Beer - December Tasting Events

Summer is here and it is a magnificent time to be a craft beer lover in Melbourne, with a bunch of tasting events over the next couple of weeks providing the opportunity to experience some amazing beers.

I am locked in to attend two such events, both are after-hours tastings in speciality beer shops (Purvis Beer and Slowbeer) and both providing equally exiting line ups and excellent value:

PURVIS BEER - STRANGE AND UNUSUAL BEER TASTING
When: Wednesday 15th December 2010
Where: Purvis Beer Richmond, 292 Bridge Rd, Richmond
Time: 7pm - 8pm
Cost: $30 per head

• Mikkeller Drink Your Sorrows Away
• Mikkeller Oatgoop
• Nogne Sweet Horizon
• Nogne Red Horizon
• Nogne Dark Horizon
• Red Duck Ugly Duckling Braggot
• Nogne Imperial Dunkel Wit
• Sunshine Coast Chilli Beer
• Brewdog Abstrakt AB:02
• De Molen Revelation Cat Triple Hop Bock
• Heather Ale Grozet Gooseberry & Wheat Ale
• Heather Ale Ebulum Elderberry Black Ale
• Mikkeller Nelson Sauvignon
• Brewdog/Mikkeller Divine Rebel 2009 & 2010 Editions

More info on the Purvis Cellars website at: http://www.purviscellars.com.au/Tasting.aspx

SLOWBEER - JOLLY CHRISTMAS TASTING
When: Sunday 19th December 2010 (also on Wednesday 15th December)
Where: Slowbeer, 63 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn
Time: 7pm – 8:30pm
Cost: $30 per head

• Mikkeller Santa's Little Helper
• Delirium Noel
• St Feuillien Noel
• St Bernardus Kert
• Chouffe N’ice
• Baladin Noel
• Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus
• Red Hill Christmas Ale
• Hunter Christmas Beer

More info on the Slowbeer blog: http://slowbeer.blogspot.com/

I believe that these tasting events may already be mostly booked out…so if you are keen to go along, check the above links for the details then get in contact with these shops asap to secure a spot.

Sticking with Slowbeer's Christmas theme...another super exciting event is Biero Bar's "A Nightmare Before Christmas" party. After their successful "Fright Night" event for Halloween, which debuted the first publicly available brew from the soon-to-open Moon Dog Brewery (an Imperial Pumpkin Stout), this next event will feature a very Christmasy brew from the Moon Dog team...an Imperial Gingerbread Brown Ale!

BIERO BAR - A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS PARTY
When: Thursday 23rd December 2010
Where: Biero Bar, 525 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne
Time: from 6:00pm til late
Cost: FREE!

• "Celebrate with live bands, mental tap beers and a crazy horror Christmas theme not to mention another one off beer from those boys at Moon Dog!"
• Tap line-up still to be finalised, but will include some crazy extreme beers with a Christmas horror theme, such as the Moon Dog Brewery Gingerbread Brown Ale! There has also been whisper of a Plum Pudding Rum Stout(!!)...but you'll have to get along on the night to see if that happens...

More info on the Biero Bar Facebook event page...and keep an eye on their recently-super-improved-and-now-awesome website.

Also happening and recommended...

RED HILL BREWERY - "HOT SUMMER NIGHTS" BEER APPRECIATION SESSIONS
When: Saturday 11th and Saturday 18th December 2010
Where: Red Hill Brewery, 88 Shoreham Rd, Red Hill South
Time: 6:30pm
Cost: $35 per person for tasting session (dinner and drinks extra)
Bookings essential: call 03 5989 2959 or email info@redhillbrewery.com.au

• "Guided sessions, hosted by brewer, vertical tastings of previous vintages from the Brewers Secret Stash, matched to special dishes. Followed by dinner...Red Hill Brewery style."

More info in the Red Hill Brewery newsletter at: http://www.redhillbrewery.com.au/newsletter/dec_10.html

And for the taste of something new, Victoria's most recently opened microbrewery - Mornington Peninsula Brewery - are bring their beers up to Melbourne for a free Friday afternoon tasting at Purvis Beer on Friday 17th December, from 4:30pm. A little more info about this tasting can be found on The Crafty Pint website.

I tasted the Mornington Peninsula Porter for the first time at Biero Bar on Wednesday night ($5 pint night!) and very much enjoyed it. It is quite a straight forward porter, true to style, rich and robust without being overwhelming or too malty. It has decent hints of dark chocolate and a little something else, a spice maybe, that I found hard to place (probably due to earlier enjoying a pint of BrewDog Hardcore IPA!).