By Clyde Mooney
Victoria's Bridge Road Brewers has continued its brewing collaborations with some of Australia's leading beer venues, recently launching the seventh brew in the series.
Last June the Beechworth brewery announced a project incorporating some of Australia's recognised craft beer venues, inviting each to design a beer that reflects the venue and experience firsthand the creation of the product they sell.
The program has now produced batch No.7, its first sour beer – dedicated to Adelaide beer mecca, The Wheatsheaf Hotel.
Other venues and batches include: Melbourne's Josie Bones (Revolution – Australian Pilsner) and Beer Deluxe (Red Star – Red Rye Saison), Fremantle's Norfolk Hotel (Cecil – Red IPA), Brisbane's Scratch Bar (The Scrotch – Scotch whiskey oak-chipped imperial Scotch ale) and Archive (Tennesee Stud – American oak aged, Jack Daniels-infused American Brown Ale) and the Sydney and Melbourne franchise The Local Taphouse (13 hours on a bus – Black India Saison).
"The Bar Series has helped us create strong relationships with those venues who are ultimately our frontline sales team in bars around Australia," says Bridge Road's Ben Kraus.
"It has created awareness amongst consumers, and links between bars that really care about craft beer in Australia.
"We have had some great characters from the country's best craft beer venues share their ideas and time with us.
"No doubt craft beer lovers travelling between capital cities will be seeking out those bars who have brewed a beer that they drank in their local bar."
This has been such a brilliant initiative and idea. It should be an annual thing!