Australian Adventures, Brews + Reviews, Homegrown, My Pilgrimages, Travel finds

Melbourne Beer Crawl

Beer crawls. I am extremely passionate about them, I genuinely think there are few more enjoyable ways to spend your day then to wander from brewery-to-brewery sipping fresh beer under the very tanks it was brewed in. And while the good old fashioned beer crawl has been put on hold while COVID runs amok, it’s…

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…

Brews + Reviews, My Pilgrimages, Overseas, Travel finds

A journey into a Bavarian beer wonderland with the Beer Queen

Join me and the Beer Queen of Bavaria at the quirky Kuchlbauer brewery in Bavaria. It’s weird, it’s whacky and it’s where beer magic happens! With over 640 breweries in Bavaria alone, it’s hard to pick just one to visit, however this one has to be on the list..

My Pilgrimages, Overseas, Travel finds

24 HOURS IN LEIPZIG

Brews + Reviews, My Pilgrimages, Overseas, Travel finds

THE LAND OF THE HOLY ALE: TRAPPIST BELGIUM – Inside the secretive world of Westmalle..

“Now.. you can’t film, or take photos. We have to meet our escort and discuss how we will document this, but really the monks are very secretive. I can’t even believe we have been allowed in!”. We are standing at a huge iron gate outside ‘Westmalle’ Monastery in an attractive rural region of Northern Belgium…

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!”….

Brews + Reviews, Food + Beer, My Pilgrimages, Overseas, Travel finds

BEER LOVERS GUIDE TO BAVARIA (VIDEO)

Bavaria truly is the beer mecca of planet earth. There are over 4,000 different beers that call this region in Southern Germany home and it is a place where beer plays an integral role in the local culture – this is a guide to magnificent Bavaria through the eyes of a true Beer Lover. Getting There Swiss…

Brews + Reviews, My Pilgrimages, Overseas, Travel finds

A peek at Bergkirchweih – The World’s Oldest Beer Festival

Could this be Germany’s best beer festival?? And no it’s not Munich’s Oktoberfest… It’s the lesser known Bergkirchweih Festival in Erlangen – It’s the world’s oldest beer festival and attracts over a million people over a 12 day period. Having never been to Oktoberfest in Munich I can’t compare but the locals say this one…

My Pilgrimages, Overseas, Travel finds

River Surfing in Munich!

Un-believable! I was cruising through central Munich today when I noticed some lads in wetsuits carrying surfboards. Assuming they were either extremely lost or up to something cool, I followed them and couldn’t believe what I saw! Check this out. GETTING THERE + AROUND Swiss Airlines fly return from all major Australian cities to Munich from…

Brews + Reviews, My Pilgrimages, Overseas, Travel finds

Beer-Lovers Guide to Bavaria Part II : Bamberg to Erlangen.

BAMBERG  Having avoided the destruction of allied bombing campaigns during the first and second world wars, the stunning Franconian town of Bamberg stands today as a living reminder of what quaint, old-world Germany used to be. It is possibly the most beautiful town in all of Germany and carries on a centuries old brewing tradition…

Brews + Reviews, My Pilgrimages, Overseas, Travel finds

EURO BEER TOUR // Beer-Lovers Guide Bavaria Part I : Munich.

When most look at a map of Europe they see ancient history, incredible food, culture, architecture, art and a hip and happening fashion scene. I see beer. I see a kaleidoscope of beer varieties that date back centuries. I see beer cultures that influenced the rest of the world and a contemporary craft beer scene…

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…

Brews + Reviews, My Pilgrimages, Overseas, Travel finds

Craft Beer Guide To Amsterdam (and surrounds)

Wedged between Belgium and Germany, it’s easy to look straight past the Netherlands when it comes to beer. Most seem to associate it with another, more controversial relative of the hop plant and discount it as a beer region all together, but in my recent experience I was amazed by what I found. In a…

Brews + Reviews, Travel finds

The Japanese Beer Slushie!

Many people like their beer cold, but the Japanese have taken it to a completely new level. Check out Australia’s very first Japanese-inspired Beer Slushy!!

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.

Brews + Reviews, Homegrown, Travel finds

The Winter is coming…  snuggle up with a Stout.

When the days grow shorter and the beer gardens tend to get passed by in search of a snug, fire-warmed pub, there is one thing that’s on my mind… Stout. *heavy breathing* I absolutely love these beautiful, dark, full-bodied brews that lend notes of coffee, chocolate, toffee and roast. They are the ultimate winter beverage…

Brews + Reviews, Homegrown

Melbourne Craft Brewery Visit : Mountain Goat

I love visiting local breweries. There is something about that smell of boiling malt and hops, the passion of the brewers who you engage in conversation, the sight of those big fermentation tanks and the taste of fresh beer that rings true to me. I especially love visiting breweries that produce beer I enjoy at…

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…

Brews + Reviews, Homegrown

A chin-wag with Oscar and Rich from Young Henrys

I caught up with the brains behind the Young Henrys phenomena Rich and Oscar to find out why google maps suck, why Growlers make them happy and what beers you can expect to try if you decide to drop in to this incredibly cool brewery.

Brews + Reviews, Homegrown

Modus Operandi’s Legendary ‘Canimal’

“It’s a what???” I found myself asking Grant, co-owner of the almost brand-new Modus Operandi brewery on Sydney’s Northern Beaches for the third time. “It’s a CANIMAL! An animal of a can.. what would you like in it?” I freakin’ love this idea! Basically,the M.O Crew of Mona Vale have somehow wrangled themselves a  manual…

Brews + Reviews, Homegrown

The Newtown Growler Depot.

T’was a stinking hot January morning and I was driving down Newtown’s King Street in my rusty old Kombi which, bless her soul, was pieced together before the days of automobile-installed-air-conditioning. Which is sweet but really f**king annoying on a day as hot as this. The temperature was hovering in the mid 30s and my…

Australian Adventures, Brews + Reviews, Homegrown, My Pilgrimages

Fremantle ‘BeerFest’

A title like ‘BeerFest’ tends to conjour up images of college jocks skulling cheap beer from red plastic cups in their underwear to the latest Ke$ha ‘track’, but I can happily say that the ‘Fremantle BeerFest’ could not be anything further from that. As soon as I walked in, I was impressed. The balmy 27…

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

Your Beer Festival Survival Guide to The Adelaide Craft Beer Festival

“Festival!…..Beer!…. a BEER FESTIVAL!” I thought they were kidding me… “of course I’ll come down!”. Within 24 hours I had flights booked, packed my bags, and before I knew it I was walking through the gates of the Adelaide Craft Beer Festival with an empty glass in my hand and beer in my sights. I…

Australian Adventures, Brews + Reviews, Homegrown, My Pilgrimages

Hobart’s ‘Moo Brew’ tasting room at MONA

It’s not everyday you go for a beer tasting inside an art-gallery, but inside Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New art you’ll find Moo Brew – and it’s not your everyday brewery.  Their beer bottles are adorned with artwork from famous Australian Artist John Kelly and the original brewery site was on the grounds of MONA…