Thirsty Critters goes to WA Part 1: The Pubs
November 23, 2009
Thirsty Critters was lucky enough to go to Western Australia for the first time recently, and unsuprisingly had a great time – which wasn’t too difficult in a state seemingly made for beer lovers. From the huge range of locally brewed boutique beers on tap at many pubs, to the microbrewery delights of the Swan Valley, to the brewing behemoth that is Little Creatures – WA truly is a beer lover’s nirvana. Over the next week or so we’ll be bringing you a roundup of our experiences in the ‘State of Excitement’ (that’s seriously what it’s called… and I thought ‘The Smart State’ was bad.)
Part 1: The pubs
Beer garden at the Brass Monkey
Within an hour of landing at Perth I was safely ensconced in my first pub, the Brass Monkey in Perth’s CBD. I was immediately impressed as they had Alpha Pale Ale and Gage Roads Wahoo on tap. I’m familiar with both of them, so I went straight for the Brass Monkey Stout – a great choice as it turns out, very reminiscent of 3 Ravens Black, full of coffee, honey and chocolate overtones. Delicious!
Brass Monkey Stout and Feral White
I’d never been lucky enough to try Alpha Pale Ale on tap before, so followed up with that – and was reminded how well it straddles that divide between too much and too little hops, it’s a great drop.
After the Brass Monkey we strolled around to Perth’s new dedicated James Squire bar, named The Generous Squire.
It was a rather flashy affair, with a warm wooden interior. Predictably, their entire range inside was the standard James Squire lineup, apart from one – their Docklands Pale Ale. As far as pale ales go it was very light on hops, quite crisp and almost lagerish – all told, a touch dissapointing. That said, it was my first trip to a James Squire bar and worth the trip – perhaps we’ll see one up in Brisbane soon.
That evening we dined at a great Swiss chalet-themed establishment called The Cabin which, while not a pub, did have a beer I’d never heard of before on the menu – Matso’s. Brewed up north in Broome, Matso’s has two lines: Monsoonal Blonde, a spiced white beer and a Mango Beer. I opted for the Monsoonal Blonde, which proved a good choice with our food. The spice comes from cardamon added to the brew – an interesting change to be sure, with a not unwelcome strong aftertaste. It was an altogether refreshing beer, low on bitterness, and definitely worth a try if you ever see it in a Queensland bottle shop.
Matso's Monsoonal Blonde @ The Cabin, Perth
Unfortunately I didn’t get to try their mango beer, but like many other beers I didn’t get to try this time – it will make my return to WA’s pubs all the more exciting next time.
Next up: A Beer Nuts tour in the Swan Valley!
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[...] hope you enjoyed Part 1 of our series on our recent trip to WA. After checking out some pubs on the first day, it was time to go a bit [...]