The Crafty Pint has been around a while (I realised while recording an interview earlier that today is actually 14 years to the day since the full site went live) but we're still not as old as Back Of The Ferry, a beer blog started in 2009 by mates who enjoyed beers together on the back of the Manly Ferry. Founders Patrick and Mick have since "inducted" more than 150 people to their club and, arguably more impressively, just clocked up their 10,000th unique check-in on Untappd after starting a joint account back in 2011 – the same year we featured them on this site.
For such a momumental moment, they even got their own beer: Dad & Dave's brewed the 10K XPA with them, which they checked in at a party at the Northern Beaches brewpub with friends and family. Over the years, many check-ins have been shared, while of those they've logged solo, Patrick reckons he's slightly ahead. He also tells me they're aware of three other Aussies who've passed 10,000 unique check-ins; rather sweetly, they only know of each other by their Untappd handles (michael young, Duffman and Anna if you're curious).
When asked if there had been any standout beers along the way (other than the 10,000th), Patrick said: "Any check-in on the #worldsbestcommute is special, and we celebrate each 1,000 with mates, but last year Mick and I were in France. We fortuitously came across a brewery near Dijon. The brewer looked quizzically at me as I photographed my beer and the taphead and asked what I was doing.
"I explained Untappd and he just shook his head. Later he sent me an email saying he’d looked us up. 'You two have drunk a lot of beer!'
"The beer was great, but the experience of being in a foreign land and enjoying the universal passion of craft beer was special."
For those asking, check-in one was Coopers Pale – on the back of the ferry, of course. As for the 10,000th, the XPA pours clear as you like, unlike many a hazier XPA of today, and keeps any maltiness stowed away in the hold. This is all about hops – dank, resinous, a little herbaceous, some gooseberry, and most definitely bitter by today’s standards. Perhaps that's a nod to the pale ales they’d have tasted in their first few hundred check-ins, or maybe a case of going off with a bang.
Either way, here's to the next 10,000, guys!
James Smith
Published August 29, 2024 2024-08-29 00:00:00
