Australia’s alcohol advertising regulations are strict – rules prevent advertisements from suggesting that consumption may create or contibute to a significant change in mood or environment – nor cannot it suggest that consumption can contribute to success in any way. As a result advertisers continually look for new ways to promote the brand – albeit without specifically promoting the product!

Below is Cartlon Draught’s latest ad – the slow mo…and a few other old classics.

Carlton Draught Slow Motion

Carlton Draught Tingle

Carlton Draught Flashbeer

Carlton Draught Skytroop Show

Carlton Draught Big Ad

Carlton Draught Canoes

Carlton Draught Horses

Carlton Draught Shed

We recently headed out to the Beer Factory in Sevenhills to make our beer, an Oregon Ale we called Scarface …. here’s a short video of our adventures – enjoy!

You can book a brew your own beer experience from the Beer Factory here, or if you live in Victoria, book a brew your own beer experience from Barleycorn Brewers.

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As beer merchants we recently decided that it was about time Beer Cartel had a beer we could call our own. As a result we decided to head to the Beer Factory in Seven Hills in Sydney to try their brew your own brewing facility.

After making the trip to the Beer Factory we sat down with owner, Stuart Boag and discussed our available options. The Beer Factory has over 200 different beer recipes that it can easily create. It includes the standard Australian beers (read VB, Tooheys New, XXXX etc) to premium and boutique Australian and International beers. After evaluating our options we decided to go for one of the more flavoursome beers, a Scottish style ale also known as an Oregon Ale.

Having decided on our beer of choice our next step was the creation of the beer. The Beer Factory is very well set up in a large expansive warehouse with the ability for a large number of people to all brew their own beers at the same time. Our first step was pulling together and measuring the ingredients – this was as easy as ABC, literally! We were given a sheet with ABC directions outlining exactly what malts, hops and grains to get for our beer. The ingredients were then added together and poured into the kettle to begin brewing – and that was our brewing process! The beer was then put away to ferment – we were then given a ticket to undertake the bottling of our beer in 3 weeks time.

3 weeks later we returned to the Beer Factory to find our batch of boutique beer ready to be bottled and enjoyed. The beer is produced in 50 litre batches providing 6 cases (144 bottles) of the finished product for consumption. After a quick wash, the bottles were then filled with our beer and capped before the final process of applying our labels – all while enjoying a sample of our product!

And that was it – our brew, Scarface Oregon Ale, was bottled and ready to be enjoyed. Due to the liquor laws we are unable to sell our beer which means we have to give it away! Having given some to friends the reviews have been extremely positive – the beer is very easy to drink with a nice malty taste to it. The beer also matches with beef, lamb or game meats which makes it a perfect beer for this time of year.

You can book a brew your own beer experience from the Beer Factory here, or if you live in Victoria, book a brew your own beer experience from Barleycorn Brewers.

I was talking to my friend Steve a while back about Beer Cartel. Steve had recently moved to Sydney having grown up in the great New Zealand wine growing region Marlborough. Steve was unaware I had started a business based on craft beer, so I begun telling him about the business and the Beer Cartel beer club.

Steve had heard about wine clubs before but never a beer club, “why would someone join that? he asked, “isn’t a beer a beer?”… I love to get these moments, the chance to explain to someone entrenched in wine about the magic of beer – but where do I begin? Do I start telling Steve about the beauty of ales and taste of different lagers? Do I mention that the correct beer actually pairs with food better than wine? Do I talk to him about the vast range of flavours or the nuances of brewing that makes one beer so different  from another?

While I could do all of the above, I went for the never fail option and pulled from the fridge three very different but extraordinarily good boutique beers – a hefeweizen, an amber ale and a porter. Sharing the three beers between the two of us I let him take in the aromas, notice the difference in body and taste the amazing flavours. Steve is always very open to new things and as he tried these beers I could see the cogs turning in his head – these weren’t the same old beers he had experienced all his life at all.

While Steve did still need some more convincing I did manage to get him to sign up for a one month subscription to the Beer Cartel Beer Club. Not long after he received his first months supply and gave me a call “beer got delivered the other day” he said, “they were great, trouble is I liked them so much, I have already gone through them!”. And there it was, the moment I like best – when I have managed to convince another person of the joys of craft beer!”.

Click here for more information on the Beer Cartel Beer Club.

Moritz Beer 24 Pack -  AUD$79.95    

5.4% ABV   

A true Spanish lager beer from Barcelona it’s heritage dates back to 1856 when Louis Moritz Trautmann made the first batch of Moritz Beer. The beer was brewed initially in a small factory but as popularity for the beer grew there was a need to upscale the brewery, which was done in 1864.   

In 1978 due to financial difficulties brought on by the energy crisis the brewery had to be closed down, however, in 2004 descendants of the Moritz family revived the brand and Moritz beer was again made available. The building which housed the old brewery was reinstated as the companies head office and also houses a beer museum and bar. Some describe this beer as Spanish sunshine in a bottle!   

Prickly Moses Otway Ale 24 Pack -  AUD$75.00    

4.9% ABV   

A medium bodied ale, light amber in colour, derived from the use of caramel malts.  It is a refreshing but appetizing beer with toffee and caramel flavours balanced with a blend of traditional English hops for bittering and American hops for aroma.  The all malt ale is warm fermented, it adds some complexity to the beer and leads to a fruity aroma which compliments this particular style of beer.  

Prickly Moses Otway Mixed Case 24 Pack -  AUD$75.00

Taste a selection of beers from Otway Estate Brewery all in one mixed case!    This is a selection of Otway Estates most popular beers and includes a 6 pack of each of the following Otway beers:    Summer Ale - refreshing, clean, crisp, golden ale. It has hints of tropical pineapple, passionfruit and citrus flavours and the dry finish, makes it the perfect summer ale. (4.5% ABV)    Wheat Beer – a hazy deep golden coloured spiced wheat beer with a taste of lightly roasted malts and citrus fruits.  The beer uses unmalted wheat in addition to the usual barley malt which imparts a quenching tartness with a slight nuttiness.  The addition of orange and coriander seasoning, as well as noble hops, adds acidity and a faintly astringent dryness to the finish.  A mid strength Belgian Style wheat beer. (4.3% ABV)    Otway Ale -  a medium bodied ale, light amber in colour, derived from the use of caramel malts.  A refreshing but appetizing beer with toffee and caramel flavours balanced nicely with a blend of traditional English hops for bittering and American hops for aroma.  The all malt ale is warm fermented which adds some complexity to the beer and leads to a fruity aroma which compliments this particular style of beer.  (4.9% ABV)    Red Ale - a medium to full bodied Irish Style Ale beer with light reddish hue.  It is a malt accented beer which starts with initial malt sweetness and finishes with a dryness from the addition of small quantities of roasted barley. Kent Golding hops provide the low hop bitterness and aroma which in keeping with this style.  An easy drinking smooth beer.  (5.0% ABV)

Prickly Moses Otway Organic Lager 24 Pack -  AUD$75.00

4.5% ABV  This is a light, aromatic golden lager with a subtle, sweet fragrance. This isa  satisfying, thirst quenching, full strength beer is based on a European style lager. The lager is brewed using only Certified Organic hops, malts and Pure Otway Rainwater. It is chemical and preservative free.

Prickly Moses Otway Stout 24 Pack -  AUD$75.00

5.0% ABV A classic dark, full bodied, dry stout. Rich, roasted flavours with toffee and caramel makes it the perfect choice during the cooler months.

Prickly Moses Otway Summer Ale 24 Pack -  AUD$75.00

4.5% ABV A refreshing, clean , crisp, golden ale. Hints of tropical pineapple, passionfruit and citrus flavours and the dry finish, makes this the perfect summer ale.    Awards: Silver medal 2008 Australian International Beer Show

Prickly Moses Otway Wheat Beer 24 Pack - AUD$75.00

4.3% ABV A very refreshing hazy deep golden coloured spiced wheat beer with a taste of lightly roasted malts and citrus fruits.  The use of unmalted wheat in addition to the usual barley malt, imparts a quenching tartness with a slight nuttiness.  The addition of orange and coriander seasoning, as well as noble hops, adds acidity and a faintly astringent dryness to the finish.  A mid strength Belgian Style wheat beer.

Wig & Pen Kembery Ale 24 Pack -  AUD$77.00   

4.5% ABV   

Brewed in Canberra, this German style ale is a pale golden colour in appearance. It has a light to medium body with a hint of graininess and fruit in the aroma. Richard Watkins Wig and Pen’s brewer describes this beer as a very drinkable lager like ale.   

Wig and Pen is a full mash brewery, created from brewing equipment purchased from the old Craig Brewery in Darling Harbour which closed in 1992. Kembery Kolsch is one of six regularly made at the brewery and was the first to be bottled and available to anyone who can’t visit the brewery.   

Wicked Elf Witbier 24 Pack – AUD$89.95    

ABV 5.0%   

This is The Little Brewing Company’s version of a Belgian White Ale, a style brewed by the monks in the Middle Ages and only recently revived. This beer is made using 50/50 wheat and barley malts. The beer is ‘bottle conditioned’.   

It is a light ale with a lovely complexity of malt, citrus and spicy flavours, balanced with a refreshing bitterness from the hops and curacao (orange peel).   

Wicked Elf Witbier is a great match with white meats, sea food and Thai cuisine. It also has enough sweetness to compliment a citrus based dessert, i.e. lemon, lime or orange.  

Wicked Elf Pilsner 24 Pack -  AUD$89.95

ABV 5.0% This is The Little Brewing Company’s version of the original golden coloured lager first brewed  in Pilsen, Bohemia in 1842. All hops and malts used for this pilsner are fully imported. Ideally matched to white meats, spicy foods or seafood.  Wicked Elf Pale Ale 24 Pack -  AUD$89.95  ABV 5.4% This is The Little Brewing Company’s version of the American Pale Ale. It uses imported American ale yeast, American hops and English malts. Hops and malt flavour are plentiful in this ale, which is ‘bigger’ than most. The Wicked Elf Pale Ale is a great match with red meats and game meats. It is also great with spicy foods such as Indian curries.

Mountain Goat Steam Ale 24 Pack -  AUD$79.95    

4.5% ABV   

Mountain Goat have created the Steam Ale to replacing their Pale Ale. It is an ale not overly hopped, with only 20 IBU’s (International Bitterness Units), as a result some have described this as a ‘lighter’ tasting ale.   

The brewers incorporate wheat malt in the grist and let it ferment while cool. Hallertau hops and a light dose of Galaxy flowers are added at the end.   

The Steam Ale is certified organic, with the Mountain Goat team taking a very ‘green’ approach to their entire brewing process. Among other thing this includes paying staff bonuses based on the number of days they ride to work!   

Hunter Beer Co Kolsch Single 750ml Bottle – AUD$17.00    

4.5% ABV   

750 ml champagne bottle   

A refreshing Golden Ale originating in style from the Cathedral city of Cologne with biscuity-honey taste and a subtle fruit sweetness, it is an ideal beer for summer.   

Hunter Kolsch is the perfect aperitif, often served as an accompaniment to canapes. The pleasant passionfruit and pineapple flavours are matched well with light snacks such as salt and pepper squid, chicken skewers and bruschetta.   

Hunter Beer Co Bock Single 750ml Bottle  AUD$17.00 

% ABV This is a dark German Lager originating in style from the Bavarian region of Germany. It has delicious hints of caramel, roasted coffee and chocolate. This is a robust beer that cries out for hearty food and a little bit of chocolate.    The Hunter Bock is the ideal beer to go with your comfort food, try it with roast chicken and potatoes, slow roasted lamb shanks on creamy mash and of course double chocolate mud cake with lashings of King Island ice cream.

Hunter Beer Co Ginger Beer Single 750ml Bottle - AUD$17.00

4.5% ABV     A refreshing ginger beer with a crisp clean ginger flavour. Ginger is known as a natural relaxant, so this beer makes the ideal drink after a hard days work! This ginger beer has subtle hints of ginger, it isn’t as ‘in your face’ as other ginger beers.     Ginger beer is a great accompaniment to most Asian dishes including honey lemon chicken, Mongolian lamb and sweet and sour pork. Pasta lovers might like to know that the crisp ginger flavour cuts deliciously through creamy pasta dishes like spaghetti carbonara and penne bosciola.

While watching the latest Toohey’s Beer Economy ads it got me thinking about the one time I paid a favour using the beer economy. Over a beer with friends in 2002 I decided if a reasonably priced boat came up for sale, useful for both fishing and wakeboarding, that I would buy it. Driving back from the local hotel I spotted the “Red Baron”, a 14 foot boat with a 70hp Johnson on the back – the perfect boat at a reasonable price.

The boat was bought and it was decided that the Red Baron would be initiated on a holiday in the beautiful Corromandel in New Zealand. After making the 8 hour drive from Hawkes Bay we were eager to get the boat in the water for a fish. The boat was launched and we headed out to deep water. Enjoying the sunshine we set in for a spot of fishing armed with our self named rods “Dennis Rodman”, “Rod Stewart”, “Andy Roddick” and “Rod Latham” – a New Zealand cricketing great of the 90s.

While the weather was good, the bites were slim so we decided to pack up and head in. I turned the key to start the motor and snap! the key broke off in the ignition. Stranded, we attempted a repair job armed with my trusty Leatherman, however success was not on our side. Luckily we could see another boat nearby so agreed if nothing else could be done we would continue fishing until they made a move.

When the nearby boat begun to pack up we quickly reeled in our own rods and threw out a hopeful request for a tow. Thankfully the boat and its crew were obliging and we made it back to shore – albeit a little sheepish from the experience! Feeling indebted to our saviours I dipped into the beer economy and dropped off a case of New Zealand’s Export Gold Lager – a small token of thanks for a most appreciated rescue!

While the case of Export Gold was from one of New Zealand’s mainstream breweries, if I ran into the same situation today the biggest question on my mind would be what craft beer to give!

Have you ever paid a favour using the beer economy? We would love to hear your story!