BotF was in Wollongong for the last time for 2010, and was able to get to a new establishment and try a new beer.
The Towradgi Beach Hotel is a massive place with all bases covered. Large TAB, extensive indoor and outdoor drinking areas, huge dining facilities with a grill, playground for the kids, a separate pokies area, very long fishtank and a large waterfall. Very popular with the locals and the place was heaving on a Wednesday night with touch footy teams, families, uni students and your usual bar types. It was also trivia night and about 16 tables participated including BotF (though not named as such). For the record we came third.
If further visits are required to the ‘gong, this will be on the agenda.
The tap line-up was extensive including Coopers Green, Old, New, VB, Carlton, Pure Blonde and two unknowns – Bruers Bright and Oscars. Didn’t get to the Oscars, which no-one knew much about. Tried the Bruers Bright though, repeatedly and whilst the complexity promised in the press releases wasn’t evident – it is a fine beer for a long evening of trivia. Slightly darker than your average mainstreamer (probably a Resches hue), it is a pretty clean tasting drop. The lad were impressed enough to stay on it all night.
Bruers Bright is made by Pacific Beverages (JV between Coca-Cola Amatil and SAB Miller), who are also responsible for brewing Blue Tongue and Peroni. They’ve opened a new brewery in Warnervale on the Central Coast and this is their first new product. Bruers Bright is a tap only beer and the hyperbole is that it is “Bright Beer has been a beer that has only been reserved for those fortunate enough to work at a brewery. Ask any brewer and they will tell you that nothing beats drinking fresh bright beer directly from the vat”. Apparently all mainstream beer is then heated to pasteurise it, whereas Bruers Bright (and apparently “Bright Beer” is the term for beer that comes from a vat) isn’t heated.
The new XXXX beer – the Corona wannabe – is also called a “Bright” beer – but that might be because of the Summer branding not any high falutin’ brewing technique.
back of the ferry 