Beer tasting in Brisbane

Beer is rarely given credit for its complexity according to award winning Master Brewer Brendan Chan at Brisbane's Albert Street Brewhouse.

At the tender age of 18, Brendan started brewing his own beer after tasting a beer called Old Speckled Hen. "I didn't know beer could taste that good," he said.

Now with five years experience under his belt, recently came in the top ten at the Australian International Beer Awards, the second largest beer competition in the world and brews 12,000 litres a week at the Brewhouse.

On the second Sunday of each month Brendan leads a beer tasting event at the Brewhouse where 6-8 boutique beers are tasted and discussed by a growing band of dedicated beer lovers. They are the sort of beers you can’t just go down to your local bottlo and buy and really show the diversity of the brew.

I discovered that not only does beer have flavour notes like wine, which range from coriander and bubble gum to skunk, horse blanket and even cannabis, but it also comes in bottles corked like wine from some of the smaller breweries. Brendan suggested matching beers to food with Barons Lemon Myrtle Wit the perfect accompaniment to mussels, Brewers Pure Malt Ale with beef wellington and Bridge Road Chevalier Saison with garlic prawns.

At the bargain price of $35 ($30 pre sold), this is a great Sunday afternoon for anyone who loves beer or wants to learn more about it.

Brewhouse, Level 1, 142 Albert Street, Brisbane City.
+61 7 3003 0098, www.thebrewhouse.com.au