
This sits perfectly between
an American pale ale and
an IPA (a pale ale with
a little extra!) It pours
a deep pale, bordering
on amber, with a lasting
yellow-tinged creamy
head. A subtle aroma
gives hints of its earthy
caramel palate, accented
with florals and a lemony
citrus lift. The flavours
are carried by a persistent
carbonation. Extremely
satiating after a long day!
Glass: Schooner
Food: Burger & chips
jervisbaybrewing.co

Matilda Bay
Alpha Pale Ale
ABV: 5.2%
Style: Pale Ale
A fresh and bold pale ale
that pours golden with
a slight haze and boasts
aromas of pine, citrus
and floral notes. On the
first sip, there’s big pine
notes upfront that move
into a sweet spice that’s
floral and malty with a
lingering bitterness. This
full-flavoured American
pale would be the perfect
reference point for those
looking to experiment in
the craft beer scene.
Glass: IPA
Food: Pulled pork burger
with smoky BBQ sauce
matildabay.com
Nowhereman
Barrels in the Skigh
ABV: 5.7%
Style: Sour Ale
This is a sensational
marriage between a
sour ale and Tempranillo
grapes where the palate
is light and refreshing and
the base beer is apparent
and complemented by the
sweetness and richness
of the grapes. The
grapes also contribute a
wonderful pink hue and a
lingering sweetness. The
delicate sourness works
well with the grapes and
Nowhereman have done
an awesome job to blend
them to perfection.
Glass: Tulip
Food: Chinese pork ribs
nowhereman.com.au
Cupitt’s Estate
Hoppy Haze
ABV: 6.5%
Style: New England IPA
With hop-induced haze
and a magnificent head
with lacing for days, the
floral, peachy aromas
lead to a delicate peachy
bitterness on the
palate that lingers. An
impressively balanced and
refreshing beer, it invites
you to seek out more and
is difficult to fault.
Glass: IPA
Food: Octopus with
chorizo
cupittsestate.com.au
Capital Brewing
All Night Long
ABV: 4.2%
Style: Dark Lager
If there’s a need for
sessionable dark beers in
a cold Canberra this will fit
the bill nicely. Surprisingly
deep, dark and full in
appearance, this could
be a porter in weight and
character, before the
finish betrays its lager
leanings. Malts are the
main attraction, not too
heavy on the roast but the
palate is solid and the fizz
is refreshing.
Glass: Schooner
Food: BBQ
capitalbrewing.co
TASTING
King River Brewing BentSpoke Brewing Slow Lane Brewing
Red IPA Regina Taking Stock
ABV: 6.1% ABV: 4.2% ABV: 11.5%
Style: Red IPA Style: Pale Ale Style: British Strong Ale
Ruby hues shine from a There’s no mistaking Pours deep black with
fantastically clear beer the initial hint of yeasty a complex array of
which boasts a strong, sourdough starter on aromatics, featuring dark
subtly tan head. Aromas aroma and a touch chocolate, raisin, a hint
of toffee and molasses of tanginess on the of coffee and treacle that
are initial, with the mid-palate. It provides all continue to the palate.
toffee continuing to the an added delicate It’s smooth and rich with
palate where it’s joined refreshment, perfectly an upfront sweetness
by cleansing grapefruit balanced by a light to that’s quickly countered
and spicy lemon citrus. A moderate bitterness by the Brett character to
perfect balance between and dry finish. The deliver a slightly dry, dark
solid bitterness and cleverly integrated herbal chocolate astringency
molasses sweetness character stems from the that has you going back
allows hop characters to addition of a little oregano for more. Big, bold and
sing throughout while and the use of Strata and boozy – this will warm any
medium-soft carbonation Cashmere hops is evident cool evening.
allows the caramel profile on aroma and taste. Glass: Tulip
to mellow. Glass: Schooner Food: Aged cheddar
Glass: Snifter Food: Margherita pizza slowlanebrewing.com.au
Food: Sichuan dry pot bentspokebrewing.com.au
kingriverbrewing.com.au
Fox Hat Brewing Deeds Brewing Deeds Brewing
Rusty Mongrel Right in Two Extravagance
ABV: 10.1% ABV: 8.8% ABV: 6.3%
Style: Barrel Aged Style: Barrel Aged Style: Barrel Aged
Imperial Stout Beer/Wine Hybrid Mixed Culture Ale
A very good, well- Deeds’ patience pays off This is oh so good until
balanced stout that drinks and the results are here it comes time to review
effortlessly for such a for us all to enjoy. Orange- it as the complexities
high ABV. It’s black with pink in colour with a bright have you questioning
a thick brown head that clarity on first pour before every sip and thought!
holds while big rum notes turning a touch hazy, Brett Ruby red with little to no
from the barrelling are notes punch you in the haze and a thin pink head
rounded so sweetly by nose as berries, barrels, that holds, just, Brett
vanilla oak and hints of strawberry and vanilla oak characters are straight up
dark chocolate and rich aromas add refinement. then as it warms acetic
caramel. Smooth rum Complex strawberry and notes with oak and tannin
flavours hit home with candy sour flavours are emerge. Every part of
big coffee, dark chocolate given the right amount the palate is awoken via
and raisin notes that of barrel and Brett earthy blueberry flavours
flood the palate and characters to balance with a zesty, sour bite.
finish with more barrel things nicely. Perfect bottle-conditioned
characteristics. Glass: Tulip carbonation too!
Glass: Chalice Food: Marinated mussels Glass: Tulip
Food: Mud cake deedsbrewing.com.au Food: Berry cheesecake
foxhatbrewing.com.au deedsbrewing.com.au
Spring 2022 63
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Young Henrys
Newtowner
ABV: 4.8%
Style: Pale Ale
A classic of the last decade,
ever-so-subtly evolving
and refining, whilst
consistently delivering an
all-pleasing, approachable
beer. It presents with an
enticing, refreshing tropical
hop note and a firm malt
backbone that brings
a little colour and adds
body depth, giving some
residual texture that masks
any significant perception
of bitterness. It delivers a
subtle aroma and flavour,
with good balance and low
bitterness, delivering easy-
drinking refreshment.
Glass: Schooner
Food: Mushroom burger
younghenrys.com
Philter Brewing
XPA
ABV: 4.2%
Style: Extra Pale Ale
A quintessential Aussie
XPA’s credentials remain
intact as this remains
a benchmark for the
style. Bright golden with
a gentle haze, there’s
super nice foam and
lacing which herald the
resiny and tropical hop
characters. There is some
ever so sweet caramel
malt in the background
that balances the
bitterness nicely, covering
the tongue and making
you reach for another sip.
Glass: Schooner
Food: Cheeseburger
philterbrewing.com
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Boston Brewing
Peaceful Bay
ABV: 3.5%
Style: Session Pale Ale
A simple but effective
session pale ale that lands
at an approachable 3.5%
and 17 IBU and doesn’t
skimp on flavour. Pouring
with a bright golden
hue and a tight white
head, sweet stone fruit
and passionfruit feature
heavily on the nose, while
on tasting a light body
carries citrus and pine
with low-key bitterness
finding its place among
vibrant hop character.
The finish is clean with a
touch of citrus and pine
remaining after each sip.
Glass: IPA
Food: Grilled seafood
bostonbrewing.com.au
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Holgate Brewhouse
Mt Macedon Pale Ale
ABV: 4.5%
Style: Pale Ale
Like that one friend
that’s overly honest and
tells it like it is, this beer
will always be there to
keep you grounded. It’s
unpretentious and just
gets on with the job of
being a sessionable ale.
Presents gorgeously
honey coloured, with
the soft white head
going the distance all
the way to the bottom
of the glass. It’s lean and
clean, with caramel malts
complementing the light
citrus and tropical hops
perfectly. Old school cool.
Glass: Schooner
Food: Fish & chips
holgatebrewhouse.com
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BentSpoke Brewing
Barley Griffin
ABV: 4.2%
Stye: Pale Ale
Consistency is key and
this doesn’t disappoint.
Light fruity notes of
melon, berry and citrus
are evident upfront and
behind sits a light biscuity
malt sweetness that
rounds out a resinous
mid-palate bitterness,
almost a little like citrus
pith. The finish is clean
and refreshing with a soft
lingering hop note. Quite
smashable.
Glass: Pint
Food: Thai green curry
bentspokebrewing.com.au
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The Grifter
Pale Ale
ABV: 5.0%
Style: Pale Ale
Celebrating its 10th
anniversary this year, the
beer formerly known as
Edward remains worth
celebrating, as does its
position as one of the
classic modern Aussie
pales. It’s a striking light
to mid gold with a touch
of haze and low, solid
foam, while citrusy, zesty
hop characters are met
with lasting soft lemon
and grapefruit notes
and some gentle malt
sweetness.
Glass: Schooner
Food: Pub grub
thegrifter.com.au
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Ballistic Brewing Ballistic Brewing
Low Ha Reef Pale Ale
ABV: 4.0% ABV: 4.2%
Style: Low Carb Pale Ale Style: Pale Ale
It’s a testament to the Soft melon notes and
skills of the brewing team a light malt base tend
at Ballistic that when to make you think this
they say “low carb” that is more of a new world
doesn’t mean low in pilsner than an Aussie
flavour. This beer would pale but it’s not that this
be King of the session matters, as the end result
and generally kinder to is a beer that is extra
your waistline too than refreshing and perfect for
some of the other four cutting through the end
percenters out there. of a humid day. It pours
There’s a refreshing a crystal clear gold with
bitterness as well that a fluffy white head just
doesn’t overstay its like the long hot days it’s
welcome but helps round perfect for.
out the body. Glass: Schooner
Glass: From the can Food: Asian cuisine
Food: Hawaiian burger ballisticbeer.com
ballisticbeer.com
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Black Hops Brewing Tallboy & Moose
Pale Ale Sunray XPA
ABV: 4.8% ABV: 4.8%
Style: Pale Ale Style: Pale Ale
A great example of An easy beer to enjoy as
the Australian pale, it’s Spring awakens and the
very well balanced and sun returns. Fresh citrus,
something you could lychee, stone fruit and
easily have a few of. straw bouquets from the
Bright golden with a head fluffy white head while
that holds, piney and the liquid is golden pale
tropical hop aromas lead with a slight haze. It goes
into nicely balanced hop down easy with notes of
and malt flavours with an orange and peach. Super
uber clean fermentation light, will accompany a
profile. The mouthfeel conversation without
is full bodied with a firm stealing focus.
carbonation. Glass: Pint
Glass: Schooner Food: Picnic fare
Food: Oysters Kilpatrick tallboyandmoose.com
blackhops.com.au

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Wayward Brewing
Everyday Ale
ABV: 4.2%
Style: Pale Ale
The hop profile is on point
with fresh passionfruit
and good supporting
notes of citrus and a
dribble of mango. There
is good malt texture and
a pronounced bitterness
that sits this in-between
the older classic pale
and a more modern
interpretation. Balance is
always key, and that mark
is well and truly ticked.
The verdict: it’s a ripping
pale ale and definitely
easy-drinking.
Glass: Pint
Food: Chicken parmi
wayward.com.au
Reckless Brewing
Pale Ale
ABV: 4.6%
Style: Pale Ale
Juicy fruit aromas come
absolutely jumping out of
the glass with this! From
a lovely light straw colour
and a slight haze gushes
lemon and nectarine,
followed by a mouthful of
orange, citrus pear and
lemon pith. Stone fruit
bitters provide structure
while the pillowy mouthfeel
and gently balanced
carbonation will keep you
coming back for more. Let
the session begin!
Glass: Pint
Food: Chicken Crimpy
Shapes
recklessbrewingco.com.au
TASTING
Slipstream Brewing
Pale Ale
A BREWER’S
ABV: 4.2%
Style: Pale Ale
Refreshing and tasty as it
gets, Slipstream’s Aussie
BEST MATE
pale is delicately poised
and oh so clean. It boasts
a lovely golden hue with
nice foam while pineapple
and grassy Aussie hop
characters abound.
Deft caramel notes are
wrapped up with well-
placed and balanced
bitterness for a very clean
and easy finish.
Glass: Schooner
Food: BBQ salmon
slipstreambrewing.com.au
Reckless Brewing
XPA
ABV: 4.2%
Style: Extra Pale Ale
A simple thirst quencher,
where subtle lemon
and lime, with a touch
of pith on the nose,
foreshadow the absolute
lime saturation of the
palate with a little bit
of peach and yellow
nectarine factoring in.
The carbonation is super
light allowing it to go
down without resistance. DISTRIBUTED BY:
This is the kind of beer
that would have helped
Hawkey break his own
skulling record.
Glass: Schooner
Food: Corn chips & salsa
recklessbrewingco.com.au 1800 119 622
orders@cryermalt.com.au
www.cryermalt.com
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Urban Alley Brewery
Slapshot
ABV: 4.5%
Style: Pale Ale
A 2022 World Beer Cup
bronze medallist, it pours
light and straw in colour.
It’s a smooth, fruity pale
ale that is slightly crisp
on the palate, with hints
of mango to finish. Not
too hoppy which makes
for very easy drinking and
easily sessionable. A craft
beer you could almost
drink with your old man.
Glass: IPA
Food: Mexican
urbanalley.com.au
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Colonial Brewing
Citrus XPA
ABV: 4.6%
Style: Pale Ale
This fruited XPA is a nice
addition to their excellent
core range. Yellow gold in
appearance with a light,
white, lacy head, the
aroma delivers tropical
hop notes as a backbone
to fresh mandarin
essence. The palate
is fruity and naturally
sweet, with notes of citrus
fruits and ever-present
mandarin. Light and
luscious with excellent
length.
Glass: Schooner
Food: Citrus cheesecake
colonialbrewingco.com.au
66 www.beerandbrewer.com
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Urban Alley Brewery
Ozone Pacific Ale
ABV: 4.5%
Style: Pale Ale
A clean hazy Pacific-
style ale that delivers
immediate tropical hop
characters that burst
with freshness from the
glass. The fantastic body
and immense mouthfeel
back up the tropical fruit
hop flavours that round
the experience out. Light,
fun and fruity, this beer
is perfectly suited to a
hot day.
Glass: Schooner
Food: Chicken & mango
salad
urbanalley.com.au
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Burleigh Brewing
Twisted Palm
ABV: 4.2%
Style: Pale Ale
This inspired tropical pale
ale presents like golden
beach sand with a white
wave crest head. The
aroma of mango, pawpaw,
papaya and pineapple is
pleasant while a palate
of light malt and soft
tropical fruits provides
refreshment and malt
sweetness. Well balanced
with almost no bitterness.
Glass: Tulip
Food: Hawaiian pizza
burleighbrewing.com.au
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Vale Brewing Nomad Brewing
Vale Ale South Pacific
ABV: 4.5% Dream
Style: Pale Ale ABV: 4.1%
The classic remains just Style: Pale Ale
that. It’s still delicious Light and fruity with
as it pours golden with a definitively tropical
unripe apricot on the aroma. At 4.1%, the body
nose. There’s big citrus is understandably light,
upfront and it finishes but the overall feeling
crisp and dry. Perfectly from this pale is quaffable
carbonated, super and satisfying. If your
refreshing and altogether South Pacific dream is a
crushable at the beach on hot day and a cool tasty
a hot day. beer, then this fits the
Glass: IPA bill. It’s clean and dry and
Food: Capricciosa pizza needs only a beachside
valebrewing.com.au BBQ to go with it.
Glass: Pint
Food: BBQ seafood
nomadbrewingco.com.au
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Jervis Bay Brewing Five Barrel Brewing
11 Days Pale Ale Pacific Peak
ABV: 4.7% ABV: 4.5%
Style: Pale Ale Style: XPA
Named after a ship’s crew Light straw, a strong and
that wrecked in Jervis clean white head holds
Bay in 1805, it’s a clear, it all together but allows
straw/pale gold beer aromas of stone fruit and
with generous, delicate citrus to glide through.
lacing that remains Balanced by a sweetness
until the last drop and from a solid malt bill and
aromas of melon and a subtle bitterness, notes
peach. It’s smooth and of floral and grapefruit
ever so slightly creamy take centre stage and
in the mouth where it’s are joined by a delicious
impressively full-bodied orange/tangerine
with a dry, mildly bitter character. These move on
finish. fast thanks to fantastic
Glass: Schooner carbonation that helps
Food: Something spicy keep the palate clean and
jervisbaybrewing.co refreshed.
Glass: Pint
Food: Salt & pepper ribs
fivebarrels.com.au
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Brick Lane Brewing
One Love
ABV: 4.4%
Style: Pale Ale
One Love has proved a
great, and award-winning
foundation beer for Brick
Lane. It’s pale light gold in
appearance with a snowy
white head and light haze.
The aroma gives citrus
notes of grapefruit and
lemon with a palate of
malt sweetness and a nice
hop flavour balance of
orange, lemon, grapefruit
and cumquat. The beer
is easy drinking, with low
bitterness.
Glass: Schooner
Food: Spicy wings
bricklanebrewing.com
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King River Brewing
Vic Secret
ABV: 6.0%
Style: Wet Hopped Pale
Ale
Bright gold with solid
foam, pineapple (tinned
and fresh) combines with
pine forest for an all-
round green machine of a
beer. The pineapple eases
in flavour and classic
Aussie hop resin takes
charge with the sheen of
Voyager’s Veloria malt
evident throughout.
Bittering is sure-footed
and restrained and only
enhances the urge to take
another swig.
Glass: Pint
Food: Corn fritters
with salsa
kingriverbrewing.com.au

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King River Brewing
Eclipse
ABV: 6.0%
Style: Wet Hopped Pale
Ale
Golden with very bright
clarity and a thick white
head that holds, grassy
floral and piney hop
aromas mingle with some
malt sweetness before
the latter coats the palate.
Citrusy, grassy flavours
then shine with some pine
resin on the back palate.
Medium in body and
carbonation, this is well-
balanced and enjoyable
and showcases Eclipse’s
attributes suitably.
Glass: Pint
Food: Ploughman’s lunch
kingriverbrewing.com.au
Black Brewing
Hazy Pale
ABV: 5.0%
Style: Hazy Pale Ale
This is a lighter
interpretation of this
popular style, where gentle
tropical fruit characters
dominate, ripe pineapple
and mango noticeably
feature with a touch of
passionfruit and zesty
citrus also on hand, all
carried by a light body that
emanates a golden but
hazy hue, plus a light, fluffy
white head. Though lighter
in style, it’s built around
hop-derived, clean flavours
and is bolstered by a
modest ABV, plus a touch
of lingering bitterness.
Glass: IPA
Food: Fish curry
blackbrewingco.com.au
TASTING N EW Y EA S T & EN Z Y M E BLEN D
SafBrew ™
Rocky Ridge
Haulin’ Oats
LD-20
ABV: 5.0%
Style: Oat Pale Ale
This is a simply put
together pale ale loaded
with regeneratively
farmed oats from the
WA wheatbelt region,
brewed in collaboration
YOUR BEST CHOICE FOR
with Dirty Clean Food. It LOWERCARB*, DRY LAGER BEERS
pours bright straw and
emits light citrus, grass
and biscuity notes on the
nose. A prominent grainy
character features on the
nose and palate while also
contributing to a long,
fine texture. Breadiness
lingers after each sip
atop an otherwise clean,
refreshing base beer.
Glass: IPA
Food: Anzac biscuits
rockyridgebrewing.com.au
professionals only and should not be construed as a recommended claim.
*Meaning up to -20% carbohydrates. The information is intended to
SafBrewTM LD-20 is our first yeast
Black Brewing
and enzyme blend designed for
Blood Orange lower-carb*, typical dry lagers,
Honey Saison with up to 20 % less sugars and
ABV: 7.7% carbohydrates !
Style: Fruited Saison
Pours a striking gold and
is bursting with classic
saison yeast phenolics and
orange zest on the nose.
Fennel, pepper and lemon
complete a mouth-watering
aroma bouquet while a
noble hop bitterness is
present against pithy citrus,
dark honey notes, bright
lemon and a light herbal
character. Long lasting
flavours carry on a light
body that finishes with a
touch of sweetness, gentle
fruit derived acid and some
residual floral notes.
Glass: Tulip
Food: Hard cheeses
blackbrewingco.com.au
PREFERRED DISTRIBUTOR
TASTING
Frenchies
Bastille 1789
ABV: 4.5%
Style: Blonde Lager
Attractive bright gold
in the glass with a
healthy head. Aromas
are all classic European
malt while the body is
smooth and not overly
carbonated. Bang on.
The French Strisselspalt
hops stir some very old
memories, did we have
Kronenbourg off tap in
1998 maybe? Finishes
typically clean with a
pleasant, slightly pils-y
bitterness. Substantial for
a blonde lager, but still
moreish.
Glass: Pilsner
Food: Battered fish
frenchiesbistroandbrewery.com.au
Frenchies X
Hopsters
Hazy NZ IPA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: NEIPA
Light fluffy clouds of haze
and foam meet the eye
in a glorious pour as the
aroma presents itself with
distinctly Kiwi characters
of strong pine needle,
earthiness and tropical
fruits. The hop character
is wonderfully enigmatic
and complex. Another
great collaboration
beer by the two Sydney
enterprises
Glass: Tulip
Food: Kiwi lamb pie
frenchiesbistroandbrewery.com.au
68 www.beerandbrewer.com
Frenchies
The Smorgasvein
ABV: 5.2%
Style: Grape Ale
Brewed for GABS 2022 and
named after a scene from
South Park where Stan’s
Dad Randy matches wine
with beer (it’s elegantly
cultural!). It’s golden
leaning towards brassy
and looks like it might be a
lager. But the Chardonnay
juice tips that idea on its
head and adds some zingy,
rustic farmhouse cider
vibes. After time in the
glass some chardy-inspired
stonefruit appears. So
refreshing, this will be such
a winner on a warmer day,
bring on Spring!
Glass: Tulip
Food: Caesar salad
frenchiesbistroandbrewery.com.au
Straddie Brewing
Manta Dark Lager
ABV: 4.8%
Style: Dark Lager
Suited to the climate of a
Queensland Winter, this
absolutely delivers on all
promises with a medium-
full, dark reddish-hued
body loaded with a full
array of roasty, malty,
nutty goodness that
finishes lager-clean. It’s
a grower in the glass
too, developing subtle
sweet spices and is very
smashable, nuanced
and satisfying.
Glass: Schooner
Food: Shepherd’s pie
straddiebrewing.com.au
Frenchies
Black Coconut
Milkshake IPA
ABV: 6.8%
Style: Milkshake IPA
Medium-bodied with
a dark, nutty brown
colour, the first whiff is
confectionery coconut,
like someone spiked a
brown ale with a dash of
Malibu. The plush, creamy
palate carries it all though,
with almost none of the
sweetness suggested by
the nose. Seeing six-plus
per cent alcohol on the
can makes for a double-
take as it drinks more like
4.5% and finishes dry with
no bitterness.
Glass: Schooner
Food: Toasted
marshmallows
frenchiesbistroandbrewery.com.au
Prancing Pony
Blaze of Haze
ABV: 4.8%
Style: Hazy Pale Ale
There’s no horsing around
with this tasty hazy pale.
Trotting in at a pleasant
4.8%, it’s not exactly
the beer that will rear
up and hoof you right in
the tastebuds, but rather
happily canter you around
on the lawn while you
inhale a mane of citrus
and let notes of strawberry
take you cross country
before some grassiness in
the back paddock gallops
you home.
Glass: IPA
Food: Thick cut chips
prancingponybrewery.com.au
Frenchies
Hazy XPA
ABV: 4.2%
Style: Hazy XPA
This is the type of beer
that never used to exist:
hoppy, fruity, fresh and
with a relatively low ABV.
The accessibility of fresh,
hazy XPAs (which is not
a standalone style BTW)
has introduced so many
punters to the wonders of
craft beer. This example
is more of an Australian
expression, with some US
supporting flavours. The
lovely acidity goes very
well with the mango
and lychee flavours
and aromas.
Glass: IPA
Food: Lamb vindaloo
frenchiesbistroandbrewery.com.au
Wolf of the
Willows First Chair
ABV: 6.0%
Style: Coffee Breakfast
Stout
A solid base of oats
and a hint of rye lay
the foundation for this
breakfast of champions.
A big hit of coffee adds
a fresh roastiness which
is complemented by the
rich roasty malt base. The
cocoa balances this so
that it lingers throughout
but doesn’t overpower the
flavours, bringing a hint
of chocolate to the mid
palate. That sweetness
hangs around to the end
of each sip, ensuring
balance is maintained.
Glass: Tulip
Food: Savoury dessert
wolfofthewillows.com.au
Frenchies X
Hopsters
Hazy Oz IPA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: NEIPA
Bursting with flavours
that hit every mark,
this has all the visual
hallmarks of a quality
NEIPA but it’s when
aroma and flavour come
into their own that this
really stands tall. Strong
tropical characters,
reminiscent of guava,
mandarin, passionfruit
and some pine flow out
of the glass and right into
the nose, mouth and belly.
A real delight of a beer.
Glass: IPA
Food: Barra burger
frenchiesbistroandbrewery.com.au
King River Brewing
North by North East
ABV: 3.5%
Style: Lager
Pouring a light hay colour
with sublime foam, the
sumptuous nose delivers
light bready malt, pilsner-
honey vibes and citrus
notes of light lime and
cumquat. Bitterness is
assertive in this very
clean, very delicious
middy lager that’s not
hard to imagine being the
post-adventure drink of
choice somewhere in King
River’s great outdoors.
Glass: Pilsner
Food: Bacon sarny
kingriverbrewing.com.au

Tallboy & Tallboy & Moose
Moose Bambino Put A Boot On
ABV: 4.7% ABV: 5.0%
Style: Italian Pilsner Style: Amber Lager
One of many breweries In true GABS beer form
to release this style of this brew is definitely
late, Tallboy’s has been unique! It’s a noble
dry-hopped with the homage to the native
noble varieties Hallertau wattleseed and is full of
Mittelfruh and Perle. It’s earthy roasted coffee,
golden in colour with chocolate and caramel.
a light citrus nose with The copper liquid and
hints of the Japanese aroma of sweet honey,
pepper tree. This wheat and earthy wattle
refreshing, easy drinker do not prepare you for
delivers slightly toasted the herbacious bitters
caramel malt flavours within. Super dry, but
alongside some apricot definitely one to try if you
jam in a light finish. want something different.
Glass: Pilsner Glass: Tulip
Food: Cecina Toscana Food: Roast pork with
tallboyandmoose.com apple sauce
tallboyandmoose.com
TASTING
Tallboy & Moose Philter Brewing Slipstream Brewing
Deep Steep Hazy Pale Mulberry Sour
ABV: 5.1% ABV: 5.3% ABV: 3.5%
Style: American Amber Style: Hazy Pale Ale Style: Fruited Sour
An original recipe that Featuring Cashmere, Part of Slipstream’s
helped launch the Idaho, Citra and Mosaic excellent Fruit Cart series
brewery in 2016, this has hops, Philter’s core range of sour beers, a nice little
a red hue and clinging hazy pale is dark golden, rhyming blurb on the can
foam while big rose-like very hazy and offers sets the scene for a fun
floral and herbal aromas great head retention. journey with this very
mingle with fresh caramel Mint, feijoa, passionfruit smashable number. Giving
following to the palate. and mango characters off Petit Miam vibes in
The chamomile addition are evident with a very aroma, it features a light
comes through after rich malt character and malt bill and light but
a few sips. It’s quite a slick bitterness that pleasant sour blueberry
crisp and dry with some lingers after the sip. The and savoury mulberry
lingering bitterness that very dry finish makes it flavours with a rich
would be perfect with a super easy to drink. cherry nose.
creamy dish. Glass: IPA Glass: Tulip
Glass: Schooner Food: Wings Food: Cherry tart
Food: Mac & cheese philterbrewing.com slipstreambrewing.com.au
tallboyandmoose.com
TASTING
Slow Lane Slow Lane Brewing
Bear Hug Not Too Heys
ABV: 6.5% ABV: 9.5%
Style: Barrel Aged Style: Barrel Aged
Brown Ale Old Ale
A Flanders Brown style With a wee dig at that
sour with a beautiful other “old ale” of NSW,
reductive brown colour, they’ve produced a polar-
it’s been aged 16 months opposite representation of
in oak barrels and can the style. Fermented plums
conditioned for a further and dark chocolate-dipped
five. That time spent has banana on the nose sit
delivered well integrated over barnyard spice and
souring, a well-balanced wet leather. Caramel and
malt profile with layered cherry lead on the palate
oxidative sherry, muscat, backed up with a healthy
cola, muscovado brown bitterness and enough
sugar, vanillin oak and sweetness to carry the
tart red apple skin flavour intensity. Acidity is
characters. well rounded for an overall
Glass: Goblet bold, yet intriguingly well-
Food: Dark choc brownie balanced, beer.
slowlanebrewing.com.au Glass: Tulip
Food: Cheese board
slowlanebrewing.com.au
Jervis Bay Brewing Jervis Bay Brewing
Cow and Calf Bay of Plenty IPA
ABV: 5.4% ABV: 6.5%
Style: Pale Ale Style: IPA
The tropical notes of this A pale, medium amber to
beer are best enjoyed the eye, it’s mildly hazy
on the nose with the with tiny bubbles and
dry hopping delivering pours with a medium
passionfruit, rockmelon, head with complex lacing.
lychee and white peach. Boasting mango, stone
Pouring a golden yellow fruit and citrus aromas,
with a lingering white it has a smooth, full and
head, the bitter backbone enveloping mouthfeel
has a strong hold in the ahead of a bitter finish
palate, supporting papaya, with hints of caramel that
orange and lime zest. hang around. A very easy-
Glass: Pint drinking (for the ABV) and
Food: Japanese curry overall impressive beer.
jervisbaybrewing.co Glass: IPA
Food: Mexican
jervisbaybrewing.co
70 www.beerandbrewer.com
Slow Lane
Brewing Quake
ABV: 5.4%
Style: Hazy Pale Ale
A hazy pale gold with very
low carbonation, there’s
bright mango, passionfruit
and pineapple on the
nose, leading to a great
sense of citrus freshness
and an ongoing tropical
bouquet with a faint
whiff of limestone and a
pronounced yeastiness.
Highly sessionable, with
low lingering bitterness
that fades slowly, the ABV
is almost imperceptible
with a perfectly clean
finish from the Kviek
yeast.
Glass: Tulip
Food: Meringue & fruit
slowlanebrewing.com.au
TWØBAYS Brewing
Margarita Sour
ABV: 3.8%
Style: Gluten Free Gose
Inspired by Aussie
Olympic long jumper and
Coeliac Brooke Stratton
and her favourite cocktail,
there’s big funk on the
nose and it surprises with
a huge kick of lime zest.
It’s surprisingly refreshing
and not too sour and
while not the style of
beer some would usually
gravitate to, it really hits
the spot.
Glass: Tulip
Food: Fish tacos
twobays.beer
Slow Lane Brewing
Royal Talus
ABV: 7.5%
Style: Barrel Aged
Brett IPA
Pale straw with a thick
head, lemon barley lollies
are immediately on the
nose with a trace of
bubblegum and a faint
dusting of icing sugar. As
the beer warms, tannic
influence presents itself
but with perfect integration
as sweetness softens and
mellows into smooth vanilla
notes from the oak. The
barnyard character from
the saison yeast develops
with a beautifully round
mid-palate that cleans
nicely on the finish.
Glass: Tulip
Food: Cheese board
slowlanebrewing.com.au
TWØBAYS Brewing
Mandarin Rice Lager
ABV: 4.4%
Style: Gluten Free Lager
This brew has a punch in
the face mandarin peel
flavour, balanced out
with some bitterness. It
finishes long, with big
citrus vibes - like biting
into a lemon without the
face-breaking sourness.
This was delicious, a
proper warm weather
banger and perfect for a
day at the beach!
Glass: Tulip
Food: Fish & chips
twobays.beer
Exit Brewing
Pale
ABV: 4.6%
Style: Pale Ale
This doesn’t shy away from
putting the “American” in
American pale ale. Golden
orange in the glass, with
a head that died down to
nice lacing, its bold use
of US and Kiwi hops lend
some big ol’ grapefruit
and pine to the nose.
Flavours of tropical fruits
and orange peel, kept
in check by just enough
biscuity malt, leads into
a piney bitterness that
doesn’t beat your palate
into submission. Rather, it
leaves you craving another.
Glass: IPA
Food: Pepperoni pIzza
exitbrewing.com
TWØBAYS Brewing
Session Ale
ABV: 3.5%
Style: Gluten Free Mid
strength Pale Ale
A cracker that’s
somewhere between deep
gold and light amber in
colour with a delicate
foam that dissipates
quickly. Fizzy on the pour,
very mild stone fruit
aromas and a delicate,
slightly bitter flavour
present. It’s smooth,
full-bodied yet with an
unobtrusive mouthfeel
with a slightly bitter finish
that lingers on the palate.
Glass: Pint
Food: Gluten free pizza
twobays.beer

TWØBAYS Brewing
No Doubt Stout
ABV: 6.2%
Style: Gluten Free Stout
Considering this is their
first dark beer release,
it’s one that thoroughly
deserves its gold medal
from the 2021 AIBAs.
Pouring the darkest of
browns, with an initial
medium head and fine
lacing, it offers amazing
aromas of chocolate and
almond and is smooth
with flavours of creamy
coffee, caramel and
malty-roasty notes that
lead to a lingering bitter-
burnt caramel finish.
Glass: Snifter
Food: Venison
twobays.beer
Your Mates Brewing
Passionfruit Sour
ABV: 3.5%
Style: Fruited Sour
When one’s advertising
fruit on the can, it’s lovely
to actually catch that
aroma from the get-go
and the passionfruit in this
lightly sour beer is mouth-
watering on introduction
with its softness and
sweetness. The palate
delivers salivating
passionfruit flavour, with
just the slightest touch
of clean tartness on the
finish. It’s bright, light and
feels like you could pour it
right over a pavlova!
Glass: Tulip
Food: Pavlova
yourmatesbrewing.com
Pirate Life Brewing
Sunlit
ABV: 4.6%
Style: Wheat Ale
One of three “Aussie
Wheat” ales recently
released by craft
breweries under the
CUB/Asahi umbrella (see
adjacent for the others),
it pours cloudy and straw
in colour and has a zesty
aroma and herby finish.
Sunlit more than lives
up to the designer’s
expectations for it, with it
being super easy to drink,
making for a deliciously
sessionable beer.
Glass: Weizen
Food: Buffalo wings
piratelife.com.au
Your Mates Brewing
Kiwi, Pine &
Lime Sour
ABV: 3.5%
Style: Fruited Sour
A brilliant pale yellow, fresh
pineapple, golden kiwi
and lime come through
in layers with every sniff
of the aroma. The acidity
is familiar of just ripe
pineapple and kiwi while
there’s a subtle residual
lime zest that pronounces
the sourness and tart
finish. Overall a very
drinkable beer, delicate,
quick off the palate, clean
and refreshing, and perfect
for those times when the
palate needs a little wake
up call.
Glass: Stemless tulip
Food: Fresh seafood
yourmatesbrewing.com
Matilda Bay
Aussie Wheat Ale
ABV: 4.5%
Style: Wheat Ale
This is bright straw-
coloured and pours
beautifully with a white
foamy head. Aromas of
light, refreshing citrus
and ripe tangerine
make way for flavours
of orange, light salty
lime with a subtle wheat
sweetness. This is a light,
crisp beer with a light
creaminess that coats
the mouth, leaving a
tantalising warm weather
refresher.
Glass: Weizen
Food: Tiger Prawns
matildabay.com
Your Mates Brewing
Karen’s Shandy
ABV: 7.0%
Style: Fruited Sour
Pour one out for the
Karens! The aroma is of
intense lemon peel and a
touch of vanilla and like
any good shandy it has
all the sweetness to cure
any hangover – or suit
your mate that’s just not
that into beer. It hides the
ABV super well in the tart
citrus and finishes like a
fancy lemonade.
Glass: Tulip
Food: Salt & pepper squid
yourmatesbrewing.com
TASTING
Green Beacon Modus Brewing
Mollyhawk Pale Ale
ABV: 4.5% ABV: 5.2%
Style: Wheat Ale Style: Pale Ale
Pale gold and lightly hazy This classic core range
with dense white foam, pale pours beautifully
bright lemon, lemongrass with a fluffy white head.
and green melon aromas Aromas of orange
are attractive plus citrus marmalade highlight big,
flavours are aplenty classic US hops in this
with mild wheaty notes. more traditional, US-style
Mouthfeel is soft, light pale ale. The body carries
and refreshing with a just a touch of sweetness
pleasant dry finish. The to make the American
lack of bitterness makes citrusy hops sing, and
for an easy-drinking then finish on a super
session beer. All hail the well balanced note.
wheat ale! Glass: IPA
Glass: Weizen Food: Cheeseburger
Food: Spring veg risotto mobrewing.com.au
greenbeacon.com.au
Your Mates Brewing Deeds Brewing
Red IPA 1.21 Gigawatts
ABV: 6.0% ABV: 5.6%
Style: Red IPA Style: Hazy Pale Ale
A well-balanced beer Pouring a beautiful
and another great golden straw with a dense
detour from their more white head, sharp lime
widely available range, aromas come screaming
it’s copper red with a from the glass along with
dense rocky head. Rich more subtle notes of
caramel and toffee passionfruit and mango.
malt characters are These aromas are just
counterbalanced with noticeable on the palate
fresh peppery hop and are taken over by
bitterness. The hop a spicy grassiness with
character adds to the coconut and orange-lime
drinking experience citrus. A soft carbonation
and ensure it remains allows bitterness to hang
extremely moreish. around so the fruit basket
Glass: IPA of flavours don’t become
Food: Smoked pork ribs too much to handle.
yourmatesbrewing.com Glass: IPA
Food: Fried chicken
deedsbrewing.com.au
Spring 2022 71
TASTING
Deeds Brewing
Counter Clockwise
ABV: 4.8%
Style: Czech Dark Lager
Dark, almost black, with
a well-formed off-white
head, it offers a clean,
easy-drinking body with
big roasty dark flavours.
Aromas are well executed
with roasty, biscuits,
coffee, cacao and burnt
toffee and leads to
flavours of burnt dark
chocolate and coffee
that linger well after a
sip. With a smooth and
creamy body that finishes
crisp, this is a perfect
fireside beer.
Glass: Mug
Food: Fresh oysters
deedsbrewing.com.au
Brick Lane Brewing
Hush Little Baby
ABV: 11.1%
Style: Imperial Stout
Kicking off their 2022
Trilogy of Fear series, this
is black with a prominent
brown head and from
ageing on cypress and
whole Papuan vanilla
aromas are of sweet
vanilla, a hint of cherry
and an earthy pine.
Vanilla flavours are
upfront and finish with a
hint of cypress heartwood
and spice. A mouthfeel
that is velvet thick,
creamy, and smooth,
coats the mouth with a
boozy finish.
Glass: Chalice
Food: Rib eye with
garlic butter
bricklanebrewing.com
72 www.beerandbrewer.com
Deeds Brewing
MidWinter
ABV: 6.2%
Style: Vanilla Porter
This well-rounded vanilla
porter pours black with
a light brown, prominent
head. Cacao nibs, vanilla
bean, coffee and dark
chocolate with a nutty
profile fill the nose, while
flavours of dark chocolate,
coffee and vanilla are
present. A moderate body,
that is smooth and creamy
at a warming 6.2% is an
amazing beer for cooler
nights.
Glass: Mug
Food: Beef & porter stew
deedsbrewing.com.au
Brick Lane Brewing
Offering
ABV: 11.6%
Style: Bourbon Imperial
Stout
Aged in Kentucky
bourbon barrels, it pours
a deep black and offers
aromatic notes that are
nutty with plum, raisin
and sweet chocolate.
The flavours follow
through converging with
vanilla, coconut, toffee,
sherry, oaky tannins, and
bourbon. The alcohol
warming throughout
paves its way to a big,
bold mouth coating treat.
Glass: Chalice
Food: Stilton
bricklanebrewing.com
Deeds Brewing Deeds Brewing Brick Lane Brewing
Conductors Multi Pass Revolver
Special Reserve ABV: 5.4% ABV: 5.8%
ABV: 9.5% Style: Pale Ale Style: Dark Hoppy Ale
Style: Smoky Baltic You don’t have to be Recognised as the World’s
Porter a Fifth Element fan to Best Porter at the 2021
Deed’s came in hot with enjoy this but it certainly World Beer Awards, this
this one that pours helps! If not, it’s still American-style porter
black with a heady packed full of citrus hop pours a deep rustic brown
brown head. Aromas characters with flavours with a low tan head. The
of a woody bourbon, of mandarin, tangerine aroma offers hop notes,
dak chocolate, coffee, and orange. The colour licks of caramel and
molasses, toffee, raisins also lends itself to those coffee while the palate
and dark fruits fill this fruits (and Leelo’s hair!) is mildly sweet, with
beer. Big bold flavours of pouring an orange hue. It pleasant ashiness and
smoke, molasses, dark simultaneously manages good hop notes giving
fruits, coffee and sweet to have a thick but clean complexity and adding
vanilla are present as you mouthfeel that combines some oiliness to the
sip. With a full body and with the low bitterness finish.
a creaminess from the to make a cracking beer Glass: Chalice
lactose, this is a delight to enjoy while watching a Food: Charred baby
to drink. classic film. octopus
Glass: Goblet Glass: IPA bricklanebrewing.com
Food: Raspberry parfait Food: Barramundi
deedsbrewing.com.au deedsbrewing.com.au
Brick Lane Brewing Bailey Brewing Bailey Brewing
Asylum Draught Summer Ale
ABV: 11.1% ABV: 4.8% ABV: 4.8%
Style: Sugar Maple Style: Lager Style: Ale
Imperial Stout An easy-drinking, crisp A highly quaffable drop
Concluding the series, lager-style draught, it from one of the Swan
this is aged on sugar boasts sweet malt with Valley’s newest breweries,
maple and amburana subtle mandarin hop it’s pale gold with slight
which brings about a aroma with a pleasant haze and a medium-to-
complex platform of pilsner and wheat malt low white head with good
aromas and flavours to character with a light carbonation. A light and
enjoy. Pouring extremely and crisp palate, finishing refreshing wheat and
dark brown to black, it with a medium bitterness. barley ale with subdued
hosts aromas of sweet A great can to take to a fresh tropical hop aroma,
chocolate, brown sugar, backyard BBQ and get sweet malt, wheat, and
maple, coconut, ginger some of your mates off biscuit aroma, with
biscuit and cinnamon. mainstream brands and orange-mandarin hops.
Flavours of burnt maple, on to craft. Glass: Schooner
coconut, dark chocolate Glass: Schooner Food: Fish & chips
and cinnamon dive in to Food: Mexican baileybrewingco.com.au
complement. baileybrewingco.com.au
Glass: Chalice
Food: Chocolate cake
bricklanebrewing.com
 TASTING

One Drop Brewing One Drop Brewing One Drop Brewing One Drop Brewing One Drop Brewing
Double Vanilla Hazy Pale Ale Welcome to the Nobody Move Twisted Fate
Custard Pancake ABV: 4.5% Nectaron Experience ABV: 7.3% ABV: 8.2%
Imperial Nitro Style: Hazy Pale Ale ABV: 8.3% Style: Hazy DIPA Style: DDH DIPA
Thickshake IPA Pours plenty hazy, even Style: Single Hop DIPA This is thick with attitude, Deep gold, almost amber
ABV: 10.1% muddy looking, with a Apricot and peach are flavour and haze! The in appearance, it’s crystal
Style: Double Milkshake nice foamy head. A faint in overdrive on the nose appearance is dense clear with a fluffy white
IPA tropical aroma leads before a pineapple punch while the aroma is very head that sticks. Aromas
A creamy nitro pour the way to a soft fluffy comes in hot on their complex, with a burst are an immediate assault
is a good start when mouthfeel and a super heels. It’s hard to find of fresh mango and red of bright, ripe fruit with
the can says “vanilla juicy palate. There’s a much underneath: dribs of berries hitting the nose, a box load of mango,
custard pancake” and touch of pineapple-y overripe mango and stone followed by some nice lemon, starfruit, lychee
“thickshake”! One Drop bitterness on the finish fruit vibes occasionally strawberry and pine. and pineapple and with
have had their cake and that gives it a dryness to pop out. The base beer is The flavour has all the faint whiffs of pear and
eaten it. It’s creamy and keep you coming back for slick and syrupy, absent of aforementioned traits red apple poking through.
smooth and vanilla ice more. The can says this bitterness with a creamy but is also thick with There is a pleasant
cream sweet and if you’ve hazy pale is crushable, oat-stuffed mouthfeel. mouthfeel and has a green character from
got a sweet tooth this and it’s no lie. Finishing with a little bite decent alcohol kick to an aggressive hopping
would be a fun beer to Glass: IPA and a pithy orange rind balance it all out. Overall, regime as the malt plays
try. The IPA element only Food: Pad Thai texture, this is a big beer a pretty badass beer. harmoniously with an
barely balances all the onedropbrewingco.com.au stuffed with everything Glass: IPA assertive bitterness.
sweetness out. Nectaron has to offer. Food: Brisket roll Glass: IPA
Glass: Parfait glass Glass: IPA onedropbrewingco.com.au Food: Fried chicken
Food: Burger & fries Food: Vindaloo onedropbrewingco.com.au
onedropbrewingco.com.au onedropbrewingco.com.au

One Drop Brewing One Drop Brewing CoConspirators Stomping Ground Stomping Ground
Dark Cherry Strawberry Brewing De Bollekes Chai and Chai Again
ABV: 8.0% Hibiscus Sour The Hype Man ABV: 4.6% ABV: 6.5%
Style: Imperial Sour ABV: 3.4% ABV: 5.0% Style: Belgian Pale Ale Style: Belgian Dubbel
Dark pink foam Style: Fruited Sour Style: Hazy Pale Ale Pouring a bronze gold Brewed for GABS 2022
complements the dark Pours like a cloudy early Pouring a light straw with a beautiful French- and in collaboration with
cherry colour and sunset with orange and gold, this tasty beer with Belgian yeast flavour Monk’s Chai tea company,
unmistakable cherry highlights of pink and good tropical hop flavour and where the malt and this is a very cool, modern
liquor chocolate, cherry purple over a soft haze. and aroma has a great delicate hop flavours are take on a classic Belgian
ripe and maraschino The primary nose is of haze yet tastes clean. in fine balance, this is style. It pours deep brown
cherry aromas are all rose petals, hibiscus and The flavours combine in great out of the can and with attractive aromas
layered together. A dry, watermelon skin before a restrained but balanced the drinking experience of caramelised banana,
puckering tartness upfront flourishing into a sweet way ensuring that it is is highlighted by the dried fig and gingernut
counters any anticipation mash of ripe strawberries. approachable and could fantastic head retention biscuit that are all given a
of abundant confectionary It smells boldly sweet, be enjoyed by all. The and mouthfeel in a glass. chai spice lift. The palate
cherry sweetness and with soft green fruit Hype Man is a great A beer to enjoy and is creamy, medium bodied
rounds out the palate with notes and a soft whiff of addition to the hype beer a great sessionable and not too sweet. A
a firm sourness leaving gooseberry. On the palate subcategory of hazy pale entry point into this unique, well-made brew.
a crisp dryness on the the sweetness dissipates ales. subcategory. Glass: Tulip
finish. The alcohol warmth into a tart experience Glass: IPA Glass: Balloon Food: Lamb tagine
builds with each sip, like biting into a slightly Food: Fish & chips Food: Steamed mussels stompingground.beer
balancing the tartness. underripe strawberry. coconspirators.com.au stompingground.beer
Glass: Tulip Glass: Tulip
Food: Berry cheesecake Food: Vanilla ice cream
onedropbrewingco.com.au onedropbrewingco.com.au

Spring 2022 73
TASTING
Two Birds Brewing
Turn it Up to 11
ABV: 6.8%
Style: Pastry Stout
A worthy brew to celebrate
their 11th birthday, this
rich, chocolate cake stout
pours black with mousse-
like foam with prominent
nutmeg spice aromas
overlaying delightful
chocolate cake batter.
Chocolate and sweet cocoa
flavours are balanced with
malt and low bitterness.
The mild sweetness from
vanilla and lactose hits
the mark for an appealing
decadent treat.
Glass: Tulip
Food: Strawberry ice
cream
twobirdsbrewing.com.au
Colonial Brewing
Pale Ale
ABV: 4.4%
Style: Pale Ale
A flagship beer that
satisfies the palates
of east and Western
Australia, it’s amber in
colour with medium foam
and showcases a montage
of citrus, orange and
grapefruit from US hops
as well as expressions of
pineapple, passionfruit
and mango from
Australian aromatic hops.
The bitterness is low and
the malt character is light
but supports the balance
and length of the beer.
Glass: Schooner
Food: Steak with pepper
sauce
colonialbrewingco.com.au
74 www.beerandbrewer.com
Two Birds Brewing
Pale Ale
ABV: 5.0%
Style: Pale Ale
An attractive, fruity pale
ale with a deep golden
colour and lasting foam.
Reminiscent of peach
and apple cobbler with
mangoes on the side,
red apple and mango
lead flavour while it has
a medium body with low
bitterness and almost
creamy mouthfeel. An
easy-drinking modern
pale for any Spring picnic.
Glass: Schooner
Food: Waldorf salad
twobirdsbrewing.com.au
Cupitt’s Estate
Smoked Porter
ABV: 6.4%
Style: Smoked Porter
Strong dark brown in
appearance with a lovely
generous head and
complex lacing that stays,
it has a smoky aroma as
expected but not in an
overpowering fashion.
The mouthfeel is smooth,
with smoke, chocolate
and burnt toffee flavours
with a hint of toffee
sweetness that lingers
longest. Gets better
as it approaches room
temperature.
Glass: Pint
Food: Oysters
cupittsestate.com.au
Gage Roads
After Hours
ABV: 6.0%
Style: Hoppy Winter Ale
The result of a consumer
voting initiative to choose
the next style the brewery
brewed delivers a dark
malty ale with a hop
bill of Idaho 7, Cascade,
Centennial and East
Kent Goldings. Rich dark
chocolate-coated cherries
and oranges meld with
subtle earthy and piney
hops while the palate is
full-flavoured, dark and
roasty with moderate
bitterness. Seems bigger
than 6.0% - but in a good
way.
Glass: Tulip
Food: BBQ skewers
gageroads.com.au
IronBark Hill
Old Nessie
ABV: 8.2%
Style: Scottish Strong
Ale
Another impressive beer
from IronBark, it pours
a dark brown with a big,
satisfyingly frothy head.
A smoothly unobtrusive
mouthfeel features lots
of sweetness with a slight
hint of stewy apricot as
well as burnt caramel and
toffee. There’s a lingering
booziness that’s hard to
hide.
Glass: Thistle
Food: Roast pork
ironbarkhill.com
Burleigh Brewing
Burleigh Sass
ABV: 4.2%
Style: Bright Ale with
Ginger
Burleigh Brewing is no
stranger to brewing with
variety, and with this, a
hybrid, traditional fruit
beer that utilises fresh
kibbled ginger, that journey
continues. Bright gold
in appearance, with low
foam, the malt aroma has
a savoury, mushroomy,
gingery nose while a clean
palate gives way to nice
pale malt character and
refreshing fresh ginger
cues with some light spice
on the finish.
Glass: Tulip
Food: Honey ginger
chicken
burleighbrewing.com.au
IronBark Hill
Pilsner
ABV: 4.8%
Style: Pilsner
This refreshing, true-to-
style pilsner is pale straw
with a nice, creamy head.
Grassy aroma with floral
hints, it has a hoppy yet
well-balanced flavour
with a robust mouthfeel
that lingers on the
palate. Drink this while
sitting outdoors as the
sun recedes on a bright
Spring afternoon.
Glass: Pilsner
Food: Caprese salad
ironbarkhill.com
Burleigh Brewing
Burleigh Bighead
ABV: 4.2%
Style: Lager
In a new world of “better
for you” products,
Bighead stood up as
Australia’s first no-carb
beer, creating a style
of lager with populist
appeal for those
seeking a healthier
beer alternative. Light
amber in appearance,
with low foam and a
clean, low malt aroma, it
offers refreshment and
ease of drinking with an
uncomplicated palate
that’s low in malt with
some lingering sweetness
on the finish.
Glass: Pilsner
Food: Vietnamese salad
burleighbrewing.com.au
Urban Alley Brewery
Oasis
ABV: 5.5%
Style: IPA
As a fantastic example of
an American IPA, this is
deep straw with a dense
white head. Aromas of
tangerine and oranges are
immediate before taking
a back seat on the palate
for pithy citrus rind and
a solid, dank and piney
spine. Grand bitterness
does a good job to push
back a sweet, dense malt
bill, but with support of
soft carbonation, this beer
will happily linger for a
good while.
Glass: IPA
Food: Cheeseburger
urbanalley.com.au
 TASTING

Sunday Road BentSpoke Brewing Five Barrel Brewing Five Barrel Brewing Five Barrel Brewing
Mystic Haze Descent 22 Füchshund Puddle Jumper General
ABV: 5.5% ABV: 10.0% ABV: 5.0% ABV: 5.0% ABV: 7.2%
Style: Hazy Pale Ale Style: Imperial Stout Style: Altbier Style: Pilsner Style: Hazy IPA
With an enticing haze Pouring a deep, deep Pale copper with slight Bright golden with tight A wonderful expression
that persists, this pours ruby, aromas of molasses haze, the smooth foam and good cling, this of haze, foam and aroma
a golden straw with a are joined by an alcohol- velvety foam softens maintains the light malty, greet the drinker upon
dense pillowy head. based almond note, the mid-palate hop and bready notes on aroma first pour. The colour is
Soft grapefruit and drawing memories of caramel-like bitterness. and provides a good light, yet the appearance
orange aromas are initial Italian Amaretti, before Subtle hoppy notes and backbone and balance to demonstrably hazy, no
and are joined in the being chased by dense light fruity esters and the hop character. While doubt due to high hop
transition to the palate bitter chocolate and roast dark cherry make up the hop character is load, oats and wheat
by mango and papaya. espresso flavour. With a the majority of aroma discernible and not typical going into this beer. The
A dank pine profile sits malt sweetness backing alongside a hint of of a pilsner, the Riwaka, aroma is punchy, tropical
behind the tropical fruits up the bitterness, an chocolate and toasted Motueka and Nelson and freshly complex.
and, along with a soft interesting and delicious malt. The palate is a Sauvin Kiwi varieties There are flavours of
bitterness, helps to halt umami profile sits little muted overall, with provide citrus, grapefruit passionfruit, guava and
the sweetness. All this amongst and helps to a rounded lingering and tropical character mandarin that grip the
is transported on a soft mellow some of the more bitterness and moderate across aroma and flavour taste buds, leading to a
carbonation. intense flavours. dryness. that’s well integrated. wonderful and unique
Glass: IPA Glass: Snifter Glass: Tulip Rounded bitterness expression for this style.
Food: Fajitas Food: Teriyaki stir fry Food: Slow roasted pork lingers on a dry finish. Glass: Tulip
sundayroadbrewing.com.au bentspokebrewing.com.au knuckle, sauerkraut & mash Glass: Pilsner Food: Sicilian pizza
fivebarrels.com.au Food: Whitebait fritters fivebarrels.com.au
fivebarrels.com.au

Five Barrel Brewing Five Barrel Brewing Fixation Brewing Fixation Brewing The Grifter
Freefall Extension Obsession Little Ray Daisy
ABV: 4.9% ABV: 8.2% ABV: 4.6% ABV: 5.2% ABV: 4.8%
Style: Pale Ale Style: Double IPA Style: Session IPA Style: Hazy IPA Style: Hazy Pale Ale
Wonderfully golden With a lovely strong Mid gold with light haze Straw to yellow in colour As vibrant as the can that
with a nice head and golden colour and strong and silky white foam, with a strong haze and a holds it, this is a hazy
persistent lacing, lovely head, the aromas just grapefruit, low floral thin head that dissipates, deep straw/light gold with
citrus and fruit salad pop out of the glass – no and melon aromas meld a fruit box of tropical hop solid, soft white foam.
aromas caress the nose. doubt due to an obscene with grassy hay and low notes drive aroma and Aromas of passionfruit,
The flavour amplifies amount of hops dosed biscuity malt. Sweet, carry over into flavour lime citrus, rockmelon,
those same aromas into at many points of the full-bodied malt combines where a medium body, jasmine and a hint of
a more complex medley brewing process. The with flavours of fleshy with sharp carbonation grassy resin all feature
of mango, pine, orange aromas and flavours are stone fruit, melon, faint finishes dry. There is a before gentle pineapple
peel and pine needle both wildly complex, with citrus and just a touch mild bitterness that and mango flavours
which are all present in notes from mandarin to of pine. A rounded holds on the palate combine with soft wheaty
a sumptuously humble pine needle, red berries, mouthfeel evolves and after drinking. (or oaty) notes. Mouthfeel
manner. rockmelon and guava. firms up as a crisp Glass: IPA is direct but friendly with
Glass: Schooner There is also a subtle yet buoyant bitterness takes Food: Buffalo cauliflower a mild, but voluminous
Food: Hotdogs noticeable dankness that hold and corrals a clean, fixationbrewing.com.au bittering almost stealing
fivebarrels.com.au sits well with the high tidy and succinct finish. the show before its
alcohol burst. Glass: IPA precise and dry on the
Glass: Tulip Food: Tapas finish.
Food: Boeuf bourguignon fixationbrewing.com.au Glass: IPA
fivebarrels.com.au Food: Spicy tacos
thegrifter.com.au

Spring 2022 75
With a qualified team of in-house engineers and technicians,
FB*PROPAK has the scope and depth to supply, customise and
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