2012 Beer Club Packs

Czech Premium Lager (5.0%)

Budějovický Budvar

This Czech Premium Lager is universally regarded as one of the world's great lager conditioned beers. Also known as Budweiser Budvar or the original Budweiser it utilises the high quality Žatec hop, virgin clear natural water and granules of selected species of Moravian barley.

It is produced by the Budějovický Budvar brewery located in the city of České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic which has a 700-year long tradition in production of beer. The beer is brewed from nothing but local natural materials in a 100 day brewing cycle (90 spent fermenting).

Black Tusk (5.0%)

Whistler Brewing Company

Established in 1989, The Whistler Brewing Company quickly built a reputation for producing some of British Columbia’s finest craft beers. From the original recipe, this re-release of Whistler Black Tusk Ale is brewed exclusively with Whistler Glacier Water and a special blend of imported chocolate and roasted malts.

To date, Whistler Brewing Company has won 2 World Awards for this dark, English-style mild ale. You can expect a mild bitterness with notes of chocolate and roasted coffee, and a very clean finish.

And if you’re wondering about the name, Black Tusk Ale, it relates to a famous local landmark – the jet black core of a now extinct volcano. A must-see if you go to Whistler.

Robot Ninja Sorachi Lager (4.6%)

Kooinda Brewery

Robot Ninja Sorachi Lager is inspired by the creative, colourful and sometimes crazy culture of Urban Tokyo. It is brewed in the Japanese lager style, light & dry with notes of lemon from the use of Sorachi Ace hop variety. A fantastic version of a non-conforming lager!

The beer is produced under licence by Kooinda brewery in Victoria. They’re producers of fantastic beers in their own right and were given the challenge of creating this very interesting beer.

Amber Ale (4.7%)

Hawthorn Brewing Co

Hawthorn Amber Ale is a rich malt flavoured ale, presenting itself as dark auburn coloured with hints of red. More British than the Queen’s corgi’s, the Amber Ale is meticulously brewed to the true Northern English style.

The inclusion of the world famous base malt – Maris Otter, ensures a lovely rounded body, whilst a small addition of Chocolate Malt in the grain bill delivers a warm bittersweet roasted caramel flavour. Mild English hops balance the sweet malt nicely, and plenty of dry hopping after the fermentation infuses a floral and spice aroma.

Hawthorn Amber Ale is an all malt beer with no added sugar, chemicals or preservatives. Smooth and well balanced, drink it a few degrees warmer than the fridge for the full flavoured experience. Perfect with char grilled meat, or equally enjoyable on its own.

Australian Pale Ale (4.7%)

Nail Ale

Like many beers made by small breweries, this ale is bottled conditioned. This means there will be some yeast sediment in each bottle, which is perfectly normal.

There are two ways to enjoy bottle conditioned beers – with the yeast or without. While its entirely subjective we recommend trying one bottle with the yeast (by rolling the bottle before opening) and the other without. The beers should look and taste slightly different.

Nail Ale assisted in creating a new beer style, Australian Pale Ale, in 2002. It has won awards for the category in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Nail Brewing has recently entered into a joint venture with Feral Brewing and have built a co-owned brewery. This means both breweries are not only able to share the operating costs but also increase the production of their beers.

The Motherlode (6.0%)

Australian Brewery

Australia’s first microbrewery beer in a can!

Currently Australian craft beer in a can is not that hip. Our thoughts as to why are two fold:

Only mainstream beers are readily available in cans – the likes of VB, Carlton Draught, XXXX and Pure Blonde. As a result there is a perception that craft beer needs to be bottled.

Despite the years of R&D that has gone into can development there is still a perception that the inner lining will “leach” taste into the beer – affecting taste and quality. The reality is that cans are better containers as they do not let light penetrate which prevents UV aging the beer.

The Australian Brewery in Sydney are the first to buck the trend and have installed a canning line, following the lead of breweries in the United States. The Motherlode is inspired by English ales and has strong caramel and toffee characteristics.

Pils (4.9%)

Trumer Brauerei

Originally brewed only for consumption in Austria, the company has expanded its operations and set up a sister brewery in California, USA supplying the North American market.

Trumer Pils is light golden in appearance, which is typical of the pilsner style. It also boasts other pilsner qualities such as a hint of citrus and a crisp dry finish. The brewery takes the additional step of removing the malt husk prior to brewing which they claim creates a delicate hop bite that won’t linger or leave an astringent aftertaste.

If you are wondering what the inscription on the neck label means, it translates to Just Live!

Vienna Amber Lager (5.3%)

Theresianer

The Theresianer brewery dates back some 200 years when Austrian merchants and entrepreneurs settled in the city of Trieste in North Eastern Italy. In 1766 one of these settlers Mr. Lenz obtained permission from Maria Theresa’s government to open the city’s first Austrian brewery.

This history gives the reason behind the naming of the brewery as well as why the best Viennese brewers moved to Trieste. Today the brewery is based at the base of the Dolomites, which keeps brewers supplied with a beautiful supply of crystal clear water from nearby glaciers.

Theresianer Vienna Amber Lager is a malty beer with subtle sweet notes of caramel and honey characters. In 2009 the beer won Gold at the World Beer Championship.

K2 Mid Kolsch (3.2%)

Red Duck

The K2 is Red Duck’s second ale in the style of a Kölsch, the traditional light ale from Cologne, made from malted barley and malted wheat. Just like Red Duck’s other Kolsch, Overland, this version, is brilliantly clear, with fresh, soft aromatics, easy and clean drinking with a crisp dry finish.

They have been brewing Kölsch in Cologne for centuries, and have remained true to the brewing methods of ale fermentation, whilst other cities in Germany were converted to the newer lagers.

Outside of Cologne (or Koln in the local dialect), ales brewed in this style are called Kolsch, however the two dots above the ö (called the umlaut) must be absent.

KBeechworth Pale Ale (4.8%)

Bridge Road Brewers

Bridge Road’s benchmark ale, the Beechworth Pale Ale is a beer dominated by its aromatic hop profile. Often the yard stick of micro breweries, this beer is based on classic American styled Pale Ale; crisp and refreshing with a mouthful of aromatic hops.

Beechworth Pale Ale is bound to satisfy hop heads and make a definite impression on those new to the craft beer scene. It is a hand crafted "new world" pale ale. Dry hopped with both U.S and N.Z hop varieties, the beer is constantly tweaked from season to season to get things just right.

Enjoy Beechworth Pale Ale alone, or match it with spicy foods.

Sightings APA (4.5%)

Harcourt Valley Brewing Co

Soft white head atop a good orange amber body. Citrus and floral aromas along with a slight touch of honey. A well flavoured Pale Ale with pleasing hops and a hint of sweetness.

The beer is made by Harcourt Valley Brewing Company which is also home to the Harcourt Valley winery. If you are wondering what the animal is on the beer label, it’s a puma.

Why a puma? Well did you know that there are supposedly pumas roaming around in the Grampians (which is near Harcourt). If you believe the story some American soldiers were keeping puma cubs as mascots during WWII. When the war ended they let the Pumas free in the bush.

Kellerweis (4.8%)

Sierra Nevada

Kellerweis is one of the only American Hefeweizens made using the traditional Bavarian style of open fermentation. This difficult and labour-intensive technique adds uncommon depth and flavour complexity.

Sierra Nevada hazy-golden hefeweizen is deeply flavourful, refreshing and perfect for a sunny day. To serve, pour two-thirds into a glass, swirl and pour the rest.

Sierra Nevada is one of the most well know and highly regarded craft brewers in the States, and often regarded as pioneers in the craft brewing revolution, having been started by Ken Grossman in the town of Chico, California way back in 1979. Critics today proclaim the beer “Among the best brewed anywhere in the world.”

Draught (4.6%)

Southern Bay Brewing

Southern Bay style means understanding that some things are best left unchanged. Lager is one of those things – an authentic thirst-quenching beverage that hits the spot, every time.

Southern Bay Draught is free of preservatives or additives. It is brewed naturally to create a flavour profile consumers love.

Local malted barley and fresh New Zealand hops infuse its light-golden colour with malt sweetness and moderate crisp-finish bitterness. This is a lager you’ll love because it doesn’t pretend to reinvent the wheel.

Super Bock Original (5.2%)

Unicer Bebidas

Super Bock is a Portuguese brand of strong pale lager from the Unicer brewery which produces a range of beers under the same name. It is the only beer to have won 26 consecutive gold medals in the "Monde Selection de la Qualite“.

Rich and complex, slightly fruit aroma, its pours a golden colour, white, with creamy, abundant and consistent foam. The flavour is soft and mildly bitter.

Dark London Porter (4.8%)

Badlands Brewery

Founded in the beautiful and vibrant rural town of Orange, Badlands Brewery has emerged as an energetic young player in the Australian brewing scene, driven by its Founder and Head Brewer Jon Shiner.

In his youth Jon earned the respect and appreciation of his friends as a capable home-brewer, before then pursuing the perfect brew through years of study in Brewing at The University of Ballarat. Following a post-graduate qualification Badlands Brewery selected Orange, a region famed for its quality produce, spectacular cool-climate wines and burgeoning food and tourism industries as the home-base for the brewery.

This robust English Porter is one of three beers produced by Badlands. The beer is dark and delicious with chocolate, rum and orange flavours from the five malts used.

Titje (5.0%)

Brasserie De Silly

Witbier or white beer is a barley/wheat, top-fermented beer brewed mainly in Belgium and the Netherlands. It gets its name due to suspended yeast and wheat proteins which cause the beer to look hazy, or white, when cold. It is a descendant from medieval beers which were not brewed with hops, but instead flavoured and preserved with a blend of spices and other plants referred to as "gruit". These beers still uses gruit, although nowadays the gruit consists mainly of coriander, orange, bitter orange, and hops.

Titje from Brasserie De Silly in Belgium possesses a highly refreshing flavour where the coriander plays the perfect thirst-quenching role, with dried orange peel providing additional flavour.

Vale IPA (5.5%)

McLaren Beer Co

Originally available only in keg format this fourth offering from McLaren Vale Beer Co is now also available in bottles. It's an American style IPA boasting 41 IBUs (International Bitterness Units) which doesn't make it the hoppiest IPA on the market but does mean several can be enjoyed in one sitting.

The beer uses a combination of hops from three countries and is designed so that the balance of malts and hops gives the beer a firm bitterness; showing passionfruit, citrus and stone fruit characters which are derived from the hops.

Bicycle Beer (4.2%)

Temple Brewing

This is a beer designed to top off a summer afternoon of cycling.

It’s a light and refreshingly tart ale brewed with unmalted red wheat and flaked spelt. It contains Temple’s own custom blend of seven hops (Magnum, Simcoe, Sorachi Ace, Citra, Centennial, Amarillo and Crystal) used for bittering and dry hopping giving a fresh, spicy hop aroma and flavour with subtle overtones of citrus and summer fruits.

The addition of salt sourced from an ancient sea bed in the Grampians serves to enhance the hop profile and complement the soft malt character, while leaving a dry finish on the palate.

And it’s even light enough that you can pedal home after a few!

Gluten Free Lager (4.5%)

O'Brien

Released in December 2005, O’Brien Lager is a full-bodied, naturally craft-brewed, gluten-free lager, with a distinct floral aroma and a firm bitterness leading to a clean crisp finish.

The long patient fermentation and maturation periods deliver a smooth, clean and rich beer.

O’Brien Lager was one of only five international beers to win an award at the Gluten Free Beer Festival held as a part of the Chesterfield Beer Festival (UK) in February 2006.

And the Judges' verdict: "For the lager drinker, this offers a real choice, and the no-coeliac (those allergic to gluten) may not even notice it is a gluten-free beer. A classic Australian lager .. anyone can enjoy this!"

Chili Beer (4.2%)

Cave Creek

In 1989 Crazy Ed Chilleen established his own brewery in Cave Creek Arizona. It wasn't long until yuppies from all around started coming to the brew house. Sick of being asked for wedges of lime, Ed started putting Hot Serrano Chili Peppers into the beer (each beer contains one whole chili). Amazingly people liked it!

Pours a golden colour and foams to a modest white head. A twist on a Mexican Lager. The pepper hits the palate and lasts. "Lime is for Wimps"

Check out the Cave Creek Chili Beer history on You Tube.

Ginger Chops Ale (4.2%)

Mad Brewers

Mad Brewers is the small batch brain child of the James Squire brew team who produce a couple of limited releases every year with past beers including the Hoppy Hefe, Stout Noir and Scribbly Gum Lager. Normally these are made in 640ml bottles, but to change things up with this release they have moved to the smaller 330ml bottle size.

Ginger Chops Ale is a little concoction that brings you the warming glow of spicy ginger, layered on an authentic beer brew boasting a full lashing of wheat and barley. This is rounded out at the finish with the subtle addition of an aromatic Australian honey. It won’t cure the common cold, but it’s sure to keep your innards warm this winter.

Goes (really) well: With steamed rice and some Asian greens.

Arvo 34 (4.9%)

Arvo Beer

This is a premium strength beer with a subtle malty character. The hops add flavours of spice and subtle citrus and tropical fruits. It is well balanced with a pleasant and slightly lingering aftertaste.

Hops used include Nelson Sauvin from New Zealand and Cascade from the USA. 100% Australian malted barley is used as the base raw material with a European sourced strain of lager yeast specially selected from a number of trial batches.

There are no other ingredients added in the final product.

Ratings by Arvo out of 10 (1 Low, 10 High)

Sweetness: 3

Bitterness: 4

Carbonation: 7

Fullness: 4

Strength of Flavour: 7

Arvo 51 (4.9%)

Arvo beer

Arvo beer, This is an easy drinking lager. Subtle hop characters add a touch of fresh fruitiness. The finish is crisp, clean and refreshing – common place for lagers.

The ingredients in Arvo 51 are similar to those used in Arvo 34 with Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand, Cascade from USA but it also uses Galaxy hops from Australia. Australian malted barley and some malted wheat are incorporated, along with a specially selected trial yeast strain. No other ingredients are added to the final product.

Ratings by Arvo out of 10 (1 Low, 10 High)

Sweetness: 2

Bitterness: 2

Carbonation: 7

Fullness: 2

Strength of Flavour:

Noble Pils (4.9%)

Samuel Adams

Similar to a traditional Czech Pilsner, Samuel Adams Pils is brewed with a blend of 5 Noble Hop varieties from each of the world’s only remaining Noble Hop growing regions. The spicy, herbal and citrus hop character is well balanced by the Weyermann Bohemian Pilsner malt, adding honeyed malt character and full body without sweetness.

Samuel Adams is brewed by the Boston Beer Company, America's leading brewer of handcrafted, full-flavoured beers. The brewery has won more awards in international beer-tasting competitions in the last five years than any other brewery in the world. While Samuel Adams is the United States largest-selling craft beer, it accounts for just under one percent of the U.S. beer market. In comparison Coopers viewed as a quasi-craft brewer has 4% share in the Australian market.

Sunset Ale (4.6%)

Two Birds Brewing

Hot off the press, or maybe fresh out of the tank, this is Two Birds second beer which has just been released. The name is a tribute to the amazing red sunsets the Two Birds (two female owners) remember growing up in Perth, Western Australia.

Sunset Ale is designed to show great complexity with a focus on the character imparted by the malt. This beer is brewed using a distinct combination of malts, including pale, wheat and Crystal malts to provide the round, rich, toffee notes. The addition of US Citra and Australian Cascade hops adds a twist of grapefruit and tropical notes to balance the biscuity malt base.

Two Birds Sunset Ale is a full, rich beer in keeping with the Two Birds philosophy of balance, demonstrating good balance of malt and hop characters.

Hot off the press, or maybe fresh out of the tank, this is Two Birds second beer which has just been released. The name is a tribute to the amazing red sunsets the Two Birds (two female owners) remember growing up in Perth, Western Australia.

Sunset Ale is designed to show great complexity with a focus on the character imparted by the malt. This beer is brewed using a distinct combination of malts, including pale, wheat and Crystal malts to provide the round, rich, toffee notes. The addition of US Citra and Australian Cascade hops adds a twist of grapefruit and tropical notes to balance the biscuity malt base.

Two Birds Sunset Ale is a full, rich beer in keeping with the Two Birds philosophy of balance, demonstrating good balance of malt and hop characters.

Celebration Ale (5.2%)

Coopers

Coopers Celebration Ale is a hops-driven traditional ale with a dark-red hue that is distinctly different in style to Coopers’ other beers. It incorporates three different hops varieties – Centennial from the USA, Nelson Sauvin from New Zealand and Pride of Ringwood from Australia – to produce a beer that displays strong estery characteristics.

The Celebration Ale had been specifically brewed to mark Coopers’ 150th anniversary, with the release timed to coincide as closely as possible to 150 years from the day that Thomas Cooper made his first commercial brew, on 13th May 1862.

The beer has a rich aroma of fruity esters with a slight hint of citrus and has a warm finish on the palate. It is also slightly more bitter than other Coopers ales.

Classic Pale Ale (5.0%)

Whistler Brewing

The Whistler Brewing Company in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada presents Classic Pale Ale, their interpretation of the English Pale Ale (EPA) style. In much the same way American IPAs compare with English IPAs, they are typically maltier, less hoppy versions of the American Pale Ale (APA).

This classic ale is brewed to exacting standards with no less than four specialty malts, 4 types of hop and of course, exclusively with Whistler Glacier Water. Bold and full flavoured, this is an ale lover's ale.

This beer was given the Bronze Medal in the EPA category in the 2007 North American Brewer's Association Beer Awards.

Dark Bock (5.9%)

Buckley's

Created as a seasonal beer for the cold winter days. Five different roasted malts contribute to its dark full flavoured body with hints of chocolate, mocha and caramel brewed in the traditional larger style with cool temperatures then cool lagered for several weeks.

The Buckley’s micro brewery utilise solar tubes installed on the roof, to heat their water. You’ll see "Solar Boosted" printed on the top of the bottle labels, alluding to this.

The brewery was named after an English convict, William Buckley (1776 – 1856), who was transported to Australia, escaped, was given up for dead and lived in an Aboriginal community for many years. Buckley's improbable survival is believed by many Australians to be the source of the vernacular phrase "you have got Buckley's" which means "no chance“.

palm Speciale (5.4%)

Brouwerij Palm

"Speciale Belge" is a Belgian beer hailing from the early 20th century. It is a smooth-drinking, amber-coloured top-fermentation beer that the brewers say has a “sensible” alcohol content. Special Palm malts determine its honey-like mellowness and Palm’s own selected yeasts give it a fruity yeast aroma. Fine aroma hops from Kent afford subtle harmony.

The brewery’s origins began 1908 when Arthur Van Roy who also ran a pub and farm, decided to make beer for both, creating the De Hoorn brewery. After being completely destroyed during World War I, Van Roy decided to rebuild it; bigger and better than before.

He chose to still top-ferment his beer in the old Brabant style rather than brew it using newer methods. In 1929, Van Roy decided to give his beer a proper name, calling it Speciale Palm. Speciale refers to the style of beer "Special Belge“.

Pilsner (4.5%)

Balmain Brewing

The Balmain pilsner was launched in November 2010 following the success of the Balmain pale ale. It’s a brew created in honour of the great old Balmain brewery of the 1980’s, so fondly remembered by many for its lager and bock at the time.

The re-launched pilsner is in the style of a new world bohemian pilsner, with Motueka hops, as well as NZ Saaz and traditional Czech Saaz, which produce lovely herbaceous fruit driven notes in the aroma. It also has three different malts: Pale Pilsner malt; Caramalt for complexity and colour; and Carapils for biscuit maltiness. The Balmain pilsner is well balanced with a rounded clean crisp finish, and is the perfect complement to seafood or on its own as an aperitif.

Saint (5.0%)

BrewDog 5AM

From the BrewDog website...

5am Saint is The Holy Grail of red ales.

We live in a world of disposable deities.

Someone, somehow has managed to press that big, flashing moronic override button and we are hard wired straight into the pockets of false idols trying to make a quick buck.

Sadly, for a lot of people the same mentality applies to beer.

But who is to know what is worth worshiping when monolithic advertising budgets have you sucked down the rabbit hole in the blink of an eye?

At BrewDog we are on a mission to open as many peoples eyes as possible. Cast away any aspersions and let the crook of BrewDog be your guide in a whirlwind of conformity and mediocrity.

Once this ruby liquid forms a foamy halo around your glass, you will never want to look back.

Classy Red (5.2%)

Harringtons

Deep reddish brown colour with a slowly fading head. Rich honeyed malt nose which is quite robust with toasty, nutty characteristics from 5 hop varieties, infused using Harringtons’ ‘Hop Back’ method. The palate follows through with a slightly drying bitterness leading to a long well rounded finish. Pleasantly full mouth feel, very smooth with a soft, subtle carbonation

Achievements:

Bronze Medal - Australian International Beer Awards 2010Bronze Medal - BrewNZ New Zealand Beer Awards 2009

Hefe-Weizen (5.5%)

Paulaner Brauerei

The Paulaner Hefe-Weizen natural wheat beer is the brewery's best-selling product. Specifically cultivated, top-fermented yeast give it its unmistakable character: sparklingly mild and fruity with a delicate yeast flavour. The eye is immediately drawn to its gleaming orange colour, its uniform cloudiness and the large head. The unfiltered brewing method allows it to retain its natural authenticity along with the many vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

Wheat beer tastes best, naturally well-cooled, when drunk from a traditional wheat beer glass. The wheat beer glass with the slim, heavy base and round tulip-like body keeps the head intact until the end.

Real Belgian Pils (5.0%)

Brasserie De Silly

A straw gold, mellow brew with the light aroma and rich maltiness from famous Belgian craft brewer, Brasserie de Silly.

Silly is a Belgian village crossed by the Sylle river from which both the village and brewery derive their names. The brewery that was founded in 1850 as Cense de la Tour, became Brasserie de Silly in 1853 and is today operated by the 5th generation of the family.

Belgian Pils has a combination of subtle tasting yeast flavours and noticeable hop character that creates a pleasant lingering bitterness in the aftertaste.

Food pairing: The rich maltiness and light aroma of this brew make it the ideal aperitif and perfect complement to spicy meals.

Premium Verum Pilsner (4.8%)

Warsteiner Brauerei

Warsteiner Premium is a pilsner style beer with a smooth, rich-full bodied taste, wrapped in a thick creamy head and a refreshing hop finish. Warsteiner quenches the beer lover's thirst for a clean, crisp, refreshing beer taste.

Warsteiner beer is brewed in the Arnsberg Forest Nature Park outside of Warstein, Germany. Similar to Coopers in Australia, Warsteiner has been a product of the Cramer family since 1753, where it is Germany's largest privately owned brewery. Albert Cramer, the owner and managing director of Warsteiner, is a big fan of hot air ballooning, and has used the brewery to promote competitive hot air ballooning in Germany.

Pale Ale (5.6%)

Sierra Nevada

The Pale Ale is Sierra Nevada's most popular beer. It is a delightful interpretation of a classic style. It has a deep amber colour and an exceptionally full-bodied, complex character. Generous quantities of premium Cascade hops give the Pale Ale its fragrant bouquet and spicy flavour.

Located in Chico, California, Sierra Nevada Brewing is one of the top craft breweries currently operating in the United States. Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is the second best-selling craft beer in the United States, behind the Boston Beer Company's Samuel Adams Boston Lager.

Awards: Gold medal winner Great American Beer Festival (American Pale Ale: 1995, 1994, 1993; Classic English Pale Ale: 1992; Pale Ale: 1990, 1989, 1987)

Quayle Summer Ale (4.4%)

Lord Nelson

The Lord Nelson summer ale is designed to be approachable for newcomers to the craft beer world and also a refreshing quaffer on warmer days. An easy-drinking ale with subtle flavours and aromas.

The Lord Nelson, is based in The Rocks, near Sydney's Circular Quay. It prides itself on its history as Sydney's oldest continually licensed pub. Its history dates back to 29th June 1831 when Richard Phillips obtained a liquor licence for the Shipwright Arms. The next year, Phillips changed the name to The Sailor's Return before selling the pub to a plasterer, William Wells. Wells continued to operate the pub firstly as the Sailors Return, and in 1840 as the Quarryman's Arms. In 1841 he sold the pub and on 1st May 1841 he obtained a liquor licence for his home which he then called The Lord Nelson. Now, using the aid of an 1852 photograph, the pub has been restored to its former grandeur, providing a great place for enjoying a few drinks and a hearty meal, while enjoying the history of The Rocks.

Golden Lager (5.0%)

Monteiths

Monteith's naturally malted Golden Lager has a fresh natural yeastiness in the aroma and a smooth malty character. There are just enough hops for a crispness that makes it a really refreshing beer. Enjoy the smooth rounded cashew nut flavour that is coaxed from premium Munich Malts.

Monteith's Brewing Company began in New Zealand in the mid-1800s when a gold rush drew 30,000 adventurers to the rugged West Coast. Prospectors welcomed a satisfying beer at the end of a hard day, thankfully there was plenty of choice with over 300 pubs on the West Coast.

From humble origins in 1868, the Monteith's family-owned Phoenix Brewery became the Coast's most popular brewer for its strong tasting, full-bodied ale. The Phoenix Brewery later merged with a group of small breweries to form the Westland Brewing Company, predecessor to today's Monteith's Brewing Company.

Brown Ale (5.6%)

Brooklyn Brewery

This is the award-winning original American brown ale, first brewed as a holiday specialty, and now one of Brooklyn Brewery's most popular beers year-round. Northern English brown ales tend to be strong and dry, while southern English brown ales are milder and sweeter. Brooklyn Brown Ale combines the best of those classic styles and then adds an American accent in the form of a firm hop character and roasty palate. A blend of six malts, some of them roasted, give this beer its deep russet-brown colour and complex malt flavor, fruity, smooth and rich, with a caramel, chocolate and coffee background. Generous late hopping brings forward a nice hop aroma to complete the picture. Brooklyn Brown Ale is full-flavored but retains a smoothness and easy drinkability that has made it one of the most popular dark beers in the Northeast of the United States.

Red Seal Ale (5.5%)

North Coast Brewing

Malt and hops are beautifully married in this full-bodied, copper-red Pale Ale. Red Seal is generously hopped for a long, spicy finish. An excellent accompaniment to grilled meats and rich sauces.

A pioneer in the craft beer movement, North Coast Brewing Company opened in 1988 as a local brewpub, located on California's Mendocino Coast. Under the leadership of Brewmaster Mark Ruedrich, the brewery has developed a strong reputation for quality having won more than 70 awards in national and international competitions.

Pale Ale (4.5%)

Longboard Brewing

Inviting aromas of apricot and peach, light to moderate bitterness and a biscuity malt background are the hallmarks of the Longboard. The unique style falls somewhere between English and American style Pale Ales.

Liberal doses of American Cascade hops provide the distinctive stone-fruit aromas. Crystal and wheat malts provide a light malt character creating a perfect backdrop to the fruity aromas. The Longboard' is an easy drinking beer that is both refreshing and flavoursome.

Summer Ale (5.5%)

Samuel Adams

Samuel Adams Summer Ale is an American wheat ale. The beer takes its inspiration from Belgian witbiers, or white beers. White ales originated near Brussels, a wheat growing region in the 14th century. The style got its name for its lighter colour and cloudiness - the result of suspended wheat proteins in the beer.

This summer seasonal uses malted wheat, lemon peel and Grains of Paradise, a rare pepper from Africa first used as a brewing spice in the 13th century, to create a crisp taste, spicy flavour and medium body.

The ale fermentation imparts a background tropical fruit note reminiscent of mangos and peaches.  All of these flavours come together to create a thirst quenching, clean finishing beer perfect for warm Australian summer days.

Lager (4.6%)

Good Head Beer

This classic Aussie Lager is brewed using Australian barley to create a beer, which is light in body with subtle hopping balances. Good Head Beer is clean on the palate, making it a highly drinkable proposition, which certainly doesn't reveal it's higher alcohol content until the end of the glass.

Good Head can be found at a number of wateringholes throughout Victoria, but is somewhat hard to acquire throughout the rest of Australia.

Wit (5.5%)

Kooinda Brewing

This hand crafted & unfiltered ale is a traditional Belgian Witbier. It is a delicate ale brewed with wheat & pilsner malt then lightly hopped to provide a low bitterness which allows the yeast flavours & spices to shine through in the beer. Brewed with the traditional coriander & sweet orange peel, this cloudy witbier is flavoursome & refreshing. Fruity, spicy with yeast complexity.

Kooinda, meaning Happy Place, first developed its beers when 4 young families crossed paths in 2004 and decided to follow a dream, to produce quality, diverse beer for people to savour. This is the fourth beer in its regular range.

Golden Ale (4.4%)

Two Birds

From the ex Head Brewer of Mountain Goat comes this great easy drinking golden ale. Two Birds Golden Ale is a handcrafted, full flavoured ale that is true to its name. It pours golden in colour, is strikingly bright and exhibits grassy, spicy and citrus characters. This brew is crisp, refreshing and balanced. It is the perfect accompaniment to good food.

Premium Lager

William's

The old-school brewers at William's have crafted a new beer that tastefully courts the palate with a smooth mouth-feel and clean charm. Boasting a subtle bitter kick and balanced spicy hop finish, William's new Premium Lager is a refreshing alternative for those who care to chance their glass to flavour.

Dark (4.9%)

McLaren Vale

Vale Dark is an American Dark Lager, brewed using Pale, Munich, Crystal malts and Carafa roasted malt. It has a great malty backbone that is perfectly matched to the bitterness and flavours derived from the hops. The hops leave a perfect clean palate that will leave you wanting another glass.

Rogue Hop Pilsner (5%)

Harrington's

This pilsner is brewed using organic malt and hops. Brewed to the style of a bohemian pilsner with Harrington's own "rogue hop" to give it an exciting strong yet lingering hop finish. A great one for a mouth feel challenge with lots of hoppy aftertaste and very refreshing.