St Kilda Bonza vs Darlo Black & Tannin - - Fight!

Last Wednesday, the Darlinghurst Ale Stars descended upon the Local Taphouse for the highly anticipated launch of the Ale Stars brews.
This was the first time that anyone in Sydney got a chance to taste the beer that the Sydney Ale Stars went up to Hunter Beer Co to brew (Black & Tannin), as well as the St Kilda offering (brewed at Mornington Peninsula Brewery), the BONZA IPA.

To start off the night, we invited Hunter Beer Head Brewer Keith Grice up to talk about one of his favourite beers; his own Hunter Bock. A beautiful bock, with rich caramel and toffee notes, this one was the perfect start to a very boozy evening. Keith talked us through the recipe, and how he's changed it recently, tweaking it to deliver the flavours that you'd expect from a bock.

We then moved onto a delicious Black Imperial Pilsner brewed by our very own 'Ale Stars Czar' Doc from Doctor's Orders Brewing. A beautifully balanced, yet very extreme beer, this found a really nice middle ground between getting dark flavours without being too thick or roasty, and being very hoppy without being aggressive.

We then sampled the competition, the BONZA IPA that the St Kilda Ale Stars brewed at Mornington. Named BONZA for its mix of Belgian yeast and Aussie, New Zealand and American hops, this one was very fruity and spicy, coming from both the Belgian yeast and the pacific hops.

Finally, we got to the moment we were all waiting for. The tension in the room was palpable as the final beer was brought out. The Black & Tannin, a huge, rich Baltic Porter aged in Hunter Valley Shiraz Barrels. Needless to say, the crowd loved this beer, enjoying its layers and complexities. The Ale Stars had wanted to make a big, bold, ambitious beer, and in that, they succeeded.

The interstate fight continues... say tuned.

Darlinghurst Ale Stars blended the Beers beautifully

Last Wednesday was an intimate gathering with the usual suspects, leading the proceedings in vanguard was local guru Darren 'Doc' from Doctor's Orders Brewing, and The Local's own beertender Hugh to share his insights and to punish everyone with the trivia.

This session the theme was to blend two beers to form another known style of beer. For this to work we provided both beers in separate glasses, as well as another blending glass for each round. This meant that participants had a chance at tasting both beers before the blend, as well as deciding the blend ratio themselves.

Starting it off was an attempt at creating a Schwarzbier by blending the Meantime London Porter (6.5%, UK) with the Trumer Pils (4.9%, Austria). A Schwarzbier is a German dark lager characterised by its deep black colour, and its chocolatey-coffee flavours. While the blend didn't taste bad, it didn't quite strike the style. The colour was a murky brown instead of a deep oily black, and to everyone’s surprise the hops in the Trumer really beamed through the mix. Typically Pilsners are not considered hoppy beers next to their ale counterparts, and on its own the Trumer Pils has a fairly subtle flavour profile with honey-grain maltiness and bright carbonation. However, blended with the Meantime London Porter its hop character was really amplified against the backdrop of the milk-chocolate, roasty malts. It was agreed that more Porter to Pilsner ratio produced a better blend.

Second up was a blend with two classic beers, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (5.6%, USA) and the Duvel Strong Ale (8.5%, BEL), to create a Belgian Pale Ale. The result was as expected, a very drinkable blend that incorporated characteristics from both beers in a pleasant balance. The interesting zesty aromatics from the Belgian style met the fresh bouquet of North-American hops from the New World pale ale. The seams in this blend were noticeable, however it achieved the range of taste anticipated for a Belgian Pale Ale, and beers such as the Duvel Triple Hop 2012 (Citra) were brought to the discussion.

For the third round we explored the idea of creating a Black Saison by blending the Meantime London Porter (6.5%, UK) with the Red Hill Saison (6.0%, VIC). A Black Saison sounds like contradicting terms, however think of it as a Belgian version of a Dunkelweizen. Its a hybrid style that has been brewed by New World breweries in recent years by brewing with dark malts, while capturing the refreshing vibrant qualities of a Saison. Our blend using both these beers produced the best one on the night. Although this style is not terribly familiar to some, the result was one that everyone was happy with. It maintained the qualities of the target style as the dark malts were lifted by the refreshing dry carbonation of the Saison, while tarty farmhouse esters complimented the chocolatey-vanilla taste, giving a pleasant mouth feel. Moreover, the result was seamless no matter which way one decide to ratio the blend.

Last for the night was a blend between the mammoth Nøgne Ø #100 IPA (10%, NOR), and the light and spicy Hoegaarden Witbier (4.9%, BEL) to produce a White IPA. As I feared the enormous canvas of flavour from Nøgne Ø swamped any chance of the Hoegaarden making its impression in the mix. Although I should report that everyone enjoyed the tsunami of the taste these Imperial IPAs are known for.

Not all blends were perfect, however experimenting was fun and fruitful, and surprising how this exercise spotlighted some specific characteristics of each beer through the resulting taste. Perhaps the real winning combination on the night was being present at The Local to syphon the last drops of Yeastie Boys Gunnamatta from the taps!

The Next Ale Stars we have a very special visit from 4 Pines Brewery, it's on the 20th Feb so don't miss out, book here. 

Funkdafied presents Mr Thing in Darlinghurst!

The Local Taphouse & Funkdafied preseent Mr Thing live on the decks this coming Saturday! 

Mr Thing is over from the UK gracing us with his incredible skills and techniques. Winner of the 2000 World DMC Scratch championship and current holder of the DMC World Team Scratch Championship with The Scratch Perverts; this show is not to be missed! 

The night will kick off from 7pm where DJ Rolls Royce (UK) will show us why he is quickly becoming one of Sydney's 'in demand' turntable stars. There will be a handful of other DJ's bringing you your soundtrack to what will be an epic night. 

There will be funk, soul, hip hop and more. 

A gold coin donation is all we ask; and that you bring your dancing shoes and your party animal.... 

See you all here!! 

The Blend is nearer in Darlinghurst...

Ladies & Gents... The time is almost upon us, the time for blending Beer to make.... More Beer... 

This is in some cases a unique chance for the curious to try their hand at creating their own unique blend, for others it's a chance to show off their knowledge and skill. Either way, it's going to be a great night. 

The Chef has come up with a 'one off' blend of his own for dinner and for those that know, the mouths are already watering... 

As per usual tickets are only $40; the beers, the food, the trivia and the journey, click here to join in the fun! 

A Cider Masterclass at The Local Taphouse

Over the past 5 years we have made it our mission to put craft beer on the map here in Australia.

We showcase hundreds of beers per year, some unique or special collaborations and run Australia's best beer appreciation sessions, Ale Stars.

...and while that's certainly not going to change, we love our other products too, and in February, we're featuring our very first cider masterclass.   

Join us on the 12th February, 7pm, at The Local (Darlinghurst) where special guests Max Allen (Cider Australia) & James Kendell (Small Acres Cyder) will take you on a delicious journey.

Armed with ciders from all over the globe, Max & James will help you explore your bitter-sweet palette    while giving you an insight into their special knowledge of these tasty creations.

As per usual there will be delicious snacks and time for Q&A, tickets are only $40 and will sell out fast. Book here to join the fun. 

Silent Cinema Season 3 launching in Darlinghurst 2013!

(Rocky Horror Picture Show Dec '12)

2012 brought us the year of many things – one of those things was a unique Tuesday night event called ‘Silent Cinema’. It has been a huge success and we, alongside our partners Trumer Pils and Innocent Bystander are very proud to announce that Silent Cinema will be extending its arms deep into 2013 with Season 3 beginning in January.

For those of you playing at home, $10 will get you a pair of wireless headphones, a bowl of popcorn, a free glass of Innocent Bystander or Trumer Pilsner and a chance to impress your Tuesday night date with the sunset as your proverbial background.

Doors open at 7pm, screenings usually start at 7:45pm which gives you enough time to order some dinner off the menu and soak up the atmosphere.

The previous two seasons provided us with an epic scope of cult-cinema and we aren't here to do things by halves so we’re giving you another 12 hand-picked gems for you to enjoy.

To kick things off is the original ‘Wall Street’ and we travel the way down the list with the comedic styling’s of ‘Hot Fuzz’ through to the criminal dramas of ‘American History X’

See you here. Every Tuesday

Happy New Year

8th January - 'Wall Street' - book here

15th Jan - '300' - book here

22nd Jan - 'Back to the Future II' - book here

29th Jan - 'Inception' - book here 

5th February - 'Hot Fuzz' - book here

12th February - 'Gran Torino' - book here

19th Feb - 'Be Cool' - book here

26th Feb - 'American History X' - book here

5th March - 'Blow' - book here

12th Mar - 'Batman Begins' - book here

19th Mar - 'American Gangster' - book here

26th Mar - 'Predator' - book here

For any queries please email: dom@thelocal.com.au or call 02 9360 0088.

               

Less than a week until the Last AleStars in Darlinghurst for 2012

With less than a week to go, and with the last Ale Stars of 2012 really taking shape, you can see that our Cellar Manager David Osgood is not only model material, but he is also now in possession of the beers you want and need!

The line up for next Wednesday's Ale Stars is looking something like this...

Local Taphouse & Bridge Road Bar Series presents "13 Hours on a Bus"
Bear Republic's "Racer 5"
Doctors Orders "Zephyr"
Nogne O "#500"

As Christmas is lurking around the corner like one of Santa's drunken little elves we thought it would only be right if we had a few prezzies and surprises for you as well but you'll have to wait until Wednesday night to see what they are...Okay we'll give you a clue, could they be a special guest? Another beer perhaps? Some cool merchandise or Miranda Kerr filling up your glass on the night? You'll just have to wait. (Please note: Miranda Kerr odds are at 10:1)

We've also taken our theme and come up with a delicious dinner for everyone as well so don't fear. 

Trivia will be focused on this years events regarding The Local Taphouse, Beer news in Australia and a few other cheeky ones too. 

Tickets are a mere $40, doors open at 7pm and the good times will no doubt go till late. 

If you haven't booked yet, please click here. 

Hope to see you all here! 

Boxing Day & New Years Day at your Local in Darlinghurst

It seems that the silly season is well under way and we've already had numerous Christmas parties and random festive cheer here at The Local.

It was a great year full of new faces, new beers, new awards and great progress for the Local Taphouse so to celebrate our end of year 'hoorah' will be on Boxing Day December 26th 

We have spent the year trialling new dishes, new entertainment and putting our "green thumb" touch to our Roof Garden. So once you put all of this together and box it up then Boxing Day at The Local will be a scream. It's free entry from Midday and we'll go till we pull up stumps late in the night

We hope to see you here.

====

Don't put down your diary just yet! 2012 was good, really good, so we're opening 2013 with a bang. 

Don your blazer, roll up the sleeves, slick your hair back and load the persona with cheese because we are going full Miami Vice here on New Years Day.

The DJs and the outfits will make you feel like you're cruising around Miami-Dade County with the rest of the good time seekers and retro ravers.

The doors open from Midday, there is no charge but we do ask that you come prepared, dressed to the 9's in the freshest 80's outfits ready for fun - Best dressed will receive a bottle of Veuve Clicquot to keep the excess flowing.

So dust off your dancing shoes for what some desire to be an extravagant day in the sun but don't blow too early, this party will go on until late

The Local Taphouse - we didn't get scars like this from sucking... at beer!

Decembeer at The Local Taphouse in Darlinghurst.

Hello there loyal Local lovers.

DecemBEER's looking like it's going to be a fantastic month.

We know you all have a busy month but don't forget to relax and treat yourself because if there is any time of the year to do it, this is it.

Get out your diaries and have a look at what we have coming up, if you want any more information on any of it, just give Dom a call on 02 9360 0088 or drop him an email on dom@thelocal.com.au.

Also, have a think about your Christmas parties and where you want to have them, we still have some great spaces available so give us a shout.

Hope to see you all here!

Ale Stars March - What the Bock?

Our March lineup for Ale Stars in Darlo and St Kilda is locked in:

This month we taste the delicious style that is Bock.

Rogue Ales Dead Guy
Hunter Bock
Weihenstephaner Vitus
Aventinus Eisbock

Leave the car at home - these beers are hardcore.

We hope to see you there - 7pm March 2nd (Darlo) and 7pm March 16th (St Kilda).

Cheers,

The Local Crew

Hottest 100 2009 results announced!

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!!!

I hope wherever you are around this great land, whether its at a barby, at the Big Day Out, or even at work, I hope it is a great day.

Now down to business. The votes have been cast and they have been counted (incidentally the counting part is not something I would wish on anyone).

Almost double the number of people than last year voted for their top 10 Australian Craft beers of 2009 and more than 450 beers received at least one vote. Voters were from all over Australia.

Congratulations to all of the brewers for their great beers...I hope yours is on this list.

Drumroll please.....

1 Little Creatures Pale Ale (WA)
2 Murrays Icon Double IPA (NSW)
3 Matilda Bay Fat Yak (VIC)
4 Mountain Goat Hightail Ale (VIC)
5 Hargreaves Hill ESB (VIC)
6 Matilda Bay Alpha Pale Ale (VIC)
7 Feral Hop Hog IPA (WA)
8 White Rabbit Dark Ale (VIC)
9 Knappstein Reserve Lager (SA)
10 Jamieson Beast IPA (VIC)
11 Little Creatures Bright Ale (WA)
12 Coopers Pale Ale (SA)
13 James Squire Golden Ale (NSW)
14 Stone & Wood Draught Ale (NSW)
15 Holgate Chocolate Temptress (VIC)
16 Murrays Nirvana Pale Ale (NSW)
17 Bridge Road Bling IPA (VIC)
18 Coopers Sparkling Ale (SA)
19 Feral White (WA)
20 James Squire Amber Ale (NSW)
21 Moo Brew Pale Ale (TAS)
22 Murrays Grand Cru (NSW)
23 Kooinda Pale Ale (VIC)
24 Hawthorn Pale Ale (VIC)
25 Coopers Vintage Ale (SA)
26 James Squire Mad Brewers 10 20 Commemorative Ale (NSW)
27 2 Brothers Growler (VIC)
28 Red Hill Imperial Stout (VIC)
29 Bridge Rd Chevalier Saison (VIC)
30 James Squire Hop Thief (NSW)
31 Brew boys Ace of Spades Stout (SA)
=32 Holgate ESB (VIC)
=32 Mountain Goat Steam Ale (VIC)
=34 Barons Black Wattle (NSW)
=34 Moo Brew Imperial Stout (TAS)
36 Red Hill Scotch Ale (VIC)
37 Temple Saison (VIC)
38 Mountain Goat Rapunzel (VIC)
39 Coopers Extra Stout (SA)
40 Wicked Elf Pale Ale (NSW)
41 Boatrocker Alpha Queen (VIC)
42 James Squire India Pale Ale (NSW)
43 3 Ravens 55 (VIC)
=44 Grand Ridge Moonshine (VIC)
=44 Mountain Goat IPA (VIC)
46 Moo Brew Dark Ale (TAS)
47 Coopers 62 Pilsner (SA)
48 Lobethal Pale Ale (SA)
=49 Bridge Road oak aged Imperial Porter (VIC)
=49 Grand Ridge Gippsland Gold (VIC)
=49 James Squires Sundown Lager (NSW)
=49 Murrays Anniversary Ale 4 (NSW)
53 Feral Boris Russian Imperial Stout (WA)
54 Brew Boys Maiden Ale (SA)
=55 William Bull Red Angus Pilsner (NSW)
=55 Red Hill Temptation (VIC)
57 Murray’s Pilsener (NSW)
58 Little Creatures Rogers (WA)
59 James Squire Porter (NSW)
60 Lord Nelson Three Sheets (NSW)
61 Feral Razorback Barleywine (WA)
=62 Murrays Wild Thing Imperial Stout (NSW)
=62 Nail Brewing Stout (WA)
64 Brewboys Seeing Double (SA)
65 James Squire Pilsner (NSW)
66 Holgate Brewery Hopinator (VIC)
=67 Bridge Rd Brewers Beechworth Australian Ale (VIC)
=67 Matilda Bay Dogbolter (VIC)
69 Sunshine Coast Munich Dunkel (QLD)
70 Colonial IPA (WA)
=71 Bridge Road brewers Chevalier Bier De Garde (VIC)
=71 Mountain Goat Surefoot Stout (VIC)
=71 Nail Ale (WA)
=74 Hargreaves Hill Pale Ale (VIC)
=74 Otway Estate Prickly Moses Red Ale (VIC)
76 Barons ESB (NSW)
77 Bright Brewery Staircase Porter (VIC)
=78 Gage Roads IPA (WA)
=78 Holgate Big Reg (VIC)
=78 Murrays Sassy Blonde (NSW)
=78 Stone and Wood Pale Lager (NSW)
=82 Barons Pale Ale (NSW)
=82 Bridge Rd Celtic Red (VIC)
=82 Flying Horse Dirty Angel Porter (VIC)
=85 Bridge Road The Harvest Pale Ale (VIC)
=85 Feral Fanta Pants Imperial Red Ale (WA)
=87 2 Brothers Voodoo (VIC)
=87 Matilda Bay Beez Neez (VIC)
=89 Burleigh Hefeweizen (QLD)
=89 Coopers Dark Ale (SA)
=89 Murrays Dark Knight (NSW)
=92 Holgate Double Trouble (VIC)
=92 Red Duck Bengal Tiger IPA (VIC)
=92 Wig and Pen Russian Imperial Stout (ACT)
=95 Colonial Kolsch (WA)
=95 Holgate Nut Brown Ale (VIC)
=95 Lord Nelson Old Admiral (NSW)
=95 Red Oak Organic Pale Ale (NSW)
=95 Wig and Pen Brewers IPA (ACT)
=100 Bridge Road Pale Ale (VIC)
=100 Red Oak Belgian Chocolate Stout (NSW)

We'll pick a random voter out of hat shortly and they will win a case of each of the Top 5 beers (subject to availability)!

Cheers,

The Local Crew.

A cracking winter night of Porters in Darlo - Ale Stars wrap up

Here's what Jeff had to say about the night:

Tuesday night saw the third ever Darlo ale stars and it was another cracker. The lure of great beer proved too much and once again the restaraunt was packed to the rafters with eager lovers of the frothy stuff. It was awesome to see a lot of new faces incuding a group of Americans bringing an international feel to the night, and also great to see a few groups keeping up their 100% attendance record. The "Beer Monsters" nestled into their corner, and "lusitania" teamed up again to see if they could make it a hatrick of quiz wins, while AG welcomed us all and introduced us to this months flavour - Porters.

The Beer Monsters - OK so it's from last month - who forgot the camera?

After another typically great delivery by our Ale Star Tsar, on the history and brewing methods that make Porters unique, we were all well and truly ready to get stuck into the first of the night. Porters first appeared in the 18th century and came about as bars blended dark and light beers to create a strong, yet affordable ale for the railway workers... The Porters! The style died out for a while but is having a rennaisance, of sorts, mostly thanks to American breweries (and now many others) turning out some real crackers.

Like all good sessions we kicked off with the least challenging of the pack and the first train out of the station was Emersons London Porter. The Kiwis get a lot of stick over here, but there's nothing bad we can say about this little beauty. The Emerson Brewery has been belting out some great beers and this is no exception. It had a sweet chocolatey aroma, a smooth taste and a roasty, coffee aftertaste.

The crowd was loving it, and the chatter about raisins vs currents, coffee, chocolate and all those other things we talk about when tucking into quality Porters could only be interupted by equally enjoyable pizza from the Norwegian Siren in the kitchen!

The quiz got into full swing and with our carry over champs being slugged with a handicapp this week, the field opened right up and that free round of beers was up for grabs.

Controversy flowed, commments flew and the tech-bell, usually reserved to get clarification on something a little too techy for the newbies, was now being used to bring order to the excited mass now ready for beer no. 2.

Out came Samuel Smith's Famous Taddy Porter... a belter. Michael Jackson, not the one glove wearing guy that likes little kids and a monkey named Bubbles, but the world's most respected beer writer, considered it one of the top 5 beers in the world. Most people gave it the thumbs up over the Emersons, but there seemed to be more excitement about what was to come. More pizza, more quiz questions and more talk about raisins, chocolate, viscosity and malt and we were ready for the one it seemed like everyone was holding out for... Meantime London Porter.

To say it was worth the wait is a gross understatement. To say it was the favourite of the night is also an understatement, and to say it's a beautiful beer would be the biggest understatement of all. It's a smooth, perfectly balanced, rounded beer that you could drink all night... and then some.

Rounding off the night in style was the Murrays Best Extra Porter. We were fortunate to drink the last bottles left in the Country and Shaun, Murray's Brewer, felt that the year it spent in the bottle had aged it well and it was certainly at it's best.


(Some of) Team Lucitania - OK, OK - again from 2 months ago. Can someone please bring a camera in July?

So, another cracking Ale Stars night in Darlo. Specal thanks to AG for another awesome job up the front, Jess for keeping the peace with the bell, aul, Nicki, Siren and the Local team for keeping the glasses topped up and hot pizza coming through the door. A special mention must go to team Lusitania, who would have won the quiz, again, but for being hobbled by a nasty handicap dished out in the interest of fair sport... I think I heard "Melbourne Cup" used to justify it.

Stay tuned for the beer style for next month, it will be another great night. Make sure you book in early becase we're going to have to start capping numbers to make sure we all fit and all get a seat.

Darlo Ale Stars, June 2nd. Final lineup confirmed...

This month the Darlo Ale Stars' beer style is Porter. The following lineup has just been confirmed:

1. Meantime London Porter

2. Emerson's London Porter

3. Samuel Smith's The Famous Taddy Porter

4. Murrays Best Extra Porter.

These, in my humble opionion, are cracking examples of this fine style. So come and join A.G. and the crew for a sip a bite and a chat about all things Porter.

Remember to book via Paypal button - top right of this blog.

All welcome. See you there...

May Brewery Showcase - Feral Brewing

Our May brewery showcase - Feral Brewing - has hit the taps in both Darlinghurst and St Kilda.

For those not familiar, Feral Brewing has been quietly making a name for itself over in Swan Valley, WA, (just outside of Perth), as a brewery of great Australian beers.

Well they were quietly making a name for themselves until the AIBA earlier this year where they were well and truly recognised for being right at the top of the pile when it comes to Australian craft breweries.

They took out 5 major gongs including Champion Small Brewery. All this at the second biggest beer competition in the world means things have got a little hectic around the brewery trying to keep up with demand.

Over the course of the month we will be pouring the Hop Hog IPA (2009 AIBA Champion Ale), Feral White which is a Belgian Witbier (2009 AIBA Champion Hybrid Beer), Feral Pils and Boris Imperial Stout - possiby the biggest beer I have tasted this year at 11.5%.

And in St Kilda only - Feral Razorback (2009 AIBA Champion Scotch Ale/Barley Wine) - the second biggest beer I have tasted this year at 11%! This would have been on in Darlinghurst this month but we kind of accidentally tapped it the week we opened up there so it has been and gone. Sorry to those who missed it. I suggest you jump in the car and pop down the Hume Highway and try it in St Kilda as it is something special.

Enjoy...

Darlo Ale Stars - German Wheat Ales

Our second Ale Stars in Darlo last night looked at German Wheat ales and covered some classics. Schofferhofer Kristal, Weihenstephaner Hefe Wiessbier, Weihenstaphaner Dunkel and Schneider and Son Aventinus were the beers on offer.

Opinion was divided but the Weihenstephaner Dunkel took out the most popular drop on the night, followed very closely by the Schneider Aventinus.

The trivia was a tough one but team Lucitania took it out and are now undefeated after two Ale Stars sessions.

Another great night was had by all and a huge thanks to A.G. for preparing the tasting notes and talking us through the delicious brews.

The next Darlo Ale Stars will be on June 2nd with a beer style TBC. Stay tuned...

Beer Diva's Beer & Food dinners coming to Taphouses

I've been chatting with Kirrily (aka Beer Diva) about holding monthly beer and food matching evenings at The Local Taphouse in Darlo and eventually in St Kilda as well.

Kirrily and I used to work together in beer years ago so it was great when we crossed paths again and found that we're both still as passionate about the magical stuff as ever. Great minds drink alike!

Beer Diva holds all sorts of fantastic beer tasting events including masterclasses, cocktail parties, beer dinners, beer and cheese tasting etc. for any occassion you can think of.

So watch this space for more info on what's coming up at The Local Taphouse with "the girl who really knows beer"

New "Beeraholix" website

The guys from Aussiehomebrewer.com have launched a new website called Beeraholix. Their idea is to create a site that grabs info, news and stories from all the existing beer websites out there in one easy to follow and keep-an-eye-on place.

It's got an Aussie focus and isn't limited to any one area of beer (such as commercial brewing, homebrewing, retailing etc.) it's more of an all-things-beer kind of site. I just visited the site, and it's pretty damn good!

What a bloody great idea! No longer will we need to trall the web for all the current news and stories, but we'll be able to check it all out with one simple visit to Beeraholix! Love ya work!!

Mardi Gras 2009!

Well we managed to survive the madness that was Mardi Gras!

With the parade coming right past our front door we braced ourselves for a huge one. It was all on deck for our staff - some of whom had only worked 2 or 3 shifts with us. There was also Jeff, Guy and myself looking after things and Clauds up from Melbourne to give us a hand. And then there were the 'ring ins' some of whom come to help us out at less than 24hrs notice.

We spent what was a quiet afternoon getting ready and watching people arrive to get a good spot parade side. And then at about 7 the crowds started flowing in. They kept flowing in and we were almost full for five or six hours, with queues up the street for a while. The cheesy tunes were pumping and the dancefloor went off. Some of the outfits were eye openers to those of us who hadn't experienced mardi gras before, as were the dance moves.

It was a great effort by everyone and a fun night had by all. Here's few pics and more will be on flickr soon. Cheers.

Baron's calls all Squadron members to Darlo next Thursday

This appeared in the Barons Brewing missive out this morning

The Local Taphouse- Barons available this month
Thursday 12th March
From 6pm
The Local Taphouse
Cr Flinders and South Dowling Sts Darlinghurst www.thelocal.com.au Check website for St Kilda Taphouse details

Put this date in your diary. Named ‘The best beer bar in the land’ by Willie Simpson, Author of The Beer Bible, Steve, Guy and the gang have decided to replicate the success of their St Kilda bar and set up another Taphouse in Sydney.

Barons is honoured to be the showcase brewery in both venues this month; pouring Barons Honey Bock, Barons Summer Ale and Barons Hop Mother. These beers may never be repeated so get along and try them all. Come on Thursday, March 12th for a special evening at Sydney's best new beer offering. Enjoy the three specialty beers on tap in what is sure to become a staple hang-out for Squadron and Barons alike! Barons' Head Brewer, Richard Adamson will be there to run you through the beers. All welcome!

The inaugural Darlo Ale Stars session set for April 7th

With Andrew 'AG' Gow now at the helm as 'Ale Star Tsar' in Darlinghurst, the first Darlo Ale Star session has been locked in for Tuesday 7th April from 7pm!

These sessions are all about getting to know more about beer in a fun and informal way. All are welcome. Cost will prob be the usual $25 which will include 4 beer tasters and pizza. The session may incorporate old St Kilda faves such as Special Guests, Beer Trivia etc..

Keep an eye on the blog for more information as it's finalised and/or text your name and 'Darlo Ale Stars' to 0447-LOCALS.