Beer Radar for WBM Dec2013/Jan2014
(First published in Wine Business Magazine in 2014)
By John Krüger
This summer’s the perfect time to skip the usual beer you buy every time and branch out a little. Head into your favourite bottle shop and grab a few stubbies of each of the following beers and do some research. Find out what you like best before you lash out on a few cartons. This year I’ve put together a list of summer guzzlers. Chill these beers down icy cold or even better, keep a separate esky full of beers on ice. You’ll have more room in the fridge for ham and Pavlova, which makes everyone in the house happy. Whichever beers you ultimately choose, try to find fresh stock, chill them down well ahead of time, and rejoice in the finest hot weather beverage known to man (if you don’t count Clare Riesling).
Pikes – Pilsener
A floral light bodied Pilsener that has a wonderful restrained floral hoppy character. It has a really nice malt/bitterness balance and a light easy drinking body. The carbonation is spot on, so this kind of beer is perfect served icy cold and guzzled out of the bottle on a hot day. A great fresh Aussie made pilsner.
Croucher – Pilsner
The Kiwi’s do craft beer really well and although this one can be hard to find in mainstream bottle shops, it’s worth tracking down. This is a true Pilsner style beer with sharper more intense bitterness while still being refreshing and totally enjoyable. Nice big 500ml bottles to pour into a chilled glass. Once you find them, it’ll be hard to go past. A favourite Kiwi.
Cascade – Bright Ale
You know if it’s from Cascade, it’s going to be clean and crisp. Their revamped line of beers includes a Bright Ale which is mouth-wateringly refreshing, crisp and clean. The Bright Ale utilises one of my favourite finishing combinations of Galaxy and Cascade hops, which give it a great waft of fresh tropical fruit aromas. Kudos for the redesigned, yet still value-for-money 375ml bottle, so it still feels like a big stubbie of beer in your hand. Thankfully lacking a screw-cap. Classy.
Budĕjovický Budvar
A perfect lager from the Czech Republic. Classic Czech flavours of clean straw malt characters with spicy noble Saaz hops. When this is fresh, it’s the essence of what clean lagers are all about. It’s like pouring chilled crisp liquid gold down your neck. This is where it all started and it still stands as a classic example of the beer style. Green bottles aren’t a great defence against sunlight so try to buy a fresh sealed carton. Little green bottles of pure joy.
McLaren Vale Beer Co – Vale Lager
A “new world” lager, it’s got more guts than the typical Aussie lager. More floral and citrus hop characters and a hint of light Munich malt to give it some malt flavour and backbone. It’s a gutsy, full-bodied lager with the flavour cranked up, but still only 4.5%. Gutsy and crafty.
Stone and Wood – Pacific Ale
It’s light in body with only a subtle sweetness. As soon as you remove the cap it’s got passionfruit and citrus hop aromas leaping out of the bottle. There’s that beautiful Galaxy hop again. This beer is turning into an Aussie icon that some are starting to imitate. Such clean easy drinking with abundant hop joy, without feeling like you’re chewing through the contents of the grass catcher from the lawn mower. Summer drinking so good, I wish I could ride a surfboard properly. Drink it wearing board shorts.
Brooklyn Brewery – Summer Ale
Made with 100% British malts, they’ve toned the hops down and made a classic UK style summer ale ale, but it’s still 5% alcohol. It’s got a hint of caramel, a slight refreshing wheaty twang, and the classic UK generous real malt flavour. If you’re not after US hop explosions or crisp lagers, Brooklyn Brewery’s Summer Ale might be what you’re looking for. An easy-going ale without any sediment.
North Coast Brewing Co – Blue Star Wheat Beer
This is a very non-offensive American Wheat beer. It’s soft and nice. It’s smooth sailing with a laid back slightly sweet wheat flavour and minimal bitterness. Try it with a slice of lemon, which is perfectly acceptable behaviour with wheat beers. It’s very refreshing and the lemon accentuates the hint of wheat tartness. The soft yet tasty option, without having to resort to watered down low-carb or low-alc alternatives. Knock a few of these down with lemon while you battle the BBQ.
