Friday Five: Visiting Breweries

Tough decisions in the Wheatsheaf beer garden

Although the region is famed for its wineries, there are obviously a fair few breweries in the Barossa and nearby regions too, and it would be remiss of Him Outdoors not to sniff them out. So, as a companion piece to the previous post, here are some that we sampled.

5 Barossa Breweries:

1. Barossa Valley Brewing - located in Tanunda, the heart of the Barossa, this brewery understands that the way to compete for customers is to offer them something exceptional. The beers on tap range from a honey wheat ale to a coffee chocolate porter, with the full flavour spectrum of pale ales, smokey reds and hoppy IPAs in-between. The pizzas made with local ingredients and an interesting approach (lamb borek infused with Turkish spices, topped with tzatziki) accompany the beers perfectly when eaten on the sun-drenched deck enhanced by the squawking of a clattering of cockatoos. Best Brew: Threesome; a mix of Hefewizen, Semillon (from David Lehmann of David Franz Wines) and Riesling (from Ronald Brown of Maverick) - it's an interesting blend, which tastes initially of the beer and then lengthens into the wine flavours. It may be a gimmick, with its provocative name and unorthodox combination, but what are boundaries for, if not to be given a good solid nudge now and then?

   

   It's wine and beer!

2. Lobethal - We've been here before, but as the Tour Down Under cyclists were passing three times as part of their circuit, we settled in with some beers - the brewery is usually only open at weekends, but made the very sensible assumption that people who ride bikes like beer and so opened for the event. The outdoor area provides shade and a prime viewing position, and, once the cyclists had moved on, we adjourned to the spacious beer hall to watch the remainder of the race on the big screen. Best Brew: Bruce; an Australian interpretation of an English bitter, using Maris Otter malt, nutty golden oats and Whitbread yeast. The combination of UK Challenger and NZ Waimea hops gives the beer a distinctive flavour and, at 3.5%, it is eminently session-able.

   

   What better way to wait for the cyclists?

3. Prancing Pony - this is a flash, shiny new brewery in Mt Barker where you can see the beer being brewed before your very eyes. The beer is fire-brewed: a process brought over from Europe where flames are used rather than steam to heat the copper kettles. The premise is that the resulting higher temperatures bring out greater flavours in the beer; in much the same way as a flame-grilled steak will taste different from one cooked in an conventional oven. This may or may not be true, but the beers are good. Best Brew: Black Ale; the nose is dark chocolate and molasses; the taste is of liquorice and floral hops with an earthy, woody, slightly bitter finish; the suggested food match is slow-cooked meat dishes such as lamb shanks or beef cheeks.

   

   Serious contemplation

   
   
4. Rehn Bier - always keen to be supportive, we tried the beers from a small local microbrewery. The couple run the business together (he brews; she markets) and they can be found at the Barossa Farmers' Market and other such locations. They are a part of the community and believe in sustainability and organic principles (the packaging is made from recycled cardboard; solar panels supply the electricity; spent grain goes to local farmers for stock food) and are clearly passionate about artisan brewing. Best Brew: Maple Porter; the elegant brown ale is enhanced with maple syrup and American Cascade hops. If you want the specifics it's 4.2% and 45 IBU, but if you just want to drink it and enjoy the flavours of North America, you could do a lot worse.

   

   Local beeroes

5. Wheatsheaf - totally unassuming from the outside, this pub has one of the finest whisky lists I've seen outside the British Isles and Ireland. But we're here for the beer and that's pretty good too. Claiming, "We pour full-flavoured characterful Australian and imported craft beers on tap: no skinny lagers or low-carb blands; instead we recommend real beer and regular exercise", the pub has an excellent range (including Lobethal, Feral, Bridge Road, Stone & Wood, 8 Wired, Parrotdog). It also brews its own under the Wheaty Brewing Corps label, so we sat in the beer garden and sampled a few. Best brew: Schmutzig Berlinerweiss; it consists of German Pilsner and Wheat malts with a single addition of Magnum hops, but it's really all about the bugs - Pediococcus to be precise. Combined with French Saison yeast, the super bug culture results in a beer that is funky, dirty and delicious!

   

   The unassuming exterior of the Wheatsheaf Hotel

Bullant Brewery

Several months ago, while driving back to Canberra from Melbourne, we found a fantastic little stopover. We had considered going home via Lakes Entrance until a kind lady at the Bairnsdale Tourism Information place told us that it would be heaving and horrible on that particular weekend, and suggested we make a start up the Great Alpine Road to Bruthen and stop for lunch at the Bullant Brewery. Those are the type of suggestions we are happy to heed, and so we did.

Bullant Brewery offers tasting paddles of any four beers, so between us we sampled the seven that they had on, plus a cider. The first four - pale ale; wheat beer; pilsner and kolsch - were all pretty similar in colour but distinctly different in taste. The folk at the brewery like to claim their beers are full-flavoured yet highly drinkable and their slogan is 'beer with bite'. 

The Mossiface Pale Ale (all their beers are named after locations on the Great Alpine Road) at 4.8% is an interesting blend of hop (American Cascade and Pride of Ringwood), malt (Pilsner and Munich) and yeast flavours. The result is a great balanced beer as each element adds up to more than the sum of its parts.

Him Outdoors with a Mossiface

The Bark Sheds Wheat Beer (5%) is a pretty good example of this style with the expected clove and banana aromas complementing the zesty tang of the hops to create a satisfying summer drink. The Tambo River Pilsner (5%) is a decent drop, although nothing special, you could happily knock back a couple at a party without feeling disappointed.

Kolsh is not usually my favourite style, and yet their Summer Kolsch (4.7%) was one of my beers of choice from their brewery with subtle fruit flavours, and Pearl and Hellertaur hops to provide a crisp finish. This is a seasonal brew so will only be available during summer, which is when you most want the dry, refreshing style.

Moving to the dark side, the Double Bridges IPA (5.8%) was also splendid, with an intense hop aroma to match the zesty hop flavour and the dry hop finish. Did I mention it was hoppy? I was not as impressed with the Pig and Whistle Brown Ale (4,7%), although I'm not generally a huge fan of this style anyway. It is deep copper in hue with a mere hint of hops against the mass of malt. The accompanying notes state it is a 'typical English style' and I'm sure they know what they're talking about, but I don't remember tasting beers like this back home. 

The Piano Bridge Stout (6.7%) is delightfully chewy and malty with all the liquorice, caramel, chocolatey goodness associated with this variety. The name is taken from an old bridge that crossed the creek 27km north of Bruthen. When a coach passed across it, the panels apparently bounced up and down like the keys on a piano, or like Him Outdoors did when he tasted this stout. The tasting platter was rounded out with Kelly Brothers Cider, of which I can't really say much except it tasted alright and is apparently gluten-free.

The food menu is extensive and we chose wisely, with beef fajitas for him, and a Moroccan chicken stack for me. The menu is seasonal and alters along with the beers, so it is constantly changing and I'm sure always worth sampling. 
  

 

The setting out on the deck was very pleasant, and it is covered so even though we experienced rare summer rain, we were comfortably sheltered. It was a very busy public holiday, but the service was still relaxed, we weren't made to feel rushed or like an inconvenience (despite turning up without a booking) and there was no surcharge. I would definitely recommend this as a place to visit, and they have live music sessions on Sundays in summer; there could be few better ways to spend a sunny summer Sunday afternoon. 

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.



The tasting paddle at Eagle Bay

4. Cowaramup - All the beers across the board were impressive with the porter being a stand-out for me. And the service was excellent.
5. 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. 

Join the Rebellion!

The Rebellion Beer Company have an open day on the first Thursday of the month – for £10 you get five pints and a talk/tour of the brewery. My Dad and I were some of the first there, but eventually there were a few hundred people present; when it rained we all huddled among the brewing equipment to drink our beer without getting wet.

I began with a Blonde (4.3%); ‘using only pale and lager malts, giving the beer a very light golden colour’, it is a fair and refreshing ale, smelling of hay and tasting of summer meadows. I moved on to Flagship (4.2%), a stimulating amber number with strong notes of toasted hazlenuts and a smooth mouthfeel that I considered to be very sessionable. So did many others, apparently, as it was soon sold out. The mild also sold out early on, so I didn’t get to try it on this occasion.

The IPA (3.7%) was so much better than one I had previously had at a pub (I won’t mention the name as I think it may just have been a one-off). It was nutty and tasty with complex flavours. This and the Mutiny were my favourite. The Mutiny is more malty and darker in colour, but the hops add a nice balance and it’s stronger at 4.5%.

(Admission – I was drinking while note-taking through this talk, so some of this may be not entirely factually correct – i.e. made up. Feel free to send in amendments.)

The tour was taken by Mark Gloyens, one of the brewery founders, and, although we had had several beers by now, it was still entertaining and informative. In the 1970s, Britain went from having 7,000 breweries to 200. The big breweries took over (80% were owned by the conglomerates) and it was all about the pubs. In 1989 Margaret Thatcher’s government introduced the beer orders, restricting the number of tied pubs that could be owned by large brewery groups in the UK to 2,000, and required large brewer landlords to allow a guest ale to be sourced by tenants from someone other than their landlord. (Shock – she actually did something decent!) There are now around 400 microbreweries in the country.

Rebellion makes 70,000 pints a week – they use this figure because people can picture it better than 200-300 brewers’ barrels. Next year will be their 20th in business, so a little history...

Two boys from Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School used to perk up to the smell of brewing from local Marlow brewery, Wethered’s (on Wednesday afternoons as I recall – I used to make the detour on my way home from school). The earliest record of a brewer on the site is from Thomas Wethered’s brewing of 1750. However, due to some of the reasons stated above, Wethered’s closed down in 1987, and the town (and local drinkers) suffered. For example, The Hand and Flowers (well-known haunt to all Borlase pupils) had to get their beer from Cheltenham (more than 100km distant).

So one day as the ex-Borlase boys were having a drink after a game of cricket, they promised to re-start Marlow’s brewing industry. 1993 was not a good year for the brewing industry, and the banks wouldn’t give them a £2,000 unsecured loan, so Mark sold his house and used the capital to start the business. He explained that they could double as a brewery museum, since most of their equipment comes from other local breweries which have closed in the last 30 years. Their test-batch was made in second-hand equipment from Courage’s brewhouse in Reading.

They started employing three people and making 5,000 pints a week. Now they produce 70,000 and employ 50 people. As there are about 400 people in attendance at the tour, it’s fair to say they are popular and successful. They sell 20% of their beer in the shop, 20% in bottles, and 60% in pubs. Their recent growth is 15% (through word of mouth, mainly), and they are now at 110% capacity and don’t want to grow any more.

Hence they have made a concerted effort to cut down on ‘exports’, which they consider to be anything outside of Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. This is because the closer to a brewery it is, the better the cask-conditioned real ale (made with yeast and sugar) will be. To this end, they have stopped selling to supermarkets (except Waitrose) by pushing the price up until the supermarkets stopped buying it.

Ideally they don’t want to sell Rebellion further than a distance of 30 miles from the brewery. They maintain that if you go to Yorkshire there will be a microbrewery within 20 miles selling beer as good as (or possibly even better than) theirs, and they would rather you drink that and keep the local microbrewing industry alive.

They paid the same duty rate as big breweries, which almost caused them to close ten years ago, and then Gordon Brown as Chancellor introduced progressive beer duty relief for small breweries in 2002. The measure halves duty tax for brewers making less than 50,000 litres a week, and tapers duty up to 300,000 litres. Rebellion now pays 60% of the duty, and all their profit comes from duty saved.

Twenty years ago the boys took a strain of yeast from another brewery (RHC Brewery in North Somerset, I think) and kept it alive. It has naturally mutated over the past two decades and has become specifically Rebellion Yeast, which has been put in the DNA bank so that it will remain the same and result in consistency of brewing.

At Rebellion the water is ‘Burtonised’ – a process by which sulphate is added (often in the form of gypsum) to bring out the flavour of the hops. Many minerals have been removed by the chalky Chiltern water and need to be replaced. (Burton-on-Trent brewed what was deemed perfect pale ale in the early eighteenth century, and people have attempted to recreate that water ever since.) The calcium reduces the pH which should be about 4 for beer (wine is 3); if it is too high the beer will be soapy, so sulphate is added. The final fermentation of the beer is completed at between 10-12°, and then an opened cask of beer needs to be drunk in two days – happy to help!

Hug a Brewer!

Today is International Brewer’s Day! Is that cool or what? I will be performing in Twelfth Night at Khandallah so will unfortunately not be able to get along to the Malthouse to celebrate – but would just like to say a big hearty ‘cheers’!

The theme seems to revolve around hugging brewmasters in recognition of the fact that they have “given so many of us the pleasure of their artistry and enriched our lives with their beer since civilization began.” Apparently (Neil Miller’s blog is my beer-drinking Bible, as you can see) this day was chosen because it is the feast day of Good King Wenceslas. He did more than troop around in the snow bidding folk to stand by him and bring pine logs hither; he was also the patron saint of beer. A damn fine thing of which to be patron saint, say I!

Raise your foaming tankards high and salute the mercurial majesty that is beer. Hug those brewers – even the shy and retiring types. Actually, I don’t know any shy and retiring brewers. But who am I to talk; I shall be acting, and we theatre folk are not exactly known for our shy retirement either, but we do generally love beer – it’s a wonderful combination!

Indeed, Twelfth Night is known for being a feast of merriment with much singing, drinking and carousing. So I'll no doubt be doing some of that.

Beervana

Several years ago I went to a ‘beer festival’ as part of the Queenstown Winter Festival. In a marquee on a rugby pitch people sat at cramped tables and drank jugs of mass produced fizzy execrable lager. The event was sponsored by one particular beer manufacturer so there was only one variety of beer on offer.

The ticket price included the opportunity to sit at a table in the cold – the beer itself was extra. As a nod to host responsibility there were plates of those vile purple sausages, white bread and tomato sauce. At irregular intervals an oompah band struck up – there were printed sheets of lyrics that you were encouraged to sing along with. It was like a drunken nightmare version of Butlins.

Because this was Southern Man territory there were women dressed as wenches with low-cut tops and push-up bras who brought the beer to your table, thus saving you the trouble of moving, or getting in anyone’s way. A friend of mine was one such wench. She had a terrible night and said someone vomited on her towards the end of the evening.

Fighting broke out, beer was thrown (far better than being drunk), the whole thing turned ugly and the ‘beer festival’ was cancelled from the next year’s programme. I can’t say I was disappointed, but I was sad that this is what Queenstowners thought a beer festival was.

Where were the variety of beers; the atmosphere of excitement; the thirst for knowledge; the chance to talk to brewers about their ales and compare different strains of malt, hops and yeast; the drinking for enjoyment and appreciation of taste rather than simple alcohol content?

All of this and more was at this weekend’s Brew NZ event, Beervana, in Wellington. Over 20 brewers from around the country and many more discerning drinkers gathered in the Overseas Terminal on the waterfront. Stalls flanked the walls and in the middle the conversation and the tasting notes hummed.

A very good and unobtrusive band played throughout the evening, and the food (which could be purchased with beer tokens) looked excellent and abundant – I saw venison sausages, mashed potatoes and mushy peas, turkey and ham rolls, and a mound of tasty cheeses. I have to admit I didn’t eat any because I was too busy tasting the beer – more of which in the next blog.

Outside it was cold and wet and windy – this is Wellington remember – but inside it truly was a beer heaven. Everyone involved in the organisation of this event is to be heartily congratulated. A great night out was had by all, and my faith in the New Zealand beer-drinking public has been restored.