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Learning lessons from a six-pack

It is a trend within a trend. And two Australian brewers are more than happy to join the line.

Craft beer is the fastest growing segment of the industry. Experimentation is in. Even within the one drinking session.

Discerning consumers are picking a variety of brews to enjoy at one sitting, maybe moving with a class, such as India Pale Ale, or passing through a brewery’s range.

4 Pines and Stone and Wood have recognised that push towards the swinging sipper with two brilliant ideas out of the box. Or in it in these cases.

Punters get a pint or six of history with 4 Pines latest Keller Door release, The Bastard Children of the British Empire.

And drinkers enjoy a tour around the world with Stone and Wood’s Beers of the Earth batch.

Both brewers have boxed six packs marking each series.

4 Pines Bastard collection celebrates the story of the Pale Ale. A half-dozen unique beers, with six unique flavours, pay homage to its country of origin – England, United State, New Zealand, Australia and Belgium.

The final beer is 4 Pines renowned American-style Pale Ale.

The Manly-based crew wanted to highlight and educate how one style can be so different depending on its environment, brewer and ingredients.

4 Pines general manager Jaron Mitchell said, “Pale ale is probably the most recognised craft beer style in Australia but the flavour profile can differ so dramatically depending on various influences.

“We really wanted to give people the opportunity to understand how interesting and diverse one style could be. Since the Brits first gave us the style, we thought we’d follow the journey of the beer as it progressed around the world.”

The Bastard Children of the British Empire collection includes:

English IPA - 6.0% ABV. 47 IBU
Robust in flavour with subtle aroma of raisins and British herbs, this English IPA combines both traditional floor-malted Marris Otter (English two-row varietal barley) and copious amounts of famously-earthy English hops.

American IPA - 6.3% ABV. 70 IBU
Boasting a full flavour and resinous musk, this aggressively hopped American IPA has assertive bitterness and distinctively aromas of citrus and grapefruit. Unfiltered to maintain the raw, tannic mouthfeel from the hops. Antioxidants galore!

New Zealand Pale Ale - 4.5% ABV. 29 IBU
Drink in the broad spectrum of tropical fruit characters typical of New Zealand hops. Clean and crystal clear from cold filtration. What else would you expect from a country so close to Antarctica?

Australian Pale Ale - 5.0% ABV. 32 IBU
This brew is straw-like in appearance, unfiltered and naturally-conditioned for one month in the bottle. Small amounts of carried-over yeast provide a distinctive fruitiness and plenty of vitamin B to help with hangovers in any cases of accidental overconsumption.

Belgian Pale Ale - 5.6% ABV. 19 IBU
Traditionally less bitter with a toasty malt sweetness, the famous yeast-driven phenolics produce a refreshing spicy and fruity character.

4 Pines Pale Ale - 5.1% ABV. 35 IBU
A colourful deep ruby amber appearance. Aromas of pine and grapefruit overlay a malt backbone. On the palate full bodied malty flavours with a tight and bitter finish.

The Bastard Children of the British Empire is on sale for $39.99.

Stone and Wood are recognising their Green Feet program with the release of six new beers, a London Porter, Czech Pilsner, Belgian Saison, German Hefeweizen, Antipodean Pale Ale and an American IPA, that honour each of their humble beginnings and the influence the environment has on brewing.

The ritual of coming together and sharing a few brews is grounded in history and these beers are a tribute not only to beer but the planet.

Green Feet is a company wide program Stone and Wood have been working on for a couple of years. It’s about minimising their foot print on the earth through striving not only to reduce, reuse and recycle but also exploring innovative practices by reimagining the ecology of brewing.

The brewery has a number of initiatives that are already underway or implemented including -

  • Installation of 480 solar panels at Murwillumbah site.

  • Installed LED lighting in workspaces. Lighting now uses a quarter of the energy, equivalent to taking seven cars off the road.

  • Installed a baling unit which compresses cardboard and plastic waste from the packaging line into 75kg bales to be recycled.

  • Water to beer ratio 3:1 comapred to average of 5:1.

  • Grain bags are up-cycled into bags and bunting by the community based recycling organisation SORT.org

So Stone and Wood have looked across the globe for the right beers for the six-pack.

London Porter - 5.1% ABV. 25 IBU
Porter is the original urban ale, getting its name from the 1700’s equivalent of white delivery van drivers who loaded and unloaded the ships, moving goods around the city. Its silky charms made this dark brew the pint for the people. Toasted and roasted malt with a fruity aroma of prunes & raisins and earthy English hops, followed with a dry and satisfying finish..

Czech Pilsner - 5.0% ABV. 40 IBU.
After the brewers of Pilsen watched helplessly as their barrels of contaminated ale flooded the streets, they enlisted the help of a Bavarian brewer and his lager yeast. Throwing in Saaz, the most noble of hops, a new light coloured beer was born that would become an international favourite. Rich sweet malts, balanced with lashings of Czech Saaz hops adding a soft yet assertive bitterness.

American IPA - 8.2% ABV. 75 IBU
The American IPA emerged on the West Coast during a 1980’s beer renaissance. Using strains of hops that imparted a more fruitier, resinous character than their English equivalents, this style of beer has influenced a whole new generation of hop heads from the States and abroad. Deep marmalade colour from the American ale & crystal malts. Upfront citrus with a piney aroma from US hops that deliver an outrageous bitterness.

German Hefeweizen - 5.4% ABV. 12 IBU
In 16th Century Bavaria, the local royals allowed the use of wheat in addition to barley despite the restrictions of the Reinheitsgebot. The aromatic cloudy Hefeweizen became a favourite Summer quencher.
The German yeast creates the cloudiness and the fruity banana and spicy characters typical of this style. Delicate yet complex with a refreshing acidity.

Belgian Saison - 6.8% ABV. 36 IBU
A farmhouse ale brewed seasonally in autumn through to early Spring, revitalized the weary who worked under the searing summer sun, satisfying their thirst. A true utilitarian beer and an ultimate refresher. Golden in colour with the complexity of yeast spiciness, white pepper and citrus. Firm bitterness and very dry finish. A thirst quencher.

Antipodean Pale Ale - 5.1% ABV. 42 IBU
Whether it’s grabbing a six pack for a backyard BBQ or meeting your mates at the pub to watch a band after a surf, this refreshing ale, brewed with new a new generation of Antipodean hops is the quintessential beer for a Southern summer. Lush tropical floral aromas created by blending NZ & Australian hops lead to a clean malt & refreshing dry bitter finish.