Quarter Mile Double IPA and Washaway Beach

As previously mentioned, our newly inducted American member, Ryan, brought a trio of Massachusetts’ finest craft beers with him for the Back of the Ferry to sample. When beers have travelled such a long distance they deserve respectful amounts of beerp0rn. I took the first of the trio on a walk to another of Sydney’s hidden beaches. Washaway Beach is one of the more inaccessible of Sydney’s Harbour beaches, but is only 10-15 minutes from the nearest road. It faces East and looks out through the Heads of Sydney Harbour. After a scramble down a path through some bush, you come to a clearing of sandstone cliff. 10m below is a surprisingly long beach with golden sand and in the right conditions, a reasonable place for a swim. Sydney’s naturalists have discovered Washaway Beach – and I had to be a little subtle as I took my beerp0rn, as they looked a little askance at me. Washaway Beach is not quite on the Manly to Spit Walk, but is a slight detour off it, on the walk to Grotto Point. It’s not signposted, and you’ve just to got listen for the surf and look for tracks. Well worth it.

The beer I took along comes from the Blue Hills Brewery of Canton Massachusetts. They make at least 12 varieties and Ryan selected a very big beer – the Quarter Mile Double IPA. At 8% and 80 IBUs, this isn’t one to scull. It poured a beautiful orange colour with a creamy head – that lasted. Despite the size of the numbers, the Quarter Mile didn’t commit assault and battery on my senses. Yes, the scent was strong and the swallow was slightly oily (in a good way), but it didn’t take my breath away as a couple of really large IPAs have done. Quarter Mile is a really pleasant sipper and one to savour. An hour later, and I’m still enjoying the aftertaste. Looking forward to the remaining two.