Merry Christmas from Back of the Ferry and Hopper Whitman Pale Ale

A quick post. Merry Christmas to all BotF readers. I’m in charge of beer this year at our family Christmas, but the majority of the in-laws are either virtual tee-totallers or teenagers. A quick visit to Aldi would do the trip. I’ve got enough special one-offs backed up in the fridge for Izzy and Paul and some Aldi beers that willw satisfy the rest. Normally the brands at Aldi are knock-offs of major brands without a website. Today there was a brand that actually had it own’s website – Hopper Whitman. Hopper Whitman’s claim to fame is to have won a packaging award. They make three varieties of Beer, a “Belgian White”, a “Belgian Winter Warmer” and a “Summer Brew Wheat Ale”, which in Australia is packaged as a Summer Pale Ale. The Pale Ale can be best described as an entry level pale. It’s perfectly potable and quite sessionable. It will do the job and it is the first import from the US that is priced to reflect the strength of the Aussie Dollar – $12.99 a six pack.

Apparently they’ve opened a stout bar at the Hotel Steyne – so normal service resumed after Boxing Day.

Enjoy tomorrow and eat and drink too much,