An interest in imported beers will always require a journey back to Europe, and I find it best to begin with England and Ireland, then over to the mainland. The British Isles including Ireland are the sacred site of top fermented ales that are bitterly hopped, malt driven brews providing a plethora of popular styles which include bitters, milds, porters, stouts, strong ales and seasonal beers. Walk into any English public house (pub) and chances are your draught will be brown, cask conditioned and drawn from hand pumps. Until the Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and the use of coke in kilning malt, all beer was brown as the malt was cured over wood fires. So let’s have a look at a couple of these beers that are available here in Australia.
The southern county of Suffolk, a rural flatland area once known as East Anglia is the largest growing region for malting in England. The dominant brewery, Greene King is based in Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk. Anglia’s King Edmond was murdered by the Vikings and buried at the local abbey. When Henry VIII dissolved abbeys in the 1500’s the monks hid in the tunnels which more than likely became the brewery cellars. A brewer called Greene acquired the brewery in the 1700’s and along with a partner; Greene King has become one of the largest independent breweries in the UK. Among many products my favourite is their Strong Suffolk Ale. A remnant of a bygone era dating back to the eighteenth century, Suffolk Strong employs the ancient practice of blending old and young beers. The ‘old’ brew is aged in wooden tuns then blended to achieve sweetness and acidity. The two blends settle down to 6% A/V, tawny in colour, with hints of passion fruit and chocolate.
Manchester’s most famous beer, Boddingtons Draught is classified incorrectly, but befits the image of the working class centre of textiles in north-western England. Two hundred years ago the brewery was erected north of town by Thomas Carsten and Thomas Fry to provide parched palates after work with dry bitter ale, and to avoid the excessive tax on grain. Manchester is synonymous with the industrial revolution of the 18th century, and the logo employed on the Boddington cans, a barrel keg and two bees, represents the “hive of industry”. The Christmas bonus for brewery workers during the era was two days pay and a quart of strong ale.
Locals demanding an assertively dry, pale bitter style of beer provided Boddingtons popularity and international fame. Changes to the style occurred with the takeover of the brewery by Whitbread Brewing Group in 1989 and the introduction of the widget in the can in 1992. To reach a larger target audience, the bitterness was toned down to create a smoother thirst quencher. The typical Manchester pub draught is hand pulled for a thick creamy ‘Queen Anne’s lace” head. To recreate this appearance, the widget was introduced to the Boddingtons can which injects liquid nitrogen to assist in compacting of the carbonated beer bubbles.
In North-east England, brown ale has been as important as shipbuilding and mining and was developed as a rival to the pale ales of the eastern midlands. Newcastle Brown was created by Colonel Porter in the 1920’s as another blend, this time a dark brown beer and a 3% A/V Amber Ale. The recipe is made up of pale and crystal malts, brewing sugar and a touch of caramel. Hallertau, Northdown, Northern Brewer and Target hops provide mild back palate bitterness. ‘Newky Brown’ as we call it is the biggest selling bottled ale in Britain and exported to over 40 countries. Tradition has it that Newcastle Brown should be served in small glass that’s constantly ‘topped up’. Sounds good to me.
Just the mention of Ireland and the words stout or pubs usually follow. Other than the Czech Republic, Ireland is the smallest nation to impose a major beer style into the consciousness of drinkers around the world, and since 1759 that word is Guinness. Arthur Guinness was shrewd enough to know that his stout would be a winner and took out a 9000 year lease on his newly acquired St James brewery. Other than the city of Cork where Beamish and Murphy’s stouts are brewed, just an order from the bar for a glass of stout will bring you a Guinness. The ‘dryness’ of an Irish dry stout is achieved by deep roasted barley and generous hopping. The original recipe was actually a scam to avoid tax which in those days was assessed on the amount of malt, not alcohol. Arthur Guinness 11 experimented with using unmalted, therefore untaxed, barley in the grist. The heavily roasted blend provided colour and a slightly charred taste to the brew, making it darker, drier, and more bitter than the English styled porter of the day. When first exported to Australia, the recipe was tinkered with to add more alcohol. This brought on the continual criticism of our Guinness not tasting the same as it did in Ireland. This anomaly was amended two years ago when the company went back to the original 4.1% A/V levels.
Crossing the pond to the mainland we land in France and Italy, places not usually associated with the consumption of beer. Over here, the beers of choice are lagers and seasonal wheat beers with their noble hopped fruitiness and moderate to low bitterness making them popular. In France beer is drunk throughout the country in bars and cafes called Brasseries-breweries. Over half of the countries total beer production is achieved by Kronenbourg located in the northern region of Alsace-Lorraine, an area under German rule from 1871-1919. Kronenbourg 1664 began along the banks of the Rhine, and gained fame for the aromatic hoppy fruity citrus notes plus a sweet smooth malty full bodied lager. The title K1664 was introduced in the 1980’s and the label and bottle were jazzed up in 2003 to help it compete on the international beer stage.
It was the Romans who brought the concept of beer to Europe from the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East. But as we all know, the vino was the go at toga parties and has dominated the preferred drink category since. Brewing transplanted from the Austrian Alps wasn’t introduced until the nineteenth century. It took the youth and fashionable Italians of the 1960’s to re-launch beer into modern times. Wine was their parents and the peasant to drink; they wanted English-styled pubs and Bavarian Beer halls. Market leader Peroni’s main brand Nastro Azzuro is the ‘Blue Ribbon Italian Pilsner’ which includes 20% corn maize to sweeten the brew and then hopped with Saaz to spice it up. At 5.3% A/V Nastro Azzurro is quite a refreshing well balanced lager for its sweetness.
We’ll continue the beer tour in the next issue when we look at Northern Europe and how this region has affected the beer consciousness of drinkers around the world.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Sacred Ales
An interest in imported beers will always require a journey back to Europe, and I find it best to begin with England and Ireland, then over to the mainland. The British Isles including Ireland are the sacred site of top fermented ales that are bitterly hopped, malt driven brews providing a plethora of popular styles which include bitters, milds, porters, stouts, strong ales and seasonal beers. Walk into any English public house (pub) and chances are your draught will be brown, cask conditioned and drawn from hand pumps. Until the Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and the use of coke in kilning malt, all beer was brown as the malt was cured over wood fires. So let’s have a look at a couple of these beers that are available here in Australia.
The southern county of Suffolk, a rural flatland area once known as East Anglia is the largest growing region for malting in England. The dominant brewery, Greene King is based in Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk. Anglia’s King Edmond was murdered by the Vikings and buried at the local abbey. When Henry VIII dissolved abbeys in the 1500’s the monks hid in the tunnels which more than likely became the brewery cellars. A brewer called Greene acquired the brewery in the 1700’s and along with a partner; Greene King has become one of the largest independent breweries in the UK. Among many products my favourite is their Strong Suffolk Ale. A remnant of a bygone era dating back to the eighteenth century, Suffolk Strong employs the ancient practice of blending old and young beers. The ‘old’ brew is aged in wooden tuns then blended to achieve sweetness and acidity. The two blends settle down to 6% A/V, tawny in colour, with hints of passion fruit and chocolate.
Manchester’s most famous beer, Boddingtons Draught is classified incorrectly, but befits the image of the working class centre of textiles in north-western England. Two hundred years ago the brewery was erected north of town by Thomas Carsten and Thomas Fry to provide parched palates after work with dry bitter ale, and to avoid the excessive tax on grain. Manchester is synonymous with the industrial revolution of the 18th century, and the logo employed on the Boddington cans, a barrel keg and two bees, represents the “hive of industry”. The Christmas bonus for brewery workers during the era was two days pay and a quart of strong ale.
Locals demanding an assertively dry, pale bitter style of beer provided Boddingtons popularity and international fame. Changes to the style occurred with the takeover of the brewery by Whitbread Brewing Group in 1989 and the introduction of the widget in the can in 1992. To reach a larger target audience, the bitterness was toned down to create a smoother thirst quencher. The typical Manchester pub draught is hand pulled for a thick creamy ‘Queen Anne’s lace” head. To recreate this appearance, the widget was introduced to the Boddingtons can which injects liquid nitrogen to assist in compacting of the carbonated beer bubbles.
In North-east England, brown ale has been as important as shipbuilding and mining and was developed as a rival to the pale ales of the eastern midlands. Newcastle Brown was created by Colonel Porter in the 1920’s as another blend, this time a dark brown beer and a 3% A/V Amber Ale. The recipe is made up of pale and crystal malts, brewing sugar and a touch of caramel. Hallertau, Northdown, Northern Brewer and Target hops provide mild back palate bitterness. ‘Newky Brown’ as we call it is the biggest selling bottled ale in Britain and exported to over 40 countries. Tradition has it that Newcastle Brown should be served in small glass that’s constantly ‘topped up’. Sounds good to me.
Just the mention of Ireland and the words stout or pubs usually follow. Other than the Czech Republic, Ireland is the smallest nation to impose a major beer style into the consciousness of drinkers around the world, and since 1759 that word is Guinness. Arthur Guinness was shrewd enough to know that his stout would be a winner and took out a 9000 year lease on his newly acquired St James brewery. Other than the city of Cork where Beamish and Murphy’s stouts are brewed, just an order from the bar for a glass of stout will bring you a Guinness. The ‘dryness’ of an Irish dry stout is achieved by deep roasted barley and generous hopping. The original recipe was actually a scam to avoid tax which in those days was assessed on the amount of malt, not alcohol. Arthur Guinness 11 experimented with using unmalted, therefore untaxed, barley in the grist. The heavily roasted blend provided colour and a slightly charred taste to the brew, making it darker, drier, and more bitter than the English styled porter of the day.When first exported to Australia, the recipe was tinkered with to add more alcohol. This brought on the continual criticism of our Guinness not tasting the same as it did in Ireland. This anomaly was amended two years ago when the company went back to the original 4.1% A/V levels.
Crossing the pond to the mainland we land in France and Italy, places not usually associated with the consumption of beer. Over here, the beers of choice are lagers and seasonal wheat beers with their noble hopped fruitiness and moderate to low bitterness making them popular. In France beer is drunk throughout the country in bars and cafes called Brasseries-breweries. Over half of the countries total beer production is achieved by Kronenbourg located in the northern region of Alsace-Lorraine, an area under German rule from 1871-1919. Kronenbourg 1664 began along the banks of the Rhine, and gained fame for the aromatic hoppy fruity citrus notes plus a sweet smooth malty full bodied lager. The title K1664 was introduced in the 1980’s and the label and bottle were jazzed up in 2003 to help it compete on the international beer stage.
It was the Romans who brought the concept of beer to Europe from the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East. But as we all know, the vino was the go at toga parties and has dominated the preferred drink category since . Brewing transplanted from the Austrian Alps wasn’t introduced until the nineteenth century. It took the youth and fashionable Italians of the 1960’s to re-launch beer into modern times. Wine was their parents and the peasant to drink; they wanted English-styled pubs and Bavarian Beer halls. Market leader Peroni’s main brand Nastro Azzuro is the ‘Blue Ribbon Italian Pilsner’ which includes 20% corn maize to sweeten the brew and then hopped with Saaz to spice it up. At 5.3% A/V Nastro Azzurro is quite a refreshing well balanced lager for its sweetness.
We’ll continue the beer tour in the next issue when we look at Northern Europe and how this region has affected the beer consciousness of drinkers around the world.
The southern county of Suffolk, a rural flatland area once known as East Anglia is the largest growing region for malting in England. The dominant brewery, Greene King is based in Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk. Anglia’s King Edmond was murdered by the Vikings and buried at the local abbey. When Henry VIII dissolved abbeys in the 1500’s the monks hid in the tunnels which more than likely became the brewery cellars. A brewer called Greene acquired the brewery in the 1700’s and along with a partner; Greene King has become one of the largest independent breweries in the UK. Among many products my favourite is their Strong Suffolk Ale. A remnant of a bygone era dating back to the eighteenth century, Suffolk Strong employs the ancient practice of blending old and young beers. The ‘old’ brew is aged in wooden tuns then blended to achieve sweetness and acidity. The two blends settle down to 6% A/V, tawny in colour, with hints of passion fruit and chocolate.
Manchester’s most famous beer, Boddingtons Draught is classified incorrectly, but befits the image of the working class centre of textiles in north-western England. Two hundred years ago the brewery was erected north of town by Thomas Carsten and Thomas Fry to provide parched palates after work with dry bitter ale, and to avoid the excessive tax on grain. Manchester is synonymous with the industrial revolution of the 18th century, and the logo employed on the Boddington cans, a barrel keg and two bees, represents the “hive of industry”. The Christmas bonus for brewery workers during the era was two days pay and a quart of strong ale.
Locals demanding an assertively dry, pale bitter style of beer provided Boddingtons popularity and international fame. Changes to the style occurred with the takeover of the brewery by Whitbread Brewing Group in 1989 and the introduction of the widget in the can in 1992. To reach a larger target audience, the bitterness was toned down to create a smoother thirst quencher. The typical Manchester pub draught is hand pulled for a thick creamy ‘Queen Anne’s lace” head. To recreate this appearance, the widget was introduced to the Boddingtons can which injects liquid nitrogen to assist in compacting of the carbonated beer bubbles.
In North-east England, brown ale has been as important as shipbuilding and mining and was developed as a rival to the pale ales of the eastern midlands. Newcastle Brown was created by Colonel Porter in the 1920’s as another blend, this time a dark brown beer and a 3% A/V Amber Ale. The recipe is made up of pale and crystal malts, brewing sugar and a touch of caramel. Hallertau, Northdown, Northern Brewer and Target hops provide mild back palate bitterness. ‘Newky Brown’ as we call it is the biggest selling bottled ale in Britain and exported to over 40 countries. Tradition has it that Newcastle Brown should be served in small glass that’s constantly ‘topped up’. Sounds good to me.
Just the mention of Ireland and the words stout or pubs usually follow. Other than the Czech Republic, Ireland is the smallest nation to impose a major beer style into the consciousness of drinkers around the world, and since 1759 that word is Guinness. Arthur Guinness was shrewd enough to know that his stout would be a winner and took out a 9000 year lease on his newly acquired St James brewery. Other than the city of Cork where Beamish and Murphy’s stouts are brewed, just an order from the bar for a glass of stout will bring you a Guinness. The ‘dryness’ of an Irish dry stout is achieved by deep roasted barley and generous hopping. The original recipe was actually a scam to avoid tax which in those days was assessed on the amount of malt, not alcohol. Arthur Guinness 11 experimented with using unmalted, therefore untaxed, barley in the grist. The heavily roasted blend provided colour and a slightly charred taste to the brew, making it darker, drier, and more bitter than the English styled porter of the day.When first exported to Australia, the recipe was tinkered with to add more alcohol. This brought on the continual criticism of our Guinness not tasting the same as it did in Ireland. This anomaly was amended two years ago when the company went back to the original 4.1% A/V levels.
Crossing the pond to the mainland we land in France and Italy, places not usually associated with the consumption of beer. Over here, the beers of choice are lagers and seasonal wheat beers with their noble hopped fruitiness and moderate to low bitterness making them popular. In France beer is drunk throughout the country in bars and cafes called Brasseries-breweries. Over half of the countries total beer production is achieved by Kronenbourg located in the northern region of Alsace-Lorraine, an area under German rule from 1871-1919. Kronenbourg 1664 began along the banks of the Rhine, and gained fame for the aromatic hoppy fruity citrus notes plus a sweet smooth malty full bodied lager. The title K1664 was introduced in the 1980’s and the label and bottle were jazzed up in 2003 to help it compete on the international beer stage.
It was the Romans who brought the concept of beer to Europe from the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East. But as we all know, the vino was the go at toga parties and has dominated the preferred drink category since . Brewing transplanted from the Austrian Alps wasn’t introduced until the nineteenth century. It took the youth and fashionable Italians of the 1960’s to re-launch beer into modern times. Wine was their parents and the peasant to drink; they wanted English-styled pubs and Bavarian Beer halls. Market leader Peroni’s main brand Nastro Azzuro is the ‘Blue Ribbon Italian Pilsner’ which includes 20% corn maize to sweeten the brew and then hopped with Saaz to spice it up. At 5.3% A/V Nastro Azzurro is quite a refreshing well balanced lager for its sweetness.
We’ll continue the beer tour in the next issue when we look at Northern Europe and how this region has affected the beer consciousness of drinkers around the world.
Friday, May 14, 2004
Australian Beer Awards 2004
Judging from the results at this year's International Beer Awards, specialty beers and small breweries are certainly making an impression. The Grand Champion for 2004 is Pelican Pale Ale from a tiny pub brewery in Oregon, USA with population of less than 800.Last years winner was another pale ale Nor'wester PA from the little brewery Dux de Lux in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the year before that (2002), a specialty ale Samuel Adams Double Bock from the Boston Beer Company, USA was the big winner. The fact is the public hasn't had a chance to taste an Australian lager as Beer of the Year since 1999's Hahn Premium which also took out this yearís Champion Lager. Beer judges are brewers who we all know, have a serious hop addiction, but is that what the public wants as representative of their Grand Champion. From my observations at this year's Beer Festival, a limited amount of the beer drinking public who had the opportunity to taste the Pelican Pale Ale, which also won the trophy for Champion Ale, would rather have seen it get lost somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. I'm not having a go at the judges who do their job admirably, but are the judges judging only on what brewers find appealing, and not taking into consideration what will work for the average punter. Or perhaps it's a cyclical thing, as the previous five years 1995-1999 was dominated by the cold filtered brew. Philosophy aside, it gets down to selling more beer over the counter rather than some oblique product that nobody has either seen or heard of for the mug punter and the major sponsors alike I'd also like an old fashioned finale where we stand and toast the beer of the year, rather than finishing with an uncharged glass and retire to the back bar.
The Premier's Trophy for Best Victorian Beer went to the Mountain Goat Beer boys with their winter delight Surefoot Stout. According to brewer Dave Bonighton I think our appeal is the fact that we offer a different style of stout, a sweet English styled stout with chocolate, liquorice, and coffee notes as opposed to other dark, bitter styled stouts.î This could well be the case as the Champion Stout was a rich and complex Russian Imperial Stout from the Wig & Pen Brewery & Tavern in downtown Canberra. While speaking about stout, it's good to see the continuing success of Coopers Best Extra which was Grand Champion in 1994, and their Special Old Stout which is a beauty. South Australian Southwark Old Stout and Tasmanian Cascade Special Stout continue to impress the judges year in and year out.
The Kiwi's would certainly be pleased with their trophy haul this year including Champion Specialty Beer White Rock Wheat Beer from the Martinborough Brewing Company and Champion Reduced Alcohol Beer Steinlager Premium Light from Lion Breweries. From the Best in Class Winners, Auckland Pub Brewery Cock & Bull's Monks Habit won twice, with Monteiths Black and Speights Porter also posting winning scores along with the South Island's Lighthouse Brewery Classic Stout.
On a night of surprises, Paddy's Brewery at the Flemington Markets in Sydney earned the title of Champion Small Brewery. Other winners included an Eumundi Porter from Noosa Brewing, a Raspberry Wheat from a Redoak, Sydney, and a Chilli Beer from the Outback Brewery in 'outback Sydney' all of whom before the award night I'd never heard of. My confidence in kwowledge about Australian small breweries was restored with honours going to West Australia's Champion Australasian Brewery Swan Brewing along with Little Creatures Pale Ale, Matilda Bay's Redback & Dogbolter, plus Bootleg Brewery's Raging Bull all winning their Best in Class. Sydney's Malt Shovel Brewery got in the mix with their James Squire Porter and Victorian country favourites Grand Ridge heavyweights Moonshine (8.5% A/V) and Supershine (11% A/V) pretty well finished up the prizes for this year.
The National Liquor News was pleased to participate in the two day Australian International Beer Awards Festival held at the Convention Centre in Melbourne. Five 3 hour public taste testing sessions combined thirty breweries and fifteen industry sites with over 400 beers available for tasting. Seminars to inform the public on aspects of judging a beer, history of beer, plus beer and food matching were enjoyed by an audience up 25% on previous years. Our major breweries were well represented with terrific stands from Matilda Bay, Malt Shovel Brewery, Tooheyís and of course Coopers Brewery. Good to see the Victorian State Government supporting the small breweries in their state that joined forces to provide a super-stand for micro breweries including beers from Fitzroy, Mountain Goat, Grand Ridge, Jamieson , 3 Ravens, Buckley's, Stockade, and Holgate Brewhouse, while pub-breweries Gunn Island and Bell's Hotel offered samples of their craft. Representation by small breweries in other states certainly helped to round out the various styles available for tasting which included a South Australian Super Site including samples from Grumpy's Brewhaus, Holdfast Bay Brewing, Lawrence Victor Estate, and Port Adelaide Pub-Brewery. Newly established Bluetongue Brewery from the Hunter Valley, NSW offered samples of their premium lager and ginger beer along with Braidwood Traditional Ales located near Bathhurst. But without a doubt, the most popular stand was from the Belgian Beer CafÈ Bluestone in cooperation with Interbrew and Carlton & United who offered samples of Belgian waffles to munch on while sipping Stella Artois, Hoegaarden White Ale and Leffe Brun all poured from an authentic Belgian bar. Besides the beer, other attractions at the festival included stands highlighting malts, home-brewing equipment & advice, sports memorabilia, free samples of beef jerky, beer merchandise, and even a hangover remedy station. From our observations, the crowds were well behaved and enthusiastic who seemed to enjoy the opportunity to try different beers from around the world, including beers from Germany, Belgium, Austria, China, Thailand, Japan, Malawi, USA, and Canada.
The Premier's Trophy for Best Victorian Beer went to the Mountain Goat Beer boys with their winter delight Surefoot Stout. According to brewer Dave Bonighton I think our appeal is the fact that we offer a different style of stout, a sweet English styled stout with chocolate, liquorice, and coffee notes as opposed to other dark, bitter styled stouts.î This could well be the case as the Champion Stout was a rich and complex Russian Imperial Stout from the Wig & Pen Brewery & Tavern in downtown Canberra. While speaking about stout, it's good to see the continuing success of Coopers Best Extra which was Grand Champion in 1994, and their Special Old Stout which is a beauty. South Australian Southwark Old Stout and Tasmanian Cascade Special Stout continue to impress the judges year in and year out.
The Kiwi's would certainly be pleased with their trophy haul this year including Champion Specialty Beer White Rock Wheat Beer from the Martinborough Brewing Company and Champion Reduced Alcohol Beer Steinlager Premium Light from Lion Breweries. From the Best in Class Winners, Auckland Pub Brewery Cock & Bull's Monks Habit won twice, with Monteiths Black and Speights Porter also posting winning scores along with the South Island's Lighthouse Brewery Classic Stout.
On a night of surprises, Paddy's Brewery at the Flemington Markets in Sydney earned the title of Champion Small Brewery. Other winners included an Eumundi Porter from Noosa Brewing, a Raspberry Wheat from a Redoak, Sydney, and a Chilli Beer from the Outback Brewery in 'outback Sydney' all of whom before the award night I'd never heard of. My confidence in kwowledge about Australian small breweries was restored with honours going to West Australia's Champion Australasian Brewery Swan Brewing along with Little Creatures Pale Ale, Matilda Bay's Redback & Dogbolter, plus Bootleg Brewery's Raging Bull all winning their Best in Class. Sydney's Malt Shovel Brewery got in the mix with their James Squire Porter and Victorian country favourites Grand Ridge heavyweights Moonshine (8.5% A/V) and Supershine (11% A/V) pretty well finished up the prizes for this year.
The National Liquor News was pleased to participate in the two day Australian International Beer Awards Festival held at the Convention Centre in Melbourne. Five 3 hour public taste testing sessions combined thirty breweries and fifteen industry sites with over 400 beers available for tasting. Seminars to inform the public on aspects of judging a beer, history of beer, plus beer and food matching were enjoyed by an audience up 25% on previous years. Our major breweries were well represented with terrific stands from Matilda Bay, Malt Shovel Brewery, Tooheyís and of course Coopers Brewery. Good to see the Victorian State Government supporting the small breweries in their state that joined forces to provide a super-stand for micro breweries including beers from Fitzroy, Mountain Goat, Grand Ridge, Jamieson , 3 Ravens, Buckley's, Stockade, and Holgate Brewhouse, while pub-breweries Gunn Island and Bell's Hotel offered samples of their craft. Representation by small breweries in other states certainly helped to round out the various styles available for tasting which included a South Australian Super Site including samples from Grumpy's Brewhaus, Holdfast Bay Brewing, Lawrence Victor Estate, and Port Adelaide Pub-Brewery. Newly established Bluetongue Brewery from the Hunter Valley, NSW offered samples of their premium lager and ginger beer along with Braidwood Traditional Ales located near Bathhurst. But without a doubt, the most popular stand was from the Belgian Beer CafÈ Bluestone in cooperation with Interbrew and Carlton & United who offered samples of Belgian waffles to munch on while sipping Stella Artois, Hoegaarden White Ale and Leffe Brun all poured from an authentic Belgian bar. Besides the beer, other attractions at the festival included stands highlighting malts, home-brewing equipment & advice, sports memorabilia, free samples of beef jerky, beer merchandise, and even a hangover remedy station. From our observations, the crowds were well behaved and enthusiastic who seemed to enjoy the opportunity to try different beers from around the world, including beers from Germany, Belgium, Austria, China, Thailand, Japan, Malawi, USA, and Canada.
Saturday, April 17, 2004
Asian Sensations
There’s no surprise to me on the increased interest and sales of Asian beers. Walk down any ‘foodie street’ in Australia and you’ll experience a plethora of Asian take away shops, restaurants, and supermarkets dominating the horizon. The wafts of steam with exotic spices, tandoori ovens on the go, and flamed hot woks tossing fresh fragrant goodies in the air are a far cry from the traditional roast and three veg dinners of the past. We have always embraced ethnic diversification, and with beer it’s no different. The Asian influence in the past decade has created a distinctive palate change with lighter, dryer lagers that blend better with sashimi than salami. A fiery curry or chilli and coriander stir fry require extra hopped pale ales or well bittered pilseners. As a bonus, the lighter lagers also appeal to ladies looking for a pilsener with less of a bitterness punch. Now I’m sure there are a few blokes scratching their heads while they sip their middies and pots wondering where I’m coming from. But the reality is that in a very depressed beer market, imported beers have shown a slight increase of 6% in sales So let’s take a quick tour of the Asian beers on the market that are gaining an undercurrent support at fashionable bars and clubs.
Starting with our closest Asian neighbour, Bintang and Bali holidays at Kuta are as Aussie as a meat pie. Brewed in Jakarta, their umbrellas and roadside advertisements are as Bali as a massage on the beach and we’re starting to see those brollies on fashionable big city streets here in Australia. The Dutch influence on the region goes back to Colonial times and nowhere is it more apparent than in their brewing. Characterised by a hoppy bitterness with a grainy malty aroma, the Dutch pilsener lagers embrace the Asian light dry finish.
For decades Aussies have discovered the Singapore Tiger beer while visiting or waiting for a flight. In fact, it was the RAF pilots stationed at Butterworth AFB that first introduced me to this golden drop with a sweet caramel aroma and clean crisp flavour over twenty years ago. As of January brewery giant Heineken has become the sole importer and distributor in Australia. A comprehensive marketing program will invest over $5 million dollars over the next three years focusing on leading edge bars, fine dining, and traditional targeted areas within the off premise. Other promotions include sponsorship of the Shaolin Monks in March, hosting a design event/conference plus book launch of graphic artists hosted by Diesel of Italy in April, Tsubi at Mercedes Fashion Week in May, plus Tiger Nights in Sydney and Melbourne. According to Market Development Manager Craig Blesson, “With the Australian premium beer market thriving, particularly the imported segment, Australia offers an exciting opportunity for Tiger Beer to emulate its success across Asia.”
The Thai Singha Lager from the Boon Rawd Brewery has been around since 1933 and continues to be popular for its light golden flavour. Now anyone who’s been to Thailand knows that pure drinking water is rarer that 24 carat gold, and their 3 brewery locations are based on quality water sources that are thoroughly checked to make certain of its correct composition and meets brewing standards. The clear water used by Boon Rawd Brewery is pumped from wells deep underground. It is activated carbon filtered, sand filtered and treated to meet Singha standards of brewing water. Quality grains and hops sourced from Europe and Australia help create this delightful drop. Another beer from Southeast Asia proving very popular in Asian cafes around Australia is 333 Premium Export Beer from Vietnam. Its light smooth finish is Perfect for the Asian palate, and works well for younger and female Australians as well.
The history of modern brewing in Japan is as old as Australia. The government set up a brewery back in 1869 on the Northern island of Hokkaido and a decade later were brewing Sapporo Lager. At one time there were several dozen breweries around Japan including the ‘big 4’ Sapporo, Japan, Osaka (Asahi Brewery), and Kirin. The fierce battle for market supremacy in the early 1900’s led to the Japan Brewing Company merging with Sapporo. After the war, the DaiNippon Beer Company divided into two companies Nippon ( Sapporo) and Asahi. The three continue to battle worldwide to be ‘champion Japanese beer’.
If one aspect of brewing can be attributed to Japan it would have to be the ‘Dry’ lager style. To create this drying effect, the mash is brewed at a lower temperature to soak up every drop of residual sugars that become alcohol. The result desired requires an extraction process to get only the first liquid run- off from the sweet wort then a long slow fermentation.
Sapporo Imported Original Draught Beer has a distinctive 650 ml silver can exhibiting their high tech outlook to brewing. Using state of the art technology, including a ceramic filtration process, creates a smoother cleaner lager. The sculptured conical shaped steel can releases a golden maize coloured brew with very subtle grainy sweet aroma and taste with a well balanced malt flavour.
Asahi’s volume share of the Asian beer market isn’t huge; however it is growing at a rapid pace. Ranked in the top 20 Premium Imports, it appeals to urban leading edge consumers. Victoria and New South Wales continue to be the two key Asahi markets constituting over 80% of total volume. Due to significant signs of growth and demand over the last few years, CUB will be launching Asahi Draught in selected venues in Melbourne and Sydney from April. Asahi is a traditionally brewed Japanese dry beer, rich and full flavoured with a refreshing dry after taste. It is the perfect accompaniment to Asia and spicy foods.
The last but not least of Japanese beers is Kirin Ichiban, the only Asian beer to be brewed here in Australia at the Malt Shovel brewery in Sydney. Locally brewed in small batches under the supervision of an expert Japanese brewer assures freshness. The Kirin is an ancient mythical beast which foretells the coming of festive and joyful events. The word “ichiban” means “first” in Japan and Kirin uses a First Press Brewing Method where only the first liquid drawn from the mash is used followed by a long fermentation period. The use of noble saaz hops provide a floral aroma that’s complemented by a delicate fruity flavour. Full bodied with subtle sweetness and mild bittering notes, Kirin Ichiban is quickly gaining local support in trendy nightspots.
No report on Asia would be complete without a glance at the sub continent, and when visiting any Indian restaurant in Australia, I’ll bet my house on the fact you can order a Kingfisher lager to soothe than fiery vindaloo. Thankfully, it’s a great beer and worthy of your indulgence. A nice golden amber colour with white creamy head, Kingfisher is well balanced malt character and good solid back bitterness. As with any Asian beer, serve it icy cold, sit back, and enjoy.
Starting with our closest Asian neighbour, Bintang and Bali holidays at Kuta are as Aussie as a meat pie. Brewed in Jakarta, their umbrellas and roadside advertisements are as Bali as a massage on the beach and we’re starting to see those brollies on fashionable big city streets here in Australia. The Dutch influence on the region goes back to Colonial times and nowhere is it more apparent than in their brewing. Characterised by a hoppy bitterness with a grainy malty aroma, the Dutch pilsener lagers embrace the Asian light dry finish.
For decades Aussies have discovered the Singapore Tiger beer while visiting or waiting for a flight. In fact, it was the RAF pilots stationed at Butterworth AFB that first introduced me to this golden drop with a sweet caramel aroma and clean crisp flavour over twenty years ago. As of January brewery giant Heineken has become the sole importer and distributor in Australia. A comprehensive marketing program will invest over $5 million dollars over the next three years focusing on leading edge bars, fine dining, and traditional targeted areas within the off premise. Other promotions include sponsorship of the Shaolin Monks in March, hosting a design event/conference plus book launch of graphic artists hosted by Diesel of Italy in April, Tsubi at Mercedes Fashion Week in May, plus Tiger Nights in Sydney and Melbourne. According to Market Development Manager Craig Blesson, “With the Australian premium beer market thriving, particularly the imported segment, Australia offers an exciting opportunity for Tiger Beer to emulate its success across Asia.”
The Thai Singha Lager from the Boon Rawd Brewery has been around since 1933 and continues to be popular for its light golden flavour. Now anyone who’s been to Thailand knows that pure drinking water is rarer that 24 carat gold, and their 3 brewery locations are based on quality water sources that are thoroughly checked to make certain of its correct composition and meets brewing standards. The clear water used by Boon Rawd Brewery is pumped from wells deep underground. It is activated carbon filtered, sand filtered and treated to meet Singha standards of brewing water. Quality grains and hops sourced from Europe and Australia help create this delightful drop. Another beer from Southeast Asia proving very popular in Asian cafes around Australia is 333 Premium Export Beer from Vietnam. Its light smooth finish is Perfect for the Asian palate, and works well for younger and female Australians as well.
The history of modern brewing in Japan is as old as Australia. The government set up a brewery back in 1869 on the Northern island of Hokkaido and a decade later were brewing Sapporo Lager. At one time there were several dozen breweries around Japan including the ‘big 4’ Sapporo, Japan, Osaka (Asahi Brewery), and Kirin. The fierce battle for market supremacy in the early 1900’s led to the Japan Brewing Company merging with Sapporo. After the war, the DaiNippon Beer Company divided into two companies Nippon ( Sapporo) and Asahi. The three continue to battle worldwide to be ‘champion Japanese beer’.
If one aspect of brewing can be attributed to Japan it would have to be the ‘Dry’ lager style. To create this drying effect, the mash is brewed at a lower temperature to soak up every drop of residual sugars that become alcohol. The result desired requires an extraction process to get only the first liquid run- off from the sweet wort then a long slow fermentation.
Sapporo Imported Original Draught Beer has a distinctive 650 ml silver can exhibiting their high tech outlook to brewing. Using state of the art technology, including a ceramic filtration process, creates a smoother cleaner lager. The sculptured conical shaped steel can releases a golden maize coloured brew with very subtle grainy sweet aroma and taste with a well balanced malt flavour.
Asahi’s volume share of the Asian beer market isn’t huge; however it is growing at a rapid pace. Ranked in the top 20 Premium Imports, it appeals to urban leading edge consumers. Victoria and New South Wales continue to be the two key Asahi markets constituting over 80% of total volume. Due to significant signs of growth and demand over the last few years, CUB will be launching Asahi Draught in selected venues in Melbourne and Sydney from April. Asahi is a traditionally brewed Japanese dry beer, rich and full flavoured with a refreshing dry after taste. It is the perfect accompaniment to Asia and spicy foods.
The last but not least of Japanese beers is Kirin Ichiban, the only Asian beer to be brewed here in Australia at the Malt Shovel brewery in Sydney. Locally brewed in small batches under the supervision of an expert Japanese brewer assures freshness. The Kirin is an ancient mythical beast which foretells the coming of festive and joyful events. The word “ichiban” means “first” in Japan and Kirin uses a First Press Brewing Method where only the first liquid drawn from the mash is used followed by a long fermentation period. The use of noble saaz hops provide a floral aroma that’s complemented by a delicate fruity flavour. Full bodied with subtle sweetness and mild bittering notes, Kirin Ichiban is quickly gaining local support in trendy nightspots.
No report on Asia would be complete without a glance at the sub continent, and when visiting any Indian restaurant in Australia, I’ll bet my house on the fact you can order a Kingfisher lager to soothe than fiery vindaloo. Thankfully, it’s a great beer and worthy of your indulgence. A nice golden amber colour with white creamy head, Kingfisher is well balanced malt character and good solid back bitterness. As with any Asian beer, serve it icy cold, sit back, and enjoy.
Saturday, February 21, 2004
Brew Masters
With the Galaxy of beers available, the truly bright stars fall into the Premium and Boutique beer category. We’ve seen meteoric sales for our wine and RTO (Ready to Drink) markets, but with beer it’s only humdrum same old same old. Part of the problem is inherent in the drink. When we think about beer we think boring stuff like consistency and tradition. Beer doesn’t have a spectacular epicurean entry like the Sommelier offering a sniff of the cork and approval first taste, or the bartender with his swirling twirling dervish dancing performance when mixing a cocktail. No, this is an alcoholic beverage where the pizzazz is in the product, and an understanding attentive barperson, but breweries can still learn a lot about presentation and the leaders in this direction have come from the small breweries and premium product producers.
In part, the pleasure of grape grazing in the wine districts of Australia is the ‘winery experience’. The scenic ambience, guided tours of the grounds, plus top class snacks and meals is a heady experience that results in important ‘cellar door’ sales. Some small breweries have caught on to this and are reaping the rewards, while the big guys have learned that creative packaging of unusual styles of ale is quite profitable. Here are some of the stars to look for in your bottle shops and beer tour guide books.
Out west, two breweries showing the way are in Fremantle, Matilda Bay Brewing, at the old Ford Motor complex, and Little Creatures along the wharf. Little Creatures has spent more than $10 million to develop a first class brewery and bottling plant. Included in the plans is an ample tasting room and restaurant which spills to the upstairs balcony and out onto the deck overlooking the bay. Only two of their beers are available Australia-wide, being their Pale Ale and mid-strength Rogers Ale. Both are well crafted ales with the accent on hops and more hops. Matilda Bay Brewing has been around for two decades producing such Aussie classics as Redback Wheat and Dogbolter dark ale. With the popularity of mid-strength beers, CUB has had the pleasant problem of selling more beer than a brewery can produce, so along with the closing of the Masthead brewery at Sanctuary Cove, Queensland, Matilda Bay is combining the best products from both breweries. Available in bottle along with Redback is Beez Neez, an amber honeyed wheat beer, and Bohemian Pilzner, a Czech styled lager with plenty of saaz hops for a spicy floral aroma and flavour. Dogbolter and their Alpha Pale Ale are presented as part of their ‘Brewers Reserve” a series of specialty ales on tap at designated locales. If you’re down Margaret River way, why not stop in to the Bootleg Brewery to experience one of the very best country/winery style watering holes in Australia, and in Perth stop in to the backpacker style Wentworth Hotel on Murray Street to sample some Nail Ale.
What’s a discussion of South Australia without mentioning the perennial Aussie battler, Coopers Brewery? The re-branding and packaging of their draught lager now includes their new brewery location Regency Draught, and their Premium Ale has been replaced with Heritage Premium Ale, a ‘chill-filtered’ dry lager’ish styled pale ale with a pleasing hop aroma from late hopping and crisp finish with moderate back bitterness similar to European imported beers. Add to that a clever outdoor advertising campaign in Victoria and New South Wales “If it’s not at your local, sell your house” and you have a stylish modern approach that signifies the marriage of Coopers with Premium Beverages including Budweiser is operating on all cylinders. The sales figures around the country reflect this assessment on average; sales nationwide are between 40-50%, with a whopping 152% in the Northern Territory. In Adelaide?, why not stop into The Port Dock Hotel and Pub-Brewery to taste test their award winning ales including the country’s best milk stoat.
In Tasmania the best brewing bragging rights continues the North vs. South family feud. According to J. Boag & Son Director of Sales & Marketing Lyndon Adams, “James Boag’s Premium Lager is now the second largest selling domestic premium beer and we aim to consolidate this position with a new marketing and promotional activity including a new television commercial will be released mid-year. We will be looking to release another Limited Edition beer following the successful 1881 Traditional Ale in 2002 and Boag’s Honey Porter in 2003.” Mr Adams also said, “The popularity of the company’s latest tourist venture, the Boag’s Centre for Beer Lovers, has far exceeded expectations, welcoming over 10,000 tourists in its first year of operation.” “Feedback from our visitors has been very positive, meaning that we are not only spreading the “Boag’s word” nationally and internationally, we are contributing to growth in our beer business as well”. Mr Adams continued, “We are also excited that the Boag's Centre for Beer Lovers has gained accreditation in the National Tourism Accreditation Program that endorses best practices in the tourism industry. Accreditation provides the consumer and the industry with an assurance that our business is committed to quality practices and professionalism.” Meanwhile the southern Tasmanian tiger Cascade has undergone an upgrade of the new six-pack and carton design featuring imagery that reinforces purity and Tasmanian heritage. The bottles now have a foil neck label that finishes just below the bottle lip to stop any grating on the lips while slugging back a stubby. Cascade Premium took top honours at last years Australian Good Taste Beer Awards, plus their highly successful ’ Four Seasons’ Limited Edition beers will continue to challenge the epicurean palate.
Australia’s ‘King of Beers’ Crown Lager continues its amazing run as the number one premium beer for fifty years. Crown Lager was the best kept secret of diplomats and visiting dignitaries, until 1953 when CUB officially launched it to the public to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. ‘Crownies’ cone-shaped bottle and foil label haven’t changed much over the years, so the cosmetics are slight highlighting a bolder red and gold crown. The packaging artwork and point of sale changes should start to appear in the bottle shops in April.
Chuck Hahn’s gang from the Malt Shovel Brewery have made a quiet entrance into the hotel industry with the opening of their James Squire Brewhouses in Melbourne and Sydney. At the Portland Hotel in Melbourne, some quality in-house brews are on tap including the award winning 3 Weissmen dark wheat, the Craic stout, and Portland Pale Ale. Word has it that the Craic and Portland Pale will make an appearance at the new Sydney Brewhouse at King Street Wharf. Malt Shovel continues to offer seasonal beers such as the Colonial Wheat and the winter warmer Australian Strong Ale, and to add to drinkers education, they offer beer and food matching nights titled ‘Ales & Tales’. All this has helped them achieve in increase of 40% in total sales last year.
Other breweries to keep a look out for are Grand Ridge Brewery from country Victoria with their 9 award winning ales and newly opened Blue Tongue Brewery in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. Grand Ridge has made significant in roads in New South Wales and Queensland this summer with their Natural Blonde wheat beer proving very popular. Its flavour profile of orange and coriander is very refreshing on a hot day. Blue Tongue has hit the ground running with Bondi Blond & Red brewed under contract, a budget beer Brewery Bitter, an in-house pilsener and a Ginger Beer.
In part, the pleasure of grape grazing in the wine districts of Australia is the ‘winery experience’. The scenic ambience, guided tours of the grounds, plus top class snacks and meals is a heady experience that results in important ‘cellar door’ sales. Some small breweries have caught on to this and are reaping the rewards, while the big guys have learned that creative packaging of unusual styles of ale is quite profitable. Here are some of the stars to look for in your bottle shops and beer tour guide books.
Out west, two breweries showing the way are in Fremantle, Matilda Bay Brewing, at the old Ford Motor complex, and Little Creatures along the wharf. Little Creatures has spent more than $10 million to develop a first class brewery and bottling plant. Included in the plans is an ample tasting room and restaurant which spills to the upstairs balcony and out onto the deck overlooking the bay. Only two of their beers are available Australia-wide, being their Pale Ale and mid-strength Rogers Ale. Both are well crafted ales with the accent on hops and more hops. Matilda Bay Brewing has been around for two decades producing such Aussie classics as Redback Wheat and Dogbolter dark ale. With the popularity of mid-strength beers, CUB has had the pleasant problem of selling more beer than a brewery can produce, so along with the closing of the Masthead brewery at Sanctuary Cove, Queensland, Matilda Bay is combining the best products from both breweries. Available in bottle along with Redback is Beez Neez, an amber honeyed wheat beer, and Bohemian Pilzner, a Czech styled lager with plenty of saaz hops for a spicy floral aroma and flavour. Dogbolter and their Alpha Pale Ale are presented as part of their ‘Brewers Reserve” a series of specialty ales on tap at designated locales. If you’re down Margaret River way, why not stop in to the Bootleg Brewery to experience one of the very best country/winery style watering holes in Australia, and in Perth stop in to the backpacker style Wentworth Hotel on Murray Street to sample some Nail Ale.
What’s a discussion of South Australia without mentioning the perennial Aussie battler, Coopers Brewery? The re-branding and packaging of their draught lager now includes their new brewery location Regency Draught, and their Premium Ale has been replaced with Heritage Premium Ale, a ‘chill-filtered’ dry lager’ish styled pale ale with a pleasing hop aroma from late hopping and crisp finish with moderate back bitterness similar to European imported beers. Add to that a clever outdoor advertising campaign in Victoria and New South Wales “If it’s not at your local, sell your house” and you have a stylish modern approach that signifies the marriage of Coopers with Premium Beverages including Budweiser is operating on all cylinders. The sales figures around the country reflect this assessment on average; sales nationwide are between 40-50%, with a whopping 152% in the Northern Territory. In Adelaide?, why not stop into The Port Dock Hotel and Pub-Brewery to taste test their award winning ales including the country’s best milk stoat.
In Tasmania the best brewing bragging rights continues the North vs. South family feud. According to J. Boag & Son Director of Sales & Marketing Lyndon Adams, “James Boag’s Premium Lager is now the second largest selling domestic premium beer and we aim to consolidate this position with a new marketing and promotional activity including a new television commercial will be released mid-year. We will be looking to release another Limited Edition beer following the successful 1881 Traditional Ale in 2002 and Boag’s Honey Porter in 2003.” Mr Adams also said, “The popularity of the company’s latest tourist venture, the Boag’s Centre for Beer Lovers, has far exceeded expectations, welcoming over 10,000 tourists in its first year of operation.” “Feedback from our visitors has been very positive, meaning that we are not only spreading the “Boag’s word” nationally and internationally, we are contributing to growth in our beer business as well”. Mr Adams continued, “We are also excited that the Boag's Centre for Beer Lovers has gained accreditation in the National Tourism Accreditation Program that endorses best practices in the tourism industry. Accreditation provides the consumer and the industry with an assurance that our business is committed to quality practices and professionalism.” Meanwhile the southern Tasmanian tiger Cascade has undergone an upgrade of the new six-pack and carton design featuring imagery that reinforces purity and Tasmanian heritage. The bottles now have a foil neck label that finishes just below the bottle lip to stop any grating on the lips while slugging back a stubby. Cascade Premium took top honours at last years Australian Good Taste Beer Awards, plus their highly successful ’ Four Seasons’ Limited Edition beers will continue to challenge the epicurean palate.
Australia’s ‘King of Beers’ Crown Lager continues its amazing run as the number one premium beer for fifty years. Crown Lager was the best kept secret of diplomats and visiting dignitaries, until 1953 when CUB officially launched it to the public to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. ‘Crownies’ cone-shaped bottle and foil label haven’t changed much over the years, so the cosmetics are slight highlighting a bolder red and gold crown. The packaging artwork and point of sale changes should start to appear in the bottle shops in April.
Chuck Hahn’s gang from the Malt Shovel Brewery have made a quiet entrance into the hotel industry with the opening of their James Squire Brewhouses in Melbourne and Sydney. At the Portland Hotel in Melbourne, some quality in-house brews are on tap including the award winning 3 Weissmen dark wheat, the Craic stout, and Portland Pale Ale. Word has it that the Craic and Portland Pale will make an appearance at the new Sydney Brewhouse at King Street Wharf. Malt Shovel continues to offer seasonal beers such as the Colonial Wheat and the winter warmer Australian Strong Ale, and to add to drinkers education, they offer beer and food matching nights titled ‘Ales & Tales’. All this has helped them achieve in increase of 40% in total sales last year.
Other breweries to keep a look out for are Grand Ridge Brewery from country Victoria with their 9 award winning ales and newly opened Blue Tongue Brewery in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. Grand Ridge has made significant in roads in New South Wales and Queensland this summer with their Natural Blonde wheat beer proving very popular. Its flavour profile of orange and coriander is very refreshing on a hot day. Blue Tongue has hit the ground running with Bondi Blond & Red brewed under contract, a budget beer Brewery Bitter, an in-house pilsener and a Ginger Beer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
