By Andy Young
When the Australian Beer Company unveiled Yenda Patchwork beer at the Sydney Craft Week, there was a lot of interest about the beer's handmade tap badges.
Yenda Patchwork is described as a beer that combines "the personality of an IPA, with the refreshment of a lager" and badge designer Dominic de Beaujeu said the concept behind the badge was also to mould together the best features of different styles.
Speaking about the badge on the Australian Beer Company's blog, Beaujeu said: "I started [by] scouting Sydney for suitable materials, like reclaimed wood and nails for a really authentic feel."
Beaujeu describes how he individually cut the wood to size and how he went about giving the badges the distressed and "rough" finish.
He added: "Despite their appearance, these tags are made from plywood, hand painted with a Dulux rust-effect paint. It took a couple of coats to get the effect I was after, but eventually the 50 individually rusted tags were ready to have the brand name etched on."
Beaujeu also reclaimed nails and screws, which he says helped to make each badge "completely patchwork [from] start to finish".
Beaujeu's full story is on the Australian Beer Company's blog and Yenda Patchwork is currently available on draught in around 40 selected venues across Australia, such as: NSW – Imperial Hotel (Paddington), The Local Taphouse (Darlinghurst), Oaks Hotel (Neutral Bay), George Tavern (East Maitland), Australian Heritage Hotel (The Rocks); VIC – The Local Taphouse (St Kilda), Hop Temple (Ballarat), Beer DeLuxe Fed Square (Melbourne); QLD – The Spotted Cow (Toowoomba), The Norman Hotel and Hotel Orient (both Brisbane); SA/NT – Rourke's Drift Hotel (Darwin); WA – Northbridge Brewing Company (Northbridge).