Supporting Independent Breweries

[Weizguy]

QLD is a special case in that no one can open a bottle shop without first having a hotel and the hotel license.

Damn, that sucks.

Shouldn't we be buying beers straight from the Micros then? Isn't buying Micros from Dans totally wrong?

Or is it okay to support Micros and the Coles/Woollies duoploy?

Or should I just make a hefe using all german ingredients at home for $2 a sixpack?

WOW! You're importing German water for your Braumeister? and making beer for $2 per sixer?

Outstanding!

 

[Nick JD]

WOW! You're importing German water for your Braumeister? and making beer for $2 per sixer?

Outstanding!

My water becomes German because I stir it with a Nazi helmet. And I drew a BMW symbol on my 19L pot.

But seriously, a 20L batch of Hefeweizen using Weyermann Malts, Hallertau and 3068 is a buck a liter.

If I add in labour it's $10,000 per liter. I don't get out of bed in the morning for less.

 

[drew9242]

Well I grabbed a hawthorn pale, hawthorn amber and Jamiesons pale.

Only had the pale tonight but was a decent beer. Bit perfumey for my tastes but certainly nice.

Two local (to me) breweries I rate quite highly are mountain goat and Temple Brewing Company, temple especially. Hawthorn is also very local, particularly now I've moved eastward.

I would rate the temple brewrey highly as well. Great selection of European beers and of the greatest standard when I was there last. I would deffiently be going for the team ride again worth every minute. Unfortunately I can't be in Melbourne to often.
On topic I love going out to brewery's here and buying pints on tap. However I don't normally buy bottled beer. I just love fresh tap beer.

 

[Snow]

Snow,

in theory it's a great idea.

However, i suspect (could very well be wrong, and will gladly admit it if proven) that if the beer industry is anything like the fruit and veg industries, a lot of micros might have contracts drawn up by Coles/Woolies stating that they are limited when it comes to supplying other retail outlets not owned by the duopoly.
This contract guarantees that the big boys will buy product, which the micro's would love as it to a certain extent guarantees some income, but the downside is that the price they will purchase product from the micros for is very low. Trade off.

As i said, i could very easily be misguided with this, but i know it happens in other industries that are controlled by the two major's, so i would expect some level of similarity with beverages.

Yeah you're probably right about a few of them, but I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of Aussie micros are just running along by themselves and would love to send you beer. Personally, I've bought beer this way from Murrays, Bacchus, SCB, Stone and Wood, just to name a few.

Another way to get good Aussie micros is to buy them online through craftbeer suppliers like Beer Cartel and Beer Masons.

Cheers - Snow

 

[Stagwa]

True - Commodores are way more expensive than Mercedes Benz.

Chalk and Cheese there mate :lol:

They can't be that different, they both get driven by wankers....

 

[WarmBeer]

They can't be that different, they both get driven by wankers....

I drive a Commodore and I masturbate regularly. Theory confirmed.

 

[Jay Cee]

The interest in craft beer is growing at a fantastic rate, with new independent bars opening in major cities, some regular pubs stocking lines they would never dream of a few years ago, and retailer such as Dan Murphey's carrying a notable range. The big players are well aware of this growth, and obviously they want the sector's market share. Which is why James Squire is being pushed so heavily this year, Fat Yak is pouring from many taps, and the megabreweries are eyeing off the acquisition of the indies. And let's face it, most people have their price over a sense of industry integrity.

Your average convert doesn't know the difference between the business structure of White Rabbit vs. Four Pines, Little Creatures vs. Murrays, and they will be attracted to the availability & price of these alleged 'craft' offerings (ie those owned by the majors). So while we are living in exciting times as beer lovers, I speculate that within two years we will see a few biig names in the scene suffer at the hands of corporate dominance.

In the American documentary "Beer Wars", the retail shelves are discussed, and the big players who demand the shelf exposure will offer their products in multiple, arguable pointless formats, so each 'line' is taking up space. BUd Light might release their product in a cabn six pack, a bottle six pack, a 10 pack, a 24 carton, and a 30 carton. The result is that for a 12ft x 6ft segment, ALL the consumer sees is the Bud Light branding. Do the same with regular Bud, Millers, a few megacraft lines, and very quickly a little micro with a 6-pack presence easily gets buried under Goliath.

The big players can afford to reduce their profit margin. Hell, they have even been known to release 'loss leaders' simply to gain market share against their major competition. What chance does an indie have if both Lion & Fosters decided to sell thir 'craft' beer range at $12 a six pack? My local shop sells Aussie micros for $25-$30 a six pack. While *I* have no qualms about the premium pricetag, this will be a deciding factor for many consumers.

 

[tricache]

They can't be that different, they both get driven by wankers....

I drive a Commodore and I masturbate regularly. Theory confirmed.

:lol: :lol:

 

[Mike L'Itorus]

My water becomes German because I stir it with a Nazi helmet. And I drew a BMW symbol on my 19L pot.

But seriously, a 20L batch of Hefeweizen using Weyermann Malts, Hallertau and 3068 is a buck a liter.

If I add in labour it's $10,000 per liter. I don't get out of bed in the morning for less.

But you get in bed with the nearest sailor for about threefiddy.

 

[Paul H]

I drive a Commodore and I masturbate regularly. Theory confirmed.

Yeah that was confirmed on Myth Busters a couple of years ago...

:icon_cheers:

Paul

 

[bum]

I seem to recall the nut of that episode being determined as "busted"?

 

[tricache]

I seem to recall the nut of that episode being determined as "busted"?

I think its plausible...since repeating the experiment took a good 3 hour nap :lol:

 

[shaunous]

Well I quite enjoy HEF, apparently world class judges also enjoy a good HEF?

Link 1

Link 2

Well I went down this morning and grabbed another 6er of HEF, and i'm tasting one right now, MUCH BETTER.



I got myself a bad batch a couple of months ago it seems. If I were any normal beer drinker not associated with this site or home brewing in general you probably wouldnt have given it a second chance.

 

[Steve@PMF82]

I got myself a bad batch a couple of months ago it seems. If I were any normal beer drinker not associated with this site or home brewing in general you probably wouldnt have given it a second chance.

THIS.

Probably one of the biggest pitfalls, bad batch, bad handling yada yada, i have heard it from the mouths of babes, i bet many here have as well.

"SAVY" consumers have one bad experience and judge the whole lot.

 

[Nick JD]

THIS.

Probably one of the biggest pitfalls, bad batch, bad handling yada yada, i have heard it from the mouths of babes, i bet many here have as well.

"SAVY" consumers have one bad experience and judge the whole lot.

Still, it really hurts them - which sucks.

I got a bad batch of 4 Pines Kolsch, and got a free 6 pack from them - where I got to taste their stout, which I still buy (it's a freakin great beer) but the "once bitten" thing has got me on their Kolsch, even though I've tasted it FRESH and with no bottling issues. Someone said it was fermented with US05, so I realised it was more marketing than beer appreciation.

Bottling is a real thorn in the side of Aussie Micros. Question is, why? WTF are they doing wrong?

My last bottle of Burleigh Hefe was a little bland after the German hefes I drank alongside it. I was sad about that considering it was more expensive than the Germans. And it won awards. It's led me to wonder if it's the pasteurisation or something of the German hefes that gives them a better shelf life (since the primary yeast is long gone and the lager yeast in them is dead)?

I've experienced America and NZ's Mirco scenes and I'm just not getting anything even close to them here.

Looking forward to trying Burleigh's new IPA. The 28 Pale Ale was nice, but I'm not writing home about it.

 

[shaunous]

Looking forward to trying Burleigh's new IPA. The 28 Pale Ale was nice, but I'm not writing home about it.

With you on that one?



Seems a copy of another beer, I cant remember what, It may be Fat Yak. But its been a few camping trips back since I tried it... Fancy label though...

 

[WarmBeer]

Yeah that was confirmed on Myth Busters a couple of years ago...

:icon_cheers:

Paul

OT, but chortle-worthy:

 

[bignath]

chortled.

out loud, unashamedly..

 

[MHB]

Im not the only one who thinks we have it good in Newcastle
Beer and Brewer
Well done and thank you to Murrays, The Albion and Warners at the Bay for helping to make craft brewing so much fun and so accessible.
Mark

 

[Jay Cee]

Went to Warners recently, and walked out with this booty.

Reckon there's enough Aussie brews in there to keep the OP happy, and even a couple of NZ offerings to keep our brothers across the ditch employed, and not invading our fine land :lol:

Does anyone know if there's transport from Murray's brewery in Bob's Farm to Anna Bay's caravan parks? I'm always let down when I go there because I can only have a couple of beers due to driving, and my designated driver is on an 'all-or-nothing' licence restriction. Sure, there's the Manly bar, but the original location is so nice to chill out.

I'm def. catching the iron horse up to Newcastle to visit the Albion this summer. The number of taps & bottled beer looks superb.