Beer taken as seriously as wine?
(Image by Shadi Samawi)
In the famous Barossa Valley wine region, changes are afoot with the reputation of Australian beer. Three brewers are taking what Australia has long been known for — the quality of its wine — and making their beer to the same standard. Here’s a taste of what they’re doing.
Saltram Wines
The first brewer is first and foremost a winemaker, Nigel Dolan of Saltram Wines. Dolan’s interest in beer stems from a curiosity about what could be done with grapes — his Pepperjack ale uses grapes as a source of fermentable sugar. But Pepperjack isn’t just some experiment, it’s available in good bottle shops all around Australia. And although it isn’t available direct from the cellar door, it can be ordered for functions held at Saltram.
The beautiful grounds of Chateau Yaldara
(Image by Justin Knol)
Barossa Valley Brewing
Mark Prior, the second brewer is not a winemaker, but Barossa Valley Brewing is located on the grounds of a winery, Chateau Yaldara. There, Prior brews the award-winning Bee Sting honey wheat beer. Unfortunately, though you can buy wine and food from Yaldara, you will have to visit a bottle shop to buy a Bee Sting.
Barossa Brewing Company
Luckily the third brewer, Darryl Trinne, is neither a winemaker nor located at a winery. The Barossa Brewing Company has a brewery that you can visit on weekends. Trinne brews three regular beers.
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The Miller’s Lager
This looks like the kind of beer that Australia is renowned for — a golden lager that’s easy on the eye. It’s certainly the one to start with if you’re used to Foster’s or XXXX, so that you can be gently introduced to a bigger world of beer flavour. -
Wheat Store Ale
Next up is their hefeweizen. You can see the difference with the lager right away, as this is a cloudier beer. As you lift it to your lips, you’ll smell banana and other fruity aromas, which translate into flavours as you drink. It’s very unusual to see this style of beer in Australian bars or bottle shops, but one taste will have you wondering why on Earth that’s so. -
Greenock Dark Ale
It’s often said that darker beers are for serious drinkers, yet this is an unwarranted reputation. Everyone should give this porter a try, possibly accompanied with a nice piece of chocolate cake, to bring out the rich chocolate and coffee flavours of the beer.
In addition to these three regular beers, Barossa Brewing Company also produce a variety of lagers and ales as seasonal beers.
The Barossa Brewing Company is located in the historic Wheat Store in Greenock. It is open for tastings and sales on Saturdays and Sundays, 11am to 4pm. Their beers are also available just down the road at the Greenock Creek Tavern, open daily.
So after a long, hard day of wine tasting, why not drop into Greenock and have a cold one? It might change your mind about Australian beer.
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Cheers!
(Image by Orin Zebest)
