I’m leaning over the BBQ. It’s a scorching 29°C in Hobart – heat wave conditions for a native Tasmanian. Suddenly, I’ve got a thirst that desperately needs quenching. I open my fridge and smiling back at me is a beautiful berry-adorned can – part of Shambles Brewery’s series of berry-laden sours.
This time, however, they haven’t selected just one juicy fruit, they’ve gone berry-bonkers. Boasting the three b’s of berries, this sour is packed with blackberries, blueberries and blackcurrants from Tassie’s premier berry provider, Westerway Farm.
Hastily cracking the can as the sweat dips from my brow, I watch as it pours a rich purple hue. The scarlet head doesn’t have time to fade before I bring the glass to my mouth, taking in a sweet fragrance that I can’t attribute to a single berry. It’s tart, sour and sweet – all the hallmarks you expect from a bowl of fresh berries - and the subtleness of the Philly Sour yeast allows the berries to do all the talking. But it’s also remarkably balanced, with no single berry taking the spotlight, as they perform in unison with zing on the stage that is your tongue. Think less John Mayer Trio and more Beastie Boys.
Matt Fielding
Published November 27, 2024 2024-11-27 00:00:00
