Beer Jervis Bay Rainbird Dark Lager

When the days start growing longer and warmer, many Aussie brewers pack away their roasted malts and won’t pull them out again until the following winter. So, if you’re partial to a dark beer, you’ve got to appreciate a brewery that brings out a crisp dark lager in the lead up to summer.

While it’s almost black, showing just a glint of maple syrup red around the edges, this beer has the lightness you’re looking for on a hot day. It offers up roast and coffee notes and an earthiness like when you dig your hands into dark, fertile soil. (That’s right, I’m an occasional gardener – form an orderly queue, all ye suitors.) But the flavours are gentle, carried along by an easy body so you don’t need to wait for a chilly night to enjoy this dark beauty.

Mick Wust