Articles by Glen Humphries
Glen Humphries is an award-winning beer writer, who also writes and publishes books at Last Day of School. You can harangue him on Twitter too.
The beer that turned me onto good beer:
Beechworth Pale Ale: I’d just started writing beer reviews for the Illawarra Mercury and really didn’t have a clue what I was doing. Ben at Bridge Road still sent me some beers anyway. The Beechworth was in that box.
I can still remember being so overwhelmed by the aroma wafting out of the beer glass, that I spent a good amount of time just sitting there breathing it in. Had never done that with a beer before.
You've got three beers to turn someone else on to good beer; what are they and why?
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Beechworth Pale – Because it worked for me.
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Schofferhoffer Hefeweizen: Because it tastes like lolly bananas and therefore is likely to change a mainstream beer drinker's perception of what “beer” is (I have a theory that many people think beer just comes in one flavour). Plus, I like hefeweizens.
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5 Barrel Brewing Milkshake IPA: Just because it’s so tasty. And because it’s a hometown beer for me.
Last beer you enjoyed?
A sour English IPA I had at a Wollongong homebrewers’ gathering. As is the case with some homebrew, it wasn’t great when it was first kegged, but after a couple of months things changed in a most wonderful way.
Three things that represent you:
- Books
- The St George Illawarra Dragons
- An inability to recognise any of the songs triple J plays these days
Resin Brewing Opening In The Illawarra
A quarter century after bumping into each other while surfing, Brendan Down and Steve House are set to open a brewery together. All being well, Resin Brewing in Bulli will be officially open from this week.
Two Rabbits & A Roo Walk Into An Izakaya
As first collaborations go, it takes some beating. Southern Highlands Brewing, based in regional New South Wales, recently completed a brew with Japan's Two Rabbits. We spoke to both brewers to find out how.
Ghosting Back To His Roots
Five Barrel founder Phil O'Shea started out as a homebrewer and remains connected to the local brewing community in Wollongong, even creating a unique series of beers with a homebrewer and their own sour culture.
Something For Cait
Drinkers in Wollongong can knock back a local pilsner for a good cause after a bartender at His Boy Elroy and Five Barrel Brewing created a beer to raise money for a cancer charity in honour of the former's mum.
The Collaborators: Binary Beer II
Missing or stolen kegs can be a major pain for brewers, both in terms of cost and lost time. A Wollongong operation, Binary Beer, hopes it has the solution.
Crafty Crawls: Wollongong
It's home to one of the longest-established brewing companies in Australia and, these days, a growing number of other good beer hangouts. Local beer writer Glen Humphries takes us on a tour of his hometown.
Sensing Something New
Meadmaker Joel Robinson suffered a brain injury while setting up his business that has left him with an incredibly rare condition that makes everything smell rotten. But he's battled through and started winning fans for his unique meads.
Valhalla Tumbles Into Geelong
Gypsy brewing operation Valhalla has created a beer with Tumbleweed and has followed news of the musical collab with confirmation that it will be setting up home in Geelong.
The Collaborators: Binary Beer
A homebrewer is working with a team at the University of Wollongong to create a keg tracking device that could offer brewers real-time information their kegs. Binary Beer is currently being trialled with Five Barrel Brewing and the Headland Hotel.
High Five
Wollongong is set to welcome its second brewery. Glen Humphries joined Phil O'Shea at the home of Five Barrel Brewing as he prepared to brew his first beers. Look out for the brewery's launch in the coming weeks.
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