Craft Beer 53

52 craft beer 53 PICTURED (clockwise from above) Appreciation for craft beer is on the rise; a growing number of beer styles are being made; Stone & Wood is one recent success story. (opposite, top to bottom) The Great Australasian // Alamy, courtesy GABS, Stone & Wood and Tasmanian Beer Fest and Tasmanian & Wood GABS, Stone courtesy Alamy, // Beer Spectapular was a hit at Melbourne’s Good Beer Week, with one-off beers brewed for the event; Hobart’s annual Photography Tasmanian Beer Fest. The upper echelon of Australian snapping up breweries. This year saw brewers is capable of producing beers Lion make the long-expected move to THERE CAN BE LITTLE as good as any of the wealth of classy take 100 per cent control of Little World imports arriving on these shores, Beverages, owner of Little Creatures. As DOUBT THIS IS A coming in ever-greater numbers as a counterpoint, the founders of Byron international brewers realise just how Bay’s Stone & Wood, whose Pacific Ale GOLDEN AGE FOR BEER, thirsty we’ve become for better beer. has become Australia’s new craft beer Brendan Varis, from Western Australia’s darling, later bought back the 20 per POSSIBLY UNRIVALLED Feral Brewing, and Richard Watkins, cent of their business that had been from Canberra’s Wig & Pen, were owned by Little World Beverages from IN ITS MILLENNIA- popular and deserving winners of the Lion. Meanwhile, Coopers announced it LONG HISTORY. THE YEAR IN BEER Champion Australian Brewery titles would release regular seasonals under at this year’s Australian International the Thomas Cooper’s Selection banner. Beer Awards, although I suspect the Slowly but surely, restaurants began brew team of Shawn Sherlock and Ian treating their beer lists with similar Watson at Murray’s in Port Stephens, respect to their wine lists. Many new Building to sample 58 never-before- New South Wales, would run them close smaller venues make it a central part seen beers. Elsewhere, beer weeks if they actually entered their beers. of their appeal; the smarter operators in Western Australia, Newcastle and Beer consumption may be down, an you declare a year in which The buzz around craft beer reflects the at the top end of the food chain have Sydney expanded their offerings and beer consumption in Australia global picture. Having first taken hold woken up too. Queensland Beer Week was born. but our thirst for quality, different and dropped to its lowest level in in the US, brewers and drinkers across The beer festival calendar has As for the beers, 2012 saw many more than 60 years a great year the globe are exploring the possibilities become one that now requires careful brewers exploring new avenues, downright delicious beers is on the up. for beer? If you’re interested of beer, whether reinvigorating old negotiation. Long-running successes sometimes in collaboration with their in craft beer, the answer is a styles or creating their own. Hop and such as the Australian Hotel’s bash in peers. At different times, it seemed We wrap up the beer trends for the year resounding yes. Beyond a shadow malt suppliers are developing new The Rocks, Sydney, and the Tasmanian every new beer was a Belgian-inspired and bring you 50 of the very best brews Cof a doubt, 2012 has been a milestone varieties to satisfy this demand, with International Beer Fest have been joined farmhouse ale, a black IPA, an imperial year for the nation’s smaller brewers. newer Aussie varieties such as Galaxy by the likes of the Ballarat Beer Festival. stout or a red ale. At the extremes, that are guaranteed to surprise. While the major players has been and Stella appearing with regularity in These are all family-friendly affairs brewers experimented with barrel-aging, contemplating plummeting sales and beers across Europe and the US. Closer combining beer, food and music – and unusual ingredients and wild yeasts. takeovers, elsewhere it’s been a tale to home in New Zealand, the industry attracting thousands. Perhaps the best way to illustrate the WORDS JAMEs smith of almost universal growth. A wave of is in rude health too, with a depth that Good Beer Week grew into a huge colourful nature of today’s Australian new breweries have opened with only Australia is yet to match. affair in its second outing in Melbourne, beer industry is to look at the beers a tiny handful falling by the wayside, There can be little doubt this is a bringing brewers and beer lovers from themselves. With such rapid expansion www.winecompanion.com.au beer-centric bars have sprung up in the golden age for beer, possibly unrivalled across Australia and overseas together and many appearing in tiny batches that unlikeliest of spots, brewers have been in its millennia-long history. Little at more than 100 events. At the start soon disappeared, there were many I experimenting like never before, and wonder that multi-national businesses of that week, the Great Australasian never sampled. But of those I did, I have the quality and consistency of beer from are taking note, whether looking to Beer Spectapular attracted almost compiled a list of 50 that follows that left FEB / MAR 2013 microbreweries is on the rise. develop their own “craft” labels or 11,000 to the city’s Royal Exhibition a lasting impression on me. ➺ 54 craft beer BIG, OLD DARK JAMES FAITHFULS BEASTS BEERS OF SMITh’S This is not a top 50 THE YEAR as such – instead a collection of beers mine’S that dazzle, break HOP new ground, are part A PINT of emerging trends, SUMMER BOMBS or simply classics. REFRESHERS As a snapshot of Australian beer today, it makes for exciting reading. What’s more, I’d be happy with any of these in my glass any day of the week. They hopefully provide some new ideas to seek out HARGREAVES HILL RUssIAN IMPERIAL while the sun is STOUT shining. A souped-up variant of NAIL BREWING LITTLE CREATURES Hargreaves’ excellent stout CLOUT STOUT PALE ALE that deserves sipping and Can a beer be worth $70 a “I should stop trying other BRIGHT BREWERY savouring with friends (and bottle? In this case, without beers and just drink this all MURRAY’S MIA IPA cheese). / 11.8% alc. a doubt, especially when the time; I love it so much,” PUnch & JUDY One of a handful of beers that paired with a chunk of Stilton. says the wife. Many share her A superb take on English-style has shown Bright’s new(ish) 4 PINES STOUT MURRAY’S HEART Incredible. / 10.79% alc. sentiments. / 5.2% alc. session ales with a hoppy Kiwi head brewer Jon Seltin as one OF DARKNESS A beautifully balanced stout, twist. / 3.9% alc. to watch. / 6.9% alc. The prolific Novocastrians FERAL HOP HOG KnAPPSTEIN with layers of chocolate and coffee to savour. / 5.1% alc. have a range of imperial Collects trophies like they’re RESERVE LAGER COWARAMUP PILSENER KOOINDA BLACK IPA stouts to suit all tastes. This going out of fashion. Huge The only beer from Clare’s You’ll have to travel to sample A fierce black IPA, but in a (and its short-lived oak-aged MOUNTAIN GOAT TOP flavours and aromas, yet with Knappstein makes great this trophy-winning Margaret good way. Heaps of Nelson version) is my pick every time. more balance than Philippe use of NZ’s tropical Nelson HIGHTAIL River Pilsener, but its brewer Sauvin hops are just about / 9.6% alc. Petit. / 5.8% alc. Sauvin hops. / 5.6% alc. A beer that when enjoyed Jeremy Good will make your held in check in a riotous fresh from the tap is standing trip worthwhile. / 5.0% alc. hoppy rampage. / 7.0% alc. RED HILL TEMPLE MIDNIGHT IPA MATILDA BAY the test of time 15 years after IMPERIAL STOUT its birth. / 5.1% alc. One of many black IPAs in ALPHA PALE ALE ILLAWARRA KOELsch MURRAY’S IcON 2IPA A Victorian craft beer classic this list and possibly the best. The powers-that-be push The new brew team at An elder statesman of the that was back on form in 2012 Massive hops. Black as night. stablemate Fat Yak, but those HARGREAVES HILL Illawarra announced Australian double IPA scene with a complexity that was Smooth as hell. / 7.5% alc. in the know drink Matilda EXTRA SPECIAL BITTER themselves with a flurry of and still one of the country’s amiss last year. / 8.0% alc. Bay’s genuine US style pale This New World take on medals and now can’t brew best beers. / 7.5% alc. MOUNTAIN GOAT / ale. / 5.2% alc. the English style is well enough Koelsch to satisfy HOLGATE EMPREss MIKKELLER GYPSY established as a Victorian punters. / 5.1% alc. BURLEIGH BREWING craft beer classic / 5.4% alc. An even more luxuriant take & ThE GOAT COOPERS BEST FIGJAM IPA on their already luscious A black pepperberry IPA EXTRA STOUT FERAL WhITE Released one week, wins Temptation and now brewed with Danish superstar Simply an excellent stout with MOO BREW DARK ALE Feral’s original beer is hitting gold medal in the US the available relatively widely in USSIE Mikkel Borg Bjergsø that was real depth that often appears Moo Brew specialises in tight, new heights since production next. Layer upon layer of hop 500ml bottles. / 10.0% alc. as brilliant as it was unique. Messiah-like to save me from balanced beers, with this was moved to its new brewery. flavours, solid bitterness and / 7.3% alc. despair in Australia’s beer subtly complex ale a great / 4.6% alc.

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