Bierfesten

What is Indie Beer?

Living in Australia we are lucky enough to view posts online from Drinking American-ati types that blog, post thoughts and drink beers we can only admire from down here. This morning I came across a link to an article from Epic Beer Girl that linked to this article “Craft is Dead. We drink Indie” that discussed how this term came up.

In short it centres on 10 Barrel Brewpub that is owned by…

Hottest 100 – 2016 – Thoughts

Firstly I would like to congratulate the guys who ran the Hottest 100 Beers just released, this year was definitely a major shift in the Australian beer drinking palette and choice selection. In the years since I have been back in Australia (4-5) now I have to now admit I can drink Aussie IPA, even DIPA’s. For a DIPA 8.8% to hit #3 was a great shift (Congrats PirateLife).

Before work this morning…

Major AUS Trends:

Styles – Variations

There appears to be greater varieties of differing styles by brewers. New brewers are rarely putting out the traditional core styles, but variants whereby introducing new ingredients and names. The names of beers are well thought out whereby its appealing to hear, much like meals in restaurants. This I feel is one of the core strengths of Aussie brewers is the ability to change styles easily, and then being in a small beer market, adjusting the recipe as new hops, ideas of brewing come to the fore.

The ‘session’ effect is definitely the next trend in beers in Australia that will be lighter in style with more flavor, and more sellable to new bars/markets. Unfortunately for me, very few big IPA’s have been consistently available.

GABS – Effect

Without doubt the major beer festival in Australia, if not Southern Hemisphere, though I hate that term, is in Melbourne. Great Australian Beer Spectacular is where brewers showcase their wares to thousands of beer enthusiasts. I have attended the festival once and I was very impressed in how organised the event was.

To stand out in awards, or voting for top beers, brewers create distinct recipes for this festival, and the last few years it has assisted in the top beers being mainstays for the brewers moving forward. Beers are made with everything from Seaweed to Oysters, Coffee and anything inbetween. The 2015 beers seemed to have a distinct food/desert base where everything sounded like a desert at Rockpool.

This assists in brewers becoming more creative in their attempt to tempt the imagination of beer drinkers, and new beer drinkers. The new drinkers are the ones who will pay the rent of your brewery if it’s a beer that will catch on in the mass market beer scene.

Bar-Beer Contracts

As certain brewers get larger, there are going to be greater ‘tied’ opportunities for deals to be made. Breweries in the larger metropolitan markets who have multiple ‘Brand Ambassadors’ will be seeking new opportunities from larger bars to ensure their brand is on a tap regularly. No bars will admit to this, but some bars will regularly have certain beers from certain breweries. The business side to the bar/brewer makes sense, but from a consumer perspective it limits choice in regular tap turnover choices, and restricts taps for new brewers trying to show their beers.

Overseas Distribution Beers

In the last year we have seen a lot of new US/NZ breweries trying to break into to the local market. As I speak there is a dive bar in Sydney with 8 Stone Brewery beers on tap, that arrive here fresh, and they have been targeting the AUS market quite hard in the last year. As US breweries get too cramped for space in their local markets they will look at growing markets for which Sydney/Melbourne are two that are being targeted.

It’s common in Australia to find beers from around the world such as Belgian Sours, English beers, as well as Imperial Stouts from the US. Distributors are likely the biggest winners in the last 2 years with the beer scene. The ability to find beers like Rodenbach now on tap regularly in the Sydney market is quite amazing, as in the US it’s rare to find Belgian beers.

The only complaint on this issue are beers from NZ never arrive to Sydney fresh, and it reflects badly on the brewery as an end-user.

Bigger Pho Craft

The big boys have been sleeping for long enough, and have been buying US brewers with a fervor in the last year. “Strategic Alliance” with AB-Inbev now means the brewers can buy that large boat, and chalet in Colorado for his skiing in the winter. IN Australia we are now seeing Pokie Pubs advertising ‘Craft Beer’ as we have brewers like Lion Nathan calling some of their beers ‘Craft’.

  Overall though I’m happier now in Australia with beer than I have ever been, I wish there were more ‘true’ beer bars that I could spend time in, that consistently got in overseas beers, and stronger AUS beers. I can attain bottled beer that can suffice, and thankfully now more DIPA’s have hit the Sydney market so I’m able to be sufficiently more thankful for some big HOPS.

Let’s hope 2016 is another big year in Brewery Growth & Distribution in Australia.

Binge Drinking vs Moderate Drinking

I am currently in Wellington for a beer getaway from Sydney and being only 3 hours across the ditch its a perfect getaway. While on the plane I saw this interesting documentary that raised my curiosity ‘Binge Drinking vs Moderation’.

The premise of this documentarywas where a set of twins (aged 36) both abstained from alcohol for 4 weeks prior to this experiment then 1 drank 3 standard drinks per…

Maroochydore / Alexandra Heads

I popped into two venues in this region that appeared to have good results on “NowTapped” and through acquantances mentioning. So this is my outtake of these bars, and the city. I was actually surprised more so by a shopping centre with a Farmers Market inside.

Post Office Bar

Located in the main street of the town, the bar itself is more bistro, restaurant in style. The barmen were helping in giving tastes in frosted/chilled glasses straight from the freezer. Though I’m guessing for many months of the year, tis hotter than hell. I had the Moondog Beers ‘Splice’ and ‘Gaytime’. Being still quite early, mid-afternoon and driving I then had a beer, checked email and headed off.

Black Bunny Bar – Alexandra Heads

This bar was going to be on the list for the Panhead Triple IPA that was listed on the NowTapped app. The bar itself is located against one of those awful ‘Breakfree Family’ resorts. Upon entering I spoke to a great barmen ‘Locke’ who was as passionate about beer as I have seen in a barmen. But had he met the likes of me, who I assume can be rude/arrogant and pretentious to those who don’t know me and encounter me.

There is a time where you can listen to a barmen and this bar is one of those. I enjoyed the beer and conversation, and got an idea of there business ideas for beer, and also tasted their “Brewbacca” pale ale that was delicious. In a time when craft beer is growing and everybody is a brewer, some bars are creating contracts with brewers, or vice versa to attain the special beers. This bar is similar to my favorite destination in Sydney BitterPhew through the idea of being definitive about which beers, and style they buy and sell.

Brisbane

I was last in Brisbane in 1988 when I was 14 years old. It was Expo 1988 and my lasting memory was meeting a girl at this show, who lived in a far away place, and I was living in Canada. So heart breaking!! but that was a million years ago when the only beer I had drunk at that time was Labatts Blue as a 14-15 year old. Having a few names of bars I decided to spend a day or so in the BIG SMOKE and test these bars.

Newstead Brewing 

This was my first stop, as I was looking for Tipplers Tap, but came across this brewery first. I had a paddle of some beers, booked my hotel for the night and then decided I’d check in my hotel before getting to bars that night.

Overall though it was great to see their brewery, as I have seen their beers appear in Sydney. The brewery was located next to the BOQ headquarters, and the nearby shopping centre was very much centred towards the corporates in the nearby buildings. It reminded me of a brewpub concept in the US. The beers were nothing outstanding for my tastes, but if you lived nearby you would be a frequent visitor.

Brewski Bar

This was an impressive bar, and I think if I did live in Brisbane would be my night out, relax and chill bar. Bartender was very enthusiastic and wanted to share his passion for beer, and it showed. He even had the beard, but his ability to talk beer to a beer guy was great. He cared and loved the beers on tap.

The bottle list was impressive as well, definitely something of a theme for QLD, the bottled beers far outshine the taplist. Though having Stone Thunderstuck was a ‘FUCKYEAH’ moment, along with a Newstead Imperial Stout in a ‘Pony’ which I had never had before. Those were the two standout beers in my time there, as I had the Burger, which was wasn’t a standout, but more ‘Interesting’.

The Scratch Bar

This bar has a great reputation and was the one bar name I knew the name of before coming up. But unfortunately on this night I timed a ‘Hargreaves Hill’ tap takeover. I was more interested in having local beer at this bar, which they normally do, but the timing was not to be. The bar staff were very gracious and used to disappointed beer nerds like myself. No disrespect to Hargreaves but I was looking for something local, or at least High Alcohol. Though you did have on your ‘Tripel’ so I should be quiet.

The bottle list was superb again at Scratch and it was beginning to be a theme for bars with 100+ bottles on their list curated like a wine list in a good restaurant. Staff here knew their beers too, and also served my big alcoholic beer in a snifter glass without even asking. The only downside was in my suggesting that maybe they should join ‘NowTapped‘ so people can see whats on tap. Their response was ‘check our website’. It’s like bars who say ‘we update on facebook’.

My Take on the Beer Scene ?

This was the first visit to QLD in 30 something years for me. I think the beer scene is impressive in the bottle sense, and well curated lists from passionate bar staff. Is the city mature enough yet for more taps ? I would deem so, but likely its just a few years back from the older brother ‘Sydney, who are back from ‘Melbourne’. I think the bar staff were amazing in all venues, and to put up with an arrogant prick like me, they did well.

I think the standout bars were definitely Brewski & BlackBunny for my mind. Service and Passion of bar staff can outweigh a less than enviable tap selection. But overall I think Queenslanders can be proud their bottles lists far outweigh anything in Sydney, a city with 6 million. I’d be happy to spend time in a bar with the selection in bottles, if local selection wasn’t available.

Wouldn’t call Brisbane a Beer destination for Australia, but if you live in the state you are not going to go dry. I think the potential for growth is definitely there. Currently they are still having a lot of taps of ‘Interstate beers’ to fill the void from local QLD producers. Though in Sydney to be fair we have lots of Melbourne based brewers.

Also the beaches have have been amazing.. saved for another post..