16. Debacle - Wed 04 July 2012

We’ve just had our 16th gathering, returning back to Debacle for our second visit after our 1st one back in 2009.  This gathering fell on the 3rd and final State of Origin so it was decided that trying to have a Beer Guru for the evening was way too hard.    So Debacle selected 4 beers and put on a feed of Trio of House made Dips with fresh pizza bread and a selection of their very tasty house made pizzas.

Our 1st beer was “Budvar Budejovicky” (5 %) By far and away the best known beer in the Budvar portfolio. Brewed from nothing but local natural materials in a 100 days brewing cycle ( 90 spent fermenting ) it is universally regarded as one of the world's great lager conditioned beers.   It certainly helped wash down the tasty Trio of house made dips on fresh pizza bread.

Our 2nd beer was “Schöfferhofer German Wheat Beer” (5%) Hefeweizen is brewed in Bavarian tradition using wheat malt. The live yeast gives bottle "conditioning" guaranteeing a refreshing fruity flavour. The yeast sediment also leads to the "cloudy" nature of the beer.  The State of Origin just kicked off so every eye was on the big screen and the beers just seemed to disappear down each punters throat.

The 3rd beer was a “Mac’s Gold” (4%) Brewed in New Zealand Mac's Gold has a light fruitiness with hints of citrus and sweet malt. The subtle mid palate bitterness of the hops is balanced by a smooth, delicate caramel sweetness that leaves a crisp finish and refreshing aftertaste.  Pizza was served and it was like a feeding frenzy. 

The final beer of the evening was a “Coopers Stout” (6.3%).  With its robust flavour comprising a blend of fruit, chocolate and hop bitter notes, it’s everything a stout should be. Brewed naturally using a top fermentation method, Coopers Stout’s unique rich, dark texture comes from specially roasted black malt.  Not a beer for everyone, but for the dark beer lovers it’s a classic.

Debacle scored a massive 4 out 5:- 



Our special thanks goes out to all the guys at Debacle for providing the venue and the great beer and food.

For the record the dirty Queenslanders won yet another State of Origin series.

15. Plonk - Wed 18 Apr 2012

We’ve just had our 15^th gathering and they just keep getting better. This gathering was a little different as we were hosted by what would have to be the best bottle shop in Canberra – Plonk in the Fyshwick markets.  Ant from Plonk arranged for us to come in after hours on Wednesday the 18^th of April.  He put on the Beers on and we (Kenny & Oners) put on the food.

Ant from Plonk approached the ABC via Oners after reading our article in the Feb 2012 edition of the Beer & Brewer magazine.  When we were discussing what sort of beers we’d like, it was made clear to Ant that we wanted some beers that none of us would have tried before, he didn’t disappoint and we were given the opportunity to experience some very different & unusual beers.  Ant was the perfect beer guru and host and shared this wealth of beer knowledge running us through the tasting notes of each of the four beers.

Our 1^st beer for the evening was a “Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye from California USA” (8%). Essentially a strong American IPA made with 20% rye malt. Darker in colour, Hop Rod Rye boasts a huge hop aroma and flavour accompanied by a slightly sweet, malty finish.  Deep copper colour with a minimal light beige head that leaves very nice lacing on the glass. Pine aroma dominates with some spices. The taste up front malty, with a nice kick of hops in the centre and finishes with a gorgeous weave of rye and spice.  We kicked off the food for the night with a couple of platters from the Euro Deli a couple of doors down from Plonk, they and speck, salami, ham, cheese, olives, sundried tomatoes etc… Very nice

The 2nd beer was a “Dieu du Ciel Charbonnière from Montreal Canada” (5%).  Brewed in the tradition of the smoked ales of Bamberg (Germany), this amber ale has delicate malty and smoky aromas. It is full-bodied, malty and slightly sweet to the taste, very thick in the mouth and the smoke flavour is almost overwhelming, in a good way (a few ABC members said this beer was like getting a jumper that has been next to a camp fire all weekend, soaking it in beer, wringing it out and drinking it) Not for everyone.  Kenny & Red got busy on the BBQ and cooked up some very tasty little mince sticks called “Cheumpi” with a ricotta cheese dipping sauce.

The 3^rd beer was a “Maudite from Quebec Canada” (8%). The Damned One is a Belgian Strong Ale, mahogany-coloured, rich-tasting premium beer that has a distinctive, complex taste. Because of the warmth it releases, this strong character beer must be served cool but not cold. Perfect with pasta, red meats, stews and spicy dishes, it also makes a good aperitif and after-dinner drink. Ant said that some have rated this beer the BEST IN THE WORLD; I couldn’t argue with that, it is certainly up there.  By this point in the evening the boys were getting pretty hungry and Kenny & Red were getting busy on BBQ with some Garlic Lamb Skewers which went down a treat.

The 4^th beer & last beer of the evening was a “Brewboys Ace of Spades from Adelaide” (5.9%).  This stout is best described as an extra stout, not dry or sweet. It has a hefty mouth feel, well balanced with a moderate alcohol and bitterness leaving you wanting more.  The dark roasted aromas suggested charred nuts, sweet blackberry and a strangely attractive dirty character. This stout is not a huge face slapping hit of flavour, rather it is well balanced, rich and easy to enjoy. The last food of the evening by our master chefs Kenny & Red was a serve of Satay Chicken Skewers.  Everyone certainly went away well fed.

Midway through the night Ant hosted a little beer trivia, throwing questions out to the very attentive ABC members and handing out little prizes to those that answered correctly.  A very big thanks goes out to Ant from Plonk for his hospitality and fantastic service.  He was a very busy man keeping up with Janso’s intake of beers.  Please remember to drop into Plonk each and every time you’re out at the Fyshwick markets and sample one or two of his endless range of beers.  

Plonk scored a massive 4 out 5:- 

14. ZIERHOLZ Premium Brewery - Wed 15 Feb 2012

Our 14^th ABC gathering, who would have thought!!!!  We were fortunate enough to land Zierholz Premium Brewery out at Fyshwick as the venue for our 14^th gathering, thanks to some good work from ABC member Mick Ashley and of course our President Shaun O’Connor.
While the structure of the evening was a little different to way our past gatherings have run, i.e. 4 beers matched with 4 tapas style food dishes, it was another very enjoyable evening.  As Zierholz is a working brewery, we were given a tasting paddle straight up which contained a sample of each the of the 7 brews that Zierholz brew on premises and has on tap.
Cristoph, the proprietor and owner of Zierholz (who was our beer guru at our 1^st ever ABC gathering back in September 09) was on hand to put his beer guru hat on again and explain the complexities of each of his 7 brews. As we sat down and sampled the beers off our paddles and listened to Christoph’s incredible knowledge of Beer, we had our taste buds kicked into gear with some hand cut wedges with sour cream and sweet chilli dipping sauce along with some very fresh and tasty garlic bread.

                  Zierholz Amber Ale  –  4.9%

o    Dusseldorf Style Ale, Nutty malt and bitter hops with hints of roastiness and caramel

       Zierholz German Ale – 4.3%

o    Cologne Style Ale, Crisp, delicate, easy drinking and very moreish, the original Zierholz beer

       Zierholz Hopmeister  - 5%

o    English Style Pale Ale, Fruity hops and juicy malt, appetizing dry finish

       Zierholz Pilsner – 5%

o    Traditional North German Pilsen style larger, sweet malt and zesty hops with a dry finish

       Zierholz Porter – 5.8%

o    An assertive beer with a lot of bitter chocolate and roasty flavours, potent yet very smooth

       Zierholz Schankbier – 2.7%

o    German draught.  Fully flavoured lager with plenty of body and flavour for a low alcohol beer (not a winner)

       Zierholz Weizen

o    Traditional German Wheat Beer, banana fruitiness and clovey spice, tart, refreshing

After our little sit down, Cristoph took us on a quick tour of the brewery.  Again we were treated to Cristoph’s amazing knowledge of beer as the explained the workings of the brewery in great detail.
As we returned from our little tour the Zieholz staff brought out some more food, which encapsulated what breweries in Germany must be like. A number of platters were served up to each table and they contained:-  Salad, Creamy mash, Sauerkraut, Braised red cabbage, Spatzle w/ bacon & mushroom, Chicken schnitzel, Selections of sausages, Whole roast suckling pig. 

A big thank you to Cristoph and all the staff from the Zierholz Premium Brewery for their hospitality and fantastic service.

We used this gathering to bring in a new “ABC rating system”, each member / guest was given a voting slip and the results were tallied based on Beer, Food, Service, Ambiance & Beer Knowledge.

Zierholz Premium Brewery scored a massive 4.8 out of 5 :

If you haven’t been to one yet, you’re missing out and you’re soft.  Remember it’s a never ending world of beers out there, so it means there will be many more ABC gatherings. Please remember to show your support to all the pubs/businesses that have supported us:- Pork Barrel Café & Bar, Siren’s, All Bar Nun, Zierholz Premium Brewery, Debacle, The Wig & Pen, The Wood Duck Inn , Jim Murphy’s Airport Cellars, King O’Malley’s Irish Pub & The George Harcourt Inn. 

13. The Pork Barrel Cafe & Bar - Wed 30 November 2011

The number 13 is often called an unlucky number, well I think that all the ABC members will beg to differ as we certainly got lucky with “The Pork Barrel Café & Bar” as the venue for our 13^th ABC Gathering.

While we weren’t supplied with a beer guru for the night, all the staff at the Pork Barrel were most helpful and did their best to answer any questions from ABC members and guests.

Our 1^st beer for the evening was “1842” (4.9%).  1842 is a little bit different to the traditional pilsner. It is fermented 50% longer than normal pilsners - allowing the barley malts to blend together for a smoother finish and a finer natural carbonation. As well as the noble Saaz hops, they also use some hop varieties that are normally found only in IPAs. When first trying 1842, the first thing you we noticed was the perfect golden colour and clearness of the beer. The beer was clear and cloudless and the head was thick, fluffy and pure white.  We were served up some very tasty Tempura Tiger prawns with aioli and lemon, which were a perfect match for the 1842.

The 2nd beer was a “WARSTEIRN PREMIUM GERMAN BEER”  (4.8%). Premium Verum, a pilsener style beer, is Warsteiner's most popular beer, and is exported to over 60 countries. The ingredients are forest spring water, two-row malted summer barley and all German hops.  Transparent light gold in colour when poured. Aroma of pilsner malts and light hops. Taste is clean, crisp, and slightly bitter.  Provolone Arancini (risotto balls) were served with this beer and they were absolutely beautiful.  They were followed by Mini Peking Duck Pancakes, which were fantastic.

The 3^rd beer was a “SCHARERS LAGER”  (4.9%). From Scharers Little Brewery in Picton.  A traditional all malt beer, fermented in the traditional German method with a long cold storage.  Quite full-bodied with a big malt start, balanced with quite a high bitterness and hop flavour and a dry finish.  The Lager has a hoppy, aromatic, and sometimes honeyish nose.   We sat down and ate our main course of Pork Barrel Pizzas;                  each table was served a selection of 3 different Pizzas: Pesto – Sliced Tomato, Bocconcini and Pesto

Continental – Pepperoni, Eggplant, Artichokes, Olives and Feta & Provincial – Olives, Anchovies, Roast Capsicum, Basil, Chili and Garlic.  As a big Pizza lover, these Pizzas got a big tick from me.

The 4^th beer of the evening was a “WHITE RABBIT – DARK ALE” (4.9%).  Rich dark and flavoursome but at the same time ever refreshing....malt driven but with the aromatic lift of generous doses of hops. Raisin like ester characters derived through its open fermentation bind a balancing act of flavour with a malt bill that rewards the parched palette with a rich, dark colour without losing any sessionabilty qualities.  A perfect desert beer and again the Pork Barrel didn’t disappoint, serving up a delightful Bitter sweet chocolate tart with praline mascarpone and cherry compote.

As usual a raffle was held on the night, we raised a $150 and this was donated to Paddy Gallagher’s Movember cause. 

The four letter word for grape juice continues to be a good money spinner for the fine bucket.

A big thank you to all the staff from the “The Pork Barrel Café & Bar” for their hospitality and fantastic service.

12. Siren Bar l Restaurant - Wed 28 September 2011





Can you believe it, we’re up to our 12th ABC gathering and they just keep getting better.  Dan Gaul and all the Staff from the new “Siren Bar + Restaurant” Gungahlin’s first Bar & Restaurant put on a fantastic night of beer and food..

Kate from the Lord Nelson Brewery in Sydney was our beer guru/host for the evening and she did a great job and she certainly knew her beers.

Our 1^st beer for the evening was a “Lord Nelson Brewery Three Sheets” (4.9%).  The term Three Sheets originates from the 1800’s when Sailors at the time had a sliding scale of drunkenness “three sheets was the falling over stage: tipsy was just ‘one sheet in the wind’ or ‘a sheet in the wind’s eye’.”    Three Sheets is an Australian Pale Ale brewed for aroma, flavour and drinkability using Australian pale malted barley and the freshest hops available.   The chef whipped up a beautiful serve of Salt & Pepper Calamari which was a perfect match for the Three Sheets.

The 2nd beer was a “Lord Nelson Brewery Old Admiral” (6.1%).  Old Admiral gets its name from the Commander and Chief of the Fleet, strong and assertive.   Old Admiral is brewed in an old ale style, full bodied, malt driven with hints of mocha and caramel, balanced with generous hop bitterness.   We were served up a nicely cooked chicken and herb dish which balanced beautifully with the long dry finish of the Old Admiral.

The 3^rd beer was a “Paulaner Hefe-Weizen” (5.6%). An authentic Bararian-style wheat beer, naturally cloudy with tones of deep gold.  High in effervescence, low in calories with a uniquely crisp, refreshing fruity or clovey flavour.   This beer was used to wash down some chicken wings done in a very tasty crispy batter with an orange dipping sauce. “Beautiful”.

The 4^th beer of the evening was a “Paulaner Original Munich Lager” (4.9%).  100% natural, brewed from pure spring water using Paulaner’s centuries old exclusive yeast strain, Hallertau hops and malted Barley.  Rich and true in taste, with its all natural flavours with the traditional German light hoppy finish.  The guys at Sirens served up some beautifully cooked Pork Ribs in a rich hickory sauce which were a perfect match for this lager.

As a very special treat for last beer we were served a “Paulaner Oktoberfest” (5.8%).  This is The Munich Oktoberfest celebration’s favourite beer. 100% natural, brewed from pure spring water using Paulaner’s centuries old exclusive yeast strain, Hallertau hops and malted Barley.  A classic Bavarian “Marzen” style, clear with a rich amber colour with a rich, full taste and a creamy full finish.  There wasn’t much room left for food after all of the previous dishes, so the sweet potato chips were a very nice way to finish off the evenings menu.

The new ABC shirts proved to be very popular, with a good number being sold.  Dan from Sirens put up what would have to be the best raffle prize we’ve had to date, a BOAGS DRAUGHT KEG SPEAKER.  Patty G did a great job selling a very healthy number of raffle tickets and the lucky winner “Barra” was very happy to walk away with such a great prize.  The four letter word for grape juice continues to be a good money spinner for the fine bucket.

A big thank you to Dan Gaul and all the staff from Siren’s for their hospitality and fantastic service and a very big thank you to Kate from the Lord Nelson Brewery for being our Beer Guru for the evening.  Kate ran a very good show, she was very patient with our unruly crew and did a great job explaining each beer and food combination.

11. All Bar Nun - Wed 22 June 2011

Our 11th gathering was meant to be held at a new establishment in Gungahlin called Sirens, but due to some land lord issues it was not ready to host the ABC, so the boys from All Bar Nun stepped up again, and with very short notice put on a cracker of an evening.

The two Dan’s and all staff at All Bar put on another fantastic evening of beer and food.  The beers for the night were all by Coopers  To start the evening off we were treated to a nice little glass of “PIPSQUEAK best cider” (5.2%). It was a little confusing at first as this was served in grape fruit glasses and a lot of ABC members thought they were being setup to drink the evil grape juice.  Light & bright in colour, with a front up apple flavour and great lingering texture, a very nice little starter.

Our 1st beer for the evening was the “Pilsner” (4.6%).  A refreshing and elegant lager styled on the classic European pilsners that uses the finest ingredients and enjoys an extended fermentation period. Tasmanian Hallertau, New Zealand Pacifica and Czech Saaz hops are added throughout the brewing process giving a light flavour and crisp Bitterness.  This was perfectly matched with a serving of Oysters Kilpatrick.

The 2nd beer was the “Pale Ale” (5.2%). Bag loads of Cascade and Galaxy whole hop flowers that have been sourced direct from hop growers in Victoria, Tassie and the US are thrown at this beer, creating an intense citrus and grapefruit aroma and flavour that has been balanced with a careful selection of specialty malts and a local pale malt made to Little Creatures own specifications. Preservative and additive free our Pale Ale is live-yeast conditioned in bottles and kegs for unmatched freshness and character.  We were treated to some beautifully cooked Scallops, lightly crumbed in coconut and breadcrumbs with a mango chutney dipping sauce

The 3rd beer was the “Bright Ale” (4.5%). Bright Ale is a beer that glows with sparkling golden Vienna and Cara malts and Little Creatures own local pale malt. To these, heady summer fruit aromas of luscious pineapple, passionfruit and melon are extracted with a generous addition of whole Cascade and Motueka hop flowers.  Absolutely delicious in combination with the little Teriyaki Chicken legs served up with this ale.

The 4th beer was the “Rogers Beer” (3.8%). This mid strength beauty weaves together the best whole hop flowers and toasted malts into a silky session ale like no other. Light, citrus hop notes roll gently into roasted hazelnut, toffee and caramel malt flavours, creating easy-drinking ale of flavour and finesse.  The All Bar chef hit the nail on head, serving Pork Belly marinated in the “Rogers”, it was so juice and tender, a perfect combination.

As a special treat the All Bar boys then put on a 5th beer “White Rabbit – White Ale” (4.5%) and a 6th beer “White Rabbit – Dark Ale” (4.9%) in conjunction with several mixed Cheese platters and crackers.  Both these beers each went very well with the different cheeses. 

The most important part of the evening was most definitely the “Fitting of the FEZ”, each member was called forward and was crowned with his very own FEZ.  I don’t know how we came up with Fez’s but my goodness they look funny.  From now on each member will be required to wear his FEZ when attending any future ABC gatherings.   Also on the evening a logo was decided upon (see above), be sure to turn it upside down to fully appreciate it.

A big thank you to all the staff at “ALL BAR NUN” for their hospitality, service and very tasty menu.   Once again, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the FEZ-ivites.

10. All Bar Nun - Wed 13 April 2011

We’ve reached our 1st mile stone, 10 beer club gatherings, how time flies when you’re having fun.  Our 10th gathering was a very import for each member as it was the “Fitting of the FEZ” night.   For such a special occasion it was only fitting that we returned to where it all began, to what is now called the spiritual home of the ABC, All Bar Nun.

The two Dan’s and all staff at All Bar put on another fantastic evening of beer and food.  The beers for the night were all by Little Creatures.  To start the evening off we were treated to a nice little glass of “PIPSQUEAK best cider” (5.2%). It was a little confusing at first as this was served in grape fruit glasses and a lot of ABC members thought they were being setup to drink the evil grape juice.  Light & bright in colour, with a front up apple flavour and great lingering texture, a very nice little starter.

Our 1st beer for the evening was the “Pilsner” (4.6%).  A refreshing and elegant lager styled on the classic European pilsners that uses the finest ingredients and enjoys an extended fermentation period. Tasmanian Hallertau, New Zealand Pacifica and Czech Saaz hops are added throughout the brewing process giving a light flavour and crisp Bitterness.  This was perfectly matched with a serving of Oysters Kilpatrick.

The 2nd beer was the “Pale Ale” (5.2%). Bag loads of Cascade and Galaxy whole hop flowers that have been sourced direct from hop growers in Victoria, Tassie and the US are thrown at this beer, creating an intense citrus and grapefruit aroma and flavour that has been balanced with a careful selection of specialty malts and a local pale malt made to Little Creatures own specifications. Preservative and additive free our Pale Ale is live-yeast conditioned in bottles and kegs for unmatched freshness and character.  We were treated to some beautifully cooked Scallops, lightly crumbed in coconut and breadcrumbs with a mango chutney dipping sauce

The 3rd beer was the “Bright Ale” (4.5%). Bright Ale is a beer that glows with sparkling golden Vienna and Cara malts and Little Creatures own local pale malt. To these, heady summer fruit aromas of luscious pineapple, passionfruit and melon are extracted with a generous addition of whole Cascade and Motueka hop flowers.  Absolutely delicious in combination with the little Teriyaki Chicken legs served up with this ale.

The 4th beer was the “Rogers Beer” (3.8%). This mid strength beauty weaves together the best whole hop flowers and toasted malts into a silky session ale like no other. Light, citrus hop notes roll gently into roasted hazelnut, toffee and caramel malt flavours, creating easy-drinking ale of flavour and finesse.  The All Bar chef hit the nail on head, serving Pork Belly marinated in the “Rogers”, it was so juice and tender, a perfect combination.

As a special treat the All Bar boys then put on a 5th beer “White Rabbit – White Ale” (4.5%) and a 6th beer “White Rabbit – Dark Ale” (4.9%) in conjunction with several mixed Cheese platters and crackers.  Both these beers each went very well with the different cheeses. 

The most important part of the evening was most definitely the “Fitting of the FEZ”, each member was called forward and was crowned with his very own FEZ.  I don’t know how we came up with Fez’s but my goodness they look funny.  From now on each member will be required to wear his FEZ when attending any future ABC gatherings.   Also on the evening a logo was decided upon (see above), be sure to turn it upside down to fully appreciate it.

A big thank you to all the staff at “ALL BAR NUN” for their hospitality, service and very tasty menu.   Once again, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the FEZ-ivites.

If you haven’t been to one yet, then you’ve missed out.  The only way you’ll get to one is to be invited by a member.

9. The Belgian Beer Cafe - Wed 23 Feb 2011

We’re running a bit behind for 2011 with our 1^st beer club for the year only taking place on the 23^rd of February, and by the good turnout our members have been hanging out for it.  For our 9^th outing The Belgian Beer Cafe in Kingston was selected as the venue.

The Belgian Beer Cafe, Little Brussels is a welcome addition to The ABC’s list of venues, offering a unique exploration of Belgian traditional fare. We were treated to some traditional Belgian beer and food.  One small criticism of the evening is that the The Belgian Beer Cafe failed to supply a beer guru to introduce each of the beers and explain the different food combinations, that said they did come up with a very creative menu that really combined well with all the beers sampled.

Our 1^st beer for the evening was meant to be a “Belgian Real Pils” but due to a technical mishap this beer was unavailable and we were served a “Stella Artois” (5%) instead.  Belgians have been making beer since the 14^th century and Stella Artois reflects this tradition of finely crafted brewing. The world 'Stella' is Latin for 'star' and Stella was originally a limited release Christmas beer. The word Artois comes from the surname of the master brewer, Sebastian Artois.  This golden Belgian brew is a signature blend of premium malt and Saaz hops. Quite malty on the mid-palate, Stella Artois is a full flavoured, superior quality beer with a rich, estery, creamy aroma a fine clean bitterness and a hint of citric fruitiness.

We were served up a small but very tasty “Truffled Chicken & Nori Roulade” which was served cold and even though we were meant to be drinking the Belgian Real Pils, the Stella really went very well with this dish.

The 2nd beer was the “Hoegaarden” (5%). Hoegaarden (pronounced whogarden) is a white beer which is brewed in the Belgian town of Hoegaarden by the De Kluis Brewery which is now owned by Interbrew, the brewery that also owns Stella Artois. The white beer is brewed to a traditional recipe which dates as far back as 1445, although the beer Hoegaarden has only existed since 1966. Hoegaarden gets its great taste partly due to there being special ingredients added during the brewing process, such as - wheat, coriander and curacao orange peels. Also the pale, cloudy appearance of this mysterious looking drink is all thanks to an additional second fermentation in the keg.  This beer was accompanied with some “Hoegaarden & Dukkah Battered King Prawns” which were absolutely beautiful and a perfect match to this beer.

The 3^rd beer was a “Leffe Brune” (6.6%). Leffe Brune (brown) is an authentic abbey beer, brewed according to the traditional recipe of the Abbey of Leffe.  Leffe Brown has a delicate taste of vanilla and clove the full aroma of toffee and caramel with a dark-brown appearance due to the use of darkly roasted malt; it has a medium body with a good foamy head and a very well balanced bitterness.  A very pleasant beer to wash down a serve of “Grilled Lambs Tongue, Haloumi, Oven dried Tomato and olive salad, the toffee and caramel flavours of the Leffe Brune combined very nicely with this dish.       

The final beer of the evening was the “Belle-vue Kriek Cherry Beer” (5.1%). This beer is actually classed as a fruit beer; it is created with the addition of two important and unique ingredients, ripened Morello cherries and elderberry juice. It is then left to mature in oak casks, where the ageing process can last for 2-3 years before the beer is ready for drinking. The result of all this is a truly beautiful tasting fruit beer with a distinct tartness.  Belle-Vue Kriek is a Lambic style beer which traditionally are only brewed in Belgium.  Lambic beers are fermented differently to conventional beers using a process called spontaneous fermentation.  This unique process gives the beer a distinctive flavor which in this case is very true.  Not only is the taste of this beer unique but so is its appearance. It is a cherry color when poured along with a creamy full head and a pleasant fruity smell.  What a perfect way to finish off the evening with a serve of Belgian Chocolate Mousse Tartlette with liquored Cherry Griottes, the beer & mousse were made for each other.

Our little club underwent a small name change from “The Australian Brew Club” to “The Australian Beer Club”, which seems to fit a little better given the fact that we don’t brew much beer ourselves, we certainly do enjoy drinking it though.  The four letter word for grape juice continues to be a good money spinner for the fine bucket (just ask Oners). The raffles were again very popular with some nice little prizes won by some lucky attendees.

A big thank you to all the staff at “The Belgian Beer Café” for their hospitality and service and very creative menu.