Winning amateur brew bound for Wig and Pen

Beer, People

Canberra’s amateur brewing competition this year resulted in 18 category winners progressing to the Wig and Pen trophy taste-off.

The coveted trophy gives the brewer a chance (working with brewer Richard Watkins) to make a one-off commercial batch of the winning beer for sale through the Wig and Pen.

This year’s winner, Mark Overton, fielded five of the 18 finalists. Overton won the trophy with an American cream ale style, described by Watkins as an easy drinking style with plenty of flavour, a light finish and the distinctive taste of American Liberty hops. The winner contained a high proportion of polenta in the mash.  He says it’s a recognised hybrid style, developed in America from Germany’s Kolsch beer.

Watkins expects to brew the beer with Overton at the Wig and Pen in mid October and to release it in mid November.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2012
First published 24 October 2012 in The Canberra Times

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