A guide ranks 12 beers suited to Australian summer weather, favouring lighter brews with lower alcohol. Recommended styles include pilsners, wheat beers, session IPAs, sours and radlers. Picks range from hazy pale ales and sours to a non-alcoholic option. Each entry lists alcohol content, approximate price and flavour notes, with suggested occasions such as beach days, barbecues and campfires. The guide also answers common questions about alcohol levels and the differences between radlers and shandies.
The Grand Ridge Project in Mirboo North has started serving its tap beers, with owners Kelly and Andy McCarthy set to officially open the venue on Friday, October 30. The kitchen is still being completed, so visitors can drink at the bar and eat from food trucks parked outside. Four beers are currently on tap, including a pale ale, hazy IPA and lager, with a dark ale due in about a month. The beers are brewed at Burra Brewing in Korumburra, with plans to move production to the old Mirboo North brewery once renovations are finished.
For Small Business Month, three regional firms are being spotlighted for their personal touch. In Coffs Harbour, King Tide Brewing opened during the difficult period after COVID lockdowns and is run by owners Josh and Lucyna King. Its kitchen serves European-inspired dishes, including pierogi, Bavarian platters and crackling pork knuckle, while weekly trivia and live music keep the venue lively. In Deepwater, HIDE sells cowhide and leather handbags, wallets and accessories, with natural hides making each item distinct. Smooth Sailing Finance Consulting, led by Fiona Erquiaga, helps clients with home, investment, business and SMSF lending.
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Shack Bay Brewing is turning an industrial shed at 58 Dixon Street in Inverloch into a brewery and taproom. Co-founders Matt Reuben and Luke Austin are documenting the work in an online series called Building a Brewery. Gas connection cost $6,000, and the 12-space car park cost $760 excluding labour and signage. The brewhouse is on order, and no opening date is confirmed. Plans to welcome customers remain subject to council approval.
Long Point Brewing Co, which opened earlier this year in Port Kennedy, has released a limited West Coast IPA called Ode to Riwaka. The beer is brewed with Riwaka hops, known for tropical and citrus flavours. Drinkers can expect a burst of citrus, grapefruit and passionfruit notes, followed by a dry, crisp finish with firm bitterness. It has an alcohol content of 6.7 per cent and sells for $8.50 a can, or $29.99 for a four-pack. The beer is available on tap at the brewery and in cans through selected outlets.
Australian rock band You Am I will headline the Geelong Beer Festival at Johnstone Park on Saturday 6 February. The band, fronted by Tim Rogers, leads a five-act music line-up that also includes Jack Botts, Hassall, Maz Gren and Vince Peach. More than 20 breweries and drinks producers have been confirmed, including Blackman's Brewing, FarmDog Brewing, Coopers, Moon Dog and Bridge Road Brewers. Seven food vendors will also serve offerings ranging from bao and dumplings to pizza and ice cream. The event runs from noon until 8pm, and further performers and producers are expected to be announced.
Feral Brewing will deliver 10 kegs of its Tusk beer to 10 venues this Friday, with each keg tapped on arrival and sold out within a couple of hours. The annual Tusk Day release has run for more than 20 years and aims to give craft beer fans the freshest possible brew. Head brewer Charlotte Freeston describes this year's beer as a big, modern West Coast Triple IPA with citrus and pine aromas and a dry, crisp finish.
