Articles by Marie Claire Jarratt
About Marie Claire
Marie Claire "MC" Jarratt hated writing essays in High School and now gets paid to write about craft beer (and has since won the AIBA Best Media trophy for 2019 for it), which she finds very funny. She has recently completed her PhD in experimental physics and hopes to combine her knowledge of science and beer to develop better brewing processes. She can be found on Instagram and Facebook.
The beer(s) or moment(s) that turned you on to good beer:
I moved from the craft beer wasteland that is Sydney's Upper North Shore, where I grew up, to the Inner West and went on to visit every craft brewery there within a fortnight. I then did it again, but blogged about it the second time. The articles were so terrible I've since deleted them from my website.
You've got three beers to turn someone else on to good beer; what are they and why?
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Batch Chapeau or any other seasonal fruited sour: Sours are a good way to showcase that not all beer is bitter, but the addition of fruit adds a bit of sweetness that combats that sour. It's also a really good thirst-quencher for the hot, Aussie climate.
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Modus Operandi Former Tenant: On the other hand, there are people that love the bitterness in beer and this is a great one that starts to become a bit more complex, challenging and interesting than the usual fare. I recommend drinking this one at the brewery - the drive is worth it!
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Philter XPA: This is just a normal beer that tastes like normal stuff that people are used to - but it's made by your mate, not a big corporation. Plus, the can looks cool.
The last beer I enjoyed:
Garage Project Whittaker's Chocolate Beer: I brought it back in my suitcase after visiting my family in Wellington a few months ago and after a long, hot summer since, the weather was finally cold and rainy enough to enjoy it.
Three things that represent me:
- My Canon 700D and Fujifilm X100S
- The Bundeena to Otford Coast Track
- Dilution refrigerators
From Oskar Blues To The Blue Mountains
He started brewing at Oskar Blues in Colorado before helping launch Modus Operandi as the Northern Beaches' brewery's first head brewer. Now you'll find DJ McCready and wife Harriet winning over locals in the Blue Mountains.
Beer Nuts: The Indies Lovers
We've featured some impressively keen beer lovers in our Beer Nuts series over the years, but never any quite like Jess and Locky. Marie Claire Jarratt got in touch with the couple who got engaged onstage at indie beer's biggest night.
Philter Find A Home In Marrickville
Three years on from launching their first beer, Philter have found a site for their own brewery. It's in Marrickville, the home suburb of the brewing company's founders, and will add to the area's vibrant indie brewing scene.
The Collaborators: White Labs
Chris White is a hero among brewers worldwide. His White Labs operation has been supplying a growing number of yeasts to brewers (and winemakers) for decades. We caught up with him when he was speaking at BrewCon.
Small Batch
Batch are to open a second brewery to help meet demand. But instead of going bigger, their new site in Petersham is far smaller and will be dedicated to small batch brews, experimentation and refinement.
Beer Travel: Vancouver
The US tends to consume most column inches when it comes to discussions of the North American beer scene, but there's plenty going on in Canada. Here, Marie Claire Jarratt takes us on a guide through Vancouver.
Common Ground: Blending Beer & Coffee
Once predominantly the preserve of the occasional stout or porter, these days coffee is cropping up in all sorts of beers in a variety of fashions. Marie Claire Jarratt spoke to producers on both sides to find out more.
Going Green: One Drop's Box
As part of their mission to inspire change, young Sydney brewery One Drop have designed unique environmentally friendly packaging for their cans. Marie Claire Jarratt got in touch to find out more.
Crafty Crawls: Petersham
It might not have the density of crafty offerings of some neighbouring 'burbs, but times have been a-changing in Petersham. Local resident Marie Claire Jarratt guides you to the best spots for beer lovers.
Women In Drinks
International Women's Day 2019 will see a new festival celebrating women working in beer, wine and spirits launch in Sydney. We spoke to two women leading the way in the local beer world to find out more about their experiences and changing times.
Featured Events
Uncle Hops Reopens With A Batch Takeover (NSW)
It's been a while between drinks at Uncle Hops, the craft beer bar found within Newtown's Bank Hotel…
Coming Events
September 29, 2020,
Oktoberfest at BentSpoke (ACT)
Tomorrow,
Perth BeerFest 2020 (WA)
Tomorrow,
Uncle Hops Reopens With A Batch Takeover (NSW)
October 3, 2020,
Shelter Brewing's Recruitment Open Day (WA)
October 3, 2020,
Beer and Food 101 at Redoak (NSW)
October 10, 2020,
Cheese O'Clock With Stomping Ground's Lindsy Greig (VIC)
