Snake Venom Beer

A special beer brewed in Scotland, this beer is quite rightly named because enough of it will probably kill you. Looking to create the World’s Strongest Beer, Brewmeister Brewery experimented to create a brew that is 67.5% in alcohol content… you read that right, 67.5 bloody percent!

A good whiskey is usually around 40% so this is something spectacular.

Because of the hazardous level with the beer it actually has a warning label on each stubbie, the brewers strongly recommend to not have any more than a small shot per serve and to drink it like a spirit.

It probably kicks like a snakebite too...

Snake Venom was created by using smoked peat malt and two kinds of yeast, it gets its high alcohol level from freezing several times during the fermentation process.

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It does cost a bit but it will definitely give you a buzz.

Who wants to come to Scotland one day and try this with me?

Cheers,

Dave

Information collected from http://www.executivestyle.com.au/worlds-strongest-beer-contains-675-alcohol-2wcv0

Sapporo Beer Festival

A return to my second home at the right time of the year meant that I could return to the Sapporo Beer Festival, a beer lovers dream come true.

Around late July to the end of August, Odori Park, an eleven-block long park in Sapporo becomes a sea of beer gardens, Japan’s main breweries, Asahi, Yebisu, Kirin and Sapporo each have a block to themselves and set up enough room for hundreds at a time.

Odori Park, Sapporo

Once you decide which brewery you want to visit you go to the purchasing area to get a ticket for your drinks and food.

The beer comes in many sizes, you can have a regular mug or go for a mini keg you can pour from by yourself.

Once you have your tickets you go to the collection area and collect your order.

If you can find a seat you are set.

It is the middle of summer at this time of the year in Japan, the sun is hot but doesn’t burn like it does in Australia.

Over one million people pass through the beer festival each year, that is a lot of beer!

It was a great feeling being back, I only wish I could have stayed there all month.

This was me back in 2013 with a 4L tube!

Cheers,

Dave

James Squire The Hop Father Celebration Ale

I’ve wanted to sink my teeth into the James Squire range for some time now, I will go through them in depth but for now I want to focus on a limited release beer going around, The Hop Father.

Each of their beers tells a story, this one is a way to remember James Squire himself, a convict, who established a brewery.

“Rich and full bodied with a cleansing bitterness, fruity aromas and a spicy character reminiscent of the man himself.”

Hoppy Pale Ale is the brainchild of a family owned business who made a revamp of a classic hoppy pale ale with great character, proudly made with Australian malts.

The owners trace back right to James Squire himself

Simcoe and Columbus hops give it the variety of fruity and spicy flavours.

Try and get your hands on one before they run out.

Cheers,

Dave 

It comes in 6-packs! 

Miller Chill with Lime Lager

An American beer has finally fallen onto my lap, I haven’t been fond of them even though I love Samuel Adams as many I know of are made cheaply and never stand up to the amazing beers we brew in Down Under.

Miller are a well-known American brand, who have made a latin/ Mexican beer hybrid, this fruity monster is known as Miller Chill with Lime Lager.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin is pretty far away from Mexico but the brewers have infused their beer with lime to create an easy drinking, fruity, low carb beer, a little weak at 4% so you will have to knock back a few to get a good buzz.

It comes in six packs

I’ll give them credit, the Australian version of this I would consider to be XXXX Gold Summer with lime and I don’t think XXXX Gold know how to infuse beer, America wins this round.

Probably hard to find and in Australia, it costs the same as regular beer, I might buy a carton of this in summer if I want something different.

Cheers,

Dave

A nice view

Bintang

The star beer of Indonesia, Bintang is the nations #1 and possible only real beer according to my research – by all means prove me wrong please.

Brewed since 1929 it is styled after Heineken, in taste and bottle design, it has ties to the Holland brewer who have given Indonesia a taste of European culture – the brewery was originally called Heineken’s Indonesian Brewing Company.

Styled to look and taste like Heineken

Australian’s visit the nation quite regularly, being just north of us, one place in particular – Bali – is an Australian hotspot.

After trying Bintang for the first time I get the Heineken-like feel of it but also think of Chinese beers such as Tiger and Tsing Tao.

I can very much see myself in Bali on holiday, in a pool, knocking back Bintang after Bintang.

Where I want to be!

Never having been to Bali though I did some research and learned that there are areas where alcohol is illegal, they don’t sound very exciting to visit.

It is exported here to Australia but I don’t know how much further than that.

Cheers,

Dave

Winter Warmer Idea

Down here in Tasmania it is a bit cold during this time of the year, though it doesn’t stop us from drinking our favourite beers cold but I know of a way of still enjoying beer and keeping warm.

A known way of warming up here in Tassie is taking your favourite beer, having a mouthful and then pouring in a shot of Stone’s Green Ginger Wine.

Ginger infused wine with spice and zest at 13.9% it adds a nice kick to what you are drinking.

Do you know of another way to warm up during winter?

Cheers,

Dave

James Boag’s Epicurean

Epicurean isn’t a word you would hear often, I had to look it up, it means to be paired with food. James Boag’s has developed two very different beers to be had with food, red and white.

As the colours suggest, red is best paired with red meat while white is best for seafood and light dishes.

These beers are the most expensive that Boag’s has created that I’m aware of to date, at $70 a carton at Dan Murphy’s.

I only purchased one of each being very wary of such a unique product. On sampling (without food) the red was very hard to drink, it was very rich, while the white wasn’t rich enough, it almost felt like drinking a light champagne.

Crafted by food and beer experts

On first sample, I wasn’t very excited about either beer, with food involved it may take away the unusual taste of both but this would be a beer only suited for a real foodie.

I would much prefer Boag’s to bring back Classic Blonde, Boag’s Pure or even St George rather than create an ambitious but strange range of beers.

Cheers,

Dave