Lots of Good Beer
Times are pretty good for us beer lovers in Adelaide. Over the last year or so we have seen a number of venues adding more craft beer to their lists and an increase in the rate of release of new beers from local breweries. Add to this some breweries in the start up phase and some new ones just launched and you have an exciting time for local beer people. While we would all like there to be more good beer available it is increasing.
I’m going to do some updates to the drink and breweries sections of the web site soon to reflect this. Thought in the time being I would do a really quick summary. Swell Brewery launched in the last year to plenty of good reviews. I have tried their first two beers but am yet to make it to the brewery or meet the brewer. There are a few other projects on their way to becoming breweries but we will wait until they launch before we say too much about them. The existing local breweries have also had a number of exciting new releases including the latest Devil’s Choice from Lobethal and the excellent Glactic Pale from Brewboys.
As far as places to drink go I still have my favourite. As anybody who has ever read this site know the Wheaty is my favourite and the Wheaty is still great but there are a number of other choices around too. As per an earlier article the Earl of Leicester is stocking some great beer, The Highway has started to really upgrade their list and The Lion has some great beer on their taps and in the fridge too. If you are looking for a restaurant then look no further than the excellent Shanker’s on Prospect Rd and Press in the city. While in the cbd the Crown & Sceptre and The Kings are certainly worth a look too.
All around things just keep getting better. I have even started to see some of the more accessible craft beers in mainstream bar. If I can walk into any pub and find a Pacific Ale or Punk IPA I would be pretty happy with that. Go to the pub and get some beer.
Adelaide Beer People
I’m back. The site has been very quiet over the last few months. I have been travelling extensively for my day job which just hasn’t left me the time for writing. While still busy my travel is being drastically reduced so I will have time to start cranking out some content again. Lots has been happening in beer in and around Adelaide and there should be plenty more happening in the coming months.
Onto the topic at hand though. I would love to catch up with other beer writers around Adelaide. Really I just like drinking and talking about beer and always like to meet more beer loving people. Maybe we can even help each other out. We could work together on campaigning for issues affecting craft beer in our town. We can lobby venues to get more good beer. We can also have some fun and enjoy a few beers together.
If you are interested in getting together for some beers and talking to other beer people let me know. I would like to set up a meeting at a beer venue but even if you just want to catch up one on one let me know or you could just hand around at the Wheaty for half an hour. Hit me up and lets get something organised. Comment on this post, send me an email aaron at imhereforthehops dot com, hit me on twitter or just come up and say hi if you see me at the pub. Let’s get the craft beer movement going in Adelaide. We have some great venues and there are some great beers around but I’m greedy and I want there to be more.
See you at the pub.
The Earl of Leicester
 |
The Earl has long been known for their amazingly good and huge schnitzels. I always go for the small size and am teased for it but I don’t know how any human can eat a large one. The Earl has also been doing some good beer for quite a while too. However, after going back for the first time in a a year or two recently I found they really had upped the ante in the good beer stakes. The Earl is now one of the best beer venues in Adelaide. There has been some new entrants to the market recently but the Earl just keeps doing good things well.
On my most recent visit, lunch yesterday, I was happy to find a new drop from Beard and Brau on tap. They are calling it the Double Red Tail and it is a very tasty Imperial Red Ale. I don’t think it is available anywhere else at the moment so if for no other reason go in for a pint. I teamed it up with a schnitzel that was really a good steak covered in crumbs. No messing about with thin crappy meat here, just good real beef. I don’t know if it would make the list of the gastronomer set but a good schnitzel and a great beer was a hit in my books.
In addition to the treats mentioned above the Earl has a huge range of beers from all over. A wide range of German, Belgian an other European favourites including some not so common British ales. Then there is the new guys from Europe like Nogne-0 and American treats like Rogue. If new world is more to your liking you can pick up some 8wired beers from NZ and of course the locals like the aforementioned Beard and Brau. In fact The Leicester seems to be becoming the “home pub” for Beard and Brau with a couple of their beers on tap a lot of the time.
All up it’s one of Adelaide’s best pubs with great beer and food. I would like to explore the menu more but can never go past the schnitzels when I go there. Check it out for yourself and head down for lunch or just a beer. Get There!
Anderson Valley on tap at The Wheaty / Wheatsheaf Hotel
It’s time for another new and exciting range to hit the taps at The Wheaty in Adelaide. This time coming on to the taps is beer from California’s Anderson Valley. Some of their beers have been available in bottle and, surprisingly, in cans for a while now. However there is nothing like trying the beers fresh from the tap to get their real impact. While Anderson Valley may not be as in your face as some US breweries they produce fantastic well rounded and really well made quality beers.
The kick off event is this Friday, 25 November from 1700 at The Wheaty. First to go on tap is the very excellent Hop Ottin’ IPA. The IPA is probably my favourite of their range but that probably isn’t a surprise to anyone. Following will be the Boont Amber, their flagship, Poleeko Gold and the always reliable Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout.
So get down to The Wheaty from 1700. While you are thinking about it you should follow them on twitter here and sign up for their mailing list so you never miss out on what is happening. Hope to see you there on Friday. Get There!
Lunch at press*
If you are a beer lover and food lover there is a new restaurant in the heart of Adelaide that you really should get along and visit. Opening just a few months ago press* is in Waymouth street and is serving some great beer along with a fantastic menu.
We dropped in for lunch early on a Saturday afternoon. I heard good things about press* from a number of people. The thing that really got me interested was the talk of an excellent beer list that was on offer. The list didn’t disappoint either. Unfortunately they don’t have it online. However, it included selections from Brooklyn Brewery, Rogue, Bridge Road Brewers, Brewboys, Yeastie Boys and Mikkeller. Pretty amazing for a new restaurant in Adelaide.
It was fairly quiet when we went in and were seated with menus very quickly. Our waiter was really friendly and was just the right amount of attentive. He seemed preety interested in the beer and seemed very knowledgeable about the food too. After telling us about the beers and and answering some questions about the wine it was time to consider the food. You can find a sample menu online here. The menu changes regularly with available seasonal ingredients so they don’t put the full menu online. I can assure you it’s a great menu.
The recommendation to us and one I would make to others is to hit up the smaller part of the menu and order a few different things to get a real taste of what they have to offer. We selected some corgettes with Persian fetta, fish fingers(not what you remember from your childhood) and duck boudin. All of these were excellent. The duck was my pick but I can’t go past anything with Persian fetta either. All were good size serves and these three alone could have served as lunch for two. We didn’t stop there though and I am very glad that we didn’t. The decision was made to indulge our gluttony. We decided to share one dish from wood-grilled lowline Angus section. There were many steaks there that were really appealing but we decided to go for the six hour brisket with macaroni and cheese. This sounds like an odd combination particularly for a good restaurant. It works incredibly well. The brisket was moist tender and just plain fantastic. This is a cut of meat that for a long time was derided as being a bad piece. It just needs to be cooked right and the kitchen at press* has it sorted. I recommend trying it with the Mikkeller Jackie Brown or Brewboys Ace of Spades.
All of the food was excellent. The service was great. There is a fantastic selection of beer and wine. I can’t wait to get back for a longer meal when I don’t have to drive afterward. I am particularly looking forward to getting a group together and going in for the half Berkshire pig. The idea to sitting down to half a pig with a group of friends is very appealing to me. I have already decided this is what I am doing for my birthday if I don’t find an excuse to do it before then.
I can’t recommend highly enough that you get in and have a meal at press*. They are good people that serve great food and drinks. They have a real commitment to good beer so they deserve the custom of Adelaide beer lovers. You can follow them on twitter too.
AABC in Adelaide This weekend
I have been quiet for the last couple of weeks and I apologise for that. My day job has been getting in the way more than I would like. I have been running all over the riverland regions of SA and VIC. I have managed to find the odd good beer but not really a lot to report.
This weekend though AABC(Australian Amateur Brewing Championship) is being judged in Adelaide. While beer judging isn’t an exciting thing to watch there are some events around that may be worth checking out. First up on Thursday is a get to know you session at The Wheaty. This is just an informal get together. If you want to talk beer and brewing with a bunch of hatdcore geeks this will be the place to be. On Friday evening the party will be moving to Brewboys with more beers and a bbq too. Should be a fun night and it’s just within walking distance for me so I may have to treat myself to a couple.
On Saturday it’s time for the presentation and Club Night. You have to registered to get into Club Night but if you can get in it’s usually a great party. Home brewers from around the country will bring along their beer and serve it for everyone else. There are so many great beers and it’s such a great environment. If you can find a way in take it. All the details for the weekend can be found here.
Get There!