Willie Simpson & Seven Sheds

Willie Simpson, beer journalist and author of 'The Beer Bible', has officially launched the website for his other passion project - Seven Sheds Brewery, Meadery and Hop Garden.

Located in Railton, north-western Tasmania, Seven Sheds produces its flagship Kentish Ale and seasonal beers as well as honey wines and melomels (fruit mead).

Opened in May 2008, the Seven Sheds brewery, meadery and hop garden provides a purpose built tasting room, brewery tours and cellar door sales.

The truth about low carb beers

I dug up this recent article I found in the SMH about low carb beers and what marketing spin it all is. Just what I thought.

Tap News

The fun continues as we finish off kegs left over from SpecTAPular! Current Showcase taps include Feral Rust (WA), Boag's Wizard Smith Ale (TAS), Wicked Elf American Pale Ale (NSW) and Redoak Irish Red Ale (NSW).

Raging Bull Porter (WA) temporarily replaces Staircase Porter and Son of a Beast Double IPA replaces Beast.

Coming up:
We have Feral Brewing's brand spanking new Hop Hog IPA which hasn't even been served at their brewery yet. It's a 5.8% ABV American Style IPA made only with Australian grown hops.

Epicure Puts Us In Good Company

My phone began ringing/beeping early this morning (too early!) as friends and family let me know there was a profile on The Local Taphouse in The Age Epicure today. Thankfully, I subscribe so only had to go to the front doorstep! It's a complimentary piece and includes a photo of Guy and I. Awesome. It's very exciting to be listed as one of the Best Beer Bars in Melbourne after just a few months trading. It's an exciting time for beer in this town..

Read the article here..

Update: ABC Radio Tasmania picked up on this article, have called and I'm doing a radio i/v this evening. Tourism Vic also chasing us...

SpecTAPular Wrap Up

After months of planning, the SpecTAPular went off without a hitch on Sunday and was heaps of fun. The weather didn't totally play ball and there was intermittent rain but we had a full house early (and a queue stretching down the street) and punters seemed to enjoy the opportunity to try so many Australian beers not available in Victoria.

We came up with a few ideas to improve the next festival and constructive feedback is welcome.

A big thank you to all FORTY breweries for being involved and we look forward to Octoberfest SpecTAPular on Saturday October 4th.

Raspberry Wheat Ale won the People's Choice Best Beer Award so congrats to Malt Shovel. Also congrats to Ben Johnson who won two tickets to a Scruffy Bunch microbrewery tour.

Photos to follow.

Great Review

The Herald Sun gave us a great review and four stars yesterday. Nice one. We had new customers who had read it coming in later that day!

Only Two Scratchings for SpecTAPular...

Remarkably, there have only been two scratchings so far.

Two Metre Tall were intent on bringing a cask ale and handpump to SpecTAPular but unfortunately Ashley Huntington has injured himself and they can't make it. It would have been fun having a handpump in the House but c'est la vie. At least Ashley's alright. It was actually the 41st tap so we're now down to 40.

The Flying Horse Brewery pulled out a week ago as they are behind schedule and haven't brewed any beer yet! Luckily, we filled the gap with a Zierholz Robust Porter from ACT..

Oh, that's Natalie Portman in the photo, ahem, scratching...

Microbreweries Showcase

I popped in at the Microbreweries Showcase @ Fed Square this evening to drop off some flyers for SpecTAPular and have a few beers and a chat. There seems to be a bit of excitement about Sunday so I started getting a bit nervous! I hope it works out ok. What started out as one of (too) many grandiose ideas has become a huge team effort which will be over this time next week. I reckon we'll learn a lot about this SpecTAPular which we can put into practice with any future events.

Just a hint for those hoping to attend: get there early. We've had considerable interest in this and the papers and radio are given it mentions. It could be a false alarm and it ends up a bunch of beer nerds sitting around a table (God help us!), but if you got there around noon (or even just before) you should be ok. After that it COULD be tough.

Only 4 sleeps to go and the kegs are rolling in (pardon the pun)!

Ale Stars Pre Inaugural Meeting

Last night we held the pre inaugural meeting of The Local Taphouse 'Ale Stars'. About 15 mates and staff turned up to sample 5 great English Ales along with great food. It was great fun and we had a lot of ideas as to how we can improve on things moving forward. The first meeting is scheduled for July 22nd.

Thanks to Shandy for hosting and Cloudwine for supplying the beers!

Daily News

Feral Rust is replaced by their highly regarded Belgian White (2 kegs of).. Wicked Elf Pilsner also tapped as we've finished the last keg of Franziskaner Hefeweizen..

Kegs are starting to roll in for the SpecTAPular this coming Sunday. We've also created a Tasting Booklet for the day and that went off to the printers today. Now all we have to do is pray it doesn't rain (in can, and of course we want it - for the sake of the farmers/ski resorts - to rain on Monday!)

Most Expensive Beers

I found this on a ratebeer.com forum which I thought was interesting given my posting the imminent release of Crown Ambassador Reserve. It was posted by a guy called Jono:

As for most expensive beer in Australia; I would have to say that hands down the two most expensive beer’s are from Redoak with the “Redoak Special Reserve” and the “Framboise Reserve”. Both are $75.00 a bottle (250ml) now imagine if that where a 750ml bottle = $225! Over triple that of the Crown Ambassador Reserve!

Speaking of expensive beers I have read some of articles lately in a few beer magazines (Beers of the world and Draft) about the worlds most expensive beers and Redoak did not make any of the lists even though it clearly should be (see below).

The world’s most expensive beers according to “Beers of the World:

No.1 – Vielle Bon Secours. Around $820.00 AUS per bottle (around 26 pints)

No.2 – Utopias. Around $82.00 AUS per bottle or $55.00 AUS per pint

No.3 – Tutankhamen Ale. Around $75 AUS per bottle

The world’s most expensive beers according to “Draft”:

No.1 - Vielle Bon Secours. Around $820.00 AUS per bottle (around 26 pints)

No.2 - Utopias. Around $82.00 AUS per bottle or $55.00 AUS per pint

No.3 - Tutankhamen Ale. Around $75.00 AUS per bottle

No.4 – Scaldis Prestige. Around $52.00 AUS per bottle

No.5 – Le Baladin Xyauyu. Around $47.00 AUS per bottle

Local Laughs Turns FIVE!

Amazingly, Coopers Local Laughs (our standup comedy night) is turning FIVE next Monday! All credit must go to Janet McLeod (pictured) who passionately organises the night each week. Next week's celebratory lineup: MCs are Mr Nightlights (Oliver Clark) and El Grande (Andrew McClelland), plus Celia Pacquola, Xavier Michaledes, Geraldine Hickey (1st comic on at our 1st show), Mat Kenneally and more.

For more about Coopers Local Laughs, visit the Myspace site.

Hop Vine Update

I got wind today of another beer bar opening. Speakeasy Alehouse on Barkly Street, St Kilda, is apparently opening soon. It used to be a place called 8 Track. The gospel according to better beer is spreading which is good for all!

I also heard that the Little Creatures venue on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, is opening around June 22nd without major fanfare (which is good as we don't want to steal their thunder with SpecTAPular - ha ha!).


While on SpecTAPular, kegs are starting to arrive and posters have been spotted around town (bottom left three in photo).

New on Tap

On the Showcase Taps:

Feral Rust has just replaced the Otway Pale Ale while Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier replaces Holgate Holzende Dunkelweizen . Finally, Bright Staircase Porter replaces Redoak Organic Pale Ale.

Coldstream Brewery Visit

Sampling the Bitter from a beer engine.

I'm in the Yarra Valley with fam this long weekend and managed to convince all to visit the Coldstream Brewery. I got to try Head Brewer, Rod Williams', new Chocolate Winter Ale which is brewed using locally produced chocolate. We were also served it via a hand pump direct from a tank in the brewery. It wasn't half bad and even the females in attendance quite fancied it (I wonder why?!). Rod says it's been selling well since he first tapped it very recently but he's assured me he's set aside a keg for the Beer SpecTAPular.

My nephews - budding barflies!

We all had a guided tour of the brewery and I think my 7 year old nephews may be future brewers in the making!!

Fosters launch of Crown Ambassador Reserve lager

Saw this online today about Crown Ambassador Reserve lager, a new beer that Fosters is calling a "luxury beer". It goes on sale on June 30 and it will be interesting to see whether it's any good or whether it's, what the journalist might call "crafty marketing". Does anybody now what style of lager it is anyway?

Hey Fosters, any chance of getting a taster sooner?! Are we on the VIP list?!

The Local Taphouse 'Ale Stars' Update

More news re our soon-to-be-launched beer club:

The Local Taphouse 'Ale Stars' will meet Tuesday evenings once a month to sample and discuss great (and sometimes rare) beers in a social, relaxed and fun setting. Each night will feature 5 beer samples and tapas plates matched to the beers. One of our favourite Local barflys, Shandy, will host the nights, introducing the styles etc...

I'm delighted that beer-friendly bottle shop chain, Cloudwine, have come aboard as sponsor for the Ale Star evenings. If you haven't been to one of their stores, do so!

The first meeting is scheduled for July 22nd. Price will be approx $25 per meeting (this includes 5 x 90ml samples of beer and food). Annual paid-up members will, among other things, get their own etched glass and individual glass locker with their own key!

To hear the very latest Ale Stars news and to register your interest, text your name and the words 'Ale Stars' to 0447-LOCALS (0447 562 257).

Tangerine Launch Night Press Release

‘A Delicious Success…’

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE PHOTOS

Tangerine short film night launched yesterday(Tuesday 3rd June) at The Local Taphouse. It was a great success and lived up to what was anticipated - a beautiful venue, with tangerines galore filling the room, an ambient glow of a warm fire and delicious networking…

There was an abundant crowd, drinking, eating and discussing everything film. The selection of four films (listed below) were also a great success, covering four corners of the globe, controversy, and philosophy. Two short films and two music videos stirred and inspired all.

Director Contributions…

‘Summer Breaks’
Director: Sean Kruck
Format: Short Film
Company: Radical Media
City: Sydney

‘Directions’
Director: Kasimir Burgess
Format: Short Film
Company: A F C
City: Melbourne

‘ Stress’ Justice
Director: Romain Gavras
Format: Music Video
Company: 75
City: Paris

‘Happiness’ Goldfrap
Director: Dougal Wilson
Format: Music Video
Company: Colonel Blimp

“This was a great start to what will become a regular night at the local” Justin Joiner (The Local Taphouse VenueManager)

An uplifting selection of industry folk turned up to share the banter, including top Advertising Agency creatives (Droga 5, Publicis Mojo, Leo Burnett, The Furnace and Campaign Palace) as well as an array of production companies and actors. The whole night was filled with sweet delicious segments of goodness and all are looking forward to the next Tangerine on Tuesday July 1st at 630pm (The Local Taphouse).

See the website for details of what will be screened and please send in your work for future nights: http://www.ilovetangerine.com/ or Colette@ilovetangerine.com

Tangerine launch goes sweeeetttt.

Tangerine was successfully launched last night. The advertising/film industry networking and short film night is the brainchild of Colette Crispin and happens on the first Tuesday of every month. All are welcome (including non-industry peeps) so do come along.

Photos will be posted here asap but in the meantime you can see some on Tangerine's Facebook site.

New Brews (and Samuel Smith bottles FINALLY arrive)

Holgate Holzende Dunkelweizen has replaced Holgate Mt Macedon Ale on a Showcase Tap. Baron's Lemon Myrtle has been replaced on a regular tap by Hargreaves Hill ESB and we have tapped a Redoak Organic English Pale Ale.

Coming up:
Otway Pale Ale, Leffe Brune, Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse (final keg), Bright Staircase Porter, Feral Wit, Feral Rust Belgian Abbey Ale), James Squire Amber Ale.

Also, we've FINALLY received a shipment of Samuel Smith beers including their porter, Imperial Stout and Oatmeal Stout. This was a nightmare to get so you'd better hurray as I don't know if I have the patience to get it again!

Visit to Redoak in Sydney

I'm in Sydney for a few days and popped in late last night to Redoak's bar/restaurant in Clarence Street for a quick few. Janet Hollyoak (part owner with brewer brother David Hollyoak) was her usual hospitable self. I had the Vienna Lager followed by the Porter (I think it was the Holly Porter) and, finally, the Rauch beer. The Vienna is what they're sending to the SpecTAPular and was a good drop. I particularly liked the Porter - the wonderful aroma of espresso and chocolate could have been smelt across the room so strong were they. The flavours backed up as well. Finally, the Rauch beer. I haven't tried a whole heap of this style but was eager to try this having been at the Matilda Bay brewery last week and trying their soon-to-be-released version. Neither are beers you would have many of but the Redoak Rauch was particularly interesting with more smoke characteristics than the MB version (albeit they're still tweaking theirs).

I'd highly recommend anyone in Sydney to make a trip to Redoak. The corporate crowd it attracts may make it a place you wouldn't normally go but their terrific variety of beers and the passion with which they sell/serve them makes it a great place for a beer enthusiast.