New Beers
There has never been a time like now: more breweries releasing more new beers than ever before. Here, in The Crafty Cuppa, and in our weekly newsletter, we'll bring you details – and, if we've sampled them, our honest, independent take – on as many of them as possible. Enjoy!
The Wheaty SchwartzHopf
Published June 17, 2013
To mark 10 years as a venue many knowledgeable types will tell you is the best beer bar in Oz, the ladies at The Wheaty headed south to Moo Brew for a three-way collaboration with two of their favourite breweries / stalking victims: Moo and Mountain Goat. They took over the older, smaller of the two Moo breweries and set about creating a hoppy, black pilsner. The thinking behind it, according to the Wheatsters, was: "No 10% ABV, 10 Malts, 10 Hop additions, 100 IBU business for us in our 10th… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Black Pilsner
- ABV
- 5.8%
- Bitterness
- 60 IBU
- Stockists
Moo Brew Seasonal Stout 2013
Published June 13, 2013
On a tour of Moo's brewery just before it became operational, head brewer OJ was at his most animated when showing off the waste water treatment system. This isn't to say he has any unpleasant foibles, more that he's a real technician when it comes to brewing, someone fascinated by the finest of details and determined to turn out clean, tight beers. It explains why everything that comes out of the Tassie brewery tends to be so immaculate and of a consistency the big breweries would admire - even… Read more
Black
- Style
- Stout
- ABV
- 8.0%
- Stockists
-
On selected taps from June 13
Check out the Moo Store Locator [here](http://moobrew.com.au/store-locator?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Moo+Brew+2013+Seasonal&utm_content=Moo+Brew+2013+Seasonal+CID_849c62c98e3c66c0e3d053a8e4f87ba9&utm_source=Campaign%20M
Colonial Gary The White
Published June 12, 2013
It's fair to say that Team America is a pretty popular film at Crafty Towers. The Pint family calls each other Gary in honour of the film's hero, Mrs Pint bought the soundtrack and discovered with glee that there are extra verses to many of the film's songs and, almost a decade on from its release, it's quite terrifying how much of the phraseology around the house can be traced back to the film too. So any beer that also takes its name from Mr Johnston and lifts quotes from the film in its tasting… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- White Stout
- ABV
- 7.0%
- Stockists
-
The Royal
Print Hall
Raffle
More stockists...
Bridge Road Bar Series: New Sydney Best Little Elixir In Town
Published June 12, 2013
The Bridge Road Bar Series rolls on and keeps on taking stylistic lurches all over the place. It's a reminder of just how much variety there is in the beer world these days and how different folks have vastly different passions. Stepping up to the oche this time is the crew from Hobart's awesome New Sydney Hotel and, continuing the unnecessary darts metaphor, they've chosen a style that would have been to the liking of The Crafty Pint's rotund, booze-lovin' childhood hero Jocky Wilson: an imperial… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Imperial Pilsner
- ABV
- 7.7%
- Stockists
-
Norfolk Hotel ( Fremantle)
Archive (Brisbane)
[The Wheaty](/beer/ba
More stockists...
Red Duck Jupiter
Published June 11, 2013
WE have a sneaky suspicion that Ballarat brewery Red Duck is after setting some kind of record this year by attempting to release the most beers commercially in one year in Australia. They'll have a challenge on their hands given the number pumped out by Queensland's Bacchus on their multi-brewhouse setup. But if you keep it confined to bottle releases, surely Red Duck has it hands down. The Jupiter is one of the more esoteric releases from Red Duck, even by their standards. It's a strong porter… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Barrel-aged Porter
- ABV
- 6.8%
- Awards
Slowbeer
Purvis Cellars
McCoppins
Press Cellars
Blackhearts & Sparrows
Swords Select
Olinda Cellars
Mountain Goat / Henry Wagons PB & J
Published June 11, 2013
When The Crafty Pint asked Henry Wagons about the inspiration for creating a peanut butter and jelly beer, he told us it was part of his current love affair with food that is "conceptually sick, but goes down easily. We are talking American obscene classics such as the bacon maple donut, the Korean burrito or bacon and egg waffle cone." Thus it was that on the brew day for his beer that was first tapped at the Yarra Pub during Good Beer Week, the Goat brew crew watched as, for the first… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Nut and Lolly Ale
- ABV
- 4.8%
- Bitterness
- 24 IBU
- Stockists
-
Yarra Pub, Abbotsford
Some Velvet Morning
Steyne, Manly
Others TBC
More stockists...
Red Hill Hop Harvest 2013
Published June 10, 2013
The fruits of Red Hill's annual hop-picking day is a beer based on the traditional ESB - or Extra Special Bitter - style from the UK. Thus, while it is the showcase for the freshly picked hops from their own hop farm, lovingly and sweatily plucked by the owners and their friends one March weekend, it's also a pretty malt-driven beer. Cloudy copper brown to look at, the aroma is as much toffee and nuts as it is hoppy, with the fresh Willamette and Goldings hops coming to bear more in the mouth. There… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Fresh hop ESB
- ABV
- 6.0%
Mountain Goat / Mick Thomas Eastern Brown
Published June 10, 2013
As a home brewer of many years and, more recently, one of the publicans involved in the Yarra Hotel in Abbotsford, Mick Thomas of Weddings, Parties, Anything was the perfect fit for this year's Good Beer Week Rockstar Brews. And, when hooking up with Goat, he had plenty of ideas about the beer he was after. A fan of darker brews, he opted for an English style Brown Ale, with the result being the Eastern Brown. For the most part, it's a sensible beer, at least when compared to the Wagons' PB&J:… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Spiced English Brown Ale
- ABV
- 4.8%
- Bitterness
- 20 IBU
- Stockists
-
Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford
Brother Burger, Fitzroy
Wayside Inn, South Melbourne
Others TBC
More stockists...
Holgate Beelzebub's Jewels 2013
Published June 7, 2013
The team at Holgate Brewhouse releases plenty of beers year round that require careful nurturing and nudge at the boundaries of what beer can be. But there's nothing in their roster quite like the Beelzebub's Jewels. First released in 2010, when it was based on their Double Trouble - given a boost inside some Curly Flats pinot noir barrels - it's since been enhanced, starting from a brand new recipe in 2011, with refinements and lengthier periods in barrels ever since. The changes were obviously… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Barrel Aged Belgian Strong Ale
- ABV
- 12.5%
- Stockists
-
Draft
Belgian Beer Cafe Eureka
Archive, West End
Botttles
More stockists...
Moon Dog / Kissmeyer Nordic Saddle Buffer
Published June 4, 2013
In the year or so since he was in Australia to judge at the 2012 Australian International Beer Awards and brew with a number of local brewers, we've come to understand well the modus operandi of Danish gypsy brewer Anders Kissmeyer when it comes to collaborations. He rocks up, turns on his laptop and smokes rollies and pipes all day and a few weeks or months later a beer appears. Thankfully, it would appear the Master Brewer has such skills that even by his mere presence in a brewery some pretty… Read more
Rich Brown
- Style
- Barleywine
- ABV
- 14.6%
- Stockists
-
Deja Vu
[The Local Taphouse St Kilda](/beer/bar/local-taphouse-st-kild
More stockists...
Hargreaves Hill / Bodebrown Lupolado Bock
Published June 3, 2013
Last year, a travelling Tasmanian beer blogger who had written a piece for The Crafty Pint before setting off around the world called in to Bodebrown, a small craft brewery in southern Brazil. They'd recently won the Best New Exhibitor title at the 2012 Australian International Beer Awards and made Adam feel at home, so much so he suggested we get in touch with them about this year's Good Beer Week. We did, they came, they had fun, so did everyone that met them, and they've left behind a beer brewed… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Hop Bock
- ABV
- 6.4%
- Stockists
Red Duck The Grizzly
Published June 3, 2013
When Red Duck's Ugly Duckling first appeared, people scratched their heads: "A braggot? What's that?" It was Australia's first commercially released braggot, a beer style with origins in Medieval Britain that is a blend of a mead and a strong ale. The Ugly Duckling was a very high ABV and unusual beer, but one that has ended up heralding a series of braggots from the Ballarat brewer, from those featuring buckwheat to highly honeyed versions. The Grizzly is, by our reckoning, the fourth… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Belgian Braggot
- ABV
- 12.2%
- Stockists
-
Press Cellars
Swords Select
Olinda Cellars
More stockists...
Young Henrys GBW 2013 Rockstar Brews
Published May 26, 2013
During Newcastle Craft Beer Week, The Crafty Pint was sharing a late night whisky with Young Henrys founder Richard Adamson when the idea was hatched for him to bring his rockstar brewing collaboration concept to Melbourne for Good Beer Week 2013. Thus it was that six months later My Dynamite, Front End Loader and Hell City Glamours (featuring Young Henrys brewer Oscar) took to the stage at the city's iconic Cherry Bar to launch three beers they'd created with the Newtown brewery. While the bands… Read more
Black
- Style
- Rock n Roll!
- ABV
- Various
- Stockists
-
Contact Young Henrys direct for stockists
Two Birds Taco Beer
Published May 24, 2013
We clearly remember our first meeting with Two Birds Taco. The Crafty team had just walked into the Royal Exhibition Building for the opening session of the 2013 Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular and chosen the ten beers we'd put on our first pair of paddles. Nick O returned and declared: "I've changed one of them and gone for Two Birds Taco instead." Given it was a beer that seemed to have been brewed as much for the comedy value inherent in the title as anything else – and contained… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Fruit Beer?
- ABV
- 5.2%
- Bitterness
- 28 IBU
- Awards
Gold Medal - NZ Brewers Guild Awards 2014
Champion Specialty Beer - Craft Beer Awards 2014
- Stockists
-
Available nationwide
3 Ravens / Boneyard / Mash Crematorium
Published May 22, 2013
The Yeastie Boys and Tasmania's Seven Sheds may have released 100 per cent peated malt beers but this may take the prize for the beer with the most diverse range of smoked elements in the history of beer. A join project between 3 Ravens, Mash Brewing (who rescued 3 Ravens when it looked like they could be lost last year) and Boneyard Brewing (the spin-off from Josie Bones that brews at 3 Ravens) it's got smoked malts, smoked hops and smoked tea (thanks to a dry tea-bagging process). Inspired by Mash… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Smoked Strong Ale
- ABV
- 8.0%
- Bitterness
- 41 IBU
- Stockists
Stone & Wood Stone Beer
Published May 16, 2013
For a bunch of brewers on the cutting edge of the modern Australian brewing scene, the guys at Stone & Wood don't mind taking inspiration from Marsellus Wallace once in a while. Well, once in a year, to be precise. As that's when they invite friends and family to their Byron Bay and "get Medieval on your arse". Well, not your arse so much as a bunch of volcanic rocks that co-founder and head brewer Brad Rogers has been lugging around since his days brewing in Fiji. They're heated in… Read more
Dark Brown
- Style
- Stone Beer
- ABV
- 7.2%
- Stockists
-
Check out Stone & Wood's Beer Finder for your nearest stockist.
As well as the standard 500ml bottles, Stone & Wood are also selling 'vintage packs' which consist of a 500ml swing-top, ceramic bottle and a sta
Bridge Road Australian Ale - RETIRED
Published May 15, 2013
Ben's first beer under the Bridge Road banner remains an accessible starting point to his range. A balance of sweet malt and hop flavours give way to a slightly fruity finish for an eminently sessionable beer.… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Golden Ale
- ABV
- 4.4%
Clout Stout 2010/11/12
Published May 15, 2013
Despite the fact that well under 1,000 bottles of this have been released each year since it first appeared to mark Nail's tenth anniversary of brewing in 2011, it's probably the beer that has brought most attention onto the brewery in recent years. It's an imperial stout that's got progressively bigger each year and one that retails at $70 a pop for a 750ml. Such a price point means the beer is open to serious scrutiny and it's scrutiny to which the beer has held up magnificently, collecting trophies… Read more
Black
- Style
- Imperial Stout
- ABV
- 10.79%
Mornington Peninsula Belgian Pale
Published May 15, 2013
AG's going easy on old Crafty these days. Where once the Mornington Peninsula brewer would crank out another new beer with his team every couple of days, he's been taking things at a more sedate pace recently. That said, with such a vast range already on offer and a voracious and appreciative following, it's not as if they've not been kept busy. However, they're back this week with the second release in a Belgian trilogy. According to AG it's "Pouring a light amber hue with a tightly-packed… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Belgian Pale Ale
- ABV
- 6.2%
- Stockists
-
Spotted Mallard
Beer DeLuxe Hawthorn
Rosebud GPO
[Woodlands Hotel](/b
More stockists...
Mountain Goat FX Stout
Published May 10, 2013
It's usually around this time of the year that Mountain Goat rolls out its big guns, sorry, Bigfoot. But this year, there's a different kind of stout in town, namely the FX. Short for Foreign Extra, it's a beer that weighs in roughly midway between where their Surefoot and Bigfoot normally register on the ABV scale, measuring 6.7 per cent. It's smooth, rich, deeply dark and dangerously drinkable if you're into roasty, chocolatey affairs. Traditional in its design and gently warming too, it should… Read more
Black
- Style
- Foreign Extra Stout
- ABV
- 6.7%
