With COVID19 shutting down all the pubs and all of the taprooms of the craft brewers there has been a movement on amongst the craft beer community in Australia around #KeepingLocalAlive. basically finding ways to support your local breweries so that when this schnozzle is over I can still get a beer at my local brewers.
One such idea is the Quarantinnies from Carwyn Cellars a local craft beer bottleshop in Melbourne Australia - much like their famous Advent boxes we get a special beer to drink each day for 24 days - the twist they are all local in the sense that they are all in the state of Victoria (where I live). A number of them are also special colloborations which were made for a event that Carwyn was planning to hold until all this shit went down.
Anyway I think it's an awesome idea, and although the good people at Australia Post spend 10 days to transport this box the 9.5km from Carwyn Cellars to my house it eventually arrived and we have been partaking of many a lovely beer. Here are some highlights from the first week...
Venom Hazy Double Golden Ale
This is one of the special beers for the Carwyn Colloborations festival - it's a hazy juicy golden ale, and first things first, how awesomely 70's is that can - I might start a funk band called the Hazy Double Golden Ale's. Anyway this pours a dirty pale yellow milky colour. Ithad a big foamy head but that ran away. The smell is a hint of mandarin but it's not particularly strong. I know they claim it's a golden ale but this is pretty much a NEIPA, it juicy with tropical fruit tones, very drinkable and refreshing.
La sirene Iso Sour ale.
I can only assume this got a name change to match the current situation, proving La Sirene is not only one of the best breweries in Australia but also quite dynamic.
This pours a very light pale yellow colour. There is a slight hay smell on the nose, with a hint of lemony tang - so classic belgian wheat ale type of characteristics. The taste is very lemony and tart, very refreshing. Super light very easy drinking, honestly it's probably more suited to a summer day on a balcony than being stuck inside as we get closer and closer to winter.
Quiet Deeds coconut hotcakes.
I had marked this day down from the get go, I'm a sucker for a gimmicky sweet beer, and love me some coconut, so this one I was looking forward to - I mean I even broke out the emergency marshmallows for it.
Now for what claims to be a brown ale it pours strangely black, some tan head but it runs away fairly quick.The smells is a slightly astringent roasted malt smell - so basically this looks like and smells like a stout.
The mouthfeel is good, perhaps a smidge too much carbonation, the taste well, that is a wave of fairly typical black malt flavour, but then there is a second wave of sweetness, maple syrup, and yeah it reminds me of hotcakes or pancakes so I guess that is job done.
If you love craft beer remember to do what you can to support them during this time (if you live in a country where you can still buy alcohol, which thankfully we are in Australia) plus you get to drink some amazing beers.
And if you love beer in general, be it local craft or otherwise then why not enter #Beersaturday organised by 