When 4 Pines came to Darlinghurst

Every month, a like-minded bunch of beautiful beer-lovers come and join us for our Alestars Beer Appreiciation evening. This past Wednesday we were also joined by the lovely guys from 4 Pines Brewing, Andrew and Chris, all the way from Manly. With them, they brought a handful of beers, 3 Single Hop Ales and their galaxy famous Stout. 

First up was the Hallertau Mittlefrüh Single Hop. Brewer Andrew Tweddell explained that they wanted to showcase the different hop-growing regions of the world, so what better place to start than with a classic German Noble hop? This one was the cleanest tasting of the lot, with all of the subtleties of the noble hop coming through. 

Next was Target hops from the UK. This one was rich and earthy, and more bitter than the Hallertau. Having this side by side with the Hallertau showed just how much impact hops have on the flavour, aroma and bitterness of a beer, despite sharing the same base recipe. 

The last single hop we tried was the very New-World style American hop, Centennial. A favourite of craft brewers for its potent buttering capabilities and its distinct grapefruit and line flavour, it was used more sparingly than usual so as not to overwhelm, but to illustrate the subtle flavouring possibilities. 

Finally, we were treated to the 4 Pines Stout, the first beer to brewed specifically to be commercially available in space. A rich, yet perfectly drinkable stout, this is a perennial favourite of Aussie beer lovers, and went down a treat the other night. 

We were also treated to a full explanation of 4 Pines' latest addition to their brewing arsenal, the huge new Brookvale facility that has just started production. Brewer Chris Willcock walked us through the challenges and advantages of the new system, and helped explain how each beer was brewed and the individual characteristics of each hop. 

Big thanks to Andrew and Chris, and everyone who came down to Darlinghurst for a lovely night of Beer, Trivia, Fun and more Beer.