For those of you who have been drinking craft beer for far too long – or are young enough not to have lived through times when such beers were pretty much your only homegrown alternatives to big brand lagers – Sparkling Ale is the name of a rather famous independently-brewed Australian beer, one that's been around well over 150 years, for that matter. Here, Seeker have created a tribute act to that Aussie icon with their very own Sparkling Ale.
Cracking this one open (no need to roll it across the counter), you'll find the yellow of a pale lemon that might have you asking yourself: "Is this a lemon?", while boasting some sweet and malty aromas.
The immediate effect upon tasting Sparkling Ale is a nodding of your head: this is nostalgic, early days drinking with a few enriching updates. A homegrown yeast strain combines with local pale malt and locally grown, once-ubiquitous Pride of Ringwood hops in a cleanly flavoursome beer that dissipates quickly enough to still be refreshing alongside fish and chips, a view of the beach, and an ungodly amount of chicken salt.
The ABV here is lower than the original, but that can be considered a good thing since you can now drink more of them without going a bit berko.
Benedict Kennedy-Cox
Published November 29, 2023 2023-11-29 00:00:00