A few weeks ago, we launched The People’s Pint, a competition to find a beer invented by the people and chosen by the people for the people. Open to any Australian over 18, all we asked for was a beer name and an inspired idea for a beer. We received heaps of submissions from all over Australia and now the judges have spoken and we have our shortlist of just six. What that means is it’s up to you, the people of Australia, to choose which of these will be chosen to be the first People’s Pint. Voting is open – here – until midnight on March 29, with the winner to be announced on March 30.
At that point, Temple Brewery & Brasserie head brewer, Ron Feruglio, will contact the person who nominated the winning beer and begin work on a recipe so that the beer can be brewed ready for launch at a Good Beer Week event on May 14. The six beers to make the cut are:
Grassy Noel – from Daniel O’Grady
One of two punning beers to make the cut (think JFK and Santa), this one is described as:
A hoppy, spiced American Brown Ale, big malt flavour up front, christmas plum pudding spices through the middle, finishing on a hit of fruity hops.
Burning Red Heart – from Dean Leishman
A beer with a heart this one:
Taking its cue from the colour of our trucks, this beer is designed with a nod to our volunteer fire services. The Burning Red Heart is a supremely quaffable, lightly smoked red ale with a smooth bitterness (POR), finished with Willamette to deliver wood, spice and smoke notes to the drinker.
Double Hoptendre – from Leo Hede
Maybe we’re easily pleased at The Crafty Pint, but this one made us chuckle, with the terrible bar pun reminiscent of UK adult comic Viz helping it make the cut.
A woman walked into a bar and ordered a Double Hoptendre. So the bartender gave it to her⦠This is a spicy, flamboyantly hopped, cheeky beer, not afraid of making a statement, big flavours but enough subtlety to be acceptable for all occasions; it speaks its mind without offending anyone.
Chocolate and Cigars – from Andrew Braithwaite
Clearly someone with late night drinking on his mind, here’s what Andrew would like you to select:
A chocolatey stout with a smokey flavour. Best drunk from an extra large glass, so it can be swirled around like a fine cognac between puffs of a South American cigar.
WalkAbout – from Adam Kenyon
Not the only submission to take the Australian land as its inspiration, but the only one to make the cut. Adam would like The People’s Pint to be:
A brew as red as the desert with big toffee malts for a medium body and dry hopped in the style of a Red IPA while adding Davidsons plum for a touch of sour and some mountain pepper for spice and, just like a mixed breed dog, a bit of a mongrel brew that has a little bit of everything while being unique.
This One Goes To 11 – from Dan Summers
One of a many entries that referenced music and film, this beer offers a nod to This Is Spinal Tap and opens up a wealth of possibilities. It’s described simply as:
11 different malts. 11 different hops.
They’ve been selected from submissions that included smoked beers, spicy beers, massive beers, aged beers, mainstream Aussie lager hybrids, beers featuring native herbs and spices, beers to create hangovers and beers to cure hangovers. There were some that couldn’t make the cut as they couldn’t have been brewed within the six week period (no barrel aging in that time, folks!), others that the expert minds at Temple said simply wouldn’t work, some that were a little XXX-rated for a people’s comp and others that were simply too darn out there to be considered. Some were humorous, others were very detailed, while we’d hoped for a few more entries that told a tale or were inspired by classic beer memories – perhaps you’re saving them for People’s Pint 2013!!
âWe tried to choose the ones that were most inspiring and creative but also beers that were brewable and we knew would work,â says Ron. âThey had to be inspired but work within the timeframe and be appropriate for a draught beer. We also looked for beers that fitted the context of The People’s Pint.â
To choose the shortlist, the team at Temple was presented with a list of beer names and descriptions – nothing more. We then went through their favourites to nut out the six above. All came from men, despite a strong representation from women in the submissions, so there will be, among others, no Princess Porter, cheesy wheat beer, spiced pumpkin ale or Slip, Slop, Slap this time, ladies.
The person who submitted the winning beer wins tickets to the launch plus a case of the beer. If they’re from outside Victoria, we’ll even bring them to Melbourne for the night (see terms and conditions here). So, don’t waste any more time reading this – head here and get voting! And take note – it’s one person, one vote, so choose carefully!
Thanks again to Andy at Code Create for The People’s Pint website, William Delmont for the logo and to Bintani and Grain & Grape for agreeing to supply ingredients for the brew.
