back of the ferry

I Am A Craft Brewer

Cyril D — Wed, 22 May 2013 02:40:19 +0000

El Loco at the Slip Inn and Aguila Beer

bladdamasta — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:53:50 +0000

El Loco Hot Dog and Quesadilla

One of Back of the Ferry’s most loyal correspondents, members and readers is returning to New Zealand, and so began the first leg of his work farewell. Another loyal BotF member was up from Melbourne, and we couldn’t mark the farewell on the ferry, the next best thing was to go to a local pub and try some thing new. I used to be pretty dark on the Slip Inn. My primary reason was quite irrational, and that was that it was in the opposite direction to the ferry. I’ve gotten more used to it over the last couple of years (though only if I visit at lunch, knowing I have to return to work – rather than the end of the day. The food wasn’t bad either, but the beer list never challenged.

El Loco menu part 1

So, when Cam suggested a quick farewell beverage to Kiwisinoz, it was about convenience more than anything new. Well, surprise – surprise, the Slip Inn’s had a Mexican makeover (day of the dead wallpaper) in the front bar and the menu’s been updated to match. There’s a Mexican cocktail list and plenty of tacos, quesadillas and churros as well as some main courses – featuring grilled meats with various Mexican sauces. The menu’s hardly haute cuisine, but the hot dogs we all had and the Chorizo and Jalapeno quesadilla I snuck absolutely hit the spot when speed and substance were key. I’ll definitely be back for another crack at the menu including some of the more substantial specials featuring ribs and the like. It’s all under the name El Loco at Slip Inn, and is apparently the brain child of one of Merivale’s star chefs – Dan Hong.

Menu Part 2

As mentioned above, Slip Inn’s beer list is pedestrian, so I’ve had to reach back to the weekend for this post’s unique beer. I tried this blog’s first Colombian beer on the rooftop of the Glenmore Hotel. The highlight of Aguila Beer is its label. Aguila is made by the Cervecería De Barranquilla, which is now part of the SABMiller group. It probably is made in Colombia, but tastes like any old macro that SABMiller flog around the world. Colombia – ticked off.

Aguila from Colombia

3 new beers at 4 Pines

bladdamasta — Sat, 11 May 2013 05:07:00 +0000

I don’t need a reason to get to the stationary spiritual home of Back of the Ferry, but extra incentive has been provided by the arrival of 3 new beers to the Keller Door family. Photo says it all really.

Before the local derby, I tried two of the three – the Mosaic Amber and the Belgian Dubbel. Mosaic was the slight winner on the day. A brassy, sharp amber with more hop than malt. Great finish and very sessionable. That’s it next to the chalkboard The Dubbel knits a good beer coat. It holds its alcohol content well and it is a big complex mouthfeel. Big fan of both. Might get to the Oatmeal after the game.

The Chillsner

Cyril D — Thu, 09 May 2013 02:55:31 +0000

via Cool Material

You’re probably familiar with the Corkcicle. It’s a super-handy way to keep your white wine chilled and covered without watering it down. Only issue is, white wine isn’t really our go-to drink. That honor belongs to our good friend, Mr. Beer. Well, the folks who created the Corkcicle have heard our cries and have given us the Chillsner. The Chillsner is the first ever in-bottle beer cooler you can drink through. Simply toss it in the freezer for 45 minutes, take a sip out of the beer you’re going to put it in, then pop in the Chillsner and you’re good to go. Each purchase includes two Chillsners, a freezer storage case, and two instructional coasters. No more warm beer and no more funky koozies.

Buy ‘em here

Stylish Suds: Check Out This Font-Tastic Beer Concept

Cyril D — Wed, 08 May 2013 01:16:50 +0000

via Food Republic

Chances are, you’ve never heard of Akzidenz-Grotesk, the century-old typeface font that resembles Helvetica in its simplicity and clean lines. Neither had we — until we saw it emblazoned all over these cool longnecks.

In a conceptual series comprising six beer types, the Lisbon-based designer João Andrade gives us all a reason to raise our glasses (er, bottles) to his favorite font. Since Germany is the third-largest importer of beer, and Akzidenz-Grotesk originated in Berlin where it was used by printers, the marriage of the two seemed both appropriate and appropriately random. In the examples below, each label’s typeface varies in weight and width according to the level of alcohol in each beer.

We love the concept — the more innovative and forward-thinking label designs, the better — though we’d probably discourage anyone from actually using the word “grotesk” in a beer name.

+ ENLARGE

In designer João Andrade’s world, Akzidenz-Grotesk beer would exist in five varieties: light, medium, bold, super and extra (shown above).

+ ENLARGE

Full story over at Food Republic

The Buddy Cup

Cyril D — Tue, 07 May 2013 07:19:55 +0000

Budweiser Brazil has been at it again… The Buddy Cup (not a sexual position) comes with a QR code and built-in chip that connects it to your Facebook profile, so every time you toast some rando [sic] at a Bud-sponsored event, they gain instant access to your Facebook life.

Because the world needs another uselessly hi-tech advertising innovation, and because the bar for being Facebook friends these days needs to be even more like blinking at a stranger passing on the street.

Brought to you by Agencia Africa, which was also responsible for Bud’s less idiotic Will.i.am magazine ad that doubled as a vinyl record.

The Great Northern – Carlton, Tusk and Dead Guy Ale

bladdamasta — Sun, 05 May 2013 05:21:41 +0000

Tusk

There’s been plenty of hype in the pointy end of the Craft Beer community about the release of Tusk, Feral Brewing Company‘s infrequently released Imperial IPA. The hype is due to the fact that Feral Brewing Company has won more awards that Ben Hur, the strict conditions under which outlets are able to take on this beer and its blink and it’s gone time frame. To be honest, I didn’t give it much thought because I thought that my chances of getting to a venue serving it in the short window foreshadowed were slimmer than Lamb0 after his return from Sri Lanka.

Dead Guy Ale

Low and behold, I found myself having to do in a fly-in-fly-out trip to Carlton – without any certainty of sneaking any visit into any fine Carlton establishment. Stars aligned and the next thing I knew, I was enjoying a quick lunch in a pub I’d been wanting to visit for a while. The Great Northern has been on the radar and whilst it was a fleeting visit, it ticks many boxes and I’ll be back as soon as possible. The Great Northern had clearly met Feral’s conditions in relation to Tusk and is one about 10 venues selling it. According to Crafty Pint, they are “venues who have guaranteed that there will be cold refrigerated transport from brewery to bar and that it will be tapped the instant it arrives“. Highly regarded US Imperial or Double IPAs like Pliny the Elder emphasise this need to engage in as immediate consumption as possible, so this isn’t hyperbole on Feral’s part. So what’s it like? This is as big a beer made by an Australian brewer as I’ve had. My companion for the day simply went “Phew!”. He immediately commented on the alcohol. Without prompting he reckoned it tasted spirituous. Interesting reaction from a bloke that doesn’t drink craft often. Tusk is a classic sipper, squintly so on the first taste – but one that works up to a magnificent crescendo as it goes on. I was actually keen for a second – but at 9.5%, on this instance, one was enough. Delighted to have had a crack at the Tusk

Worth a visit to Carlton

The Great Northern is putting on an event during “Good Beer Week“, where thirteen of their taps will be turned over to some of the USA’s finest. They are clearly warming up to that event. They have a good range of Bridgeport beers available in their bottle, there’s plenty of Brooklyn Beer paraphernalia up and they have an iconic beer on tap – Rogue‘s Dead Guy Ale. The tap head’s marvellous and the beer’s even better. The back stories of many of Rogue’s beers are pretty interesting – not surprising for a craft brewer that’s been around since 1989. Dead Guy was a private label for a Day of the Dead promo many years ago. It was so popular it became a perennial name for Rogue’s Maibock – and the tap handle is iconic as they come. Bloody fine beer that held it’s own despite coming after the Tusk. I will return to the Great Northern – if that could be during Good Beer Week – even better.

15 Cool Beer Taps

Cyril D — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:38:40 +0000

via Cool Material

We can’t help the fact that we’re sometimes attracted to bright, shiny objects. It’s why we do occasionally judge a book by its cover, and it’s also why we may order a beer we don’t know based on the really awesome tap handle associated with it. This doesn’t happen all the time, but we’re pretty sure it would be hard to pass up the suds coming from these guys.

back of the ferry

I Am A Craft Brewer

El Loco at the Slip Inn and Aguila Beer

3 new beers at 4 Pines

The Chillsner

Stylish Suds: Check Out This Font-Tastic Beer Concept

The Buddy Cup

The Great Northern – Carlton, Tusk and Dead Guy Ale

15 Cool Beer Taps

Gun Tap Handle

Video Game Controller Tap Handles

Dogfish Head Steampunk Tap Handle

Deer Antler Tap Handles

Fixed Gear Tap Handles

Beer Ingredient Tap Handles

Lightsaber Tap Handles

Sapporo Sword Tap Handle

Taps at Fette Sau in Philadelphia

40mm Grenade Tap Handle

Mason Jar Tap Handle

Piranha Plant Tap Handle

Vintage Tools Tap Handles

Dirty Robot Hand Tap Handle

50 Caliber Tap Handle

Rhett – a long overdue inductee

Groovin’ the Moo, Canberra and Carlton Dry 3.5