Friday 3 January 2014

Friday Five: Breweries


On our recent trip to Western Australia and Victoria, we experienced breweries as well as beaches. In consultation with Him Outdoors I have listed a top five below.

5 Favourite Recently-Visited Breweries:
  1. Feral - the Hop Hog is delicious, the Rust, Fantapants and BFG are very tasty indeed, and the Boris Imperial Russian Stout is 'almost the perfect pint' according to Him Outdoors. If you find the perfect pint you may have to stop searching, which accounts the inclusion of the word 'almost'. The staff were very friendly and informative, and as it was swelteringly hot and we'd come a long way, they gave us free Feral baseball caps. We shall wear them with pride.

  2. Bootleg - describing itself as 'an oasis of beer in a desert of wine', this brewery features a wonderful setting; great beer and knowledgeable friendly staff (and we were staying next-door so it was out 'local' for a few days). Between the Raging Bull, the Speakeasy IPA, Tom'a Amber and the Sou West Wheat, there was something for everyone!
  3. Eagle Bay - some mighty fine brews, including a feijoa collaboration with the Yeastie Boys and an excellent Vienna Lager and Pale Ale. They are also a winery and a restaurant, but we didn't allow ourselves to be distracted.
  4. The tasting paddle at Eagle Bay
  5. Cowaramup - All the beers across the board were impressive with the porter being a stand-out for me. And the service was excellent.
  6. Bullant - superb setting and accommodating staff; although it was very busy when we visited on New Year's Day we were still made to feel welcome. All the 'beers with bite' are named after local places along the Great Alpine Road, with the Mossiface pale ale being my favourite. They also do superb food as evidenced by this photo of my Moroccan chicken stack.