CoConspirators The Snitch Pale Ale

I lost count of just how many different characters CoConspirators have featured on their cans and decals long ago, but I'm pretty sure the label for their entry into the 2023 GABS Australian Invitational Packs is the first to be covered in rodents. If that seems like an odd approach for something they want you to put to your lips, there's good reason: the beer is called The Snitch, so presumably the cute little things are rats.

The liquid is a pale ale – familiar territory for the Brunswick-based team – in this case brewed with an all-US cast of Cashmere, Amarillo, Simcoe, Idaho 7 and Amarillo hops, plus some Vienna malt for a little colour and extra depth of malt sweetness. You can tell they've brewed plenty such beers before too as The Snitch is a cleanly-delivered pale with a modern fruity hop aroma, juicy orange to the fore, a nice texture and an appropriately semi-dry finish. Ratting on your mates rarely tasted so good.

James Smith