15 April 2015

Best of Canberra - Local craft beer

14 April 2015 | Bec Cuzzillo

beer

I enjoy a good beer or two on most occasions and I also like buying local as much as I can. This week I am on the hunt for Canberra’s best local craft beer.

What classifies a beer as ‘craft’ is somewhat contentious, some say it’s about using traditional methods while others use the word to describe beer only from small boutique breweries. Everyone, however, seems to agree that it’s about the love and care that goes into the beer – all I know is that I like the end product.

In Canberra, no matter which way you look at it, all our locally brewed beers would be considered craft. There are a few places that have been brewing for quite a while, but there are also some newcomers to the local industry. Whether you’re into hoppy ales or lighter lagers, there is a local beer to keep you happy. So tell me Canberra, who brews the best local craft beer?

To vote, let me know your favourite in the comments below. I’ll try the two most popular places and let you know my verdict in next Monday’s Taste Off article.

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batmantrilogy1:00 pm 02 Nov 15

Hey Bec Cuzzillo,

Just a quick one that if you are looking for some boutique wine in Canberra contact Michael at http://actwine.com.au/

Just visited one of their wine tasting event and was quite impressed.

My 2 cents.

Leonard4:19 pm 12 May 15

Craft beers are back to $4 a schooner ar Mercure Hotel; approx. 1/2 the price of Wig or Bent. What’s that saying about a fool and his money…

MattLowe10:07 pm 19 Apr 15

wig and pen all the way!! the vibe and look is a bit off the mark, but the beers are on point!

marshy19828:24 am 16 Apr 15

rubaiyat said :

Tap 42 in Fort Lauderdale FLA is a fairly typical US Craft Beer bar.

Just checked their menu:

6oz pour (177ml slightly bigger than a Pony which is 140ml) = US$5 to US$10. A$7.90 to A$15.80 inc tip.

10oz pour (295ml a Middy) = US$8 to US$10. A$12.65 to A$15.80 inc tip.

WAY more than we pay.

Mate, I just looked up their website – their normal craft beer in U.S. Pints are between $5-$7, the 10oz are $7-$10 for some truly exceptional beers of around 10% alcohol and the only 6oz pours are for their tasting paddles.

I would also argue that these aren’t the most typical prices State side, but they are still cheaper than here.

Leonard6:12 am 16 Apr 15

liability said :

Leonard said :

I should probably keep this a secret, but the Mercure Hotel (cnr Ainslie and Limestone) has four craft beers on tap that are sort of “local” (from Sydney – 3 hours up the Hume.) They’re only $4 a schooner. Not a typo. $4 a schooner. Cheaper than Carlton et al. I believe the brewery where the beer is produced is located near the Flemington Markets in Sydney. I’ve only ever had the Pale Ale (which is very good), but they also have a Dark, a Lager even, and another one (I can’t recall.) If they can turn a profit by charging $4 a schooner, oh, I don’t know…

Not any more they aren’t. They put the prices of those “craft” beers up to $6 last Monday.

The regular lunch time crowd have bitched to management, so will be interesting to see how the sales of those “craft” beers go now that they have increased the price by 50%.

If you have an Olims members card, or whatever they are called, you also get 10% off. It made those craft beers cheap at $3.60 a schooner, but not any more 🙁

Goddamn! Whenever you think you’ve found something good in Canberra…

Oh well, I didn’t go there much anyways; The food is boring (and unhealthy) pub bistro.

liability7:12 pm 15 Apr 15

Leonard said :

I should probably keep this a secret, but the Mercure Hotel (cnr Ainslie and Limestone) has four craft beers on tap that are sort of “local” (from Sydney – 3 hours up the Hume.) They’re only $4 a schooner. Not a typo. $4 a schooner. Cheaper than Carlton et al. I believe the brewery where the beer is produced is located near the Flemington Markets in Sydney. I’ve only ever had the Pale Ale (which is very good), but they also have a Dark, a Lager even, and another one (I can’t recall.) If they can turn a profit by charging $4 a schooner, oh, I don’t know…

Not any more they aren’t. They put the prices of those “craft” beers up to $6 last Monday.

The regular lunch time crowd have bitched to management, so will be interesting to see how the sales of those “craft” beers go now that they have increased the price by 50%.

If you have an Olims members card, or whatever they are called, you also get 10% off. It made those craft beers cheap at $3.60 a schooner, but not any more 🙁

canberralyf6:41 pm 15 Apr 15

I love craft beer.. like a lot, Bentspoke’s beers are delicious but prices are just ridiculous. I’d need to have 3 jobs to afford regularly drinking there. If a bar charges more for a beer than what they do at a music festival something is wrong.

In terms of bars that have a good selection of craft beers, George harcourt regularly changes their tap beers most of which are craft. Hopscotch, Transit bar and honkeytonks all have a good selection as all 3 have my ultimate favourite on tap.- Stone & Wood pacific ale.

rubaiyat5:12 pm 15 Apr 15

justin heywood said :

rubaiyat said :

The real secret of beer is that it is so cheap to make, as anyone who has brewed their own can attest. The tax on the alcohol content is not huge because most beers are only around 4% alcohol. The rest is all marketing and sponsorships, which of course the micro-breweries don’t do.

Ah, if only it was so simple. As a sometime maker of another boutique product, I can tell you that the unit costs of producing small lines of anything are off the scale compared that of the big players – the actual ingredient costs are a very small part of the equation. The labor, equipment, transport, marketing, maintenance and a whole host of other costs must be divided by a much much smaller volume of sales.

I reckon the boutique brewers are in it for the love of the craft rather than the expectation of making a motza.

I appreciate what you say, but beer is basically barley, water and hops and really is cheap. In France where there is no tax on alcohol, beer is cheaper than Coke.

justin heywood4:57 pm 15 Apr 15

rubaiyat said :

The real secret of beer is that it is so cheap to make, as anyone who has brewed their own can attest. The tax on the alcohol content is not huge because most beers are only around 4% alcohol. The rest is all marketing and sponsorships, which of course the micro-breweries don’t do.

Ah, if only it was so simple. As a sometime maker of another boutique product, I can tell you that the unit costs of producing small lines of anything are off the scale compared that of the big players – the actual ingredient costs are a very small part of the equation. The labor, equipment, transport, marketing, maintenance and a whole host of other costs must be divided by a much much smaller volume of sales.

I reckon the boutique brewers are in it for the love of the craft rather than the expectation of making a motza.

rubaiyat4:32 pm 15 Apr 15

Leonard said :

I should probably keep this a secret, but the Mercure Hotel (cnr Ainslie and Limestone) has four craft beers on tap that are sort of “local” (from Sydney – 3 hours up the Hume.)

Would that be Paddy’s Brewery?

The real secret of beer is that it is so cheap to make, as anyone who has brewed their own can attest. The tax on the alcohol content is not huge because most beers are only around 4% alcohol. The rest is all marketing and sponsorships, which of course the micro-breweries don’t do.

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