Beer + Food Matching, Brewing, Brewing + Ingredients, Brews + Reviews, My Pilgrimages, Overseas, Travel finds

Journey through the land of the Kölsch

The locals of Cologne, Germany say they drink so much of the stuff their blood runs golden and fizzy.. its the light, fresh, tasty Kölsch and I went straight into the depths of it’s homeland to taste it about as fresh as it gets!

Brewing, Brewing + Ingredients, Brews + Reviews, Homegrown

Wildflower – Australian Wild Ales

There is a beautiful new addition to the blossoming craft beer mecca of Sydney’s inner-west called ‘Wildflower’ that incorporates a unique brewing technique that involves fermenting beer with native bacteria and yeast foraged from wild flora around the state. I caught up with Wildflower’s owner and creator Topher Boehm to tell us all about his…

Australian Adventures, Brewing, Brewing + Ingredients, Brews + Reviews, Food + Beer, Homegrown, My Pilgrimages

Sydney’s Inner West Beer Trail

It seems like each time I leave Sydney and come back, another brewery has opened it’s doors and you can bet your lucky beer mug that it did so in the hip and happening inner west region of the city. There are now so many craft breweries in the inner west, you can literally walk…

Beer + Food Matching, Brewing, Brewing + Ingredients, Brews + Reviews, Food + Beer, My Pilgrimages, Overseas, Travel finds

Hawaiian Craft Beer Trail : Big Island

Big Island (or Hawai’i Island) is a dramatic land of ultimate extremes. From white and black sand beaches fringed by tall coconut palms to dry, almost desert-like savannah to lush rainforest, lava-spewing volcanoes, vibrant coral reefs and even snow-capped mountains, it’s hard to imagine a place that is more dramatically diverse. I love the Big…

Beer + Food Matching, Brewing, Brewing + Ingredients, Food + Beer, My Pilgrimages, Overseas, Travel finds

Hawaiian Craft Beer Trail : Maui

Maui’s mix of ultimate luxury, adventure and genuine local Hawaiian vibes has seen it rank as a favourite by many visitors to the Hawaiian islands. For me, I love this island for it’s local produce scene that is unmatched among the islands, maybe even one of the most unique in the entire US. When you…

Brewing, Brewing + Ingredients, Brews + Reviews, Travel finds

INSIDE CANTILLON. The Belgian Masters of wild-fermented Lambic Beer.

“It can only be made ‘ere. Simple as that! I tell you why… look this glass of lambiek ‘ere.. Inside are over one hundred and twenty different strains of bacteria and yeast, most only to be found ‘ere in the precious air of le Senne Valley. You cannot make true lambeik anywhere else on earth!”….

Australian Adventures, Brewing, Brews + Reviews, Homegrown, My Pilgrimages

SYDNEY’S TOP TEN CRAFT BREWERIES TO VISIT

Sydney’s craft beer scene is blossoming into something quite beautiful and it seems like new breweries are popping up on the radar every few weeks. Craft brewers being a social bunch often like to set up within “coo-ee” of other breweries so they have a variety of fresh, local beers to drink themselves (or someone to…

Australian Adventures, Brewing + Ingredients, My Pilgrimages

Beer Pilgrim’s guide to Hops and the Hop Harvest – VIDEO

What is it that makes beer so delicious? What are the secret herbs and spices that make it the greatest liquid of all? I’m heading down to Tasmania to find out!

Brewing, Brewing + Ingredients, Brews + Reviews, My Pilgrimages, Overseas, Travel finds

Talking Saisons and Farmhouse Ales with a true master.

If you watch no other interviews about beer this year, watch this one. One of the greatest characters I have come across on my travels. His name is Jef Van Den Steen, owner of Brewery De Glazen Toren and he is about as passionate about Saisons as anyone on the planet. Not to mention the…

Brewing + Ingredients, Brews + Reviews, Homegrown

Behind The Brew 002 : James Squire ‘Hop Thief 7’

I caught up with a couple of Malt Shovel Brewery’s talented brewers to discuss what was behind the release of the new Hop Thief 7. Josh Staines and Dan Feist tell us what the new beer is like and how they crafted the final recipe.

Brewing + Ingredients, Brews + Reviews, Homegrown

Behind The Brew 001 : James Squire ‘Hop Thief’ series

Following the huge success of the James Squire Hop Thief 6, it’s with much anticipation that the Hop Thief 7 is starting to make it’s way into our local pubs and bottle shops! I dropped into Malt Shovel Brewery to catch up with the original creator of the Hop Thief Varietal series to hear how…

Australian Adventures, Brewing + Ingredients, My Pilgrimages

Brewers of the East Coast

Through my adventures as the Beer Pilgrim, I have had the opportunity to meet hundreds of people involved in the beer industry, especially brewers and I am always blown away by their passion and commitment to their craft. To say brewers take their job seriously is a massive understatement; most brewers I have met literally…

Brewing + Ingredients

How to Brew an ‘Ice Cave’ Lager

If you are curious exactly how we made your Snow Cave Lager, including ingredients and method, check it out here!

Australian Adventures, Brewing + Ingredients, My Pilgrimages

The Beer Pilrim’s Guide to Hops and The Tassie Hop Harvest

  With the sweet, floral aroma of fresh hops swirling around inside my Kombi and the fresh, crisp air of the Tasmanian countryside wafting through the window, you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. It was a beautiful day and I felt like I was in 7th heaven! It was Hop Harvest time in…

Brewing + Ingredients

Growing Hops: Don’t be Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf Vine

By guest contributor and professional brewer Nic Johnson This article first appeared on the The Rented Spade. Thanks to Kath and Nic for allowing me to use it! Chinook hops. Photo by Nic Johnson I’ve written this article much like the hop grows, heading in a general direction with some meandering off shoots. Hops (humulus lupulus) are…

Australian Adventures, Brewing + Ingredients, My Pilgrimages, Overseas

THE FIRST BREW : Finding and re-creating Australia’s First Beer

Finding Australia’s First Beer From the birth of the Aussie pub to the humble sausage sizzle, Beer is a big part in Australian culture and history. But I have no idea how it got here. What was Australia’s first beer? Where was it drunk? Who drunk it? All pertinent questions my friends, and I intend…