Craft/micro Beer 'explosion' In Oz

[waggastew]

OK, not an explosion but maybe a Craft/Micro beer 'inflation/expansion'

Just looked at the current taps on at the Local Taphouse in Sydney. Of the 20 beers on tap, only three were from OS! Of the 17 Oz beers I have only tasted 2, Coopers and Alpha Pales. I can't see how anyone can think that our micro/craft scene is crap? Sure, they may not all be amazing beers but for a country with 20 million people, spread to the four corners of a huge continent, and mostly megaswill drinker I think we're doing alright!

PS. I think this is only going to do good things for HB too with more people wanting to start making good beer. Everyone needs to be patient with the inevitable airlock bubbling/bottle bombs/brewing at 35degC questions though!

 

[peas_and_corn]

A lot of 'micros' are owned by LN, CUB or Coke.

 

[Paul H]

OK, not an explosion but maybe a Craft/Micro beer 'inflation/expansion'

Just looked at the current taps on at the Local Taphouse in Sydney. Of the 20 beers on tap, only three were from OS! Of the 17 Oz beers I have only tasted 2, Coopers and Alpha Pales. I can't see how anyone can think that our micro/craft scene is crap? Sure, they may not all be amazing beers but for a country with 20 million people, spread to the four corners of a huge continent, and mostly megaswill drinker I think we're doing alright!

PS. I think this is only going to do good things for HB too with more people wanting to start making good beer. Everyone needs to be patient with the inevitable airlock bubbling/bottle bombs/brewing at 35degC questions though!

Come up to Qld Stew & see what is available. Agree with your sentiments but the availability up here is very ordinary indeed..

:icon_cheers:

Paul

 

[Bribie G]

And with the castration of the Platform Bar, getting even more ordinary. There's also the thing in Queensland that beer is not for quaffing - it's for guzzling after a hot day - most Tradies etc in Queensland drink xxxx Gold - imagine big muscley hairy men standing around doing their boofy-boy banter and waving 3.5% ABV beers in their Neanderthal fists and imagine that they are true beer drinkers. About sums it up.
They would be better off drinking Midori Coolers.

 

[bum]

beer is not for quaffing - it's for guzzling

Bit pedantic up that way, are we?

 

[beerbrewer76543]

There is a pretty good beer culture here in WA and it is growing too. We have quite a few micros around the place and some pubs getting behind the beer culture such as the Sail and Anchor, the Norfolk, The Malt Bar down south and Clancys fish pubs

Up here in Karratha the tap beer selection is a bit average but most pubs have a pretty good choice of bottled beers. One pub even has Weihenstephan Hefeweizen available at the bar! :icon_drool2:

 

[DanRayner]

A lot of 'micros' are owned by LN, CUB or Coke.

Waggastew wasn't really talking about Malt Shovel, Matilda Bay, Cascade, Boag's or Blue Tongue. Of the Aussie beers on tap at the Local Taphouse other than Alpha none are really anything to do with LN, CUB or Coke.

Stone & Wood may be partly owned by LC and LC in turn is partly owned by LN but LN doesn't have any kind of controlling share in these breweries.

 

[Bribie G]

Bit pedantic up that way, are we?

quaff: to drink heartily with gusto
guzzle: to drink greedily or habitually

You'd have to drink greedily to get pissed as they do on 3.5%. Quaffing just wouldn't get you there. Off to quaff some 6% right now :icon_drunk:

 

[bum]

So that's a 'yes' then?

 

[Bribie G]

A qualified yes, depending on your definitions of quaffing and guzzling of course.

 

[Northside Novice]

And with the castration of the Platform Bar, getting even more ordinary. There's also the thing in Queensland that beer is not for quaffing - it's for guzzling after a hot day - most Tradies etc in Queensland drink xxxx Gold - imagine big muscley hairy men standing around doing their boofy-boy banter and waving 3.5% ABV beers in their Neanderthal fists and imagine that they are true beer drinkers. About sums it up.
They would be better off drinking Midori Coolers.

thats a bit rude bribie .

 

[peas_and_corn]

Waggastew wasn't really talking about Malt Shovel, Matilda Bay, Cascade, Boag's or Blue Tongue. Of the Aussie beers on tap at the Local Taphouse other than Alpha none are really anything to do with LN, CUB or Coke.

Stone & Wood may be partly owned by LC and LC in turn is partly owned by LN but LN doesn't have any kind of controlling share in these breweries.

Well, it's hard to tell what beers he was referencing, as he named none.

 

[Bribie G]

thats a bit rude bribie .

Have lived next door to a few of them, I used to scatter XXXX heavy empties on their lawn (where they used to have their mass beer-ups twice a week after work) and they would look accusingly at each other to see who was the traitor :blink:

 

[waggastew]

Sorry, here is the list to clarify. Would love to work my way down the list!

 

[peas_and_corn]

Ahh, that clarifies things. Nice list, though I still prefer the Wheatie

 

[WSC]

Also I think you need more than one bar to qualify as an explosion.

Agree about Qld 100%.

Every now and then the rumour kicks off in Brissy about a taphouse opening up.

 

[waggastew]

I did qualify the 'explosion' as being more like an 'expansion'. I guess i just see more and more good beer options around and alot more interest. Even some of my megaswill mates are starting to see that $10 a pint for the good stuff is better than $5 for schmiddy of Tooheys. Here are some more examples:

1. One of our local pubs in Port Macquarie having Coopers Vintage on tap, not a craft beer but not megaswill either. We also have two craft breweries (Wicked Elf and Black Duck) in a town of only 60,000.

2. The Markets Hotel in Flemington, Sydney (not a yuppie area) have a hop festival with the following brands on tap - Black Duck Brewery, Ekim Brewing Co., Bad Lands, 4 Pines, Happy Goblin, Hunter Beer Co., Lord Nelson, Mountain Ridge, Mudgee Brewing Co., Murray's Craft Brewing Co.,
St Peters & Paddy's Brewery.

3. The Good Living section in Tuesday's Sydney Morning Herald has a section dedicated to interesting Oz beer

Also need to remember that 13 years ago I worked in a big bottle shop in Sydney and the most adventurous beer we sold was imported Heineken and Dogbolter!

 

[azrebb]

Come up to Qld Stew & see what is available. Agree with your sentiments but the availability up here is very ordinary indeed..

:icon_cheers:

Paul

Working on fixing that on the Sunshine Coast at least...

 

[Bribie G]

"Black Duck Brewery, Ekim Brewing Co., Bad Lands, 4 Pines, Happy Goblin, Hunter Beer Co., Lord Nelson, Mountain Ridge, Mudgee Brewing Co., Murray's Craft Brewing Co.,
St Peters & Paddy's Brewery."

Local to your area, wish they were available in Brisbane to try. Apart from Murray's, Lord Nelson and St Peters I've never heard of any of them, and only know about LN and St P because a hobby is photographing terrace houses so I've been around the Rocks and Newtown where they are very much a local hidden secret. Maybe "Reporting a local Craft/micro Beer explosion in Central Sydney" could be a more accurate thread title.

 

[waggastew]

What a bummer about Brisvegas and QLD! Any thoughts as to why its not doing the crafty beer thing? Too many Victorian retirees drinking Toohey's Gold Can 30 packs? Too much nice weather where the thought of slaving over a hot mash tun is unpalatable? Too busy training up future all-conquering State of Origin teams?