Pink Killer, @HartsPub and the Butcher Porter

In the early days of BotF we discovered a beer brewed by the Silly Brasserie that was called “Silly Pils“. At the time we lamented the Australian distributors lack of a sense of humour because they renamed the beer “Real Belgian Pils”. Research of the Silly site revealed that they made a range of beers including a pink grapefruit flavoured beer called Pink Killer.

This BotF correspondent had the misfortune to attend an industry snoozefest at the Shangri-La in the Rocks where rubber chicken and warm lager was the fare. To revive the palate, I slipped into Harts Pub on Essex Street for a half and was amazed to see the Pink Kller available in the beer fridge. I had to give it a go, and I can now say I’ve had a pink grapefruit flavoured beer. That was the high point.

I don’t how many pink grapefruit flavoured beers there are, and there cannot objectively say whether the Pink Killer is a fine example of pink grapefruit flavoured beer or not. What I can categorically say is that I don’t like pink grapefruit flavoured beer. Once I stayed with my grandparents and they bought me a pink lollypop the size of my head from Darryl Lea. I ate it speedily and threw most of it up that evening. The aroma of Pink Killer brought back memories of that night – sickly, overpowering sweetness with a rancid edge. I should have stopped at the whiff, but I then had a sip – and recoiled in horror. Sort of a soft drink with an off cheap white wine overtone. No beer factor at all. The upside was that it was a 250ml bottle.

Fortunately, Harts Pub has one of the best and varied ranges of beers in the Sydney CBD and I was able to erase all memory of the Pink Killer pretty quickly and effectively. Of the four beers brewed by the Rocks Brewing Co, I tried the Butcher Porter. Big fan. Chunky, roasted flavours. Just a great dark beer, with plenty of malty goodness. BotF will be back to do the lap of the taps one afternoon.

The ferry trip that evening was marred by the discovery of some newly installed benches out the Back of the Ferry. One can still secure prime position out the very back, but if there’s more than a quorum then you are standing single file across the back. Still plenty of room along the starboard.