Conducted annually by the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) in conjunction with the University of Ballarat, the pre-eminent showcase for premium beer and brewing excellence in the Asia Pacific region presented 18 Trophies with 10 awarded to international breweries and eight awarded to Australian.

In an AIBA first, Trophies were also presented for Champion Large International Brewery, awarded to Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery and Champion Small International Brewery, awarded to Oregon’s Pelican Pub & Brewery.

Across the Pacific, the United States was a standout, winning four Trophies; New Zealand breweries claimed two and Belgium. Brazil, Germany and Norway achieving one each.

It was Feral Brewing Company that stole the show locally winning three awards for Western Australia including Best International Pate Ate for the third consecutive year and Best Scotch & Barley Wine. New South Wales breweries were awarded three Trophies with Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory one respectively.

AIBA Committee Chairman and Chief Judge, Peter Manders, said the Awards draws international recognition from the beer industry and showcases the commitment to excellence from brewers.

“Now in its 20th year, the AIBA continues to attract a remarkable number of high calibre entries from Australian and international breweries, with a record 1,344 brews entered from 41 countries this year, an increase of 10 per cent on last year’s,” Mr Manders said.

“The AIBA welcomed 52 judges, all of whom were awed by the quality of entries. Each year sees standards continually improve as brewers push for excellence and exceed all expectations.”

International judges, Anders Kissmeyer of Denmark, Masayoshi Kaji and Shoji Kobotake of Japan. joined focal beer experts to individually assess brews, with Mr Kissmeyer saying, “It is clear that the AIBA is up there amongst the very best.”

Beer lovers will have an opportunity to sample the 2012 entries and winning beers tomorrow at AIBA’s World of Beer — Tastings from Around the Globe from 4 to 8pm at The Atrium, Federation Square. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

[ENDS]

For further information please visit www.beer.awards.com and follow the AIBA on Twitter @AIBA2012

Winners of the 2012 Australian International Beer Awards announced at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre •

Winners of the 2012 Australian International Beer Awards announced at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre:

• Champion Large Australian Brewery — Feral Brewing Company, Western Australia, Australia
• Champion Large International Brewery — Deschutes Brewery, Oregon, USA
• Champion Small Australian Brewery — Wig & Pen Brewery & Tavern, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
• Champion Small International Brewery — Pelican Pub & Brewery, Oregon, USA
• Best New Exhibitor — Cervejaria Bodebrown Ltda, Parana, Brazil
• Best International Lager — Hahn Super Dry, Tooheys, New South Wales, Australia
• Best Pilsner — Croucher Brewing Pilsner, The Croucher Brewing Co, Rotorua, New Zealand
• Best Amber / Dark Lager — Weltenburger Asam Bock, Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg, Ketheim, Germany
• Best International Pale Ale — Hop Hog, Feral Brewing Company, Western Australia, Australia
• Best European Style Ale — Koelsch, lllawarra Brewing Company. Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
• Best IPA — Caldera IPA, Caldera Brewing Co, Oregon, USA
• Best Amber / Dark Ale — Doryman’s Dark, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Oregon, USA
• Best Porter — Akkevit Porter, Haandbryggeriet Brewery, Drammen, Norway
• Best Stout — Stout, 4 Pines Brewing Company, Manly, New South Wales, Australia
• Best Wheat Beer — Redback Pale, Matilda Bay Brewing Company, Victoria, Australia
• Best Belgian & French Ale — Straffe Hendrik Quadrupel, De Halve Maan, Brugge, Belgium
• Best Scotch & Barley Wine — Razorback, Feral Brewing Company, Western Australia. Australia
• Best Speciality — Summer Sommer, Garage Project, Wellington, New Zealand

About the Australian International Beer Awards:
Ballarat, the Australian International Beer Awards is the pre-eminent showcase of beer and brewing excellence in the Asia-Pacific region, Now in its 20th year, the annual awards draw exhibits from across the world, with 2012 seeing more than 1,300 brews entered from countries including Fiji, Lithuania, Puerto Rico, South Korea and the US. This year’s judging panel, made up of 52 Australian and international Industry experts, includes representatives from Denmark. Japan and New Zealand.

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1. Play it by Ear
I’d just like to share a little bit of common sense that eluded me, from the moment I logged on at 9AM the day GABS tickets went on sale, to the final ‘last drinks’ bell when I finally finished my 58th unique beer review of the festival: don’t get bogged down by planning.

One of the most enjoyable things about festivals, or parties of any sort, and about ordering a beer at the bar, is the ability to be spontaneous. If you go in with too many pre-conceived notions about what you’re expecting, and what you want to achieve, you’ll end up missing out on more than you will experience. Of course, part of the reason I felt so bogged down was that my project – to sample and write up tasting notes on every beer at the festival – was really quite ambitious, and I had only booked in two 4-hour sessions in which to achieve it.

Feel free to learn from my experience: I regret not sampling the food halls, I failed to chat to all the brewers wandering around and I unintentionally avoided all of the beer education courses. Spread yourself more thinly, and allow yourself to be dictated to. And if there’s genuinely some half-cocked, ambitious project you want to achieve, then feel free to give yourself extra time – I wish I had paced myself for a third session and taken in more of the full festival experience that was on offer.

2. Beer People are Good People
It stands to reason that, to handle a festival the size of GABS, you need a few good people. From the volunteers at the entry gate to those behind the bar, the food servers and the sound technicians, it was clear that the Spectapular was a well-oiled machine, and a hell of a lot of work had gone it to make sure it ran smoothly.

But that wasn’t all there is to it. When it takes longer than half an hour to reach the front of a queue, when there’s noise and crowds everywhere and alcohol is flowing, tempers have a tendency to fray. A spilled drink here, a shove there, and suddenly the bouncers at the door are playing umpire to a spontaneous amateur boxing tournament. There was none of that at GABS – at least not that I saw.
It’s long been acknowledged that there is very little animosity in the world of craft beer. While rivalries, disagreement and snobbery still exist, consumers, producers and merchants alike can agree we’re all in it for the love of beer. In short, beer people are good people.

Even in the hustle-bustle of the busiest session on Saturday afternoon, there was no sign of disorder from the crowd. A common celebratory spirit bonded strangers, from the most opinionated homebrewer to the soft-spoken novice. The beer being doled out acted not only as the social lubricant it is, but also as a catalyst for celebration, as we swapped favourites, recommendations and other anecdotes. Nowhere is the craft beer camaraderie more apparent than at a huge festival like GABS.

3. New Zealand sure knows its beer
Okay, so this one wasn’t a revelation to me, and probably not to many others. Our neighbours across the ditch have a country about a thirtieth the size of ours, and a population about a fifth the size of us, and something about that more concentrated community brings out a real sense of adventure and a love of artisanal produce.

When it comes to beer, Australia has a larger raw number of breweries churning the stuff out, but New Zealand is a clear head and shoulders above us in terms of quality over quantity. I’m not going to make any value judgements about who brews the better beer, but when it comes to GABS, the fact that a couple of contract brewers from the South Island took out the glittering grail of the people’s choice award (Yeastie Boys with their ‘Gunnamatta’ Tea-Leafed IPA) speaks volumes.
More to the point, although they showcased only 16 of the 60 beers on offer, the Kiwi brewers ran the gamut of styles: from the fiery-hot heat of Emersons’ chilli pilsener and the palate-tearing intensity of Liberty Brewing’s Imperial Simcoe IPA to the smooth, desserty smoothness of Renaissance’s oak-aged scotch ale. Across the board, New Zealand delighted and impressed with their brewing prowess and keen understanding of flavour. We’re bloody lucky to have them so close by.

4. Australia is ripe for sour beer
A little while ago, my first piece of beer writing — about introducing a friend to sour beers — was published. Now I’m not alone in my love of the sour. It seems to be a commonality across beer geeks that we like, or at least very much appreciate, a well-made tart beer. While European brewers like Cantillon and Lindemans have been doing it for centuries, GABS heralded in a couple of friendly truths about sour beers in Australia.

One of these truths is that Aussie brewers can certainly match the rest of the world in making — at least — an interesting sour beer. The sours of the festival – from Feral (WA), Wig & Pen (ACT) and Moondog (VIC) – were all talking points around the beer hall and, I personally would posit, all brilliant drops.

They were all interesting and complex to varying extents, all idiosyncratic and crisp and refreshing. This is not to suggest that they were everybody’s cup of tea: sour beer is undoubtedly an acquired taste, and although they were some of my favourites of the line-up, they seemed to produce quite the opposite effect in a handful of punters I spoke to.

Polarising though they were, the sheer number of people through the door and queueing for bars suggests that a vast number of regular beer drinkers have been exposed for the first time to the world of sour beer, brewed locally and served fresh. The more people get exposed to it, the more appreciation there will be as a result. Feral, Wig & Pen and Moondog all have existing pedigree in the sour field, and despite the extended time & effort it takes to produce a good limbic or wild ale, I suggest the time is right for more breweries to try their hand and tip off a little of the wild and funky.

5. The Best is Yet to Come
The Great Australasian Beer Spectapular advertised itself as the greatest beer festival Australia has ever seen. I’ve only been around the scene for ten years, but I still think it would be hard to refute that claim. Even just going by numbers through the door, I think GABS has the title in the bag.
I would still maintain, though, that it can only get bigger and better from here. Everybody attending GABS had some level of interest in beer, and everybody I came into contact with seemed to be having a great time. It has already outgrown the original Taphouse venue, but there are reasons to believe it will get bigger next year and beyond.

Even though it’s the biggest, GABS is still just one festival celebrating beer throughout the year. If it attracted the same crowd that might attend the Bendigo Beer Festival, Bitter & Twisted, or even some of the other Taphouse Spectapulars, it also attracted many more, and exposed them to beers and breweries they’d never had a chance to try. That awareness-raising goes a long way to building up the beer scene, and getting people excited about trying new things.

As the appreciation of beer begins to grow nationwide, so too does the number of people making it. Just off the top of my head I can name five breweries that didn’t have a beer in the lineup, and three more that weren’t even considered for GABS, simply because they only started brewing after the call went out. By simple law of supply and demand, as more people are willing to try new beers, there will be more people around to supply it, and when it comes time for GABS 2013 (if it happens, of course), those 60 beers will be joined by many, many more.

Now in its 11th year, Beervana will take place at Westpac Stadium on 17 and 18 August (two sessions daily) as part of Visa Wellington on a Plate. The event will showcase more than 200 brews, food from Wellington’s best restaurants, and twenty seminars making the case for great beer. General Admission tickets will cost $40 and include $8 worth of Beervana tokens, an event programme and tasting glass.

“As New Zealanders have become increasingly passionate about craft beer we’ve found Beervana attracting a very diverse audience,” says Festival Director David Cryer. “We want to make sure the event gives every visitor an experience they value, and that they can’t get anywhere else.”

New this year is a Food & Beer package with access to an exclusive culinary seminar ($64); Ultimate Experience tickets available to groups of five or more wanting to get up close and personal with New Zealand’s best brewers and chefs ($75 per person); and a Home Brewing Masterclass led by Yeastie Boy Stu McKinlay ($75).

“Whether you want to sample as many rare and special brews as possible, discover the secrets of beer and food matching, or learn about the art of brewing, Beervana 2012 will deliver,” Cryer says.

Tickets are available from ticketek.co.nz from 1 June.

Ticket Options

General Admission — $40 — includes event programme, tasting glass and $8 worth of Beervana tokens

Food & Beer — $64 – general admission (as above) plus a seat in our exclusive one-hour food and beer matching seminar hosted by leading beer writer Neil Miller and featuring the culinary skills of one of Wellington’s top chefs.

Ultimate Experience — $75 per person, minimum group of five at $375 – enjoy a behind-the-scenes brewer-led tour prior to gates opening; all the inclusions of general admission; plus a one-hour private seminar including tutored tasting with a leading New Zealand brewer, food and beer matching with a Beervana chef, and tips on how to get more from your beer drinking experience.

Home Brewing Masterclass (Saturday 18th, 10.30am – 2.30pm) — $75 – this interactive Masterclass, led by Stu McKinlay of Yeastie Boys, is a rare opportunity to learn from one of New Zealand’s most innovative brewers about the secret to making captivating, flavourfull, new world beers. Includes general admission to Session 3.

With 26 brewer members in attendance, the association that has been consulting the craft beer industry under the working title Craft Beer Limited met and voted for its inaugural board. The seven board representatives are:

Pub & nano brewery — Mathew Bebe, Mornington Peninsular Brewery (Vic)
Microbrewery — Owen Johnson, Moo Brew (Tas)
Regional Brewery — Dave Bonighton, Mountain Goat (Vic)
National Brewery — Chuck Hahn, Malt Shovel Brewery
Contract Brewery — Jayne Lewis, Two Birds
Floating Members — Jeremy Good, Cowaramup (WA), Brad Rogers, Stone & Wood (NSW)

We will cover the formation and goals of CBIA in greater detail, including an interview with some of the board members shortly. In the meantime, Australian Brews News congratulates the new industry development body and wishes it every luck promoting and advancing craft beer in Australia.

www.craftbeer.org.au

Theodore W. Ardorno

A few years ago I started reading his very influential The Philosophy of New Music in which Adorno proposes that the separation of objectivity and subjectivity in the criticism of art was essential to raise critical theory above the problems created by people’s opinions. He supposed that the only way to do this was to demand artists create with a singular aim, that would conceptually drive this objective criticism.

Right now, you are thinking “cool story bro” and “what the hell does this have to do with beer?”.

Essentially critiquing beer is the same. We all have our own biases and expectations, we have perceptions that have been taught by the media, brands who want to train our thinking for the sake of selling their products. All these things affect the way we think of a beer, before it’s even touched our lips. Likewise, our opinion is totally relevant. At the end of the day, whatever your position, if you enjoy something, that’s why you would buy it again. If you love VB, that’s great, you are going to save a lot of money. It’s not for me though. I don’t “like” it.

What irks me though are the beer elitists who dislike a beer but pronounce it bad. This is what Adorno was all about for me. What defines good and bad? Unlike music, beer already has an established goal. In fact it’s got a whole set of judging requirements. The BJCP exists exactly for this reason.

Having created and updated a style guide that is universally accepted means that judges all around the world can throw out their opinions (if only for a moment) roll up their sleeves and compare a beer to a fairly exact description and quite objectively rule how well that beer performs to it’s style.

Under this context it’s easy for a trained judge to say that a beer is good or bad, because a clear outline exists to demonstrate what the conceptual aim is.

This critical approach to beer falls over though when a beer that could be fabulous is judged against the wrong category. The world’s most intensely fruity, well-balanced and delicious IPA would score very low if it were entered in a competition as a stout. This is the essential flaw in good vs. bad. It’s all about your aim, about the thing that conceptually you wish to achieve.

For many breweries, their aim is consistency and controllable results, so that every time you crack a tinny, it’s exactly the same. In essence then, given their aim, a brewer who makes hundreds of thousands of litres of beer and manages to make every batch taste exactly the same gets a pat on the back from his boss and has produced a “good” beer. These exact same beers may be bland and uninspiring to many beer drinkers, but it does not mean that it isn’t “good”, just that you don’t like it. Much like you mightn’t have liked your first wheat beer or your first Lambic, despite the quality of that particular beer.

Beer elitism is born out of two things. The desire to demonstrate a heightened understanding of beer (aka being a wanker) and not understanding the difference between the good or bad and like or dislike. Unfortunately it is something that is found a lot in craft beer drinkers, and often it is not as vigorously discouraged as it really should be.

Beer elitism can be an insidious by-product of becoming a craft beer lover. I think that it has the potential to cripple the craft beer industry. New beer lovers acting snobbish to their friend’s choice of beer could alienate a potential beer appreciators enthusiasm. Beer after all is a social drink, and it’s important to us, as beer lovers to be inclusive and objective about our tastes.

I like to encourage discussion about beer, how it was made, what are it’s characteristics, how does it relate to other beers we’ve tried? If someone you know enjoys drinking a beer, particularly commercial beer, that you don’t like, leave it alone. After all chances are you aren’t the king of beer knowledge and if they are drinking it and enjoying it, they have all the same qualifications as you do.

Leave the beer judging to competition rings and the BJCP style guides.

Coopers Celebration Ale is a hops-driven traditional ale with a dark-red hue that is distinctly different in style to Coopers’ other beers.

It incorporates three different hops varieties – Centennial from the USA, Nelson Sauvin from New Zealand and Pride of Ringwood from Australia – to produce a beer that displays strong estery characteristics.

Coopers’ Managing Director, Dr Tim Cooper, said Celebration Ale had been specifically brewed to mark Coopers’ 150th anniversary. However, if it proved popular, strong consideration would be given to making it a regular Coopers’ line.

“We think Celebration Ale will appeal to those whoenjoy slightly hoppier styles of beer,” he said.

“At 5.2% abv, it has a rich aroma of fruity esters with a slight hint of citrus and has a warm finish on the palate. It is also slightly more bitter than other Coopers ales.”

Dr Cooper said the release of Celebration Ale had been timed to coincide as closely as possible to 150 years from the day that Thomas Cooper made his first commercial brew, on 13th May 1862.

Coopers’ Chairman and Marketing Director, Mr Glenn Cooper, said Celebration Ale’s packaging was outstanding with the use of vibrant colours and graphics.

“The bottles will be packed in basket packs, while cartons will be predominantly black with gold writing to complement the neck labels on the bottles,” he said.

“It has been an open secret that Coopers would release a special beer to mark its 150th anniversary and there has been a large amount of interest about what we would produce and when it would be available.

“People understand that if Coopers is going to release a beer to mark a special occasion, it will be a special beer.

“We are confident that the beer itself and its packaging tick all the boxes.

“Early indications are that the initial production run will be quickly snapped up and we have already scheduled additional production to keep up with demand.”

Mr Cooper said the beer would be available in 355 ml bottles only.

Celebration Ale is expected to retail for around $55.00 per carton.

CELEBRATION ALE – TASTING NOTES

Coopers is now the largest Australian-owned breweryand this year marks a significant milestone in our history as we celebrate our 150th anniversary.

Coopers’ journey began on 13th May 1862, when founder Thomas Cooper produced his first beer.

Even then, Thomas Cooper’s sense of brewing excellence was evident through his use of only the best ingredients available and by the application of pride and passion to his craft. To this day the tradition continues, as Coopers sources the highestquality barley from South Australia and hops from interstate and overseas.

Our 150th anniversary milestone deserves to be acknowledged.What better way to mark the occasion than the release of a celebratory beer, aptly named ‘Celebration Ale’.

This ale is the culmination of careful planning andresearch by our Brewing team, resulting in a distinctive beer presented in kegs or eye catching 355ml bottles.

Celebration Ale is unique in that the water used inthe brewing process comes from the brewery’s own deep aquifers, with the mineral composition modified specifically for ale brewing.

The barley is sourced from the maritime regions of South Australia. The pale malt from this barley is complemented by the use of crystal malt, giving the beer an appealing red hue and a nutty, slightly sweet aftertaste.

This 5.2% alcohol strength ale is both refreshing and moreish. The aroma and flavour of Celebration Ale is furtherenhanced by the three varieties of hops used in different stages of the brewing process.

Firstly, the local bittering variety Pride of Ringwood hops, grown in the temperate climate of Myrrhee, Victoria, is added in the kettle.

Late hopping is achieved by blending Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand and Centennial hops from the USA.

The Nelson Sauvin imparts what is described as a “white wine fruitiness”, whereas the addition of Centennial results in a passionfruit, grassy and citrussy top note.

Coopers’ ale yeast characteristically produces its distinct tropical fruity esters, and all of these aromas and flavours combine together during a slow fermentation.

Some of the yeast remains in the final product for natural conditioning in the bottle, resulting in Coopers’ trademark sediment.

Join us in celebrating this special occasion by pouring Celebration Ale into your favourite beer glass; your eyes will be immediately drawn to the thick foam on top of a rich, ruby-red brew.

The first mouthful will highlight the malt driven flavour, which is balanced by a refreshingly crisp bitterness, followed by fruity esters lingering in the aftertaste. Celebration Ale will match well with chicken, seafood, tangy cheeses, and fruit-based desserts.

It turns out Deco Wine Bar (St George’s Road, North Fitzroy), is one of the rare wine bars that looks after us beer drinkers as well. Steve, the owner, is enthusiastic about craft beer and this week hosted a Good Beer Week event called “Land of the Rising Ales”, featuring beer from Japanese breweries; Kiuchi Brewery Hitachino’s Nest and Baird Brewing. Food was prepared by James Wilkinson, chef at the recently opened “Meat Market” in Southbank. Talking us through the beers were the distributors for Hitachino and Baird, Craig Jessup and Adam Betts, respectively.

The Hitachino beers have been a favourite of mine for a while now and having them paired with some amazing food just showed how versatile and unique they are.

The first, the Classic Ale, is aged in cedar barrels and is a lovely hoppy ale with a slight hint of the cedar coming through. I’m normally fairly cautions of matching like to like flavours, so was unsure about it being paired with Salmon barbecued on cedar with miso and pickled ginger. I was gladly proven wrong. The rich smokey meltingly soft salmon and a floral hoppy ale, with plenty of cedar flavours humming along, was a real delight.

Second up was the Hitachino XH, a belgian strong ale, and another brilliant beer. Dark fruits, prominent hops and a big malt profile means this beer was a perfect match for pork, marinated in the beer and served in a bun with spring onion, seaweed, salt and chilli. Rounding out the food was pear poached in the Hitachino Commemorative Ale, vanilla and topped with fruit cake crumble, paired with the Commemorative Ale. The beer and food became a rich combination of vanilla, spice, dark fruits and sweat pear. I’m not going to lie, I slurped the juice off the plate and I’m not ashamed to admit it… and I would do it again too.

Finally, we tasted three of the Baird Brewery beers, the Jubilation, Saison Sayuri and Morning Coffee Stout. I’m constantly impressed with the Baird beers and trying all of these for the first time was a real treat. By that point in the evening it was quite late, people were starting to drift away and we began wearily eyeing off the three big bottles, knowing we probably wouldn’t get through them all. That changed fairly quickly and much to my regret (this morning), we finished them off with enough time to have a quick chat to Steve, who is looking forward to getting more craft beers to add to Deco’s small, but great lineup.

If I was to make some points about the evening, I will say that while we definitely got our money’s worth, I do think the serving portions of the food weren’t substantial enough for an event that started at 7pm and kept going until after 11 (was advertised to finish at 9). Drinking 6 beers with higher than average abv is dangerous for any beer drinker and while the food was fantastic, there just needed to be more of it. So little food, with a late finish, meant my 5.30am start this morning was a little rough, to say the least.

As a whole, some great beers, delicious food and discovering a new place that I can get a quality beer means the night was an enjoyable one. The day after however, not so fun.

One such institution that has recently jumped on the craft beer bandwagon is the Oak Barrel bottle shop in Sydney. Located just a short walk from Hyde Park in the heart of the CBD, the Oak Barrel has been firmly established as an independent liquor stalwart since its inception in 1956. Distinguishing itself in the market by stocking shelf space with more esoteric wine and spirit options, as well as hosting regular events to educate palates, the store now boasts an impressive selection of craft beers and ciders from around the world. And, like craft beer proliferation in general, their dedicated beer shelf space is continuing to grow.

“It was a natural progression for us,” Oak Barrel’s self-proclaimed ‘beer and cider guy’ Ian Chainey tells me.

As a fiercely independent purveyor of artisanal spirits and wine, craft beer was simply the next step for the business.

“A handful of our wine distributors will also have a beer or two in their portfolio, so we made the connection through that. But once you’ve opened the door a little way, you look in and say sh*t, there is so much beer out there,” Chainey says.

When I visited the Oak Barrel for the first time back in February, their craft beer wall consisted of about four shelves featuring regular line-up brews from a handful of local breweries and a couple from interstate. Now the craft beer wall has expanded to fill upwards of four entire racks of shelves, with breweries from New Zealand, the US and Japan amply represented; and more on the way.

“Since we started in January, I’ve drunk probably more beer than I ever have before,” Chainey says with a grin, citing a couple of bigger stouts as his favourites as the weather starts to turn colder.

To commemorate their growing appreciation of the craft beer segment, the Oak Barrel will be hosting their first ever Craft Beer and Cider Fair on Saturday May 26. The fair will feature exhibitors from breweries and cideries across Australia and New Zealand, as well as food options and some discounted pricing on featured products.

The layout of the store serves such events well, and the beer and cider fair will slot naturally into other such tastings and festivals that have garnered the store a loyal following of local fans. Beyond the typical bottle-filled shelves and fridges out the front that make the Oak Barrel seem like any other liquor store, there is ample storage and office space behind, as well as a sizeable dedicated tasting room, which will act as the main event space for the fair.

Chainey says he is yet to work out the final layout for the fair, but he hopes the event will give people a chance to try a few new things as well as talk to dedicated brewery reps about their range and the brewing process in general. He will also be setting up a ‘chill-out’ space with standing barrels set up so people can mingle and have a chat over a beer or two.

To me, the Oak Barrel’s move into craft beer is a positive thing in so many ways. Not only is it a signal of the growing demand for good beer in the market, but it also goes another step towards legitimising craft beer, by placing it alongside well-established liquor varieties and taking it partially out of the exclusive realm of dedicated enthusiasts. There is, of course, no reason why good quality produce shouldn’t stand side-by-side in any good store or bar already, although some naysayers would have us believe that there still exists a divide between beer and the upper alcohol echelons occupied by wine and refined spirits.

The Craft Beer & Cider Fair is a great opportunity for Sydneysiders to show their support for the Oak Barrel’s new venture, as well as sample and pick up some great quality beer.

Entry to the fair costs $35 ($25 for store members) and can be booked via craftbeerandcider.com. Once inside, samples will be offered free, in responsible serving sizes.

John Kelly’s Cowboy

The Belgo (Bell-jo) is light bodied, finishes dry and presents with a bright copper colour. The lively aromatics are a seamless integration of yeast and hop character creating notes of pepper and stone fruit. A delicately textured malt background balances the Belgian yeast tartness and snappy hop bitterness.

‘Craft beer drinkers love high alcohol and excessively bitter beers, and we have decided to focus on neither. Belgo delivers texture and flavor, without the super-hero attitude, so you can drink more than one’, says Head Brewer Owen Johnston.

In keeping with Moo Brew’s artistic labels, John Kelly’s Cowboy is used as the bottle label. Kelly’s Cowboy is the 6th and final artwork in Moo Brew’s collection.

Moo Brew is Tasmania’s largest locally owned and operated brewery with a range of beers which now includes Pale Ale, Pilsner, Hefeweizen, Dark Ale, Belgo and an extensive range of seasonal releases.

www.moobrew.com.au

I come from Queensland, arguably the most backward state in terms of good beer in Australia. Things have been changing, just not quickly enough.

However, what we make up for in quantity is more than made up in quality and three of our finest have headed down to Melbourne and Good Beer Week to pit their best against the best of the rest in the Pint of Origin.

Burleigh Brewing, Bacchus Brewing and 4 Hearts Brewing have all taken over the taps at Collingwood’s Baden Powell Hotel and Victorians are in for a few surprises.

As our largest brewery, Burleigh Brewing would already be well know to many. Their 28 Pale Ale is highly regarded as a very drinkable, well balanced American Pale Ale. The brewery has won many awards for its beer, most recently taking the gold medal at the World Beer Cup for their HEF, which will also be on show.

Burleigh is joined by 4 Hearts Brewing’s first foray south, taking their 4 Degrees Pale Ale which and the Summer Wheat, both of which featured in the Local Taphouse’s Hottest 100 this year despite only having been available in Queensland. These beers will be joined by 4 hearts’ IPA, Wein Lager and Coal Miners Stout.

The third and final Queensland brewery is Bacchus Brewing. Unknown to many, this little brewery is making a big noise in Queensland creating some well crafted but incredibly flavoured craft beers. Two of the most highly regarded will be featuring on the takeover and, I think, could easily be the sleeper hits of Good Beer Week amongst those lucky enough to try them. Red Belly Black is a Black IPA that is full, balanced and complex while Bacchus’ Rum Barrel Baltic Porter is a rich Baltic porter that has been aged for a month on cocoa nibs in fresh rum barrels.

Between the selection on offer you have beers for the session and beers to get you talking.

The Baden Powell’s Pint of Origin takeover will last all week with Wednesday night seeing most of the brewers in attendance.

www.badenpowellhotel.com