Thirsty Critters goes to WA Part 3: Little Creatures
December 7, 2009
Where the magic happens - the bar and brewing vats at Little Creatures
Anyone who has been following this blog for a while has probably picked up that I’m a massive fan of American Pale Ale. I’ve been working my way through the many great examples of this style brewed by Aussie brewers, including Duke, Barons and Fat Yak. But the grandaddy of them all is, of course, Little Creatures Pale Ale. I think I keep my local bottle shop afloat with my purchases of the stuff, along with the occassional carton of Little Creatures Bright Ale and their fantastic mid-strength variety, Rogers.
Needless to say, on my recent trip to Perth, right at the top of the list of things to do was a visit to my beer Mecca, the Little Creatures Brewery. Thankfully the visit slotted quite nicely into a whole-day visit to the beautiful town of Fremantle. After checking out Fremantle Prison, the Fremantle Round House, taking a tour of the MV Steve Irwin which was docked at the harbour, and fish and chips for lunch at Cicerello’s, it was time to quench my thirst with the finest amber liquid direct from the source!
You really can’t miss the brewery when you’re wandering around Fremantle – it’s a huge establishment, consisting of four massive warehouses on the waterside. Apart from the brewing operations, the complex includes several bars, ample outdoor areas, and both table seating and couches/booths indoors. When we arrived around 4pm on a Friday afternoon the place was well and truly swinging, and only got busier and more atmospheric as the evening wore on.
Enjoying beers out the back
We were lucky enough to score a couple of seats outside, and enjoyed a very pleasant couple of hours in the afternoon sun, watching a family play boules in a huge sandpit, admiring the multitude of boats cruising past, and of course… drinking Little Creatures.
Despite Pale Ale being my favourite, I worked my way through one each of the Little Creatures range – a pilsener, a Rogers, a Bright Ale and a Pale Ale. Prices for a pint were OK ($8.80), and more than reasonable when the ambience was taken into account. I’m not sure if it was my mind playing tricks on me, but the Little Creatures on tap certainly tasted fresher, although this might have just been my wishful thinking. Either way, it goes without saying that I was approaching a kind of nirvana sitting outside quaffing Pale Ale that afternoon, and I wish I was back there right now.
The Little Creatures food and drink menu
Before the night was through we were joined by a friend of mine who lives in Perth, and we stayed for dinner at the brewery as well. The quality of the food definitely matched that of the beer, with fresh mussels, a lamb and fetta pizza, and fresh crusty bread mopping up some of the afternoon beer delights.
In summary, if you’re ever in Perth, go there. It’s a must-see, as is the rest of Fremantle. Enjoy!
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