Give the gift of seasonal cheers
A MIXED PACK IS THE PERFECT PRESENT TO SPREAD GOODWILL OVER HOLIDAYS
The holiday season can be a pretty boozy time of year for Australians. There are end of year work parties, family gatherings, New Year bashes, a festival of sport and, of course, the simple joy of cracking a cold one on a hot summer’s day.
But David “DJ” Jackson, of the Beneficial Beer Co, whose non-alc Stone Cold Lager is part of the Smart Craft Beer Club’s Christmas friendly Always Awesome Mixed Pack, says the key to navigating the season is moderation.
Jackson started the brewery a few years ago after reassessing his relationship with alcohol and came up with an “inbeertweener” that promises to give you “all the beery goodness with none of those nasty boozy consequences”.
And while his journey to sobriety started with the One Year No Beer challenge, he says “we’re not targeting reformed alcoholics, we’re not targeting pregnant women – we are targeting mass market adoption of moderate drinking”.
Jackson says the majority of the Beneficial Beer Co product is drunk at family events on weekends and he says the rise in demand has coincided with the exponential rise in the nonalc craft beer market.
But he says Australia’s drinking culture, especially in the silly season, can leave some feeling a little awkward without a bevvy in hand, and mixing non-alcs with the huge range of other craft beer available
can make for a clearer head – and fewer arguments around the Christmas table.
“With the Christmas period coming up, you have got Christmas Eve drinks, Christmas Day drinks, Boxing Day drinks, New Year’s drinks, the week of holidays with the family at the beach before you go back to work – so it’s all about moderation for us,” Jackson says.
“Also, knowing that I might neck a few tonight, but at lunch with the family I will just have a few ‘inbeertweeners’.”
He says he’s a big fan of craft beer as a Christmas gift, not only as a way to support small businesses, but also as a way to broaden horizons.
It’s a sentiment echoed by Pat Keeble, who is product manager at Stone and Wood, and says that for him, craft beer is “all about variety”.
The Bryon Bay brewer’s Pacific Ale – also front and centre in the Always Awesome Mixed Pack – was something of a trailblazer in the Australian craft beer scene.
“Things like mixed packs, it’s a really good gift because, like beer, there are lots of different types of people,” Keeble says. “I think there’s something different within the different styles of beers that can talk to different types of people and their different tastes.
“There’s also that element of discovery – things that people might never have thought about that they end up loving.
“For some, the sight of a dark beer poured at a pub might send them running, but they receive it in a gift pack for Christmas, and give it a try and next thing you know they are dark beer fanatics.”
Since it burst on the scene more than a decade ago, Stone and Wood’s flagship brew has become one of the most popular beers in Australia. Keeble says it was down to good timing and smart thinking. By using Tasmanian galaxy hops, and the tropical fruit, passionfruit, stone fruit flavours that came with them, they concocted a beer that was different to anything else on the market, but not wild enough to turn drinkers off.
SPICE OF LIFE
Smart Craft Beer Expert Michael Taberner picks three beers destined to be Christmas classics this year.
Mornington Peninsula Pale Ale
A great Christmas option, no matter how you celebrate. A very smooth palate, light on the bitterness but still with some hop forward notes, this is a great craft gateway beer. Deliciously refreshing and versatile, it will go with your pre-lunch nibbles, a baked ham, and long into your backyard cricket net session with the kids.
CBCO Sour
Sour beers get a bad rap, the mouth puckering, fruity or the funky versions out there that they barely resembling beer. One of Australia’s favourite sours, the CBCO South
West Sour is a great representation of a beer that isn’t trying to be too out there. Low bitterness, a little fruitiness, some tropical aromas and a hint of tang makes this a great option to cut through rich foods, such as a cheese board or a spicy curry.
Recreation Easy Pale
Low and mid strength beers have come a long way, and it’s easy to see why Recreation’s Easy Pale Ale
(2.5 per cent ABV) is winning awards. It’s an easy-drinking, new world pale ale, with crisp and bright tropical notes while maintaining great flavour. A great option for long lunches, or when your busy lifestyle calls for a delicious alternative to a full strength option.