tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55111215858725928612024-03-13T13:36:35.849+11:00Beer Bar BandThe thoughts and reviews of James...a random Melbourne guy who has a passion for craft beers, local bands and a good venue for enjoying those beers and bands.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.comBlogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-26307799402742333052012-11-30T19:24:00.001+11:002012-11-30T19:25:32.949+11:00Find me at beerbarband.comI heard that it's totes vibin' over at WordPress, so I'm joining the cool kids where it's all at...or something like that. (Actually, I just prefer the authoring/editing backend that WordPress offers...)<br />
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Thank you to all who have followed this little lowly blog about beer and those bars and bands that help make beer extra good. But DON'T GO...just update your links!<br />
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I have now moved this blog over to the new site at: <a href="http://www.beerbarband.com/">www.beerbarband.com</a><br />
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Find me <a href="http://beerbarband.com/" target="_blank">there</a> and read my latest post about <a href="http://beerbarband.com/2012/11/28/stone-wood-garden-ale/" target="_blank"><b>Stone & Wood <i>Garden Ale</i></b></a>!<br />
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Cheers...<br />
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<a href="http://beerbarband.com/about/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photo of blogger James drinking a Mountain Goat Triple Hightail at the brewery" border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n6OC-2epLPg/ULhrW8jMaAI/AAAAAAAABks/BG0GyRkzkg0/s320/localgoabeer.jpg" title="" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-41310423329844985512012-11-02T21:55:00.000+11:002012-12-09T09:49:49.405+11:00The Perfect Beer World (The Session no.69)<i>The Session is a monthly event for the beer blogging community, started by Stan Hieronymus at <a href="http://www.appellationbeer.com/" target="_blank">Appellation Beer</a>. On the first Friday of each month, all participating bloggers write about a predetermined topic. Each month a different blog is chosen to host The Session, choose the topic, and post a roundup of all the responses received. For more info on The Session, check out the <a href="http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/the-sessions/" target="_blank">Brookston Beer Bulletin's archive page</a>.<br />
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This month's Session is hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/beerjorge" target="_blank">Jorge Zarate</a> of the blog <a href="http://brewbeeranddrinkit.com/blog/" target="_blank">Brew Beer And Drink It</a>. His chosen topic: The Perfect Beer World.</i>
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<i>"What is something you would like to see change...something that will take us closer to the Perfect Beer World? The topic is wide open, even if you think that what you want to change for the better is not important or ridiculous...share it! I have personally been looking into gruit ales, few beer drinkers pay attention to gruit or even 'real ales' and would love to see more micro-breweries include these on their menus..."</i></div>
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A great topic from Jorge for this month's Session, because it reflects one of the most common conversations that rises when craft beer lovers/nerds/snobs/drinkers gather. The context, tone and depth of discussion on this topic varies greatly, but it always comes back to the simple reality of how we all just want to have good more beer.
To have good beer, however, we need a world that appreciates beer and world where good beer is readily accessible.<br />
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If beer is truly appreciated for its science and art, then beer will be crafted, brewed, packaged, transported/stored, sold and served correctly and respectfully, resulting in a perfectly poured and appropriate consumed refreshment or meal in a glass. Furthermore, that beer will have been created for the purpose of brewing good beer, instead of any market or business considerations.<br />
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Achieving such complete perfection, across the full life-cycle of beer, may essentially be impossible in today's capitalist and global economy.<br />
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Controlling every aspect of beer from grain to glass in beyond reasonable because it passes through far too many hands in the vast majority of cases. Whilst I'm fast learning the advantage of enjoying beer brewed locally and on a small scale, which mostly allows for much of the beer's life-cycle to stay somewhere in the vicinity of perfection, I am more of a mundane realist when it comes to what I can have.<br />
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What I can have, I believe, is the perfection of accessibility to good beer.<br />
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What we currently have here in Australia at the moment is very limited access (relatively) to craft beer and good beer. Bottleshops, pubs, bars, venues and restaurants and still dominated by a sad selection of samey, not-good beer. Taps, fridges and shelves remain overwhelmed by generic, bland, mass produced, adjunct-filled lagers that are industrially brewed with altered/extract base ingredients. The vast majority of time we are still faced a boring "choice" of macro-swill/shit beer/cat piss/may as well be water, even in this age of thriving craft and diverse beer of flavour.<br />
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Today, the majority of pubs I walk into still have a line up of beer taps that are 80-90 per cent generic lagers. The beers may have different brand names but they are all the same style and their appearance varies only in the slightest. Even worse, the selection is exactly the same all year round. Lager is fine in the heat of Summer, yet even in the stout and porter appropriate weather of Winter it is still all lager, lager, lager. The biggest selling point of "differentiation" tends to be Imported/Premium/Local beer. Blerg. It's still the same beer!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mEXRIQuj3BA/UJOUGMHAkXI/AAAAAAAABjU/tw5btVfTYZw/s1600/lagerlagerlager002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mEXRIQuj3BA/UJOUGMHAkXI/AAAAAAAABjU/tw5btVfTYZw/s1600/lagerlagerlager002.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The common beer choice in this imperfect beer world...lager, lager, lager, (cider), lager...</td></tr>
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The same continues in almost every bar, restaurant and bottleshop. It may be slowly changing, with craft beer growing along with some recognition for the available diversity of beer styles, but we are a very long way off perfection.<br />
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I drive 45km to and from work. On that drive I do not pass a bar, pub or bottleshop where I can get good beer. Melbourne may have a many great beer venues, small breweries and specialist beer shops, but they are still few and far between. Those hints of a future preferction are mostly "craft beer venues" and are currently the exception. On my hour long drive home from work I pass numerous pubs and hotels, none of which provide any options for a thirsty guy to choose from a selection delicious local ales.<br />
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In the perfect beer world I will be able to walk into any place that serves/sells beer and find a diverse selection of beers, diverse in style, maker and character. I'll be able to purchase a flavoursome and well crafted beer that suits the time, place and weather...anywhere!<br />
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The right beer in the right place at the right time...that beer world will be perfect.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A regional Queensland pub takes their first steps to a perfect beer world.</td></tr>
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Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-29066398752284599792012-10-31T22:24:00.002+11:002012-11-01T09:23:04.371+11:00A quick Beer Bar Band HalloweenWhat? Halloween? What's that?<br />
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Yes, it's mostly a foreign concept here in Australia...but it's also an excuse to theme another day full of beers, bars and bands. And we can now, because Pumpkin beers are now available in Australia! (Read Jenn's blog post for more on that: <a href="http://soakedinbeer.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/boo-spooky-pumpkin-ale-scones.html" target="_blank">Boo! Spooky Pumpkin Ale Scones</a>)<br />
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So here is a beer, a bar and some bands with a Halloween feel for this dark night of pumpkins and lost souls...<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>BEER - <i>All Hallowed Ale</i> by <a href="http://www.hopdog.com.au/3801.html" target="_blank">HopDog BeerWorks</a></b></span><br />
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Recently arrived on the shelves of Melbourne's craft beer retail, HopDog BeerWorks is producing some very tasty hybrid style beers with a twist that celebrate the craft of beer. Craft beer!<br />
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<i>All Hallowed Ale </i>is a Belgian Pumpkin Ale brewed with roasted pumpkin, specialty sugars and spices. It pours a golden-amber, providing a pumpkin appearance. The Belgian yeast dominates the aroma and flavour, but the pumpkin is also clearly there on the aroma. The pumpkin is a bit lost in the mouth though, as the Belgianness of cloves and a little banana plus bitterness take over. Good softer hits of spices and sweetness....but not enough pumpkin for me. I did not pick the 7.3% abv because it is very easy drinking.<br />
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My experience with pumpkin beers is very limited so far. Unfortunately the best one I have tasted is still about two weeks away from being available in bottles - the very pumpkin<i><b> Artisan Pouseure</b></i> spiced pumpkin ale from <a href="http://moondogbrewing.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Moon Dog Brewing</b></a>. We tasted this year's batch at last week's Fed Square Microbreweries Showcase and it was just exactly what we want from a pumpkin beer.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>BAND - Aussie Halloween-ish songs</b></span><br />
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When I look for some spooky rockin' locals on my playlist...well, it's a bit of a stretch. Nonetheless, I head straight for a bite of girl punk from the last decade. Maybe more fluffy than dark, but all good grisly fun...have a listen...<br />
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<b><i>Zombie Girl</i> by The Spazzys </b><br />
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<b><i>Dating The Undead </i>by Sin City</b><br />
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There's plenty of appropriate songs from the locals guys too...like <i>Deadman</i> by <b>Expatriate</b> and <i>Dead Dog Standing</i> by <b>Ratcat</b>, plus plenty of tracks from <b>Grinspoon</b>. Of course there is also plenty of Halloween style fuzz from the Aussie metal scene...but my own playlist lacks the short-fast-loud at the moment (and this post has been too hastily last-minute to mine that rich well).<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>BAR - <a href="http://www.thetotehotel.com/" target="_blank">The Tote Hotel</a>, Collingwood.</b></span><br />
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The bar that died then returned to life!<br />
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At age 30, The Tote was shut down under the weight of bad government policy for live music venues. It was revived by several spirits who care deeply for the culture and sound of Melbourne's music. Read the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tote_Hotel" target="_blank">story on Wikipedia</a> or buy and watch the brilliant documentary, <i><a href="http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/musical-karaoke/persecution-blues-the-battle-for-the-tote/660716" target="_blank">Persecution Blues: The Battle For The Tote</a></i>.<br />
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Dark, hard rocking, sticky carpet (less sticky now though...since the original bandroom carpet was torn up at time of Tote death). Many Halloween appropriate bands have blown through the speakers of The Tote bandroom, Cobra room and front bar. An icon of Melbourne's live music scene and culture. Often scary...but thankfully there is Mountain Goat beer in the fridges. Rock on...forever.<br />
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Long live The Tote.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-10940312171440483572012-10-21T21:26:00.002+11:002012-10-21T21:32:47.479+11:00Beer - Brown Ale Day Beer Review: Big Brown BeaverToday we have enjoyed many local brown ales for <a href="http://beerbarband.blogspot.com.au/search/label/brown%20ale%20day" target="_blank"><b>Brown Ale Day</b></a>.<b> </b>It has been excellent drinking, proving the versatile variety of good brown ales from modern craft brewers. We have had typical Melbourne weather, four seasons in one day - sunny, warm, windy, cloudy, wet, cold, and more sun - and the brown ales have suited each weather situation so well. The brown ales have also matched beautifully with today's lunch, dinner and snacks. Brown ale win!<br />
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One of the best brown ales that I've tasted this year was the <i><b>Big Brown Beaver</b></i> from <a href="http://www.facebook.com/wigandpen.canberra" target="_blank"><b>The Wig & Pen</b></a>.<br />
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Richard Watkins, the brewer and heart & soul of Canberra's Wig & Pen, is a master brewer of the highest order. He is revered among the brewing community, an expert in science of cask conditioned real ales and the art of the Randall hop infuser.<br />
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We visited the Wig & Pen brewpub in April this year, on an Easter road-trip planned for for the specific purpose of drinking a Saturday night away at Wig & Pen. It was a brilliant night indeed. We were joined by Ian Morgan, the senior brewer from Holgate Brewhouse, and his brother-in-law, along with the best tasting paddle in Australia...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now...tha'ts a generous tasting paddle of quality beer!</td></tr>
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That night the Wig & Pen was also pouring a brown ale named <i><b>Big Brown Beaver</b></i> (Richard loves cheeky names for his beers!) through the NZ Hallertau hop filled Randall.<br />
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The brewer's tasting notes say of this 5.9% unfiltered brown ale:<i> "Big Brown Beaver is a malt driven brown ale for the hop lover. Beaver has a strong malt flavour and leaves a satisfying bitterness on the back of the palate. As it is dry hopped through 'modus hoperandus' it has different aroma each week depending on the wims of the brewer, which creates an evolving and easily savourable ale."</i><br />
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It was a delightful drinking experience - full, balanced, long and complex. Caramel sweetness to start then a long hoppy finish of bitterness. This was one of those beers that could turn a non brown ale lover into a true brown ale believer!<br />
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When it comes to crafting beer, Richard Watkins is conventional yet punk. Brilliant browness.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-37330241609007126332012-10-21T16:18:00.003+11:002012-10-21T16:24:07.884+11:00Beer - It's all brown from here!<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Brown Ale Day is ON!</b></span><br />
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Yes, we're deep in the brown now.<br />
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We are drinking and sharing brown ale beers to celebrate this frequently unpopular style. The talk of craft beer too often seems to be about IPAs and black variant beers. How about some love for the brown?!<br />
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Hope you can join us, here's why: <br />
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<li><a href="http://soakedinbeer.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/celebrate-sedate-brown-ale-day.html" target="_blank">Celebrate the Sedate – Brown Ale Day</a></li>
<li><a href="http://beerbarband.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/beer-get-down-with-brown-on-october-21.html" target="_blank">Get down with Brown on October 21</a></li>
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Beer runners we are, today started by completing a <a href="http://runkeeper.com/user/aflyingwombat/activity/126166934" target="_blank">10km fun run</a> through the tough hills of a local town. Ouch. Thankfully, the reward of good beer was motivation again! As soon as we arrived home we cracked our first brown ale and consumed it with banana, peanut butter, choc-chip, brown ale muffins that Jenn baked yesterday.<br />
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Here is how Brown Ale Day has run visually for us so far...<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>BROWN ALE FACT</b></span>: In the Top 100 beers of the <i><a href="http://www.beerloversguide.com.au/critics.php" target="_blank">Critic's Choice: Australia's Best Beers 2011</a>, </i>brown ale was the 5th top style in the list of 100 beers. That was an improvement of three spots after it was the 8th most occurring beer style in the 2010 list. The 2011 list included: 2brothers James Brown (#95), Murray's Angry Man Brown (#59) and Moon Dog's Henry Ford's Girthsome Fjord (#26)<i><b>.</b></i> <br />
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Share your Brown Ale drinkings and love via <a href="https://twitter.com/search/realtime?q=%23brownaleday&src=typd" target="_blank">#BrownAleDay</a>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-61371744629714141932012-10-20T13:03:00.000+11:002012-10-20T13:20:14.091+11:00Beer - Get down with Brown on October 21<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tomorrow, <b>Sunday 21st October</b>, is <span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Brown Ale Day</b></span>! Join us in celebrating this too often underrated yet richly diverse category of beer style by simply drinking a brown ale.<br />
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Why is it Brown Ale Day tomorrow? Well, Jenn simply decided that it would be! It is nothing official or formal. There are no events, no website or statement of purpose and no organising committee. It is simply a random day that we've set aside for drinking just brown ales and calling for others to do the same, because this unjustly under-appreciated beer style needs more exposure and support. <br />
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Over the last few years there has been a growing number of celebrations for craft beer and beer styles, primarily driven online. Following IPA Day and International Stout Day...Jenn asked "why isn't there a brown ale day?". She loves the brown, more than anyone else I know. Brown ale is also the style she most commonly uses for cooking because of it's versitility in food.<br />
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So now we're extending the concept and declaring a day of brown beer for October 21, simply because the open forum of the internet allows us to do so. <br />
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For the full short-story of our Brown Ale Day's origin, read Jenn's post at <b><i>Soaked in Beer</i>: <a href="http://soakedinbeer.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/celebrate-sedate-brown-ale-day.html" target="_blank">Celebrate the Sedate – Brown Ale Day</a></b><br />
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<ul>
<li>As noted in Jenn's post, CraftBeer.com also recently posted an excellent article explaining why brown ale deserves more love and appreciation: <a href="http://www.craftbeer.com/pages/stories/craft-beer-muses/show?title=brown-ales-the-overlooked-spectrum-of-beer" target="_blank">Brown Ales: The Overlooked Spectrum of Beer</a></li>
</ul>
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Tomorrow we encourage you to drink a brown ale - maybe one you've never tried before, maybe a local favourite - drink it and share something about it online.<br />
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We will be lining up a selection of brown craft beers from Australian brewers.<br />
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Local breweries that produce a brown ale are in the minority. There are certainly many more browns available now than there were two years ago, but that is primarily just a reflection of the recent growth in the craft beer industry. Nonetheless, the brown ales currently available on the market are all diverse and wonderfully drinkable.<br />
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We've done our best to track down every available packaged brown ale from Australia. The only browns we could not find at this time were the <b>2brothers <i>James Brown</i></b>, a strong Belgian brown ale made with banana lollies which is a very limited seasonal and it's the wrong time of year, as well as <b>Murray's <i>Angry Man Brown Ale</i></b> which we haven't seen in Melbourne for a long time (about since the Murray's Pale Ale was rebranded with an Angry Man label as well).<br />
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Anyway, there is plenty here to fully brown up our day in different ways!<br />
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Social media will be the outlet of our brown celebrations. Find/follow/connect and all that at: <br />
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<ul>
<li><b>Facebook </b>: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/beerbarband" target="_blank">Beer Bar Band</a></li>
<li><b>Instagram </b>: @beerbarband , @veryphotojennic</li>
<li><b>Twitter</b> : <a href="https://twitter.com/beerbarband" target="_blank">James</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SoakedinBeer" target="_blank">Jenn</a><b> </b></li>
<li><b>Untappd </b>: <a href="http://untappd.com/user/jayelde" target="_blank">James</a>, <a href="http://untappd.com/user/SoakedJenn" target="_blank">Jenn</a></li>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/beerbarband" target="_blank"></a><br />
Other online channels to share brown ale experiences tomorrow include posting pictures and words to the likes of Tumblr, Flickr or your blog. Go on, make a big brown blog!<br />
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To link in with our Brown Ale Day, use the hashtag of #BrownAleDay when posting your brown drinking thoughts and experience on <b><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23brownaleday&src=hash" target="_blank">Twitter</a></b> or <b><a href="http://instaweb.me/tag/brownaleday" target="_blank">Instagram</a></b>.<br />
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Oh...and there is so much more beyond the sad old <i>Newcastle Brown Ale</i>! Brown ales in the crafty 21st century is much more interesting...<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>...brown up!</b></span></div>
<br />Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-66751848052707148962012-10-05T21:50:00.000+10:002012-10-06T07:11:13.725+10:00Novelty Beers (The Session no.68)<i>The Session is a monthly event for the beer blogging community, started by Stan Hieronymus at <a href="http://www.appellationbeer.com/" target="_blank">Appellation Beer</a>. On the first Friday of each month, all participating bloggers write about a predetermined topic. Each month a different blog is chosen to host The Session, choose the topic, and post a roundup of all the responses received. For more info on The Session, check out the <a href="http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/the-sessions/" target="_blank">Brookston Beer Bulletin's archive page</a>.<br />
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This month's Session is hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/99pours" target="_blank">Tiffany Adamowski</a> of the blog <a href="http://99pours.com/" target="_blank">99 Pours</a>. Her chosen topic: Novelty beers.</i>
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<i>"What novelty beer comes to mind when you think: Is this beer just to strange to stay around? Why in the world would they choose ingredients most beer drinkers have never heard of ...what the heck is a qatar fruit? If it’s okay for beer to taste like tea or coffee, why not pizza? If wild yeasts are allowed to ferment beer, then why not beard yeast? If oysters, why not bacon? If pumpkin’s good enough for pie, why not beer? Since hops are flowers, why not brew with actual flowers?"</i></div>
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I love exploring beer, all beers! I will try any beer I come across and there are definitely some weird and wonderful beers out there these days. Actually, the list of ingredients with which brewers from around the world are experimenting now seems to be endless, as is the number of never-seen/tasted-before beers that I have consumed in the last few years. Even in this small corner of the beer world, Scott Wilson-Browne of <a href="http://www.redduckbeer.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Red Duck</b></a> alone plans to brew <a href="http://www.brewsnews.com.au/2012/09/baroque-brewing-with-red-duck/" target="_blank">50 new, unique beers in the next year</a>!<br />
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There's just too many delightfully eccentric and peculiar beers to mention or even recall. I'm too much a fan of big, bold beers that some people may dismiss as novelty. Hence, I struggle to pick one to highlight because I'm always looking for the next one.<br />
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So I thought that I'd take this topic down the road of what the term "novelty beer" means to me...<br />
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An imperial pale ale brewed with peated malt, chipotles and blackberries; an uber smokey golden ale brewed with 100% peated malt; a 11.3% abv bread beer inspired by ancient Egyptian brewing; an imperial milk stout that drinks like a Crème Brûlée; gin aged beers; wheat beers with melon and guava; beers with sugar beet, kopi luwak, horny goat weed...Auld Bulgin' Boysterous Bicep?!?<br />
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Novelty or craft? <br />
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I call these beers craft!<br />
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Why not novelty? Simple, because I would drink them again and again and again...!<br />
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They may initially be novel in nature - new and unique - but when I continue to drink such a beer because I love it, the beer hence becomes familiar. No longer novel but a regular treat of good beer drinking, beyond the diminishing tag of novelty.<br />
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This is what defines my concept of novelty: a quirky concept that I won’t revisit once experienced. It will remain novel because it is a one-off experience. And should I happen to drink a novelty beer more than once, it is likely to only happen a very small number of times and for a specific reason to match an occasion/situation, so the beer still remains a novelty.<br />
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More often than not, a novelty beer is a shit beer. You don’t buy/drink it for the beer, you buy it for the concept emitted by just part of beer, such as the name or packaging, rather than the whole beer experience. Novelty does not respect the beer, it is produced for a reason other than the combined science and art of brewing.<br />
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A classic novelty beer from my corner of the world is <i><b><a href="http://www.pi55.com/" target="_blank">Piss beer</a></b></i>. As you would expect, the<i> Piss</i> beer concept was born from a boozy joke. The men behind the <a href="http://greatbritainhotel.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Great Britain Hotel</b></a> in Richmond were more than happy to “take the piss” to help promote their pub in the spirit of Aussie larrikinism.<br />
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Piss is a generic 4.9% abv lager. For any good beer lover, it literally is piss. It's an easy laugh. You drink it once so you can say that you literally have drunk piss. Thankfully it's easy to perceive the joke of the beer, as the Great Britain Hotel holds a special and respected place in Melbourne's craft beer evolution. It was the first pub to sell <b><a href="http://www.goatbeer.com.au/" target="_blank">Mountain Goat</a> </b>beer (exactly <a href="http://www.brewsnews.com.au/2012/09/mountain-goat-turns-15/" target="_blank">15 years ago this month</a>!), opening a new wave of craft beer industry and culture in this now beer rich city. Yep, GBH was ground zero for Melbourne's 21st century craft beer boom!<br />
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Other Australian novelty beers in this vein include <i><b>Broo</b></i>, <i><b>Good Head</b></i> and <i><b>Kwencher</b></i>. These beers could all be the same beer: generic, bland, "premium" lagers. They are simply a name and a label that makes them a one off.<br />
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There’s also <i><b>Skinny Blonde</b></i> with it’s heat sensitive label. On a cold bottle the label shows a bikini clad girl, then as you drink the beer and the bottle warms her bikini disappears.<br />
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Not surprisingly they are all contract brewed for non-brewing companies that have a single beer brand that capitalise on the marketing dollar. Do they serve a purpose? I don't think so, that's why they are novelty beers.<br />
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And then there's <i><b>Duff</b></i>. The latest attempt to market the famous beer brand of The Simpson's was squashed earlier this year by the might of 20th Century Fox's copyright lawyers*.<br />
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Under the label of "The Legendary Duff Beer – Premium Lager", the beer was brewed at Eschweger Klosterbrauerei in Germany. Despite <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aussie-beer-duffers-pay-tv-giant-for-rip-off/story-e6frg8zx-1226453665650" target="_blank">media reports</a> claiming that all remaining Duff beer in Australia was required to be poured down the drain by retailers and the distributor because it is now illegal, stock of the beer is still kicking around bottle shops of Melbourne. I stumped across cans of it and thought it would be appropriate for this post.<br />
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Indeed, this Duff beer sadly lives up to my interpretation of a novelty beer. It seems to be a Czech Pilsner but tastes like beginners homebrew. It is unbalanced with a grainy texture. The taste and mouthfeel was essentially beer flavoured lemonade. It’s drinkable, I was able to consume the whole beer, but the short finish on it wasn’t particularly pleasant.<br />
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The label is iconic but there is no respect for anything more about the beer than just the imagery. Although, maybe that's what the real Duff beer of Springfield is like...dirty, weak swill drunk by just a few old disheveled men who are sad permanent fixtures at Moe’s bar? Surely it should at least be an American lager with the brown-ish appearance of the cartoon.<br />
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It might be fun to have the empty can on display in my "man cave", but not for the sake of the beer.<br />
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I'll stick to drinking the crafty brews that I don't want to be a singular, novel, experience. Hand me a pint or three of that harshly smokey, 7% abv golden ale made from 100% heavy peated distilling malt! Mmmm...yes, <b><a href="http://www.yeastieboys.co.nz/beers-ra.html" target="_blank">Rex</a></b>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*For an excellent insight into attempts to use the Duff brand in Australia, read <a href="http://fortnightlyreview.info/2011/11/04/the-return-of-duff-beer-%E2%80%93-only-this-time-it%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98legendary%E2%80%99/" target="_blank"><i>The Return of Duff Beer – Only This Time it’s 'Legendary'</i></a> by Amanda Scardamaglia of the (now ceased) IP and Media Law blog, The Fortnightly Review.</span>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-11130036331778562052012-10-01T16:10:00.003+10:002012-10-01T16:10:53.531+10:00If I have inspired only one, I have inspiredSucktember is OVER! WOOHOO!<br />
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Yikes, what a month. For a full 30 days (31 days if you count the actual hours), team Beer Bar Band has worked hard on our physical health and fitness through a personal program of full-on detox and training. Our main aim was to get back in shape for running in the <a href="http://www.melbournemarathon.com.au/" target="_blank">Melbourne Marathon Festival</a>, but there was also the desire to simply reclaim robust fitness and health after a somewhat gluttonous winter and leading into summer.<br />
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During all of September we had no beer or any form of alcohol. The only beverages we allowed ourselves were water, green tea, sports drinks (only after long runs) and coffee, which was cut back compared to normal consumption levels. I also stopped drinking orange juice, of which I used to have a glass every morning. The disallowed list during Sucktember further extended to any desserts, chocolate, sweets, chips, cheese and fast food in general. Intake of bread and any processed foods were also minimised. <br />
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The other key component of Sucktember was daily and diverse exercise. That involved waking up at 5:00am for 45 minutes of pre-breakfast exercise (exercise-bike cycling or yoga), going to work, then coming home and completing another hour or more of training/exercise (running, riding, weights, resistance, skipping, etc.), with one rest day in the week. Mostly, we were in bed by 9:30pm every day to be ready for the next 5:00am start.<br />
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Today, two weeks out from the half marathon, the taper begins. With the commitment to Sucktember over, the really tricky part starts now. During October - aka ROCKTOBER - we will allow ourselves to once again enjoy beer, but we need to steer clear of indulging and undoing the hard work of the last month (...at least until the marathon run has been conquered!). Unfortunately, we both have the type of body that puts on weight and falls out of fitness very quickly without regular persistence. <br />
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I post here today because yesterday, half way through running <a href="http://runkeeper.com/user/aflyingwombat/activity/121529630" target="_blank">22km</a>(*), I had a realisation that brought great satisfaction: even though I pursued the extreme program of Sucktember for no one else other than myself, my regular long runs have also inspired someone to better their health with exercise. It was a comment from a while ago now, but it is purely heart warming to be told that my actions have resulted in someone else's pursuit for improving their fitness health. Something I have done, without the intention to influence, has made a small positive difference.<br />
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Over the past month I have filled my Twitter and Facebook feeds, as well as this blog, with nothing else but exercise updates and lack-of-beer-whinging, but from it has come constructive impact...and no matter how small, that is special.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fat James at age 21.</td></tr>
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It's special to me because I know intimately both ends of the scale. I did not have a healthy body until the age of 29. Through all my youth and early adulthood - from the earliest of my teenage years to deep into my twenties - I was obese (pushing into <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classification_of_obesity#BMI" target="_blank">WHO Class III obesity</a> of "very severe"). After five years of arduous hard work (then even more hard work) and plenty of lifestyle change along the way, I thankfully discovered real health and fitness, gaining the body I have today. Now my cardio fitness and weight** supports my ability to run a long way...and live longer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">32 & ready to run again!</td></tr>
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I now know big change is possible, after believing for so long that it could never happen. From experience I also understand that it is much better to be fit than fat. Consequently, I desire to share with others the goodness of being in top condition whilst still being able to enjoy pleasures like beer, cheese and chocolate. Mmmm.<br />
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If you are very unfit/unhealthy, the journey to significant improvement will be long and painful, and it will also be via a different path for everyone (just find what works for you!), but the reward is fantastic!<br />
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And there's some excellent recent science for beer loving runners! A commentary paper published in the <i>European Journal of Clinical Nutrition</i> provides a summary of beer and health science presented at the <a href="http://www.beerandhealth.eu/php/index2.php?doc_id=24" target="_blank">6th Beer and Health Symposium</a> held in Brussels last year (and yes, funded by the <a href="http://www.brewersofeurope.org/" target="_blank">Brewers of Europe</a> industry organisation, but the science is rigorous). The summary includes findings from peer-reviewed science that note <a href="http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/89/4/1188" target="_blank">moderate beer consumption boosts bone health</a>; and it can <a href="http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=1364236" target="_blank">improve immune-system function</a>! Beer winning!<br />
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<i>A Sierksma and FJ Kok (2012), <a href="http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v66/n7/full/ejcn201230a.html?WT.ec_id=EJCN-201207" target="_blank">Beer and health: from myths to science</a>, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2012) 66, 869–870; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2012.30</i><br />
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Although the science unpublished, the following presentation by an aptly qualified exercise physiology scientist is a highlight for the beer runners - <i><b>Beer after exercise: Yes or no? </b></i><a href="http://www.beerandhealth.eu/php/speakers.php?doc_id=11" target="_blank">Professor Manuel J. Castillo says</a>: <i>"Beer quenches thirst and is frequently consumed after practicing sport or exercise. Beer is mainly water but also contains alcohol. Research into whether alcohol content prevented adequate recovery and/or rehydration found that neither a specific nor a negative effect could be attributed to the intake of beer compared to the intake of just water. In conclusion***, at least in healthy, young adults, beer in moderate amounts is as effective as water for rehydration and recovery after exercise."</i> (***based on a 4.5% abv beer in 660ml amounts)<br />
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Throughout September 2012 I ran for beer with no beer. Right now I am the healthiest and fittest I have been for several years...and it feels great. I will fully appreciate drinking beer once again...and any tipple of an ale will be much more rewarding.<br />
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Balance is the real factor that matters. <br />
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If I have inspired just one person to take some action on their health, then I have inspired...for the better. That is something I never expected that my shy self-doubting self would achieve. I'll celebrate with a beer!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Yes, this post made much more sense mentally during a 22km run.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">**In 2007<i> Runner's World </i>magazine published a useful article about a runner's ideal racing weight: "<a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-304--11903-0,00.html?cm_mmc=Twitter-_-RunnersWorld-_-Content-Nutrition-_-RacingWeight" target="_blank">What's Your Ideal Weight?</a>"</span>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-55058198465900859962012-09-25T13:10:00.001+10:002012-10-19T09:16:06.075+11:00Play this...and run for your beer!September is Sucktember this year in Beer Bar Band land. As noted in <a href="http://beerbarband.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/how-many-breweries-in-2017-session-no67.html" target="_blank">my previous post</a> for <i>The Session</i>, I'm in training for my second half marathon and hence needed to do some serious work on reclaiming fitness and pace after a lazy and indulgent winter. Since May the days have been very short and very cold, resulting in the seeking of comfort through much fine cheese, dark chocolate and imperial ales.<br />
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So, the last 3 weeks - 25 days now - have been completely dry, as well as lacking any sweets/treats, even soft drink. With intake minimised, my training regime has been maximised. It has been intense, hard and painful, but the results are showing. I have been running at least 3 times a week, including very long runs every weekend. It’s necessary for all-round health…especially as someone who enjoys drinking so much good beer, of which there is no shortage around Australia at the moment!<br />
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My running may be much more amateur and sporadic than some of the other beer runners from across the globe, but I am proud to be part of the beer running brigade.<br />
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One week to go in Sucktember* and I’m on track. I've almost hit my weight goal and I have been able to reclaim my sub-4min.20sec/km race pace over 7-10km. Most importantly, I can cover the half marathon distance again without dying. On Sunday I made it to <a href="http://runkeeper.com/user/aflyingwombat/activity/119954734" target="_blank">21.55km</a>.<br />
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When I finish the <a href="http://www.melbournemarathon.com.au/customdata/index.cfm?fuseaction=CustomData&CategoryID=14741" target="_blank">Melbourne Half Marathon</a> on October 14, my reward will be our now traditional 'refuel with carbs and good beer' session at <a href="http://www.mrsparmas.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Mrs Parma's</b></a> and <a href="http://www.beerdeluxe.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Beer DeLuxe</b></a> in Melbourne city. It's the motivation!<br />
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As with the vast majority of amateur runners in this portable-music generation, I run to music played from a smartphone strapped to my arm. I haven't used music in a race yet (mostly due to race etiquette and concentration whilst in the middle of a large crowd)...but am strongly considering it this time around just to help me get through the distance.<br />
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On countless running playlists you are bound to find the typical workout hits, such as the 80's classics of <i>Eye of the Tiger</i>, <i>Born to Run</i> and Scandal's <i>The Warrior</i> (yep...all of those songs are on my playlist…because as motivational gear-ups, they just work!). Oh...and no, my playlist does NOT include Flock of Seagulls'<i> I Ran (So Far Away)</i>.<br />
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I love Australian rock, so the tracks that fill my ears as I run are a driving collection of tunes from local bands.<br />
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So here are 10 songs I recommend every music loving Aussie (and everyone else!) includes on their running playlist. It's a collection of strange, random and classic songs that have the beat, energy and somewhat appropriate lyrics to get you through the distance...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><u><b>Ten Aussie Rock Tracks For Your Running Playlist</b></u></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(<b>Note:</b> none of the below videos really do the songs justice...not in the way the original album versions thrive when in your ears!)</span><br />
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<b><i>1. 'Till The End </i>- The Living End (from State of Emergency, 2006)</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/T-R9UXRpXJs" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Lyrics that drive you onwards: <i>"'Til the end, 'til the end. I'm never gonna give up 'til the end, 'til the end. I'm not gonna stop til I've tried, not until I'm satisfied!"</i><br />
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The back catalogue from Melbourne’s rockabilly punk-rock-pop trio, The Living End, is full of excellent running playlist songs thanks to the pace of their punk-ish influence. The opening track from "State of Emergency" is nothing short of perfect. Fast, high energy and all the lyrics can easily be translated to a war cry for prevailing over a long run: "I'm never gonna give up 'til the end!"<br />
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Other rocking appropriate Living End songs for a long run include: <i>Roll On, Into the Red, West End Riot, End of the World, Save the Day</i>.<br />
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<b><i>2. 1000 Miles</i> – Grinspoon (from New Detention, 2002)</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ahhRzUFNtVs" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Lyrics that make you want to run further: <i>"A thousand miles, come get all your files, put on that plastic smile, a thousand miles. Go go go, go go go!”</i><br />
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Like The Living End, much of the music (plus many of the song titles) from Western Australian rockers Grinspoon are ripe for running. The lyrics to <i>1000 Miles</i> are brash and violent...but they'll get you running! This song ignites with a hard-rock electric guitar country-twang then... "Well, I got drunk and I got stoned, shot my family left my home, went out on a killing spree, 'coz what you did was fucked to me", sung by a (quite possibly) drug-fucked Phil Jamieson during the height of Grinspoon’s early success.<br />
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Other Grinspoon tracks to beef up your playlist: <i>Champion, More Than You Are, Bleed You Dry, Just Ace.</i><br />
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<b><i>3. Pace It </i>– Magic Dirt (What Are Rockstars Doing Today, 2000)</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="288" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/6279613" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/6279613">MAGIC DIRT - Pace It</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1783024">Glendyn Ivin</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Lyrics that pick up the pace: <i>“Oh can you feel it, something comin' closer to you're body. Oh can you see it, someone's taken over from where you started…”</i><br />
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The album "What Are Rockstars Doing Today" was a big change in output for Magic Dirt. After their fuzzy loud and long, experimental garage rock beginnings during the early 1990s, many fans saw this album as a pop-sellout after the band signed with Warner Music Australia. However, songs like <i>Pace It </i>proved the Magic Dirt still had their garage grunge origins inside them. It's a song that builds and drives you faster with front-up electric guitars and Adalita's repetitive call of "can't see it, can't feel it, can't steal it, can't keep it, can't need it, can't believe it, can't trace it, can't face it, can't lace it, can't taste it, can't pace it, can't erase it..."<br />
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<b><i>4. Say Something </i>- Something For Kate (Echolalia, 2001)</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wM1IdLIp050" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Lyrics that say you better run:<i> "I don't want to stand and compute, I want days and weeks to burst out of you..."</i><br />
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Ok, so the often nerdy, philosophical and emotional lyrics of Something For Kate are a stretch to apply to running...but as a long time favourite local artist, they feature strongly on my playlist with solid tempo and energetic songs, especially from their first three albums. The album "Echolalia" helped me through some dark days of my twenties and so songs like<i> Say Something</i> are second nature to me, allowing me to tune out from the task of running and mentally escape to those rocking gigs at The Corner Hotel.<br />
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More Something For Kate speed work: <i>Prick, Electricity, Hallways, Working Against Me, Cassandra Walks the Plank.</i><br />
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<b><i>5. Knockouts </i>- Ouch My Face (from Ouch My Face EP, 2009)</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GKnu92gOOBE" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Lyrics that drive you onwards: <i>"Can you handle this?"..."I'm bulletproof, baby..."</i><br />
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This hard rocking trio from Melbourne's small bar scene rocked my face damn loud one New Year's Eve at The Espy, after which I bought their self-titled EP. This sweet heavy track, of which I really can't decipher any of the other lyrics, has been on my running playlist ever since.<br />
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I guess you'd describe their music as a bit of mid-90s post-grunge with a little screamo. They are one of those raw little gems you discover on dark late nights out enjoying live music at random pubs and bars.<br />
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When you want to run far, it's all about mind over matter...which is beautifully encapsulated by the opening statement of <i>Knockouts</i> from lead singer and <a href="http://celestepotter.com/" target="_blank">artist</a>, Celeste Potter: "Can you handle this?"<br />
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Run this too: <i>Junk Punk Baby</i><br />
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<b><i>6. Miracle Mile</i> - <a href="http://beerbarband.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/band-expatriate-at-east-brunswick-club.html" target="_blank">Expatriate</a> (from Hyper/hearts, 2012)</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bzAXrO8r_PY" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Lyrics that drive you onwards: <i>"I ran a miracle mile to live it today..."</i><br />
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Whilst the first single from their long awaited second album, released in July this year, is not my favourite Expatriate song, it certainly kicks off strong, is lyrically appropriate and definitely does the trick on a running playlist.<br />
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If you can’t be bothered making a playlist, Expatriate’s first album,
"In the Midst of This" works well as a running playlist on it’s own
(with the one exception of ballad <i>You Were There</i>). <br />
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Expedite your playing with more Expat tunes: <i>Crazy, Are You Awake, Get Out Give In, Gotta Get Home, The Spaces Between</i><br />
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<b><i>7. Hurt Me</i> – <a href="http://beerbarband.blogspot.com.au/2010/12/band-jezabels.html" target="_blank">The Jezabels</a> (from She’s So Hard EP, 2009)</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/INaPSKmImbQ" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Lyrics that drive you onwards: <i>"Still now I can hear the dogs bark, I can hear the dogs bark..." ... "Hurt Me, Hurt Me, Hurt Me, come down to the world..."</i><br />
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Guess what, long distance running hurts! To get through it…sometimes you just have to ask for that hurt. And what makes you run faster than the thought of being chased by vicious dogs?<br />
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The first three EPs released by The Jezabels, before they smashed through to Aussie popularity with the release of their debut album, are full of great running tracks thanks to the fast hands of drummer Nik Kaloper. <i>Hurt Me </i>opens their second EP release, "She’s So Hard". It's full of emo and dark religious undertones...but the beat and recurring theme of hurt makes this song perfect for running. It was the song that helped get them noticed before the release of <i>Mace Spray</i> saw them explode across national radio via TripleJ.<br />
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More songs from The Jezabels to bring the party to your running playlist: <i>Be A Star, Disco Biscuit Love</i><br />
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<b><i>8. Go Go </i>- Ratcat (from Blind Love, 1991)</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/G2lglCi244w" width="560"></iframe><br />
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The go lyrics: <i>"Can't stand still, can't say no, gotta go fast, yeah I gotta go. Go Go (gotta Go Go) Go Go here Go Go there Go Go Everywhere !! So speed kills I'm in for thrills, count me in, I play to win."</i><br />
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My wife was a Ratcat fan girl in her teen years...so I discovered them almost 20 years later through her collection (and catching a Simon Day solo gig at The Retreat back in 2010). Ratcat's 90' garage pop hits the right beat and fun for picking up the pace.<br />
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Also: <i>Racing, Run & Hide, Yes I Wanna Go </i><br />
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<b><i>9. My Car Doesn't Break</i> - Spazzys (from Aloha! Go Bananas, 2004)</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/s7f5nX0S3tw" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Lyrics to bring the speed: <i>"Alright, lets go, step on the gas, it's time to lose this disco trash. Cruising, moving much too fast and I can't make it on time, flying down the boulevard, sun is shining, feeling fine."</i><br />
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Ahh yes...in the middle of the last decade there was the Spazzys, Australia's best all-female Ramones tribute band! Ok, so they weren't really a tribute band...but they were VERY Ramones in sound and style. They even ended up touring and playing with Marky Ramone. They had some minor hits, most notably a cover of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Boyfriend%27s_Back_%28song%29" target="_blank"><i>My Boyfriend's Back</i></a>, which may have been too cutesy punk-pop to capture their live energy and punk-ish rockability, so their Video Hits efforts were dismissed by the audience that would have loved them in the pub with their threeway rock-chick vocals. Say what you want about this flash-in-the-pan, they rocked live and they were fun. They promised a better second album...but it was never delivered. The fast Spazzys songs roll nicely on a running playlist, whilst dripping in memories of 2003-2005.<br />
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Get spazzy on your run with: <i>Action City, Zatopeks </i>and <i>Zombie Girl </i><br />
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<b><i>10. Blood, Sweat and Beers </i>– <a href="http://beerbarband.blogspot.com.au/2010/02/band-buggirl.html" target="_blank">BugGiRL</a> (from Blood, Sweat & Beers EP, 2009)</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/REIIvx4X0pQ" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Lyrics that drive you onwards: <i>"You gotta sweat, you gotta bleed, rock and roll is all you need... blood, sweat and beer!"</i><br />
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Brother and sister pub-rock duo, Bug GiRL, bring the AC/DC and Motley Crew sound to the 21st century with these lyrics that just say it all... sweat for beer!<br />
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Bug up your run to the pub with other tracks like: <i>Fire Highway, Motor City Lover </i>and <i>V8 Motor</i><br />
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Other great, sometimes random, Aussie songs on my running playlist:<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Baby2</i> and <i>I Don't Ever Want To Change</i> by The Drones</li>
<li><i>Benedict</i> and <i>Military Strongman by Jebediah</i></li>
<li><i>Buy Me A Pony</i> by Spiderbait</li>
<li><i>Go Go Go</i> and <i>Let's Heart Attack</i> by Bit By Bats</li>
<li><i>Killer</i> by Whitley</li>
<li><i>Lullabies, Lies and Goodbyes </i>and <i>Mix Tape</i> by Big Scary</li>
<li><i>Honey</i> and <i>Sgt. Suffer</i> by Papa vs Pretty</li>
<li><i>Imorta, Little Death</i> and <i>Say It</i> by The Clouds</li>
<li><i>Teenage Rampage</i> and <i>Boys Boys Boys</i> by Sin City</li>
<li><i>Cassandra </i>by The Galvatrons </li>
</ul>
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Get out there for a run! You don't need to go far, just get started. Keep at it and soon you'll be running much further than you ever expected. You're heart will thank you and the beer you drink will be so much more rewarding. Cheers!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*5 days to go and about 33kms of running to knock over...then it's time to taper and once again taste a beer...!</span> Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-18626594894868658072012-09-07T22:45:00.002+10:002012-09-25T10:22:00.184+10:00How Many Breweries in 2017? (The Session no.67)<i>The Session is a monthly event for the beer blogging community, started by Stan Hieronymus at <a href="http://www.appellationbeer.com/" target="_blank">Appellation Beer</a>. On the first Friday of each month, all participating bloggers write about a predetermined topic. Each month a different blog is chosen to host The Session, choose the topic, and post a roundup of all the responses received. For more info on The Session, check out the <a href="http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/the-sessions/" target="_blank">Brookston Beer Bulletin's archive page</a>.<br />
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This month's Session is hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/ramblings_oa_br" target="_blank">Derrick Peterman</a> of the blog <a href="http://beer-runner.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ramblings of a Beer Runner</a>. His chosen topic: tell us how many breweries the Brewer's Association will count five years from now in 2017, and why you think it will be that number.</i>
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<i>"Where is it all going? The growth shows no sign of stopping and the biggest problem most breweries have is that they can't brew beer fast enough. But can the market really absorb all these new breweries? Are we headed for a cataclysmic brewing bubble where legions of brewers, their big dreams busted, are left to contemplate selling insurance? Or is brewing reaching a critical mass, only to explode even more intensely in a thermo-nuclear frenzy of fermentation?"</i></div>
</blockquote>
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Well, this is a timely appropriate topic for The Session...for two reasons.<br />
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First, the host is Derrick Peterman who blogs as Ramblings of a Beer Runner and, for me, this month is all about running! For the second year in a row I have signed up to run the Melbourne Half Marathon in October. I had never run before the age of 29ish, but slowly took up running in late 2009 with Jenn to loose weight and improve our overall health. It worked (after much hard work) and we completed our first 10 km fun run in October 2010.<br />
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After every fun/event run we do, we celebrate with a beer session afterwards. Often it’s an immediate-ish post run beer at <a href="http://www.beerdeluxe.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Beer DeLuxe</b></a> (as most of the runs tend to be around central Melbourne).<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UPxy0dFbEyw/UEnknKH0s4I/AAAAAAAABZ8/kxjo4C1-hZ8/s1600/beerrun01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UPxy0dFbEyw/UEnknKH0s4I/AAAAAAAABZ8/kxjo4C1-hZ8/s200/beerrun01.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8Wired Tall Poppy post 14km Run for the Kids 2011</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The health balance of beer and running actually makes very good sense, once you start down that path. I’m not one who stays fit and in easily, after an obese youth and early adult years. So distance running ensures I can maintain the shape that took me 3 years of harsh effort to claim.<br />
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I also enjoy following online the exploits and writings of other (real) beer runners from around the globe, such as <a href="http://twitter.com/thebeerrunner" target="_blank">Tim Cigelske</a> (<a href="http://draftmag.com/new/beer-runner/" target="_blank">The Beer Runner!</a>) and <a href="https://twitter.com/willrunforbeer" target="_blank">Claire Walsh</a> (<i><a href="http://www.willrunforbeer.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">Will Run For Beer</a></i>) and <a href="https://twitter.com/SuziStorm" target="_blank">Suzi Storm</a> (<i><a href="http://www.suzistorm.com/" target="_blank">Ok, just one more beer...</a></i>)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Feral Hop Hog post Run for the Kids 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now, to help make some dint in the 5kgs I’ve stacked on so far this year, we have committed to a month long detox, health kick and training program during September to restore my power to knock off 21 kms in 90 minutes. It also helps confirm that we’re still not alcoholics...yet. Some people do Febfast, others do Dry July. Previously we've done our own personal month long detox and fitness kicks, namely NO!vember, even Half-Arsed Febfast. This time, it is Sucktember. And yes, 7 days in...no booze or soft-drink, chocolate & sweets, low carbs...lots of running and exercse...it sucks!<br />
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Anyway, following on from that, the second benefit of this Session topic is that it’s not focused on beer as a beverage. No tasting or consumption of alcohol is required to review beers or discuss styles, allowing me to participate without any hindrance to my alcohol free efforts during Sucktember. Nice one (…only 23 days to go!).<br />
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Anyway...time to get onto the topic…<br />
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My exposure to the US beer industry is minimal. Hey, I’m down under in Australia! So I’ll need to take a slightly different angle with this post.<br />
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We do receive a small number of beautiful beery exports from America, such as Moylans, Southern Tier, Victory, Rogue, Green Flash and Heretic. However, I am mostly oblivious to the business side of the US beer industry. Hence, I’m not really in any position to comment on how many breweries the Brewer's Association will count five years from now.<br />
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Aussie brewers tend to suggest that the craft beer industry in America is a good 10 to 20 years ahead of Australia’s young craft brewing endeavours. Our local craft beer industry is experiencing some good times, with new growth and recognition, but there is still a very long way to go. So I suspect Australian beer will mostly continue to plod along at about the current rate up to 2017.<br />
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Although, I do wonder if history will repeat. Both in Australia and the USA there were several times during the last century when breweries were plentiful and producing a large range of beers, but they were eventually all bought up and consolidated by the largest breweries in the name of big business. Will it go that way again? <br />
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Craft beer popularity is indeed rising. The market share is still tiny, but growth is strong. The big multinational breweries are watching closely the performance of the craft beer market and developing strategies to be major players in the sector. Presenting very attractive offers to acquire the top performaning craft beer brands is surely the next part of the 1980s to return to life in the 21st century...? We are already seeing a change in strategy of the big, now foreign-owned, breweries in Australia, with Lion (under Kirin) buying out Aussie craft beer pioneer (of sorts) Little Creatures.<br />
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In Australia, I predict that the number of breweries will still be increasing in 2017, but begining to plateau as the market space for small breweries becomes a little squishy. <br />
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Maybe. Although, I hope not. I hope this a good beer explosion Australia-wide, a true craft be reveloutin that overruns the taps of all pubs and bars. Pipe-dream...but let us dream!<br />
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Over the last 15 years, new (primarily craft) breweries in Australia have had to work very hard to turn the common drinker of bland lagers onto flavoursome craft beers. However, they have had free reign over their local market and plenty of opportunity to break new ground in Aussie brewing.<br />
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Today, it is surely becoming harder for brand new beer businesses to capture some of that virgin market. Breweries are everywhere now and many of them are innovating. It will soon take something extra special for a new brewery to be noticed.<br />
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However, let us never believe that any form of innovation and evolution will ever stop. Who knows what 2017 hold for beer here there or anywhere! There may soon be an X-Men style giant leap forward in brewing that will completely change the game from the ground up. <br />
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Nonetheless, I suspect many of the traditional beers styles will still dominate in 2017 but there will be new varieties, hybrid and beer concepts that we can’t even fathom yet! <br />
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Ok, enough randoming and rambling, here is my concrete prediction for Derrick's Session topic: I’ll be visiting the US brewing industry as a tourist sometime in the next 5 years (...umm...better start saving!) and much more of America’s craft beer will be legitimately available here in Australia (fingers crossed for Russian River, Dogfish Head and Stone)!<br />
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Since I’m not a betting man, I'll end with less of a prediction and more of a desire for 2017. In five years time I'd like to be actually working in the beer industry…maybe with a craft beer shop, maybe with a brewpub (better get that lotto ticket), more likely in communications support for the craft beer industry…or maybe it’s still unlikely that the beer industry will support professional beer writers in 2017. Where's my DeLorean?Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-27121174573722072592012-08-03T09:00:00.001+10:002012-08-03T11:30:43.454+10:00One Beer To Rule Them All (The Session no.66)<i>The Session is a monthly event for the beer blogging community, started by Stan Hieronymus at <a href="http://www.appellationbeer.com/" target="_blank">Appellation Beer</a>. On the first Friday of each month, all participating bloggers write about a predetermined topic. Each month a different blog is chosen to host The Session, choose the topic, and post a roundup of all the responses received. For more info on The Session, check out the <a href="http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/the-sessions/" target="_blank">Brookston Beer Bulletin’s archive page</a>.<br />
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This month's Session is hosted <a href="https://twitter.com/drinkdrank1" target="_blank">Craig Gravina</a> from the blog <a href="http://drinkdrank1.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">Drink Drank</a>. His chosen topic: The One Beer to Rule Them All.</i>
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<i>"What if you were to design the perfect brew—a Tolkien-esque One Beer to Rule Them All. The perfect beer for you, personally. Would it be hoppy and dark or strong and light? Is it augmented with exotic ingredients or traditionally crafted? Would your One Beer be a historic recreation or something never before dreamt of? The sky is the limit on this one."</i></div>
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Earlier this year <a href="http://craftypint.com/" target="_blank">The Crafty Pint</a>, Australia’s best (and really only) website for all things Aussie craft beer, ran a competition called “<a href="http://peoplespint.com.au/" target="_blank">The People’s Pint</a>”. The aim was to submit a concept for your perfect beer, with the best entries put to a public vote and the winner would have their beer professionally brewed. All that was required was a name for the beer and some form of description in under 50 words. The winning beer was brewed by <a href="http://www.templebrewing.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Temple Brewery & Brasseries</b></a> and launched to the people during <a href="http://goodbeerweek.com/" target="_blank">Good Beer Week</a> in May. The winner, selected by public vote, was called <i><b><a href="http://peoplespint.com.au/unveiling-the-double-hoptendre/" target="_blank">Double Hoptendre</a></b></i>. Styled as a “Double Hopped Rye Red Ale”, the beer was described simply by the tagline <i>"A woman walked into a bar and ordered a Double Hoptendre. So the bartender gave her one…"</i><br />
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The competition and beer were a success, but probably more a battle of wit rather than the people's collective desire for their favourite beer.<br />
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The intention of The People’s Pint was basically the same for this month’s Session – design your perfect beer. Hence, I am returning to the beer idea I submitted for The People’s Pint (it didn’t make the finals) because I’m too indecisive about all things beer to start from scratch again.<br />
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As someone who just loves craft beer in all forms and advocates for beer diversity, with the belief that almost any beer can suit a certain time and place, I’ll never be able to truly decide on one beer to rule them all.<br />
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I have enjoyed some fantastically WOW beers that rule in name and drinkability… to mention a few: <i><b>Beelzebub's Jewels</b></i> and <i><b>The Empress</b></i> from <b>Holgate Brewhouse</b>, <i><b>xeRRex</b></i> from and the<i><b> His/Her Majesty</b></i> series <b>Yeastie Boys</b>, the <i><b>Black Hole</b></i> series from <b>Mikkeller</b>, <i><b>God Jul Islay Edition </b></i>by <b>Nøgne Ø</b> …I could go on...so much goodness flowing from these champion beers.<br />
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However, as of mid-2012, much like in early-2012 when I entered The People's Pint, there is a mishmash of beer styles that I currently love...all the way to a desert island. They are smokey beers, sessionable beers, red ales and big (imperial) beers.<br />
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My entry for The People’s Pint combined these personally favoured beer styles to create something along the lines of a smokey imperial red ale. At this time, in this place...my ultimate beer of beers would be red, bitter, smokey and boozy but light enough in body to drink several in one session.<br />
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And the name of my one beer to rule them all: <i><b>Bluey's Bushy Bitter Boozy BBQ beer</b></i>.<br />
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(You see, “Bluey” is Australian slang for a red headed guy.
Basically, blue = red. Yes, irony. Who knows how this slang came to be.
Just Aussie larrikinism, I suspect. Right now, there are not enough excellent red ales being produced by Australian craft brewers. It is a very underrepresented style around here!)<br />
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As something of a continuation of by Beer Bar Band - letter B - theme (I love some excessive alliteration), the name describes the elements and purpose of my perfect beer.<br />
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The aroma conjures thoughts and desires of a campfire in the Australian bush; it’s an imperial ale (around 7%) for good boozy times yet it is also sessionable (through a lighter, less dense body), easy enough drinking to enjoy with mates around the barbecue. <br />
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My 5B beer would incorporate crystal and smokey peat malts, the aroma hops would provide a grassy, piny aroma of the bush and the bittering would support a long yet cleansing finish.<br />
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It would be filtered to provide a clear, brilliant red appearance and to lighten the body for drinkability. <br />
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Beautiful to look at, to smell, to drink and to remember...again and again. That's what I want from my perfect beer.<br />
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Possible? I have no damn idea! I am not a brewer yet, so for now I will just fantasize about the concept…and maybe email the idea to <b>Moon Dog Brewing</b>, who seem to be able to make anything work…!<br />
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<br />Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-79689099810182362182012-08-02T22:08:00.001+10:002012-08-02T22:08:14.061+10:00Beer - #IPADay review - Mornington IPA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This quick post, in honour of International IPA Day 2012, (drunkenly) looks at the <i><b>IPA</b></i> from <a href="http://www.mpbrew.com.au/default" target="_blank"><b>Mornington Peninsula Brewery</b></a>.<br />
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I chose this beer because it is my most checked-in IPA on <a href="http://untappd.com/user/jayelde" target="_blank">Untappd</a>. The reason for that is because the Morningtoin IPA spent several recents months on tap at the bar of one of it's biggest fans, Brad Merritt...the owner of my local, <a href="http://beerbarband.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/bar-oscars-ale-house-belgrave.html" target="_blank"><b>Oscar's Alehouse</b></a>. Hence, many friendly pints of this been have been consumed, in a row, a short stroll from home.<br />
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One of the youngest small breweries in Victoria, Mornington Peninsula Brewery had quiet beginings in 2010, but is now starting to make some serious noise. Lead by head brewer, Andrew "AG" Gow, Morington is now producing hit after hit of quality, good-drinkin' brews. Without straying too far outside of style and classic modern brewing, the brewery is growing quickly as it finds favour with Victorians with their fresh, richly flavoursome and balanced beers.<br />
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From the bottle the <b>Mornington<i> IPA</i> </b>pours a deep cloudy amber, a lovely hue, clearly full of yeastie floaties. This beer ain't filtered! The beer's head is gives good...size and whiteness. The head retains reasonably well but is a bit loose. The important part, when it comes to head, is that he legacy left behind...the lacing...is beautiful. The Mornington IPA gives good lacing.<br />
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The aroma is full and lush, robustly hoppy without punching up your nose. As described by the brewer, stone and tropical fruits like apricot and peach lead you into this beer. Late hop additions of Citra, Amarillo and Centennial give this IPA plenty of front hoppiness<br />
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This beer is spot on for body and carbonation. Actually, the look and feel of this beer is more along the lines of an English IPA, but the aroma and taste is all American hops. In the mouth the lushness continues with a solid malt backbone and long hoppiness that doesn't overstay it's welcome. There is sweetness a-plenty to keep you coming back, yet the hops are still king.<br />
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Yes, the <i><b>Mornington IPA </b></i>is a good honest local IPA. It's a beer to enjoy with friends at a bar or at home with a spicy curry dinner. Drinkable by the pint yet satisfying by the pot. A classic, tasty brew...and an excellent choice for IPA day.<br />
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We're heading back to Morington Peninsula Brewery for a quick visit (pizza lunch and beers) on Sunday, which is exciting because I love their space and setup, plus...they have just released a new Imperial Stout (...which I won't be able to drink because I'm driving)! Local beer joy. That's what it's about!<br />
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And then there was IPA Day hops p0rn...<br />
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<br />Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-29280884525740128062012-08-02T11:11:00.001+10:002012-08-02T11:11:18.028+10:00Beer - #IPADay ...hop to it!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today is IPA Day, a social media celebration of craft beer through a global collective toast to the India Pale Ale.<br />
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To learn all about IPA Day, read my article on <i>Australian Brews News</i> - "<a href="http://www.brewsnews.com.au/2012/08/ipa-day-the-second/">IPA Day the Second</a>" - which was published this morning in honour of the day.<br />
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How can you hop on <a href="http://ipaday.org/" target="_blank">IPA Day</a>? Easy... simply share your IPA (or hoppy craft beer) photos, videos, blog posts, tasting notes, recipes, and thoughts with the world via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, and other social media platforms using the #IPADay hashtag. If you're not into such social media things, then just drink an India Pale Ale beer today!<br />
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Tonight I will post a review of a local crafty IPA. Mmm...thirsty.<br />
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Until then, to help stimulate the tongue, here is a visual post of some hoppy-style beer "art" via the social media app <a href="http://pixlr.com/o-matic/" target="_blank">pixlr-o-matic</a>, which have been consumed in Beer Bar Band land during 2012....<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9_WOKnz1OUo/UBnDCChtcJI/AAAAAAAABWM/kSdZY-CmEmk/s1600/IPDDayart006.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image of Red Hill Brewery Queen's Diamond Jubilee British IPA" border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9_WOKnz1OUo/UBnDCChtcJI/AAAAAAAABWM/kSdZY-CmEmk/s320/IPDDayart006.jpg" title="The wonderful Red Hill Brewery Queen's Diamond Jubilee British IPA" width="212" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r3BWm7vd07g/UBnC84ZNbFI/AAAAAAAABVc/CNWoQdyVjw8/s1600/IPADayart003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WcM41SepRVM/UBnDALM0srI/AAAAAAAABV8/OwXo1XlpTQ0/s1600/IPDDayart004.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WcM41SepRVM/UBnDALM0srI/AAAAAAAABV8/OwXo1XlpTQ0/s320/IPDDayart004.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-po5XvVlqkyc/UBnDBTuOx1I/AAAAAAAABWE/9FJGiZ5BVvo/s1600/IPDDayart005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image of AIBA Gold Medal winner Mountain Goat Rye IPA" border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-po5XvVlqkyc/UBnDBTuOx1I/AAAAAAAABWE/9FJGiZ5BVvo/s320/IPDDayart005.jpg" title="AIBA Gold Medal winner Mountain Goat Rye IPA" width="320" /></a></div>
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This photo-set has shown me that I tend to drink IPAs from a tulip glass. FAIL, it seems! According to much of the beer literature I have read over the last few days, the appropriate glass for an India Pale Ale is actually a pint or tumbler!
So yes, enjoy your IPA today by the pint (or tumbler)!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TJAVHW9qxvM/UBnIX0_ussI/AAAAAAAABWs/STvmdJWHSB8/s1600/IPADayart009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Image of the Clock Tower IPA from True South" border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TJAVHW9qxvM/UBnIX0_ussI/AAAAAAAABWs/STvmdJWHSB8/s320/IPADayart009.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Clock Tower IPA from True South.</i></td></tr>
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Mmm delicious hybrids. Black IPA or White IPA? BLACK IPA (...sorry..."American Black Ale") WINS! I am yet to enjoy a White IPA, but I love any attempt by a brewer to bring new life and character to beer styles.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yUovUvex4kQ/UBnMCf1yCCI/AAAAAAAABXM/FOQzUic8G7c/s1600/IPADayart010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="image of blogger with the doctors Orders Plasma White IPA and Mountain Goat/Mikkeller collaboration, Gypsy and the Goat Pepperberry Black IPA in each hand" border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yUovUvex4kQ/UBnMCf1yCCI/AAAAAAAABXM/FOQzUic8G7c/s320/IPADayart010.jpg" title="" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dark and light IPA side by side, the Doctors Orders <i>Plasma</i> White IPA and the Mountain Goat/Mikkeller collaboration...<i>Gypsy & the Goat </i>Pepperberry Black IPA </td></tr>
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And then there are the magnificent Red IPAs...<br />
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IPA, such a wonderfully versatile style of beer...just like good beer as a whole, deliciously diverse!
</div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-34051142968659575712012-07-16T00:42:00.003+10:002012-07-16T10:48:47.068+10:00Beer - Moon Dog Black Lung II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love to blog when a beer, bar or band excites me. Tonight...the new <i><b>Black Lung II</b></i> from <a href="http://craftypint.com/beer/beer/moon-dog-symbiotic-solipsism/" target="_blank"><b>Moon Dog Brewing</b></a> has excited me... seriously.<br />
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Wow...I love this beer! It's big, smooth and offers just the right amount of smokey bacon in front of a little tar.<br />
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Ok...so yes, if you know me (in person) or have followed my beer writings closely (unlikely!), you will know that I love the Moon Dog brewers and their crazy-ass beers. I do tend to write and <a href="https://twitter.com/beerbarband" target="_blank">tweet</a>/<a href="http://www.facebook.com/beerbarband" target="_blank">facebook</a> about them regularly-ish ...but that is simply because Josh, Karl and Jake continuously brew interesting shit (aka. excitingly good beer). They are also three genuine, intriguing (read: arousing) and entertaining Aussie guys ...so the words flow easily when seeking to share their story. Yep, it's hard (hehe..."hard") not to blather all over them.<br />
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Moon Dog operate a tiny brewery in a converted workshop, which sits under the shadows of the massive Abbotsford brewery, the home of Carlton United Brewers (Fosters/SABMiller). They brew generally outragous craft beers that challenge the majority of beer drinkers and even beer nerds, offering a unique hit of crafty indulgence to Australian drinkers. Moon Dog are our own slice of BrewDog or Dogfish Head, when those breweries were in their infancy.<br />
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Moon Dog beers are fun, irreverent and unique. Often a ménage à trois style smash, the beers always present something worth checking out for the pure sake of originality and a beer experience, which is exactly what I'm after.
They have produced one beer that I did not enjoy...the <i>Magnificent Mullet Series: Billy Ray Citrus</i> was too "sausage" for me. Nonetheless, everything else I've had from these big-assed, crazy-head homebrewers cum commercial brewers has been actually magnificent. Yes, I even fully loved <i><a href="http://craftypint.com/beer/beer/moon-dog-symbiotic-solipsism/" target="_blank">Symbiotic Solipsism</a></i>.<br />
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Other local drinkers (mostly beer nerds) complained about carbonation issues with the early bottle runs of Moon Dog beers last year, but that noise has dissapated significantly in past months. So maybe the brewers have made some improvements to their processes. Bottle conditioning extreme beers is a difficult science after all!<br />
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Back to <i><b>Black Lung 2</b></i>...<br />
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Whilst the original Black Lung was a delight, the new Black Lung II tickles my fancy WITH A BIG STICK thanks to it's ageing in whisky barrels that replaces he sweet vanilla of the former bourbon edition with the red hot camp-fire bacon of this...<br />
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Dark and deep, bold and balanced, it ticks all the boxes for late night winter drinking. Beer lovers...as <a href="http://youtu.be/sncydiULUJY" target="_blank">Daisy Steiner</a> would say, "this... is the good shit."<br />
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Yes, I'm a non-smoking smoke-head as well as a hardcore geek for imperial stouts, so I naturally love this style. But there are many beers like this that I drink and enjoy...and there are those that excite me so much that I stay up past midnight* just to blog about it.<br />
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There is actually a nice subtle hop character peeking through from the back of this stout, but dominating is the woody whisky flavour that has been imparted by barrels from a distillery in Albany, Western Australia (<a href="http://www.distillery.com.au/" target="_blank">Great Southern Distilling Company Distillery</a>). The Moon Dog brewers has declared that they are "pretty happy with how it came together" and that they will be a fair few bottles hitting the local market.<br />
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So, beer nerds, head to your good beer retailer and snap this shit up! Maybe even tuck a few away in your "beer cellar" to see how it developed over time. Also, drink more Islay whiskey. cheers.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*I usually go to bed about 9:30pm to start the next day at 5:00am with a fitness workout session.<br />
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**Also... fuck <a href="http://bertracker.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/moon-dog-black-lung-porter.html" target="_blank">this blogger</a> for calling Black Lung a Porter and daring to compare it to Yeastie Boys xeRRex. So so sooooooo far apart Mr/Ms Ber Tracker 1.0!<br />
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***Whilst I'm being random with my asterix, check out the brilliant/amusing <a href="http://bertracker.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/moon-dog-black-lung-porter.html" target="_blank">Tumblr feed for the tag Moon Dog</a></span>!Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-60867401044377750832012-07-14T20:10:00.000+10:002012-07-15T10:29:57.795+10:00Bar - The Scratch, Milton (Brisbane)Brisbane is my second home. Whilst my physical time on the ground there may have been limited to merely weeks of my 32 years, Queensland’s capital gave me my wife. Hence, my connection is strong and Brisbane is my most travelled destination outside of Victoria.<br />
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As craft beer breweries and venues bubbled away nicely in my home town of Melbourne, ensuring something new was always in reach for good beer lovers over the last 6 years, Brisbane was stuck in one spot for some time. That boring spot was surrounded in <a href="http://www.xxxx.com.au/" target="_blank">bland yellow fizz</a>. Two years ago, a trip to Queensland required a dampening of one's expectation to satisfy your palate for good beer whilst in the state.<br />
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Since 2010 a few pockets of Brisbane attempted to offer a slice of the new craft beer market to the laid back population, but their offering was essentially "gateway" craft beers, those beers that really just put a name to a style and are not that far removed from the mass produced lagers that Queensland lives on.<br />
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We often left Brisbane with a serious itch for a big hit of flavoursome and characterful beer (on tap), something that wasn't just a mass-produced "craft" beer that you now find everywhere across the country. We itched for something that provided a genuine slice of character and diversity to compliment the eccentrics of craft brewing.<br />
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That itch can now be scratched, and in a very big way, thanks to a very small thing known as <b><a href="http://www.scratchbar.com/" target="_blank">The Scratch</a></b>...a self-proclaimed Dive Bar.<br />
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The Scratch wasted no time introducing Brisbane to beer nerd exploits. Against all common market sense, they did not take the approach of weaning the locals off their mass produced bland lager, which is brewed metres from the Scratch taps. Nor did they set up in the hip, bohemian or young-cultural districts like The Valley or West End. No, Scratch appeared in "working class" Milton, a stone’s throw from the Castlemain Perkins Brewery, home of <i>XXXX</i> beer, with a line up of draught and bottled beer that many would declare to be acquired tastes. Big, bold, beautiful beers from emerging local brewers and rock-star craft brewers from the other side of the world.<br />
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How the hell do they get away with it? I can only come to the conclusion that if you underpin a concept with personal passion and give the punters no other choice than to try what you have on offer, you will convert enough people to begin a following that will sustain a small business with walk-up clientele.<br />
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The Scratch co-owners - Ben Nichols, Kieran Ryan and Patrick Shevlin - all love beer and exploring the full spectrum of beer. "The idea for the Scratch was born out of the enjoyment of witnessing a growing interest in Brisbane for craft beer, but also a frustration in not yet having the right place to enjoy said craft beer. A small bar like ours offer an intimate and comfortable environment where one can sit, enjoy a hand crafted ale and discuss privately, or across the bar", Kieran told <a href="http://www.smallbarfly.com/?p=543" target="_blank">smallbarfly</a>.<br />
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The success of Scratch to mostly bypass the "introductory" craft beers speaks to me of the power of good craft beer. The majority of craft beer lovers I know were converted not by a slow and gradual build from bland lager through soft pale ales to slightly dark beers onwards to extreme beers. No, many tell me that they had a revelation beer, a special moment from experience an impressively different beer that lead them to go back and discover everything else in the middle.<br />
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It was the same for me. BAM...an old mate hands former macro-lager-drinking me a 8% abv, lush and fruity dark Belgian ale and I'm hooked by the revelation of the complexity possible in beer. It was my first flavoursome hit of rich malt and yeast characters. From there my beer journey began, as I went backwards through everything from the entry level beers to beyond. So why not lead Queensland drinkers down the same path? It can work...just see Scratch!<br />
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At first glance, the ethos of Scratch has been influenced by hipster and grunge. It is basic but beautiful, offering character to match that of the beers they pour. Antique style and mismatched furniture, dark colours and plenty of timber. A floor tom drum as a side table brought true delight to my heart.<br />
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There is thought behind the design, savvy placement of elements to appeal to those looking for cool but not pretentious.<br />
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Scratch is cosy, friendly, relaxed. It's the perfect environment for drinking good good beer.<br />
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At the moment there are 5 taps, one of those taps is a beer engine handpump. This means the beers are regularly, almost daily, rotated. The diversity offered by Scratch's tap rotations is actually a point of envy for many, as there are currently very few places in Australia that offer a whole new line-up of draught beer so regularly, that you can drink at one place and experience new beers several times a week. Those exciting local emerging breweries, such <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/fourheartsbrewing" target="_blank">Four Hearts</a> </b>and <b><a href="http://www.bacchusbrewing.com.au/" target="_blank">Bacchus Brewing</a></b>, are regular features on the beer taps alongside many of the top, often rare, new beers from Victoria's best craft breweries, as well as the international excellence of <a href="http://mikkeller.dk/" target="_blank"><b>Mikkeller</b></a>, <a href="http://www.nogne-o.com/" target="_blank"><b>Nøgne Ø</b></a>, <b><a href="http://haandbryggeriet.net/" target="_blank">Haand</a> </b>and <b><a href="http://www.yeastieboys.co.nz/" target="_blank">Yeastie Boys</a></b>.<br />
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I love Scratch's use of a <a href="http://www.scratchbar.com/" target="_blank">live chalkboard menu</a> image displaying their current tap list. Helpfully, they share the updated pic on their website and across social media every time their beer taps change.<br />
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Conveniently located on a small vibrant main strip of Milton, a very short walk from the train station and an easy walk into the city (2.5km max) thanks to the riverside Bicentennial bike/walkway.<br />
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Yes, get to this bar and scratch your palate's itch for something different! If it’s not for you, then that's ok...Scratch is too small to be for everyone...at the moment.<br />
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Thank you Scratch for bringing your little piece of good beer love to Brisbane. I can’t wait to return for another session.<br />
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There's no doubt that the success of Scratch has been in-part responsible for the recent mini boom of craft beer loving small bars around Brisbane. Brisbane's beer market is now diverse and interesting enough to support a week long festival of beer, with the inaugural <b><a href="http://queenslandbeerweek.com.au/" target="_blank">Queensland Beer Week</a></b> ready to lift off next week (July 16 - 22, 2012)!<br />
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The Scratch is hosting a <a href="http://queenslandbeerweek.com.au/venue_list.php?event_venue=The%20Scratch&event_logo=Scratch_logo.jpg" target="_blank">bunch of excellent beery events</a> for QLD Beer Week. We'll be there for a couple - <a href="http://queenslandbeerweek.com.au/event.php?event_id=5" target="_blank"><b>International Brewers Day with Australian Brews News - <i>The Boring Beer Festival</i></b></a> and hopefully <b><a href="http://queenslandbeerweek.com.au/event.php?event_id=7" target="_blank">2Birds vs Cavalier</a></b>.<br />
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We're excited to be returning to this humble gem of a bar. Hope to see you there!<br />
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<b>Find The Scratch at:</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/thescratchbar" target="_blank">facebook.com/thescratchbar </a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/thescratchbar" target="_blank">@thescratchbar </a><br />
<a href="http://www.scratchbar.com/">www.scratchbar.com</a><br />
<a href="mailto:info@scratchbar.com" target="_blank">info@scratchbar.com </a><br />
(07) 3107 9910<br />
Hours: Mon - Sun, 12:00pm - 12:00amJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-43466833853136826972012-07-10T10:00:00.000+10:002012-07-10T10:20:44.716+10:00Year in Beer? It's not a challenge anymore, guys.Today's Fairfax print and online media has published a story of two Aussie guys, Scott Ellis and Shane Maguire (from Sydney), who are on a mission to drink a unique beer every day for a full year (366 days in this leap year):<a href="http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars/a-new-beer-a-day-you-bet-20120709-21qs3.html" target="_blank"> A new beer a day? You bet</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">...YAWN!!</span><br />
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Maybe a decade ago this was something of a challenge, but with today's flourishing craft beer industry and limit defying beer brand market, it's a simple mundane task. All you need to do is walk into your local Dan Murphy's, or one of the growing number of <a href="http://craftypint.com/beer/bottleshops/" target="_blank">specialty beer shops</a> around the country, and it's <u>game over</u>.<br />
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Is this an indication of how very far behind Sydney and New South Wales are in the good beer market? In the last six months I have visited Canberra and Brisbane, where I have found readily accessible retail ranges of beers with plentiful supplies far exceeding 366 unique brews to consume. So Sydney must be positively struggling!<br />
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This year-in-beer concept is nothing new too. A quick Google search will lead you to an internet littered with blogs of people from across the globe attempting the same thing (and completing it easily).<br />
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To bore things further, since 15 December 2010 when I began logging my beer drinking history via the app <a href="http://untappd.com/" target="_blank">Untappd</a> I have consumed 818 unique beers (without "cheating" to record any back-history). During May this year alone I drank 170 new and unique beers (thanks GABS!), last month is was <a href="http://untappd.com/newsletter?id=b44bdb806c8458695e91eeca535e68cb&created=1338987389" target="_blank">98</a>. OK, so I'm a beer nerd and clearly some level of alcoholic thanks to these stats. Essentially, I just love exploring all forms of beer, across all styles, specification and maker. I much prefer to drink a different beer every day to discover how it adds to the experience of our surrounds rather than some seemingly misguided blokey attempt at being "awesome"...?<br />
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Australia has a very rich brewing history. Indeed, a fascinating topic to explore. Much of it has fallen victim to big business, so I would rather read about the small brewing businesses that make it work. I encourage beer drinkers to try beers that embrace the art and science of brewing. There are great stories behind many beers, which is the part worth printing. <br />
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Maybe the only thing worthwhile from this Ellis/Maguire mission is the retrospective that it gives the drinker at the end - hopefully an appreciation for beer quality and diversity, as well as realising that all those mass produced brand-centric bland lagers that dominate our pub taps are really quite samey. Beer is much more enjoyable when the brewer's hands have crafted something unique to offer the drinker and there is something to learn from the result.<br />
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Don't get me wrong...as an aspiring beer writer I am completely jealous of Scott Ellis scoring publication in <i>The AGE Epicure</i> today. Although Scott seems to be a seasoned journalist for several mainstream newspapers, I would much rather read the insightful, accurate and up-to-date journalism of James Smith or Willie Simpson.<br />
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Over in the News Ltd <i>Herald Sun</i>, I enjoyed today's opinion piece by Susie O'Brien - "<a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/i-gave-my-son-alcohol-and-he-hated-it/story-fn56aaiq-1226421955130" target="_blank">I gave my son alcohol... and he hated it</a>" - (due to the pay wall you'll need to <a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=%22I+gave+my+son+alcohol...+and+he+hated+it%22" target="_blank">Google the title</a> to view the full article.)<br />
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Susie is correct. Alcohol is not for children or teens. Nor is using controlled exposure as an education tool a form of abuse. Beer is an acquired taste, so it will be very rare for a child or teen to enjoy its fragrant bitter flavours (...why do you think mass beverage produces make sweet easy drinking <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcopop" target="_blank">alcopops</a>?). Hence, an early controlled experience may help deter unnecessary deluge into beer before an appropriate age. Modern science has provided strong evidence<b>*</b> that the human body should be fully developed before processing alcohol.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Not sure why I'm on a cranky rant path today. It could have something to do with my career in Communications and desire to see much better, more accurate and quality communication for the merits of good beer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>*</b>Solowij N, Jones KA, Rozman ME, Davis SM, Ciarrochi J, Heaven PC, Lubman DI, Yücel M (2011). <a href="http://www.springerlink.com/content/7k5276v31h047950/" target="_blank">Verbal learning and memory in adolescent cannabis users, alcohol users and non-users</a>. <i>Psychopharmacology</i>. 16:131-144.<br />
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Mahmood OM, Jacobus J, Bava S, Scarlett A, Tapert SF (2010). <a href="http://www.jsad.com/jsad/article/Learning_and_Memory_Performances_in_Adolescent_Users_of_Alcohol_and_Marijua/4514.html" target="_blank">Learning and Memory Performances in Adolescent Users of Alcohol and Marijuana: Interactive Effects</a>. <i>Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs</i>. 71(6): 885–894.<br />
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Lubman DI, Hides L, Jorm AF, Morgan AJ (2007). <a href="http://anp.sagepub.com/content/41/10/830.abstract" target="_blank">Health professionals' recognition of co-occurring alcohol and depressive disorders in youth: a survey of Australian general practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists and mental health nurses using case vignettes</a>. <i>Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry</i>. 41:830-835.<br />
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ABC TV Catalyst, "<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s2000936.htm" target="_blank">Teen Alcohol</a>", first aired 09/08/2007.</span>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-7140449107266706642012-07-06T15:53:00.002+10:002012-07-06T15:53:26.572+10:00So lonely (The Session no.65)<i>The Session is a monthly event for the beer blogging community, started by Stan Hieronymus at <a href="http://www.appellationbeer.com/" target="_blank">Appellation Beer</a>. On the first Friday of each month, all participating bloggers write about a predetermined topic. Each month a different blog is chosen to host The Session, choose the topic, and post a roundup of all the responses received. For more info on The Session, check out the <a href="http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/the-sessions/" target="_blank">Brookston Beer Bulletin’s archive page</a>.<br /><br />This month's Session is hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/NateDawg27" target="_blank">Nate Southwood</a> of <a href="http://www.boozebeatsbites.com/2012/06/session-65-so-lonely.html" target="_blank">Booze, Beats & Bites</a>. His chosen topic: <b>So lonely</b>.</i><br />
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<i>"The way I see it is that I love beer and pubs and I don’t see why I should only go to the pub when I’m with other people. Am I weird for going to the pub alone?<br /><br />How do you feel about going to the pub alone? Do you feel it’s necessary to be around friends to spend time in a pub?"</i></div>
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<i><b>Preamble: </b></i>Busy busy mid-winter days have flown by. Another month has past and a birthday celebrated with good beer around old Melbourne town. Yes. I have aged a little deeper into my thirties. And so returns the first Friday of the month and a post, my third, for <a href="http://beerbarband.blogspot.com.au/search/label/the%20session" target="_blank">The Session</a>, which continues to be excellent incentive to keep me blogging unrestrained in my own thoughts on a general beer topic. This month we explore drinking alone in a pub. A sign of alcoholism to some, a welcome comfort to others.<br />
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Drinking alone is the pub is something I am very familiar with, from my early ignorant beering days to current times, thanks to the low-population and non-craft-beer-drinking demographic of my new home town that can often result in me solely occupying the <a href="http://beerbarband.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/bar-oscars-ale-house-belgrave.html" target="_blank">Oscar's Ale House</a> bar at 5pm on a Sunday. For me, drinking alone is simply a consequence of me loving good beer. It often allows me a moment to escape in my own quiet space, to clear my mind and reset my energy, but ultimately it's the sensory-to-psychological journey a solo beer takes me on that gives the appeal to drinking alone.<br />
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<i><b>So lonely: </b></i>Pubs are made for drinking. In draught form, a beer poured from the tap to your glass is the purpose of the pub. Their buildings provide the space, atmosphere and character to consume and experience beer across all levels of social interaction.<br />
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However, never will the pub’s aesthetic provision be more clear and rewarding to you than when you drink alone.<br />
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The beauty of the construction, the passing fascination of the nooks, the comfort of curious background noise…it’s all there, around you, as you drink and think. Often the beer is simply a prop and a means to let your mind wander away from the heavy thoughts of everyday modern life.<br />
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Then, when your eyes do return to the delicious pint of beer in your hand, you may notice that the beer is lingering longer in your mouth. The tasty moreish bitterness clings to your tongue, not washed away by the saliva of conversation and pace of social exchange. <br />
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With the right beer in hand I will never be lonely. The character and finish of the beer is more prevalent, just as everything around me becomes a little more randomly intriguing.<br />
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I write this as I sit alone, drinking a pint in my local bar. The room is almost empty except for a few other fellow isolated drinkers. I observe their lonesome acts with beer in hand. One is standing at the end of the bar in a frozen stare oblivious to his full glass of beer; one reads a book as he turns his beer glass; one sways in the cold outside as he smokes, with his other arm straight against his side, beer glass extending below.<br />
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So find your spot, alone in the pub, drink your beer…and let your mind lose on the physical and cerebral. When beered up, the analytical brain-strain is inhibited. Creative decision making flows and lightens the load…and it’s all of your own, free of influence of others. A good beer will guide you through and thank you when it’s finished.<br />
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What a strange power of release this quiet beer has. Maybe I’ll have another....then go talk to someone...Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-12039378245143305172012-06-21T09:09:00.001+10:002012-06-21T09:27:51.290+10:00Beer Bar Band's Winter Solstice9:09am on Thursday 21st June 2012 and it's the Winter Solstice here in Melbourne. This annual occurrence has brought us another miserable cold damp dark day across the city, so we are very thankful that the days will once more stretch longer towards Spring.<br />
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To celebrate, here is a short post for the shortest day...a beer, bar and band with a rather loose connection to the Winter Solstice...<br />
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<b>Beer</b> - I wish I could recommend for everyone to grab a <b>Dieu du Ciel <i>Solstice d’Hiver</i></b> bareleywine, but I have never seen it available in Australia, despite the regular availability of several other <b><a href="http://micro.dieuduciel.com/en/index.php" target="_blank">Dieu Du Ciel</a> </b>beers from Canada. <i>Solstice d’Hiver</i> is one of few quality craft beers brewed specifically for the Winter solstice, as the name indicates.<br />
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Today requires a deeply dark, full bodied, big warming beer. An Imperial Stout it will be. And there are many such fine local beers to celebrate these days. However, on this darkest day of the year, it can surely only be the <b><a href="http://www.murraysbrewingco.com.au/" target="_blank">Murray's Brewing Company</a> barrel aged <i>Heart of Darkness</i> Imperial Stout</b>.<br />
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<b>Bar</b> - Hmmm...any suggestions for Melbourne's shortest bar? How about <a href="http://www.pony.net.au/" target="_blank"><b>Pony</b></a>...? Ok, the Pony bar isn't as short as some bars around here, but ponies are short! Also, Pony is a very small venue and always dark. Grungy but cosy, <b>Pony</b> is actually very Winter Solstice. Best of all, you can head their today and celebrate the passing of the solstice all night long (...it's open until 7am).<br />
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Drinks, couches and live music. Find Pony at 68 Little Collins Street Melbourne.<br />
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<b>Band</b> - Ok, I didn't dwell too hard on this and I'm out of time...so here is the lyrically short, dark and seasonally appropriate <i>Winter</i> by Melbourne duo, <b><a href="http://bigscary.net/" target="_blank">Big Scary</a></b> (...hear the rain):<br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="100" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/track=1188353972/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" style="display: block; height: 100px; position: relative; width: 400px;" width="400">&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;a &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;href&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;="http://&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;bigscary&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;bandcamp&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;.com/track/winter"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Winter by Big Scary&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;</iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Look to the sky, as she opens up on me...hands in my pockets, and a smile that only...she understands..."</span><br />
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<br />Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-8620074351321811082012-06-12T22:07:00.000+10:002012-06-12T22:15:43.200+10:00Beer - Two Birds Sunset AleI first met Jayne Lewis when she was the head brewer at Mountain Goat Brewery. Not only was it refreshing to have a female brewer leading the beer production of a local craft brewery, it was also during a time of exciting progress and innovation at Mountain Goat, which helped fuel my own excitement for Australian craft beer. Jayne's fingerprints were evident across the brewery's increasing success, through her command of process and quality control. Most of all, her influence on the barrel aging of beers gave us <i><a href="http://beerbarband.blogspot.com.au/2010/04/beer-mountain-goat-rapunzel-part-2.html" target="_blank">Oaked Aged Rapunzel</a></i>...a revelation to my then still young palate. <br />
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A year ago Jayne made the bold leap of setting up her own brewing company with her good mate Dani Allen, an exciting development in Aussie beer, which I wrote all about on <a href="http://www.brewsnews.com.au/2011/12/two-birds-are-go/" target="_blank">Australian Brews News</a>.<br />
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Last month Jayne and Dani's <a href="http://twobirdsbrewing.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Two Birds Brewing</b></a> released their second beer, <i><b>Sunset Ale</b></i>. Possibly taking a lead from the uber successful <b>Stone & Wood <i>Pacific Ale</i></b>, <i>Sunset Ale</i> can not really be defined by a classic beer style. It is an Australian interpretation of a sessionable hop forward red ale with a rewarding character and complexity. <br />
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<i>Sunset Ale</i> pours a beautiful copper red with a good sized bright white head. The aroma offers soft Cascade hops, round Cascade hops, full Cascade hops! Yep, lovely tropical fruitness in front of biscuit and toffee. Wonderfully consistent mouthfeel from a light but full body, the taste is vibrant and it is easy drinking. In the mouth the malt is king yet the Citra hop shines through with passionfruit and maybe hints of lime and mango. The specs read as 4.6% abv and 26 IBU.<br />
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Thankfully, Two Birds make no secret of the fact that they currently brew their beers under contract at the Southern Bay Brewery in Geelong, "commercially collaborative brewing" as Southern Bay's Head Brewer calls it. I still can not fathom how any company producing a beer can justify the need to lie about where their beer is brewed, as some beer brands have done under the contract brewing scheme. But that's an argument for another day.<br />
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Anyway....a little side-tracked there...and here. The one potential drawback of this arrangement is that the Southern Bay bottling process requires all beers they produce to go through pasteurisation (...I think...ok I'm not 100% certain but my current understanding is that it is unavoidable in the Southern Bay bottling process). Pasteurisation is heat treatment of finished beer to reduce any present microbes to a level where the product cannot spoil within its shelf-life. It is standard practice for big commercial breweries that are pumping out mass produced products that reply on consistency (and where liquid hop-extract is used instead of fresh or palletised hops). When it comes to craft brewing, pasteurisation is often a taboo word because it can kill a significant portion of the hop character. I think the Two Birds <i>Golden Ale</i> suffered a little from this process in bottling, because it was much better when it was fresh on draught.<br />
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Well, Jayne has definitely done her homework here to deliver a beer that still provides a quality hop character after pasteurisation. <i>Sunset Ale</i> is the most hop distinguishable beer brewed at Southern Bay that I've ever had. (Interestingly, within the same 6 pack we had one bottle that was somewhat different to the rest with a noticeable lacking of the hop character. Not sure how that came to be.)<br />
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The winning formula of this new beer is that the biscuity crystal malt sweetness mixed with its tropical fruit hop profile lends to fantastic diversity for time and place drinking. As a match, it will compliment many foods, scenarios and settings. Dinner or lunch, pasta or meat, autumn or spring, footy or party. Maybe, hopefully even a gig beer (...I'm really keen to try that out...as soon as I'm at a live music venue that sells <i>Sunset Ale</i>). It is 6-pack-sessional yet one or two is also plenty enough.<br />
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This is exactly the type of accessible beer that I have been hoping to see more of on the local market - flavoursome and sessionable, hops and malt, red. Thank you Two Birds!Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-88082621021882084482012-06-08T16:01:00.002+10:002012-06-08T21:45:59.696+10:00Beer - Garage Project Pernicious Weed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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During our beer tasting planning for last month's <a href="http://www.thelocal.com.au/gabs/" target="_blank">Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular</a> (GABS), one of our most anticipated beers was the <i><b>Double Day of the Dead</b></i> by young New Zealand craft brewery, <b><a href="http://garageproject.co.nz/" target="_blank">Garage Project</a></b>.<br />
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<a href="http://aleofatime.com/2012/05/06/gabs-beers-garage-project/" target="_blank"><i><b>Double Day of the Dead's</b></i></a> description in the official <a href="http://www.thelocal.com.au/gabs/sites/default/files/GABS_tasting_booklet.pdf" target="_blank">GABS Tasting Booklet</a> captured our interest at first glance: an 8% Strong Black Lager with chocolate, smoke and chipolte chili.<br />
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A Strong Chili Chocolate Black Lager? Hell yes! Good crafty black lagers/schwarzbiers are both underappreciated and few and far between, so we were excited. Add to that Jenn's love of Mexican culture, in particular El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and <a href="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxatrmYnGg1qiqr26.jpg" target="_blank">sugar skull artwork</a>...on paper this beer had everything we seek in good beer - an interesting beer style with character and concept.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Random Jenn at GABS with Double Day of the Dead mask & taster.</span></div>
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We knew little-to-nothing about Garage Project. Although the social media chatter coming from across the Tasman seemed to always be very positive. Their website filled in the blanks about this band of three...<br />
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<i>"Why Garage Project? Garage because it started in a garage, but it's more than that. It’s also about approaching things with a garage mentality. It’s about playing around, making do and thinking outside the box. The surroundings might be basic but this is no barrier to creativity. This is bière de garage – beer from the garage. </i><br />
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<i>And why Project – because it's ongoing, it's a work in progress and we plan to keep it that way. For example, we don’t plan to come out with a fixed portfolio of beers – this is about experimenting, pushing boundaries, blurring the boundaries between styles - seeing what works. We love beer styles, but we want to take them somewhere, to reinterpret, not just reproduce them."</i><br />
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Brewer Pete has worked at large breweries in the UK and even Australia's Malt Shovel (Lion Nathan) brewery. With his brother Ian and their mate Jos, the creative force behind the concept, they home brewed, nano-brewed and contract brewed via <a href="http://www.threeboysbrewery.co.nz/" target="_blank">Three Boys Brewery</a> in Christchurch. Now they have built their own, very shiny microbrewery in Wellington.<br />
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As for their GABS brew - <i>"Day of the Dead, our chilli chocolate black lager, launched on November 1 to coincide with El Día de los Muertos - Mexico’s Day of the Dead. For those who loved Day of the Dead, we've just been down to Three Boys to brew a special, high strength Double Day of the Dead. Most of the beer will be going to Australia for the Great Australian Beer Spectapular (not a typo) to be held in Melbourne in May".</i><br />
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Garage Project Excitement Mode engaged!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Random Jos, paddlin' at the Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular.</span></div>
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At GABS our excitement proved justified as the beer lived up to our own hype. Chili in beer is always a big risk because it can easily dominate the palate and ruin the drinkability of the beer. Very few commercial examples are good and they tend to end up as a novelty beer. The two best examples of chili beers that we have experienced so far have been big dark ales in the <b>Mikkeller <i>Texas Ranger Chipotle Porter</i></b> and the <b>Moon Dog <i>Cock-sockin’ Ball-knockin’ Chipotle Stou</i></b><i>t</i> (a one off brew from Good Beer Week 2011). Hmm...chipotle seems to be a common theme here in chili beers that work. But would it work in a lager?<br />
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Yes, oh yes it worked. <i>Double Day of the Dead</i> was one of the few beers that we drank by the glass, twice, at GABS because it was such a highlight. It was a dark lager but it had an excellent, suitable body to support the subtle chili, as well as brilliant depth, complexity and length. The balance was great, with the chocolate, chili and smoke all working in harmony.<br />
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Anyway, I'm rambling and making this post far too long...again. The point of this post was supposed to be that...on leaving GABS I passed Jos who had his arms full with a backpack of beers. I can't exactly recall what was said (because much delicious good beer had been consumed) but I ended up with a bottle of Garage Project beer in my hands after a possibly loose promise to write about it...?<br />
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It was a 750ml bottle of <i><b>Pernicious Weed</b></i>, number 3 of their 24/24 series (24 news beers in 24 weeks). Other than the subtitle of "whole cone hopped", there is no style or specs printed on the label and I could not locate any official details online.<br />
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The Garage Project blog provides this much: <i>"Organic Rakau and whole cone Nelson Sauvin go head to head in this strong, golden, hoppy brew. Bitter, yes. Intensely hoppy, absolutely. Too much, never."</i><br />
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With an abv around 7.5% and at 98 IBUs (confirmed by the video mentioned below), I dare to label this beer an American Double India Pale Ale.<br />
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<i><b>Pernicious Weed</b></i> poured a cloudy-to-clean golden-orange with a small but full white head. The deep, hop dominated aroma evokes citrus and tropical fruits, predominately passionfruit, and then some pine which continues into the taste. The bright hop profile reminded me of the new local hop Topaz yet with the distinctive fresh-cut-lawn scent on the edge that I find common from NZ hops and I love muchly. Full and fruity like grapefruit but not too much to take away its beeryness.<br />
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Hoppy all through and supported by an appropriate backbone of slight sweetness, it has the right balance and carbonation to make this big hoppy beer easy drinking. It also has a long bitter finish that is not harsh, lingers nicely and is clean enough to send you back for more.<br />
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It's the kind of beer you can stand around and think with...or engage in light banter and euphemisms...and maybe have a revelation about how to make everything better. The revelation may not make sense the new morning, but at least this beer will deliver a good time with heartwarming lush lingering...in the mouth.<br />
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Oh...and yes, do drink this by the pint...as per <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150881130082956" target="_blank">this video</a> of Peter & Jos with <i>Pernicious Weed</i> for Clemenger's <a href="http://www.wellingtoninapint.org/" target="_blank">Wellington in a Pint</a> competition. <br />
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So, that's now two very excellent beer that I have had from Garage Project. I am absolutely looking forward to drinking more...although I may need to travel to New Zealand for that...Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-66695058453030311532012-06-01T22:42:00.003+10:002012-06-01T22:46:30.797+10:00Pale in Comparison (The Session no.64)<i>The Session is a monthly event for the beer blogging community, which was started by Stan Hieronymus at <a href="http://www.appellationbeer.com/" target="_blank">Appellation Beer</a>. On the first Friday of each month, all participating bloggers write about a predetermined topic. Each month a different blog is chosen to host The Session, choose the topic, and post a roundup of all the responses received. For more info on The Session, check out the <a href="http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/the-sessions/" target="_blank">Brookston Beer Bulletin’s archive page</a>.</i><br />
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<i>This month's Session is hosted by Carla Companion of <a href="http://www.thebeerbabe.com/" target="_blank">The Beer Babe</a>. Her chosen topic: <b>Pale in Comparison</b>.</i><br />
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<i>"Whether American (typically a bit hoppier) or English (a little more malty), these brews can be complex, interesting and tasty, and are all too often fast-forwarded through in a tasting or left as the 'eh, guess I'll have a pale ale' decision.<br /><br />Your mission – if you choose to accept it – it so seek out and taste two different pale ales. Tell us what makes them special, what makes them forgettable, what makes them the same or what makes them different. Then, share it with us."</i></div>
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Hello June. Hello Winter. This is my second contribution to <a href="http://beerbarband.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/beer-moment-session-no63.html" target="_blank"><i>The Session</i></a>. Since I love this blogging concept so much, I am happy to look past the local dark beer season and join our summery good beer lovers of the northern hemisphere in this celebration/dissertation of the Pale Ale.<br />
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Pales Ales are the balanced simplicity of good beer. Water, hops, malt, yeast...all there, all working together. They are as diverse as red wine and as surprising as a first date, even when rediscovered.<br />
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The Pale Ale is alive and well across Australasia. Our craft beer market is still young, so the Pale Ale is yet to reach the <i>"eh, guess I’ll have a pale ale"</i> stage, which would be a rather welcome sentiment around here.<br />
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Pale Ales are the crafty session beer. They're the beer to hand to a mass-produced-lager drinking mate with the simple instruction, "try this". At the same time, you can hand that exact beer to your beer-nerd buddy who needs to be refreshed. Your palate wrecked hop-head counterpart will appreciated the original experience of a classical easy beer that still offers something more than a golden beery liquid featuring alcohol.<br />
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So often the "gateway" to craft beer, the Pale Ale is a bland-lager drinker's introduction to the wonderful world of hops. And where does one start when developing a palate for hops? Why, Cascade of course!<br />
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There are some excellent distinctive/characterful/smashable/write-about-able pale ales pouring across Australia. Instead of picking an obscure, recent, beer-snob agreeable Pale, I decided to revisit and explore the two beers that opened up this modern style to our land down under. Now regularly available to the majority of the country, these are beers that everyone can enjoy and surely appreciate.<br />
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On a world scale they may pale in comparison, but these two beers definitely do not lack importance or significance in Australia's good beer history: <b>Little Creatures <i>Pale Ale</i> </b>and <b>Matilda Bay <i>Alpha Ale</i></b>.<br />
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The same but very different. The Cascade hop is a common tale in Aussie brewed pales. Both of these feature Cascade predominately. Other than that, as you can see, <i>Alpha</i> and <i>LCPA </i>are very different beers.<br />
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<b><a href="https://littlecreatures.com.au/" target="_blank">Little Creatures</a> <i>Pale Ale</i> </b>is a cloudy-to-transparent orange-to-straw colour with a healthy white head. It washes through your mouth easily, with a plentiful but not smacky hop hit thanks to the delightful Galaxy hot, medium-to-high carbonation and a light body. It looks and drinks like beer...but gives you flavour, character. As many have said, it was the beer the popularised the American Pale Ale in Australia following its birth in the year 2000. <br />
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Little Creatures Pale Ale is what I wish the default pub beer was in Australia (...but we still have a very long way to go before the rancid <i>Carlton Draught</i> and <i>XXXX Gold</i> give up that title). It is a beer of it's homeland...by the beach of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fremantle" target="_blank">Fremantle</a>. Drink this beer, several of them, whilst enjoying fish & chips by the ocean. Rightly polled within Australia's top 3 beers for the last three years...this is a sessionable no-brainer, delight.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.matildabay.com.au/" target="_blank">Matilda Bay</a> <i>Alpha Pale Ale</i></b> is a malty beast for just the right amount of bitterness to recapture your interest after the first four mouthfulls. Redish-orange in colour with a creamy white head, the big aroma provides an initial hit of sweet malt followed by fruity and citrus hops. Alpha is inspired by the pales of the American northwest. <i>Alpha</i> is characterful with a long linger that is not overbearing.<br />
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This beer has won many Gold medals and accolades. That's because everything in this beer is in the right place. Satisfied by one or happy to down a second, this is less of a session beer and more of a slow beer and food companion. Try it with the subtle red meats, like lamb or roast pork. Wisely, bottles are only sold in 4 packs, which suits the sharing consumption of this fine brew.<br />
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Brewed by <a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><b>Carlton United Brewers</b></a> (now <b>SABMiller</b> via <b>Fosters</b>), Matilda Bay <i>Alpha Pale Ale</i> was one of the beers to ignite by beer-nerd-ness. When I began my craft beer journey, I often read that <i>Alpha</i> was Australia's best craft beer. It was an elusive ale back in those day. When I was finally able to track it down (no longer a problem), I loved the richness that this beer displayed over the subtle infant Australian craft beers circa 2006-7.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">New vs Old...I prefer the old style Alpha label on the right.</span></div>
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These beers are good. As do many pale ales, they suit almost any time or/place because they represent classic beer yet give you character and an experience. They make me smile.<br />
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Cheers.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-27794787817770327072012-05-28T21:27:00.000+10:002012-05-28T21:45:02.511+10:00Band - Last Leaves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Gig: </b>Last Leaves<br />
<b>Support: </b><a href="http://www.triplejunearthed.com/CharlesBaby">Charles Baby</a><br />
<b>Venue: </b>Earthly Pleasures Cafe Belgrave, tix $7<br />
<b>Date: </b>Thursday 3rd May, 2012 <br />
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Once upon a time there was <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lucksmiths">The Lucksmiths</a></b>. For more than 15 years they soothed the souls of Melbourne and beyond with characterful soft indie tunes. And then they were gone. But they were not lost.<br />
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Some may call it rebirth, others may see a continuation(-minus-Tali). Regardless, today we have <b>Last Leaves</b>...a new Melbourne band featuring ex-Lucksmiths Mark Monnone (bass), Marty Donald (guitar, vocals) and Louis Richter (guitar) with the barista/artist-sometimes-known-as <a href="http://www.myspace.com/greatearthquake">Great Earthquake</a>, Noah Symons (drums).<br />
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Yes, <b><a href="http://lostandlonesome.com.au/band_info.php?id=35&desc=last-leaves">Last Leaves</a></b> look and sound very much like The Lucksmiths...what else would you expect. Nevertheless, in the absence of frontman Tali While, Least Leaves is a very different beautiful beast, bringing back some of the Lucksmith lyrical soul and sound with new musical life.<br />
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Unfortunately we discovered The Lucksmiths too late in their existence. During their final year before disbanding we quickly feel in love with the band's lyrics driven, cosy and mellow yet cheery songs. Fortunately, we were able to catch several of their gigs in that time, including the farewell tour shows in both Brisbane and Melbourne. It was a sad passing as we left their final show at The Corner Hotel. When we heard that new music will flow again from Lucksmiths-esque hearts and minds, it was a welcome tune.<br />
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One of the first gigs by Last Leaves was held at <b><a href="http://www.earthlypleasurescafe.com/">Earthly Pleasures Cafe</a></b> in Belgrave earlier this month. By day this historic and heritage listed stone manor is a relaxed cafe serving excellent food for breakfast and lunch. At night on weekends Earthly Pleasures provides a dinner service. On occasional nights it becomes a live music cafe and bar. For me, the best feature of Earthly Pleasures is that they serve good local craft beer. Their bottled beer list includes good brews from <b>Cavalier Brewing</b>, <b>Hix</b>, <b>Holgate Brewhouse</b>, <b>Mornington Peninsula Brewery</b>, <b>Red Hill Brewery</b> and more...perfect accompaniments for the food, surrounds and music. (Oh...and it does also help that Earthly Pleasures is less than one kilometre away from where we now live.)<br />
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This gig coincided with our monthly "date night". It was a typical cold evening in the hills but we were soon warmed by the Earthly Pleasures fire-place and the enjoyment of the <b>Mornington Peninsula Brewery <i>Brown Ale</i></b><i>, </i>as stalwart acoustic-folk-rocker of the region <b>Charles Baby</b> provided the support set.<br />
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Charles is a capable performer and solo voice, but he lacks something of an X Factor to really take him beyond being more than a good support. Charles Baby is a quality artist...just not captivating. Although, he did create a special little moment when his set provided a mash-up of Radiohead and Yazoo. I love such moments from a solo acoustic pub gig.<br />
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The small crowd swelled to an almost full house as Last Leaves took the "stage" (or designated corner). It was the kind of local crowd were everyone probably knows everyone, except for the couple of newbie locals...maybe.<br />
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The start was uptempo full sound by Last Leaves. The musical legacy of The Lucksmiths was clearly apparent, but the Last Leaves sound was making an early statement in the rock direction, as opposed to the often-labelled "twee pop" of their former incarnation. Yep, Last Leaves are a pumped up Lucksmiths...and that is awesome. More importantly, and maybe in contradiction to my words, Last Leaves is a new sound. Their style resumes or simply evolves many of the Lucksmiths quirks in rhythm, pace, breakdowns, vocals and lyrical depth as they regal stories of everyday life around Melbourne...in particular, around the local Dandenong hills. As a whole picture, however, Last Leaves breathes their own unique character and soul. And that is how it should be. A new band with a new life to offer, yet providing a connection to something we all loved before.<br />
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One guy in the audience even declared the Last Leaves sound as "fat and sassy", which was welcomed with laughter by many. Drums provide the obviously new dynamic to the still-very-Lucksmiths guitar and bass sound, alongside the expanded squeals and little airy "U2" moments from Louis Richter's electric guitar.<br />
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There was a moment of bliss behind the realisation that we were enjoying slow beer, drinking the brilliant <b>Holgate <i>Hopinator</i></b>, at a gig close to home, which featured 3/4 of The Lucksmiths. Good times of years past had joined us at our new home in the hills...with the added bonus of fine craft beer.<br />
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Hell, after a couple of <i>Hopinators </i>I had written in my notebook: "The Lucksmiths vs The Drones kinda equals Last Leaves!". Sounds like my type of paradise.<br />
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With the songs too new to know, I can only recall that the set included "The nights you drove me home" and "Where I lived and what I live for". Marty Donald has been quoted as saying <i>"It's early days, of course, and things are still taking shape, but already the new-found sense of space in the songs' narratives is reflected in their more expansive and dynamic sound"</i>...and that sums it up nicely. It was a great gig, in a venue that was a superb fit for the music.<br />
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(Hint for gigs at Earthly Pleasures: for the best sound, head up the balcony!)<br />
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If you liked The Lucksmiths, you will love Last Leaves. If you are looking for something new on the local indie rock front...check out Last Leaves!Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-16789836931052705232012-05-19T13:33:00.003+10:002012-05-19T13:33:30.862+10:00Good Beer Week - Hair of the Dog Brewers Breakfast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Returning for the third year in a row, the Hair of the Dog Brewers Breakfast at <a href="http://goodbeerweek.com/">Good Beer Week</a> is now the unofficial after-after party of the <a href="http://www.beerawards.com/index.asp">Australian International Beer Awards</a>. Originally conceived and run by the <a href="http://beermen.tv/">BeermenTV</a> crew, the morning-after-AIBA event is designed to showcase craft beer’s potential to compliment modern breakfast dining, whilst possibly curing any post awards night hangovers.<br />
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Thursday night saw the 20th Australian International Beer Awards announced at a gala dinner, with many of victorious brewers celebrating the night away at <a href="http://www.beerdeluxe.com.au/">Beer DeLuxe</a> following the Award's formalities. Several had barely left the venue when 10:00am ticked over on Friday morning and the Beer DeLuxe doors were reopened with the city beer bar transformed into a breakfast hall.<br />
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On entering everyone received a bottle of the Southern Bay Sunrise Breakfast Beer, a full and fruity golden ale, and then found a seat amongst familiar faces of brewers, beer industry folk, beer lovers and the occasional foodie and curious city dweller.<br />
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Good Beer Week co-founder and Beer DeLuxe main man, Miro Bellini, hosted the proceedings in place of the absent Beermen this year. Miro introduced the morning's structure and prepared the crowd for a big morning of diverse and plentiful beers. The gathering were in good spirits, but with most already coming off several days in a row of good beer indulgence, excessive consumption was never going to be a problem here.<br />
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Kicking off the food element of the breakfast were honeycomb & hopped butter pancakes. They were paired with the popular Bridge Road Brewers <i>Beechworth Pale Ale</i> and the Moo Brew <i>Belgo</i>, a hybrid Belgian ale of only 4.5% abv, which is the newest beer in Moo Brew’s bottled range.<br />
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Wheat beers were next in line, matched with ricotta and capsicum stuffed mushroom. The AIBA Champion Large Australian Brewery, Feral Brewing, lead the way with their <i>Feral White</i>. Next Shawn Sherlock, head brewer at Murray’s Brewing spoke about his American style Wheat, the <i>Whale Ale</i>.<br />
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The stars of Good Beer Week are the brewers of the good beer we drink. Whilst this Hair of the Dog breakfast may have lost the flair and boyish humour of the BeermenTV hosts from previous years, the spontaneous comedy of the exhausted but forever generous and entertaining brewers kept the hungover crowd regularly amused.<br />
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Stone & Wood brewers Brad and Scott introduced their newest beer, <i>Jasper</i>. This German Altbier influenced amber ale was a natural match for bratwurst sausages with tomato relish.<br />
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As has been tradition at the previous Hair of the Dog events, a round of True of False trivia presented the opportunity to win a very valuable goodies pack of beer. However, this year the game was over almost as soon as it had started. The first question knocked out all but a handful of punters! <br />
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Miro asked, "True or False: On Google searches of 'beer' and 'wine', there were more results for “beer” than for 'wine'?"<br />
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Surely a crowd of brewers and beer lovers in the middle of Good Beer Week would only have beer on their mind? And they did! Those correct few who chose wine remained standing for the next question, which then ended the game with only one person correct again. Of the 15 trivia questions Miro had prepared, only two were required. It was the most unexpectedly rapid round of trivia we had ever witnessed and a moment of baffled hilarity for all.<br />
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As the morsels of food continued, the Okononmiyaki (Japanese prawn pancake) proved a popular item alongside Holgate’s <i>Hopinator</i>. Paul Holgate told the crowd of the influence Dogfish Head’s 90 minute IPA from the US had on him to develop a big malt driven double IPA. <i>Hopinator</i> remains once of Australia’s most unique double IPA.<br />
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The new Thunder Road Brewing <i>XXX IPA</i> provided a curious turn on expected flavours. The 7% IPA was found to lean more towards a rich malty dark ale or even scotch ale with its dark fruit flavours, low hop profile and sweet finish.<br />
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Two big style smashing IPAs provided an interesting contrast when tasted side by side and when washed over the sweetness of the candied keizerfleish. The Doctors Orders <i>Plasma White IPA </i>(7.6%) and Mountain Goat/Mikkeller collaboration, <i>Gypsy and the Goat Pepperberry Black IPA </i>(7.0%), proved themselves as worth breakfast beers with their hop bitterness cutting through the sugary candied keizerfleish.<br />
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True South’s <i>Saison du Framboise</i> was an obvious match for a dish of fruit, but it was the 5.5% Moa Brewing <i>Breakfast Beer</i>, a soft and refreshing fruity lager, that provided the better compliment for the strawberries and chocolate mint salsa.<br />
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Dessert provided a special treat for all with the just bottled Cavalier<i> Imperial Stout</i> paired with fig jam and blue cheese toast. It was a massive way to end breakfast, both in flavour and alcohol content, but the rich dark and warming beer stood as a fine substitute for morning coffee and chocolate.<br />
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Once again the Hair of the Dog Brewers Breakfast was a fun morning that allowed casual mingling and close discussion with the brewers of Australia's good beer. Unfortunately, the event once again proved a little too big for itself. Seven courses across fifteen beers over 90 minutes was unbalanced. If the courses had been bigger, rather than just a mouthful each, and with fewer beers, the breakfast beer concept would be afforded a much better showcase. In previous years there seemed to be more appreciation and education for how the selected beers complimented various breakfast foods. Whilst Miro did warn the crowd at the start, this year’s event just tried fit in too many beers, which many found a heavy challenge rather than a relaxed breakfast.<br />
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The winning factors behind this event are the excellent value for money in the ticket price ($35) and the way it is always well attended and received by the brewers visiting Melbourne for AIBA, along with the proficient coordination and service by the Beer DeLuxe staff. We'll all be looking forward to another Hair of the Dog in 2013.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-68281691353240050292012-05-11T14:27:00.000+10:002012-05-11T14:27:29.014+10:00BEER - Live from GABS via Australian Brews News<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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To kick Good Beer Week firmly into gear, tomorrow (Saturday 12th May) I will be at the <i><b><a href="http://www.thelocal.com.au/gabs/" target="_blank">Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular</a></b></i> reporting live for <a href="http://www.brewsnews.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Australian Brews News</b></a>.<br />
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There will be photos and insights to the day's proceedings, published online as they happen.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Keep an eye on the live link at <a href="http://www.brewsnews.com.au/2012/05/live-from-gabs/">http://www.brewsnews.com.au/2012/05/live-from-gabs/</a></li>
</ul>
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Also, watch out for plenty of Brew News <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/ozbrewsnews" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/BrewsNews/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> updates.<br />
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(For the tweeters...make sure you use the hashtag #gabs2012 to follow all the action.)<br />
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If you see me, come say hi and tell me what you think about the event!<br />
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<br />Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5511121585872592861.post-18332670945851866182012-05-08T15:03:00.000+10:002013-05-03T11:40:17.579+10:00Good Beer Week Survival Guide (Version 1.0)<i><b>PLAN... PREPARE... SURVIVE!</b></i><br />
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The imminent <a href="http://goodbeerweek.com/" target="_blank"><b>Good Beer Week</b></a> festival is very exciting for craft beer lovers/geeks, as it should be for anyone who enjoys beer. The diverse range of world renowned beers available at our finger tips over the next week will be unlike anything Australia has ever experienced before.<br />
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There can be a temptation to jump in face first and overload yourself with the sensory explosion of beerness. For newbies to the good/craft beer scene there’s also the trap of discovering so much beer at once without the foresight to manage the sensory overload. Hence, whichever level you’re at, and whether you’re heading to one event or twenty, it’s important to plan your involvement in such a festival to avoid the opposite of a good week.<br />
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The obvious concern here is that alcohol will affect you. This does not have to be a bad thing. Enjoying beer should not automatically induce negative connotations. Nonetheless, it is important to ensure your own health and safety by not allowing connecting factors to turn your alcohol influenced state into something bad. Alcohol combined with things such as driving a vehicle, lack of food/water/sleep, frustration, becoming stranded, excess or mixing beer with other alcohol/drugs is what turns good times bad.<br />
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I offer this survival guide to help you plan and prepare to avoid the nasty combinations that so often give beer a bad name (...I can't offer any solution for Carlton Draught though). <br />
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There are countless beer festival survival guides readily available online, which have helped me compile this post. As has beer (thanks beer!). However, first and foremost I have drawn on my own experience of last year’s inaugural Good Beer Week and my hometown knowledge of Melbourne. Take it or leave it, these words are just my hints and thoughts on how to approach Good Beer Week in what I consider to be a sensible manner.<br />
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(Maybe next year this GBW survival guide will be an actual published zine, with space to focus more on the positives, like I had intended to do 9 months ago. For now, it's a very late single blog post...)<br />
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<u><b>UNDERSTAND THE FESTIVAL</b></u><br />
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The sure-fire way to get the best out of Good Beer Week is to know what it's all about. The primary mission of this festival is:<br />
<ul>
<li>to promote and encourage the appreciation of Good Beer to a wider audience</li>
<li>to educate the public about Good Beer</li>
<li>to increase the market for Good Beer</li>
<li>to support local and regional producers of Good Beer and promote their products and venues to a wider audience.</li>
</ul>
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If you attend Good Beer Week in the spirit and support of this mission, you are sure to discover the joy of sharing good beer with the very good people of craft beer. The most memorable moments of a beer festival often arise from the interactions with the people who make the incredible and delicious brews.<br />
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Read more about the background of Good Beer Week at: <a href="http://craftypint.com/news/post/one-week-to-go/">http://craftypint.com/news/post/one-week-to-go/</a><br />
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<b><u>WATER</u></b><br />
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<i><b>Carry and drink water, everywhere and always.</b></i><br />
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Drink lots of water! Not only will drinking water regularly help cleanse your palate between trying different beers full of crazy flavours, it will replace the fluids that your body rapidly loses through the consumption of beer.<br />
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Naturally, you should always drink water regularly throughout the day. However, never consider beer a water substitute.<br />
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Alcohol can and will dehydrate you. Water is the best free and easy way to mitigate any headache or body shock from dehydration. To enhance dehydration recovery (and a good hangover prevention method) drink a sports water that is high in electrolytes. I use <a href="http://www.mizone.com.au/" target="_blank">MIZONE</a>. Avoid sports drinks that are high in added sugar.<br />
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Make good use of the water supplied by venues. Sip water between sipping beer.<br />
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500-600mL bottles of water are readily available at the supermarkets for about 80c these days, so buy one or several, keep it in your bag and never find yourself wanting for water.*<br />
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Most importantly, when you stop drinking for the day, don’t stop drinking water!<br />
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Just as important, do not rely on only drinking a large amount of water at the end of the drinking session. This is not as effective if you haven't consumed any water throughout the day.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>*Important note: </b>Some venues will have entry conditions that restrict you from entering with bottles, such as <a href="http://www.thelocal.com.au/gabs/other-information" target="_blank">GABS</a>. So, it's a goo idea to first check if carrying in a water bottle will be a problem. </span><br />
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<u><b>TRAVEL</b></u><br />
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<i><b>Plan your travel, especially how to get home (or to wherever you are staying)!</b></i><br />
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<b>1. Driving</b><br />
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<i><b>Drinkers, don't do it. </b></i><br />
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Completely avoid using a car unless you have a truly dedicated designated driver. Good Beer Week events have a habit of tempting even those with only a passing interest in beer into experiencing the full extent of tastings on offer. This risk is amplified by the fact that a large portion of craft beers tend to be very potent, with a higher percentage of alcohol than mainstream beer.<br />
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At every event I attended last year I actually ended up consuming more beer than I thought would be involved in each event, essentially because there was so much generosity following from the good vibes. <br />
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If someone has nominated themselves as a driver for the event, they should make any drinking plans known and accountable to those they are responsible for. If you must drive, always aim to drink LESS that what you <u>know</u> is acceptable to keep you under the legal 0.05 limit. Give yourself a clear cut-off time to stop drinking, allowing at least 60 minutes before driving (depending on how much you have consumed). If you do not know how much beer puts you over the limit, don't risk finding out on the drive home.<br />
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<i>Quiz time!</i><br />
Q: What's the best way to stay until 0.05?<br />
A: Don't drink at all.<br />
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In short, do not rely on your ability to abstain from breaching the 0.05 limit if you wish to participate fully in good beer week events.<br />
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If you are attending a Good Beer Week event for the beer, then lock in a plan for either having someone pick you up, using public transport or catching a taxi. <br />
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<b>2. Public Transport </b><br />
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<i><b>Know the timetable...and have a back-up!</b></i><br />
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Sorry, but Melbourne's public transport sucks...mostly. If your preference is for efficient, reliable and speedy transport…be prepared to be disappointed or disrupted in Melbourne. Although we have reasonably extensive system of trains, trams and buses, the services are a regular sore point for local commuters. The trains are the most problematic and the midweek running times of all services are limited at night. <br />
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Pre-plan any public transport trips via the Public Transport Victoria (formally MetLink) website at: <a href="http://ptv.vic.gov.au/">http://ptv.vic.gov.au/</a><br />
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(PTV has a very handy new <a href="http://ptv.vic.gov.au/news/news-promotions/using-the-new-public-transport-victoria-iphone-app" target="_blank">iPhone app</a> available for the apple lovers.)<br />
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Familiarise yourself with our new public transport ticketing system - <a href="http://www.myki.com.au/" target="_blank">myki</a> - which has limited where and how you buy a ticket for trains/trams/buses. <br />
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One very good thing about Melbourne public transport is the <a href="http://ptv.vic.gov.au/timetables/nightrider/" target="_blank">NightRider bus service</a>. Available on Saturday and Sunday mornings from midnight, the buses depart from the city every half hour. <br />
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Always have a firm plan for how you will get home. On top of that, always have a back-up plan, which I suggest is a credit card and a taxi.<br />
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Whilst taxi's seem to have something for a bad reputation around here (and hence are currently subject to a <a href="http://www.taxiindustryinquiry.vic.gov.au/" target="_blank">State Inquiry</a>), I have never had a problem with using Melbourne’s taxis. Just don't be a fool and travel with friends where possible.<br />
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I recommend smartphone users utilise the following Melbourne Taxi apps:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.13cabs.com.au/" target="_blank">13 Cabs</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.silvertop.com.au/downloads" target="_blank">Silvertop Taxis </a></li>
</ul>
The 13Cabs app allows you to book a taxi, estimate the fare and even track your journey and record the taxi and driver details to avoid any rip-offs.<br />
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It's not fun being drunk, tired and stranded. So avoid this by knowing exactly how you will get home.<br />
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<u><b>FOOD</b></u><br />
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<i><b>Know where and when to find easy food. </b></i><br />
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Like public transport, pre-plan your food, especially if food is not part of the Good Beer Week event. It is important to balance beer consumption with food, which gives you energy and stimulates your brain. <br />
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One tricky part about Melbourne is that many of the good post-drinking eating places we crave are hidden. You need to know where to find nutritious food. Otherwise, you'll end up eating far too much McDonalds, KFC and Subway. Not a good thing! Variety is the key here.<br />
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Make sure your week includes plenty of lean protein, vegetables and fruit...and expect an over consumption of carbs via bread based food. Don’t miss meals. If you don't stick to your normal eating pattern as much as possible, your body will try to adjust, which usually leads to feeling unwell. Drinking on an empty stomach is never a good idea.<br />
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At home, have a good supply of fresh bread and vegemite. Can't beat vegemite and toast as a hangover cure! Well, that's what works for me. If you have a personal hangover cure that works well for you, stock up on supplies of it.<br />
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<u><b>PEN & PAPER</b></u><br />
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<i><b>You'll learn and remember more with a scribbles to revisit! </b></i><br />
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Take notes to remember your good beer experiences. Notes then allow you to share and rediscover beer conversations in your own time. It's a key part of learning about good beer and understanding how your palate develops. <br />
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I recommend that any beer geek should have a Beer Journal of some variety. A ready made option is the <a href="http://www.33beers.com/%20" target="_blank">33 Beers</a> notebook, available in Australia through <b><a href="http://www.innspire.com.au/" target="_blank">Innspire</a></b>.<br />
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And then there's <a href="http://untappd.com/" target="_blank">Untappd</a> for smartphone users. This beer check-in App is an easy way to keep track of your beer consumption history. It allows you to register each beer you drink, add your location, rate the beer out of 5 stars and write some short notes about it. There's also social media features that allows you to share beers and see who is drinking what/where.<br />
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<b style="color: red;">Super Important Note: </b>Drunk people and social media addicts are NOT zombies. Zombies are not real...you've just been watching too much <i>Walking Dead</i>. During Good Beer Week you must resist any urge to destroy the brain or remove the heads of people. <br />
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<u><b>APPROACHING THE BEER</b></u><br />
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<i><b>Good beer is slow beer. Its enjoyment extends to the whole environment around you. </b></i><br />
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There are many aspects to drinking and enjoying good beer. Where big brewers mass produce bland lagers that are purely for refreshment and multiple consumption (so they can make more money by selling more), good beer is about the craft...the art and science...of brewing a flavoursome and balanced beer.<br />
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Take the slow food approach and consider the beer in the whole environment, rather than just throwing it down.<br />
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Consider the appearance, depth, complexity and drinkability of the beer. Does the flavour linger nicely in your mouth? Does it have character? Is it unique? Could you drink several in a session or is one enough? Does it need chocolate or cheese to compliment it?<br />
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Think about how the beer suits the time and place or the food it is being paired with. If the beer doesn't work for the particular time and place you are in, consider what type of environment that beer might be good for.<br />
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As an extreme example, I am still happy to drink <i><b>XXXX </b></i>(not craft beer) in the right time and place...which is on a very hot day in regional Queensland at a classic old pub where there's nothing better to do. Any other time and place and I'll struggle to drink <i>XXXX</i>. <br />
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No one likes super critical people who bring down the mood. If you don't like something about a beer and the brewer is there, ask them why the beer is made that way...and maybe it will be something that your palate will learn to identify as a trait of good beer in future. Judge the beer on it's merits as a unique beer and it's potential to add to the experience of your surrounds...food, whether, location, people, time of day and so on.<br />
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Like so many things in life, beer comes down to personal choice. Whilst a certain brew may not be your pint of beer, someone may love it to bits.<br />
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<u><b>TRAINING</b></u><br />
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<i><b>Build strength and resistance. </b></i><br />
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My personal advice is…don’t detox or go completely dry in the lead up to Good Beer Week. The beer will hit you too fast too quick if you have denied your system alcohol for an extended period of time. Any resulting hangover will be amplified. <br />
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Like any endurance event you need to train. During the week before the race you should taper, cut back your training a little but still keep yourself active with light sessions as well as rest days. The same applies for those heading to multiple beer events throughout the festival. During this week you should still allow yourself a beer or three each day, but don’t drink to drunkenness. An alcohol free day in the next few days is a good idea. <br />
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Save any detoxing or commitment to a sustained period of alcohol free days/weeks for after Good Beer Week.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Good Beer Week...it's a balancing act.</span></div>
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<u><b>PACE YOURSELF </b></u><br />
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<i><b>Know your pace and limits, stick to them.</b></i><br />
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We all know what drinking too much too fast will lead to an early end to your good times and possibly result in many regrets.<br />
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Many Good Beer Week events do move fast because there is much to get through in a short time. Good beer is not a fast thing though, so don't force anything down just to keep up.<br />
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Listen to your body. If you feel like you have reached your limit, don't try to keep drinking because you're probably well over your limit already. Focus on drinking water and eating food plus keep your mind active with conversation.<br />
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You don't need to have EVERY beer at Good Beer Week! Yes, I'm looking at you, beer snobs who are going to attempt all 60 beers at one GABS session! Many of the beers and many similar events will be available in the future, so don't make the mistake of thinking that this will be your only opportunity to experience something so you have to do/try everything now. This complication may result in totally unnecessary stress! Do a little recon research about which beers will be bottled and available post GABS and Good Beer Week.<br />
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There will be other opportunities...because we are only at the start of a good beer dynasty...<br />
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<u><b>THE CONVERSATION</b></u><br />
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<i><b>Bring it!</b></i><br />
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To steal the tag-line of <a href="http://www.brewsnews.com.au/" target="_blank">Australian Brews News</a>...beer is a conversation. Everyone has a different opinion of beer, so talk it up and discover the diversity in beer.<br />
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If last year is anything to go by, those attending multiple events are likely to see familiar faces popping up at the same events. Get to know these people!<br />
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Oh, and very finally...beware of this man...who likes to touch beer...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This crafty character is responsible for stealing your life away for a week and soaking it in so much good beer. Muu-muus for all! </span></div>
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So...now...tell me how you will survive Good Beer Week? And...<br />
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...have fun! Cheers!<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Oh hai. I have moved - please visit the new blog at <a href="http://beerbarband.com/" target="_blank">http://beerbarband.com/ </a></b></span></span></div>
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Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045364768736929983noreply@blogger.com0