It's good beer week here in Melbourne Australia, this yearly celebration of all things craft beer started back in 2011 - so we are in the ninth version of it (last years cancelled as we were all in lock-down for Covid) Basically is a week long calendar of events, special beers, tap takeovers and alike.
Last night I went to a meet the brewers session, then onto the opening night party and then to on to another bar which is part of 'Pint of Origin' which is bars and pubs which have takeovers from breweries for different states of Australia (Pint of origin is a play on State of Origin which is a sporting term in Australia) and now other countries/regions. Friday night's was Scandinavia.
If this sounds like a lot - it was, which is why I was feeling dusty on Saturday, I was thinking about staying in on Saturday night - but as is the nature of GBW, you start looking at social media and someone mentions we have Blah Blah on tap and you think, well I have to have that.
And that was the case with a smallish brewpub called Westside who posted that Jester King was taking over there guest taps.
Now Jester King at a Texan brewery from Austin - They tend to make sours, saisons and other funky beers and although you see limited amounts of their bottled bottled in Australia to see it on tap is rare so off we went to Westside.
Now the good thing about Westwide is that they do Tasters - so I can have 8 Jester Kind beers and not get too messy
A stunning looking paddle
you don't want to hear long reviews of eight beers so here they are in a sentence
Bug farm farmhouse ale with lavendar and mint - like beer but you are also brushing your teeth at the same time
Femme sauvage farmhouse ale - just a lovely balanced easy drinking beer with a little bit of depth.
Less Dots Saison with Blackcurrants - it's like me, smooth and tarty all at the same time.
Year 10 Annivesary ale with Texas Malt- a simple beer but of so well made.
That is a lot of Jester King
Super ultra mega hyper force Saison- the funkiest of the Brewers so far, it horsey, again a bit like we after watching North play this afternoon. For those people keeping up-to-date with the fortunes of my football team through these posts - we had our first win of the season this afternoon and I spent a far amount of time yelling at the TV
Hoppy 6 Saison - another corker. They are all easy drinking but all so well constructed.
Pattinson Porter, oh so smooth and oh so good - dark beers a nice place to end.
Black Metal Stout - as predicted by the bartender this is the pick of the bunch and a great way to end.
So eight stunning beers. But this is Good Beer Week so there is always another venue and when I mention to my partner that we are only a 3 minute walk from The Palace which is the venue for South Australian Pint of Origin we then it's time for a little stroll and some more beer.
No one is sitting outside tonight - it's about 6 degrees Celsius way to cold for Australians
And finally remember that #beersaturday by @detlev exists - check it out here