2009 Hoppy New Brew!

It is new Years Eve 2009 here in Newcastle Australia. I will be a day up on most my family and friends.

The beer for the day is a Sierra Nevada Celebration Clone that I brewed up with Aussie 2 row, UK Cara Dark and Ger Cara pils, hopped with USA Chinook and Cascade, dry hopped with more Cascade and Centennial. I can't wait to have the first pint from the keg.

I plan to spend part of the night at the local pub combined with bbq with my wife and fun with mates.

I experienced a couple of things that were new to me this year.

#1 That I can brew enough hoppy beer myself here in Aussie to keep the Mrs and I in good beer.
#2 To not ever allow myself to work for someone I don't trust and treats people unethically. It just is not worth the mental strain it causes.
#3 Although 99% of all people I have met in the craft beer industry over the past 25 years have been great like minded folks, there are a few bad apples in the scene who some how have slipped through the cracks. I will make sure to keep an eye out for these types and steer clear. It can almost make a good beer taste bad.

That's it, only 3. What I do know for 2010 is that I can make my own destiny as I have always done, and will do it with good beer.

Cheers

Russian Beers

I have picked up 3 Russian beers to enjoy with a brewer mate of mine tonight over a nice pork BBQ. I think it is called Bajitnka, number 3, 4, and 8. The 3 is a pils, the 4 a dark and the 8 is a wheat. They interested me as I have received numerous emails lately advertising bulk hops from the Ukraine. I will report back with my findings tomorrow. Cheers AA

Aussie IPA

I have just tasted the new IPA from Murray's brewing company, named Big Wednesday. It has great NZ hop aroma throughout the entire quaf with very littel hop bitterness. The malt has a big presence that compliments the hop aroma. On the first drink the arome is prevelent that I thought I had just had a hit of it's cousin, what a flavourful taste. Only 8 kegs brewed and most people will never taste it, but fantastic just the same. Thanks to head brewer Shawn Sherlock!

Globalization of Rougue Brewing Co.

I was at a beer festival in Warners at the Bay NSW Australia. The bottle shop at Warners has the best selection of US micros/craft beers as well as a full compliment of International beers. At the festival the importer of Rougue Beers in Australia had a big stall next to the Murray's stall. Great guy with great beers, I really enjoyed seeing a product I had sold so much of in the states being tasted by Aussies for the first time, who are just learning what real full flavoured beers taste like.

My only gripe about any of the imported beers to Australia is the excessive price, mostly driven by antiquated excise tax and high gst. The excise which is regulated by ABV is repressive in comparrison to wht the wine industry is paying.

At this time I only have one solution and that is to brew my own clones of my favorite beers and develop a few more along the way. But I would still be happy if the prices came down.

In this global warming crisis I have done the unthinkable. I placed my beer fridge under the pergola last Australian winter as it was convenient for power and easy access. Fast forward top summer and temps have climbed to 35c+ and my poor fridge is heating up, not only is my home brew Janet's ale turning to foam but my next ale certainly is not lagering in a good way. I will fix the problem and only wish I had got a clue earlier as I really want one of the perfect beers I usually pour for myself.

Tomorrow I will be attending the Warners @ the Bay Beer Festival in NSW Australia, I will let you know what good beers I come across.

Drink good beer and brew often!

Autralian Beer

I am an American living in Australia working for a small craft brewery. At this moment I am eating pork belly braised in Murray's Sassy Blond, served with rice and some leftover spicy hot wing sauce. I'm drinking an Aussie version of Tasty McDole's Janet Brown Ale; fantastic malt with super hop taste and aroma. The beer was brewed by me at Mark's Home Brew here in Newcastle. All I can say is, "Yum".

First Blog, Beer Ambassador!