The curtain has just come down on this year’s WA Beer Week, having risen with the inaugural Fremantle BeerFest on the opening weekend. Pia Poynton, AKA girlplusbeer and also recent recipient of the CraftyPintWA Twitter handle, was there in a working and enjoying capacity and sent us her views on the event.
What was it?
Fremantle calls out to beer nerds across the country: it’s a town with not one but three breweries as well as the Sail & Anchor, the birthplace of craft beer in WA. Combined with the fact it’s a damn good looking town, these facts make it the perfect place for a beer festival. It seems more than 8,000 people would agree as that’s how many descended on the town for the inaugural Fremantle BeerFest.
The weekend long festival hosted some of our state’s finest breweries and even a few of our brewing mates from the east coast turned up, proving again that we’re a pretty friendly bunch. Throw in some tasty food options – including beer inspired foods, plus some live music for those with their dancing shoes on, and it was a recipe for beery fun. The BeerFest was just one of the 40 events happening between November 8 and 17 WA Beer Week and captured exactly what the week, or more specifically ten days, is all about: good beer, good food and good company.
Who was there?
We live in a pretty big state, in fact it’s roughly 2,500km from Matso’s Brewery in Broome down to Cheeky Monkey in Margaret River. Yet if you hit the festival you would have been able to try beers from both these breweries and more.
Eagle Bay Brewery, Margaret River Ale Company, Old Coast Road Brewing, Cape Bouvard Brewing, Colonial Brewery and Cowaramup rounded out the list of those who’d driven up from the south west. Perth’s Feral, Indian Ocean Brewing, Nail Brewing, Billabong Brewery and Last Drop Brewery were on hand along with Fremantle’s own Little Creatures, The Monk and Gage Roads, who didn’t have to bring their beers too far from home. At the other end of the travelling spectrum were Two Birds Brewing and Mountain Goat, adding a touch of east coast flair to the weekend.
Highlights
A surprisingly number of people drinking full glasses of the amazing Feral Brewing Boris, a Russian Imperial Stout, in spite of the 35 degree heat. God bless your cotton socks.
The Cryer Malt masterclasses held throughout the weekend were free entry and covered a range of topics from beer judging to brewing and cooking with beer.
Being able to get Clancy’s Fish Pub’s signature fish and chips, a delicious way to soak up all that wonderful beer.
Killer Beers
Saisonnay, Eagle Bay’s collaboration with beer specialist bottleshop Mane Liquor, a saison that’s seen the inside of some fresh chardonnay barrels. Gorgeous tropical fruits and citrus tang with a little spice through the middle.
Just when you thought John Stallwood couldn’t make a better beer you take a sip of the Nail Imperial Dunn Brown Ale. Perfectly balanced rich malt and dangerously drinkable at a well hidden 8 per cent abv.
Two Birds brewer Jayne Lewis had a big smile on her face during the festival and when you tasted the Taco beer, you knew why. It’s the first batch of Taco brewed at Gage Roads and it’s sensational, it’s everything you’d want from a wheat beer that’s been galavanting around Mexico. It’s crisp, refreshing, spicy and moreish as hell.
The Event in Three Words
Bring on 2014.
Photo at top pilfered (with permission) from the festival’s Facebook page.
