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!
Two Birds Warrior Woman 2023: Yuzu XPA
Published March 6, 2023
The 2023 Warrior Woman release from Two Birds is their fifth, but this one is a bit special as it's the last with brewing company co-founder Jayne Lewis at the helm as she prepares to head off on new adventures. And, as well as acting as a send-off of sorts for the trailblazing brewer, it's designed to celebrate other warrior women; there's a series of launch events around International Women's Day plus the chance to nominate the most inspirational women in your lives for the chance to win one of… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Yuzu XPA
- ABV
- 6.5%
Hargreaves Hill Fruit Ninja & Kenneth Son Of Zenith '23
Published March 6, 2023
When Hargreaves Hill's rep dropped by with samples of these two beers, I couldn't help but ask a question: "A strawberry and banana pancake smoothie sour. What does Simon make of that?". "He wasn't a fan of the idea," was the reply. And who can blame Simon, the man who founded the Yarra Valley brewery back in 2004 and who has always had a fondness and knack for classic beer styles done well. But, to quote The Jam*, "the public gets what the public wants"**, and if people… Read more
Red
- Style
- Smoothie Sour & Imperial IPA
- ABV
- 6.0% & 8.5%
KAIJU! Mutation Program: Dank Lord Vol.1 & The Situation
Published March 3, 2023
KAIJU!’s Mutation Program of limited releases has itself mutated, with the series getting a fresh new look. The new style comes courtesy of the design agency TRiC and taps into a healthy dose of sci-fi nostalgia with Tron, Isaac Asimov book covers, Stranger Things and Choose Your Own Adventure all where my mind went. So while they might not feature monsters or actual mutants, as these first two cans show, it's a look that remains unmistakably KAIJU-esque. In particular, #0012 couldn't be more of… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- West Coast IPA & Hazy Double IPA
- ABV
- 6.2% & 7.5%
Temple Brewing IWD DDH IPL
Published March 3, 2023
To celebrate International Women’s Day for 2023, the women who work at Melbourne’s Temple Brewing designed beer you don't often see, an IPL. But not just any India Pale Lager, either, this one was double dry-hopped with HBC 586, Amarillo and Mosaic.The recipe is Rachel Freeman’s, with the Temple brewer wanting to bring together some excellent American hops on a lean base. It’s certainly an excellent combination too, with fresh notes of pawpaw, pineapple and mandarin quite intense before being… Read more
Pale Yellow
- Style
- DDH IPL
- ABV
- 6.4%
Burnley Brewing x Bracket Forbidden Love & Missed Flight (with Seeker)
Published March 3, 2023
Burnley Brewing have been busy collaborating, with the Melbourne brewery inviting two NSW brewers down south for some very different Euro-inspired beers. Forbidden Love is a blood orange radler made with Sydney’s Bracket Brewing which comes “with pulp” and it certainly looks quite pulpy thanks to its thick pour and crimson hue. But looks can be deceiving and this radler is incredibly effervescent, light on its feet and is akin to drinking a fancy bottle of blood orange juice from the best supermarket… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Radler & Vienna Lager
- ABV
- 3.2% & 5.4%
Deeds Brewing Ripple Effect & Peanut Butter Imperial Stout
Published March 3, 2023
Deeds Brewing have leaned into the cooler weather with some dessert-inspired beer. Having said that, Ripple Effect takes me to the beach and the all-important ritual of buying an ice cream post-swim. The nod to nostalgia is an imperial cream sour made with raspberry, banana, vanilla and lactose which all make for a rich, fruit-heavy and creamy beer with a sourness that cuts through as well as a crisp waffle cone. Moving into far darker territory, Peanut Butter Imperial Stout is an intensely rich… Read more
Black
- Style
- Imperial Cream Sour & Imperial Stout
- ABV
- 7.5% & 10.0%
Sauce Brewing Pornstar Cocktail IPA
Published March 3, 2023
How is that for a name? Taste.com.au tells us a pornstar martini (or passion star as they call it in their conservative publication) contains passionfruit, lime and vanilla. I’ve had the cocktail before on special occasions (eg new job, Christmas) but I haven’t had them in an IPA. Enter Sauce Brewing Co shouting: "Hold my Pornstar Cocktail IPA". Colour wise, it's a dead ringer for the cocktail itself, looking more like a dark passionfruit purée than a juice. It's a treat to sniff… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Hazy IPA
- ABV
- 6.5% ABV
Alice Springs Brewing Co Smashing Mango Sour
Published March 3, 2023
It's fair to say Alice Springs the place has endured a rough start to the year, and many of the businesses there have been suffering as a result. It's also fair to say that Alice Springs the brewery has been doing a fine job of bringing positive vibes and fun beers to the town since launching – we even picked them as our Breakthrough Brewery of 2022 in The Territories end of year review. And when it comes to fun beers, you can add their Smashing Mango Sour to the list. When I called in back in… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Mango Sour
- ABV
- 4.5%
- Stockists
-
Available where Alice Springs are stocked
Working Title Catch Me If You Can Wild Golden Sour
Published March 3, 2023
You always remember your first. Not that this is Working Title’s first beer. Heck, in the two years they were in the ‘gypsy brewing’ category, they brewed sixty beers, averaging more than two beer releases a month. These guys have been around the brewhouse a few times. But this is the first wild beer that Working Title have brought out, and releasing it into the world brings them great joy. Mixed culture fermentation is one of Mark’s favourite things: “It’s science exploded by art; an… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Golden Sour
- ABV
- 7.0%
Brewmanity Slider Cold XPA
Published March 2, 2023
Whether by design or otherwise, there's much about the look of Brewmanity's first new release of 2023 that reminds me of the Big Freeze, a key fundraiser for FightMND, the charity fronted by Brewmanity co-founder David Neitz's former coach, Neale Daniher. The event takes place at the MCG each year – hardly the craftiest of venues, even if some of CUB/Asahi's acquired brands pour there now. So, in combination with the words "Extra Crisp" on the label, it could easily bring to mind the… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Cold XPA
- ABV
- 4.7%
Bad Shepherd Trop Bomb
Published March 2, 2023
Bad Shepherd often enjoy bringing together whatever flavours they can to create cocktail or dessert-inspired beers but while Tropical Bomb offers a lot to the palate, it's driven by a more singular focus: Kiwi hops. OK sure, when you load an IPA with NZ-H101, Nectaron, Nelson Sauvin, Taiheke and Wai-iti your beer is never going to be linear and this hop bomb does offer up an excellent flavour journey across The Ditch. First up on, the aroma brings out a lot of guava and a gentle hint that there might… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Tropical IPA
- ABV
- 6.5%
Wolf of the Willows PUP Mid: Mango Pale Ale
Published March 2, 2023
Midstrengths have long been a big part of the Australian beer market and as the country’s smaller brewers have looked to keep their booze levels low, the innovation has been kept high. Wolf of the Willows’ second “PUP” beer is a midstrength pale ale with a whole lot of flavours thanks to mango, summer’s greatest fruit (this is not up for debate). The 3.2 percent pale features Mosaic hops too so as well as the distinct and fresh mango flavours and a soft juicy tartness, there is a further… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Mango Pale Ale
- ABV
- 3.2%
Aether Brewing Sparkling Sour
Published March 1, 2023
We don’t get many straight Berliner Weisses nowadays. In Australia, they usually have fruit added to them, which is a nod to the way such beers are traditionally enjoyed in Germany – with a shot of sweet syrup added to them. But there’s something lovely to be found in the nuances of a straight Berliner Weisse, courtesy of the delicate interplay of malt, yeast and acidity. Aether must think the same thing, as they’ve given us one, calling it Sparkling Sour on the can so as to not intimidate… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Berliner Weisse
- ABV
- 4.0%
- Bitterness
- 10 IBU
Rocky Ridge Rock Juice v11
Published March 1, 2023
Few previous Rock Juice’s begged to be improved, yet 11 iterations in and the Rocky Ridge stalwart continues to evolve and impress. A hop bill more akin to a shopping list features alongside a bitterness rarely experienced in today’s IPAs. With great hops comes great responsibility and, here, Rock Juice is surely responsible for some good times. There’s really three things to be considered when consuming a Rock Juice: one – there’s a lot of hops; two – there’s lots of alcohol; and three… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Triple IPA
- ABV
- 10.0%
Black Brewing American Pale Ale
Published March 1, 2023
Black Brewing have kept things simple for autumn 2023 seasonal, stepping back in time to deliver a straight up American pale ale. It's destined for outdoor drinking, accompanying the cooling weather and the adventures that come with it: hiking, camping and surfing to get your thirst going. A lineup of all-American hops feature, layered upon a malty, copper-hued body. Firmly bittered with plenty of resinous pine, citrus and some malt-derived caramel tones, it sees Black turning towards the classics… Read more
Golden
- Style
- American Pale Ale
- ABV
- 5.5%
CoConspirators Brewing & Blackhearts & Sparrows The Brewer 2023
Published March 1, 2023
Now in its second year, The Brewer is a collaboration between CoConspirators and Blackhearts & Sparrows which sees the duo celebrate the women who challenge stereotypes in beer and brewing. In 2022, the beer was a West Coast IPA but for 2023, malt plays more of a starring role. The rye in the amber ale immediately brings distinct spice against a slightly rich backdrop of caramel and sweet biscuit. But malt is by no means the entire story, with Galaxy and Citra hops also providing ripe orange… Read more
Golden
- Style
- Rye Amber Ale
- ABV
- 4.5%
Hop Nation Forbidden Peach, Apricot & Passionfruit & Bearded Seal (with Lervig)
Published February 28, 2023
They might have hops in their name but Hop Nation have seen out summer with two heavily-fruit beer. Forbidden is the second beer in the sour series and this time around, it’s all about Peach, Apricot & Passionfruit. Each of them were picked at the peak of ripeness which ensures there’s quite a richness running through the beer, with sweet peach and apricot the frontrunners before passionfruit comes across like a nectar those two stonefruits have been swimming in. Meanwhile, Tahitian vanilla… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Fruited Sour & Fruited Hazy IPA
- ABV
- 5.3% & 8.0%
Lost Palms Quick Thinking IPA & Turnstiles Quad Blueberry Pancakes Sour Ale
Published February 28, 2023
When it comes to Lost Palm's latest IPA, I’m not sure the word "hazy" quite covers it. This beer is weirdly opaque. Like an orange-coloured version of when you have an iced latte then all the ice melts, or a cup of milky tea with the tea bag taken out quickly. Not that it tastes like those things. No, it tastes like someone’s spiked the fruit punch at the school dance. You’re sipping on your punch and tasting orange juice and mango and nectarine and a little passionfruit tang, and… Read more
Red
- Style
- Hazy IPA & Quadruple Blueberry Pancake Sour Ale
- ABV
- 6.7% & 12.0%
Hawkers Beer Old Chap, New Tricks
Published February 27, 2023
The British may have made the first IPAs but when you buy one today, you probably don’t expect to find English hops inside. Instead, it’s American, Australian and New Zealand varieties that are the stars of hoppy beers and old English types are few and far between. But Hawkers Beer have approached IPA differently with Old Chap, New Tricks a “modern British IPA". So what does that mean? You can read more about the brewery's approach here but in short, it saw Hawkers team up with the UK… Read more
Golden Yellow
- Style
- Modern British IPA
- ABV
- 7.0%
Helios Brewing Enyo Oaked Cherry Sour Red Ale
Published February 27, 2023
Named for Enyo*, a goddess of war, this is a beer that will make some people angry and some people happy. Which I suppose a goddess of war is wont to do. The reason it could make some people angry is that head brewer Jake Harrison took inspiration from a historical Belgian beer tradition – red ale soured on cherries and aged on French oak – then plopped in some lactose for extra sweetness and body. The purists will be pulling their hair out. Jake admits even he was conflicted about it at first,… Read more
Red
- Style
- Oaked Belgian Red with Cherries
- ABV
- 5.3%
