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Jumping further into exploring beer naming conventions, we decided to research where the term export strength comes from in beer. We’ve all seen it on a variety of beer, whether it be a macro-brewed beer or even a craft beer, we see a label that either says “Beer Name Export Strength” or “Beer Name Export.” Of course the easy answer here is that beers marked as “export” are, well, for export. For one reason or another, breweries decided to declare to everyone that that particular bottle is for export. But beers marked export or export strength are also available in their home country, so it can’t be a question of logistics. Export strength beers are stronger Beers marked as export strength are generally stronger than their buddies that aren’t for export. That’s generally speaking of course. There are plenty of beers that are marked as “export” (but not necessarily “export strength”) that are no […]

December is upon us so it’s time to do a hop profile. This month we’re doing a Cascade hop profile! Honestly, we’re kind of surprised we haven’t done this one yet… after all, it’s Cascade! We use it in our own beer, enjoy it in many American style beers, and more. Cascade is such a famous hop, it almost doesn’t need an introduction. Cascade! We decided to do Cascade this month because we wanted something for the holidays and something traditional. First we thought about doing a Noble Hop, but, upon doing some quick research on Christmas beers, Cascade kept coming up, mostly because of its spiciness. We don’t really think of Cascade as a “Christmas hop,” but let’s say it is for now. It’s December, we need a hop, Cascade is like a wonderful gift to the world… etc. etc. It works. But really, we wouldn’t have modern craft  beer without Cascade. It’s been in so many of those early American craft beers […]

What are we drinking this month? Each month we’ll highlight what we’re liking with a quick rundown about why. There’s nothing really special here, it’s just what we happen to be drinking. It might be old, it might be new, it might be hard to get, it might be easy. Take a look at previous beers of the month. Dainton Family Brewery Manhattan Ale Beer of the Month – December 2016 Well, we come to the last beer of the month for 2016. My has time flown! It was a tough one this month. For anybody who read our last post, what to drink for Christmas, you’ll know the silly season is already making us a bit busy, so we didn’t have a chance to scour the bottle shops to find something new. So what did we do? We raided our personal beer cellar to find something that we bought at the beginning of the year that we really meant to drink a whole lot sooner. That beer was Dainton’s Manhattan Ale. We either bought it at the end of 2015 or beginning of 2016 […]

We’re only a month off Christmas, and, if you’re anything like us, life is getting busy. We haven’t been posting so much due to the lead up to the holiday season; weekends are full, evenings are sleepy, and generally things get in the way. Here in Australia, it can be difficult to figure out what to drink with the Christmas meal. Australian Christmas food can range from seafood, to the traditional Christmas ham, to even a turkey or goose. Add summer heat to the menu, and things can get even more confusing. None of this means that more traditional winter beers can’t be added to the menu for a Christmas party, but since there’s so many variables to an Australian Christmas party, it may be good to either plan ahead, or think about something that’s a bit more versatile. Adding to that, these are inherently social occasions, and a good opportunity to share beer with friends and family. Sure, it’s easy to bring something a little weird to a […]

The Tripel is a Belgian style of beer known for being golden in colour, complex, and quite strong. Many assume that this is an extremely old style of beer, however, while it does have its origins in traditional Belgian brewing, the first and most famous example of this beer didn’t come about until the 1930’s, with the name coming about in the 1950’s. This name came about from the Westmalle Tripel which, while it may or may not have been the first of the style, was the first to use the name and is therefore the example used today. The biggest “problem” (if you can call it that) with the Tripel is its strength. Typically ranging from about 7.5-12% ABV, thanks to tons of malts and the use of candy sugars, the beer is actually quite light in body. With all the complexity in this type of beer, and with the lighter body, it’s hard to notice that sheer amount of alcohol in a Tripel, so they can get a bit dangerous. At up to 40 IBUs, Tripels also have a […]