Corona Ligera

Where I want to be

At least once a day I have a daydream where I’m sitting in a chair on a warm beach with the waves crashing on the shore in front. Beside me is a bucket filled with ice and Coronas with lime wedges sticking out of them. 

Maybe one day it will happen. 

For now, I noticed that Corona released a new beer, a mid-strength, which is an ever-growing market here in this continent. 

Corona Ligera (with a silent G) is imported directly from Mexico and tastes just like it’s big brother, it is a crisp and refreshing beer, but I would rather drink it with fruit.

Corona have a new beer

For me I don’t need a lighter Corona, on a good night I can knock back almost an entire carton in a good session, I don’t necessarily need a weaker version.

Early reviews have praised its arrival, but it looks like the price point is pretty much the same as full strength which is not going to help sales.

If you are a Corona fan and want a slightly weaker version, then one is now available.

Cheers,

Dave

Holgate XPA

May has given a reason to love sci fi and beer even more,

Since may the fourth has officially become 'Star Wars Day' it is a good reason to get the movies out and watch the trilogies all over again.

Now that most of us are adults we can now also enjoy the movies we loved as kids with some Star Wars themed beers, in recent years these are starting to multiply.

A new favourite of mine is from Holgate, X-Wing XPA from Victoria.

This is the kind of beer you want to crack open just after you have shot a couple of proton torpedoes into the Death Star and made it back, made with four hop varieties (not including galaxy) it has a fruity aroma which matches the taste.

A good name for a good beer!

I mention galaxy hops because many Star Wars themed beers are being made with them - I wonder if they come from a galaxy far far away?

Being a craft beer it isn't going to be found everywhere and is likely a limited release.

Holgate have even gone one better and made a stronger version called the Millennium Falcon, this beer would do the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs as it packs a huge punch. It cost $22 for one stubbie!

Get one of these if you can and sit back on the couch with some of the best movies ever made playing at high volume.

Cheers,

Dave

May the Fourth be with you!

T-Bone Brewing Choc Milk Stout

My Easter was filled with chocolate of course but now since my discovery of chocolate stout I go on a different hunt each year for a beer to go with my eggs.

T-Bone Brewing showed off a new brew at Beerfest, Choc Milk Stout and on first taste it was a pleasant surprise as dark beer are not always easy to get down. 

The stout was canned and ready for sale right before Easter so I made sure I had some to drink while peeling foil off chocolatey goodness. 

It was a good Easter

The description from their website reads: “A sweet milk stout brewed with milk sugar. Amazing dark chocolate aromas with a rich, smooth mouthfeel and delicious aftertaste. Finished off with vanilla and cacao nibs during secondary fermentation. Fuggles hops. 4.7% ABV” 

Look at these!

This is one you should definitely try. 

Cheers, 

Dave

How to Grand Prix

One of my recent holidays was to Melbourne for my first Grand Prix, when I got there I realised I didn’t know that much about it…

I knew what the F1 racing cars were about, fast machines from across the world that compete for trophies, I’ve seen the V8 Supercars time and time again, but I had no idea what I was in for.

It turns out Australia have one driver in the competition, Daniel Ricciardo, his team being Red Bull Racing gave me another reason to want to support him. 

This is how you celebrate a win!

You can’t have a big event without beer, the Grand Prix was sponsored by Heineken who made sure the bars were always stocked with cans for the race hungry crowds.

I thought the V8 Super Cars were fast, they can go around Albert Park (the race track in Melbourne) in about two minutes. The Formula 1 cars do it in one minute twenty seconds. 

Race fans swarm an F1 car that stopped on the track

When you go to the Grand Prix you have to do a ‘shoey’, something Ricciardo didn’t invent but brought back into the spotlight. I didn’t have a sweaty racing shoe to drink out of, but I bought some boot shaped stubby holders to use instead. 

Doing a Shoey!

While meeting many amazing people from around the country, I avoided sunburn, dehydration and almost exhaustion and still managed to have a good time... my feet hurt for days afterwards...

Staying hydrated is key...

Ricciardo came fourth overall, it turns out an Australian driver hasn’t won in Australia for quite some time, asking around it sounds like Lewis Hamilton doesn’t have much of a following… sorry if you are a Lewis Hamilton fan… 

I found this on eBay

Did you watch the Grand Prix and do a shoey?

Cheers,

Dave

Hop Nation Jedi Juice Neipa

Well, it feels like I’ve been to a galaxy far, far away and have just returned.

It has been a while between posts but I don’t want to keep any secrets from you.

A couple of years ago I discovered that an Australian craft beer company made a Star Wars themed beer along the lines of Imperial something with a stormtrooper on the can, it was all sold out by the time I found it, I was determined to strike next time something like that surfaced.

The moment a local craft beer stockist advertised Hop Nation’s Jedi Juice I was quick to get some. 

This beer will make you feel like a Jedi!

An image of Princess Leia on the can holding a blaster on a green background makes it obvious what theme it is…

… I have to admit, I didn’t realise the significance of the green backdrop until after I posted the picture to the Facebook page. It’s an outline of Yoda’s head.

If you get the chance to find and drink this beer and you are a Star Wars fan then well done, this limited release is an amazing piece of art, it was made for a festival in 2017 and made again due to popular demand. 

Darth Vader approves of this

This is the beer’s profile directly from Hop Nation’s website.

“Hazy, juicy and with a citrusy hop aroma – finishing off with intense flavour and a great mouthfeel. Featuring Riwaka, Nelson Sauvin, Citra and Mosaic hops – this beer will bring out the Jedi in everyone. Unified and unfiltered, the Jedi Juice pours quite hazy in the glass with a bright orange colour.”

Weighing in at 7.1% this was a pleasure to drink.

Hop Nation still has a link to order it by emailing them at info@hopnation.com.au.

Cheers,

Dave

Arc Valley Premium Light

My uncle offers me all kinds of weird and interesting beers when I visit, recently he handed me a new light to try, this one wasn’t bad.

This 2.7% beer from the Netherlands has a distinctive European bite and feel to it, of course it goes down well.

I’ve have another good beer from the country – Heineken – I wonder what else they make?

This beer seems to be all over the market here in Australia, consider it if you are going light some time.

Arc Valley also has a premium, I'll see if I can find it.

Drinking it gives me images of the tulip fields and windmills in the Netherlands.

Cheers,

Dave

Mountain Goat Beers

From Christmas I scored some beers new to me for presents, not having tried Mountain Goat before I was excited to have not one but two of their beers to put in my fridge.

Mountain Goat Summer Ale

In an orange can this bright looking beer is tailored for summer drinking. From their website they claim it has low bitterness but full of fruity, crisp characters. These went down very well over some of the hot days we got for summer in Tasmania.

Mountain Goat Pale Ale

Going from a Summer ale to something completely different this is a hop driven, American inspired Pale Ale, but still has a fruity bite to it. In a bottle, this one was part of a mixed six pack and has made me wonder why it has taken me this long to try Mountain Goat since they have at least two really good brews.

Mountain Goat has been going in Australia since 1997 where two friends wanted to shake up the beer market and create real and flavoursome brews. Based in Richmond, Victoria they also have a brewery bar, I’ll have to add to my list of places to visit.

I’ll hunt around for some more of their brews and happily share them with you.

Cheers,

Dave

MAKE sure you like the Facebook Page “Dave’s Beers of the World” where I update what I get up to and beer related news I hear.

There will also be a new addition with a weekly Facebook update of a stubby holder from my quite large collection, I’ll try and remember where I got it from and what it means to me.