Chris Shanahan: Blackberry rye ale for Canberra multicultural festival

Pact and Pen Monkey Drummer Blackberry Rye Ale

The Canberra Brewers stand at this weekend’s multicultural festival features a unique beer created by two local brewers, Pact Brewing Co and the Wig and Pen.

Pact and Pen Monkey Drummer Blackberry Rye Ale will be available at the stand, on tap at the Wig and Pen during the festival, and, for a short time in take-away “growlers” from Plonk at Fyshwick Markets.

A couple of months ago, Pact Brewing Co’s Kevin Hingston raised the idea of a special festival beer with the Wig’s brewer, Frazer Brown.

Together they came up with a recipe for a fruity, low-bitterness beer to appeal to “people who think they don’t like beer”, says Hingston.

They brewed the fruity, slightly sweet ale at the Wig using about two thirds malted rye, with malted wheat and barley and 40 kilograms of fresh blackberries grown by Hingston’s father.

Beer reviews

Nail Brewing Golden IPA 330ml $6.30
Nail Brewing (Perth) tacks away from the blended IPA style and instead uses a single pale malt and only one hop variety, Melba. The mid-golden colour ale combines floral and citrus hop aromas with the sweetness of high alcohol (seven per cent). The opulent palate matches the aroma precisely, though the hops sit gentle and subtle for an IPA.

La Sirene Brewing Fleur Folie 375ml $8.50
Unfiltered, unpaseurised and referment in bottle, Fleur Folie pours deep golden, with a cloudy yeast haze evenly distributed and a prolific white head. The funky, floral aroma leads to a warm palate combining powerful malt with spicy, tart, sour and bitter seasonings that linger in the finish.