Hawthorn Premium Pale Ale and Hawthorn Football

The Back of the Ferry blog is unashamedly a Sydney blog. It is therefore little surprise that the majority of the BotF contributors are Sydney Swans fans. That is, of course, when the contributor gives a stuff about Australian Rules Football, which is still not a given despite the almost 30 year presence of the Swans and the pending introduction of Greater Western Sydney into the comp. It is therefore a little tough to write a beer from Hawthorn whilst the memories of the evening of Friday the 16th of September are still fresh.

Bladdamasta was the lucky recipient of some marvellous illiards generosity and had his first opportunity to see an Aussie Rules game at the MCG in a level 3 corporate box no less. With the Swans coming into the game with some good form and having plenty to play for, the evening promised to be a fine one. Alas, the Swans played one of their worst games of the season and Bladdamasta was ready to leave at half time, despite the availability of all the Asahi and Crown that one could drink. In true Swans fashion they prolonged the agony by getting to within three goals (still can’t figure out how) and gave false hope, but eventually they succumbed. The trip home was a sad one. There was no ill will to the Hawks – the Swans were just lamentable on the night. That said, I gave little hope for the Hawks last night and am desparately disappointed for them this morning. They deserved the win and the punch of the roof the dugout by Coach Clarkson was emblematic of their dismay.

Enough about footy, what about the Hawthorn Premium Pale Ale? Did it deserve its place in the top 10 of the 2010 edition of the Hottest 100 of Australian Craft Beers? I lament the lack of dark beers in the upper echelons of that list, but just like Hawthorn fans at the G last night, there just aren’t as many dark drinkers as pale ale drinkers. That said, this drop is very, very good. It is as face-slappingly refreshing as a Fisherman’s Friend advertisement and has wonderful citrus laced bitterness. I regret only buying one and not smuggling a 6-pack over the border, but the Crown Cellarbrations was charging over the odds for it. Hawthorn Premium Pale Ale deserves the full BotF Beer Porn treatment that it has received. Good on you boys, and we look forward to finding an establishment that serves the Pale on tap the next time we are in Melbourne.