Brewsvegas 2015 - Day 4 - Pint of Origin @ Newstead

Day 4 of Events and I had planned to go to Tippler's for their Ribs and New England Brewing special but it turns out that was so popular the place was packed and the ribs sold out so I stayed at Newstead which was my first stop anyway and just enjoyed a quiet meal and several brews!

Newstead were running an all day event with a tape take over of collaboration beers brewed between Newstead and 7 quality breweries with 6 from Australia and 1 from New Zealand with each region being represented by a brewery..

Moo Brew (TAS) - Huonwise was a hefeweizen which should be no surprise because Moo's normal Hef is pretty popular around Oz but this had some smoked wheat in it which gave a slight twist but still the familiar banana and clove flavours were the star and made for a solid Hef.

image by Newstead Brewing Co.

Ekim (NSW) - Crash & Brunette a Red IPL went down a treat and as with most of Ekim's beers it had a set of biggy hoppy balls but with just enough malt to balance it out.

Good George (NZ) - Semi Hard, a brewery that I personally hadn't heard much of but they made a tasty session IPA that sat at 4% abv and had a light fruitiness to it that was perfect for a hot and humid day.


Killer Sprocket (VIC) - Eureka Stoutade was a golden stout with coffee and cacao nibs which created a really interesting beer and obviously looking at it you expect it to be a pale or golden ale.

Big Shed (SA) - BruChoc was an attempt to bring peach, apricot and chocolate into a beer and it largely succeeded although it was not my favourite beer of the day but as I hadn't had anything from Big Shed before I will be trying some of their other beers.

Colonial (WA) - Indian Pacific Middle was a heavily malted, low abv (3.5%) english style ale with a good bunch of hops thrown in but really it was all about making a really malty beer (I got a shit load of toffee from it) that was low in alcohol and full flavoured.

Burleigh Brewing (QLD) - 8 in a Row was an amber\red ale, I honestly bombarded my palate with all 7 beers and don't remember this one too well so I won't describe it.

If you were there last night you had every chance of running into one of the brewers with most of them being in attendance, overall it was pretty fun and a fairly easy night for me after a busy week so far and an even busier couple of days to come!

I'd expect the beers to still be on tap today so if you can get down there, get to it and try some great beer from one of Brisbane's brewers and some of Australia and the NZ's top breweries.

Brewsvegas 2015 - Day 3 - Barrel of Laughs @ Newstead Brewing Co. and Fromage with Fortitude @ Tippler's Tap

Yeah, so, I may have skipped Day 2 which was planned to be the Saison launch at Super WhatNot but after Sunday's longer than expected 4 events, I decided sleep and rest for the busy week to come.

Day 3 (or Day 4 as some may say, Launch was day 0 I swear!) was overall pretty fun and entertaining with..

Newstead Brewing - Barrel of Laughs & Black & Tan

Arguably, barrel aged beers can take some getting used to, so can barrel aged ciders but that was the entire point of this event with 3 barrel aged beers and 2 barrel aged ciders on offer.

Newstead was offering a tasting paddle of four beers and a meal of pork belly for $30 but I had other events on so I went with the paddle of 4 for $15 and it was well worth it to try these beers.

I tried the Sour Saison, a Baltic Porter, a Barley wine and a barrel aged Cider (although I don't recall which one, chardonnay I think) and sat down and started tasting.

The cider was super dry and not that fruity but was a decent start to a beery evening after wandering about in the Brisbane humidity.

The Saison had an odd taste that I didn't overly enjoy but the Barley wine was decent with a big boozy hit and a rum and raisin like finish.


I completed my paddle with the Barrel aged Porter which was not dissimilar to the already good Newstead Porter 21 feet 7 inches but with a slight boozy bump from the ageing, only minor though.

From there I moved onto the Tails and Heads collaboration between Newstead and Brisbane's James Squire pub the Charming Squire.

A Black and Tan is where one beer is dark and one is light but the two are mixed together in theory to create a layer with light on the bottom and dark on top although I clearly failed at pouring mine..

Newstead brewed Tails which is the Hefeweizen and Squire brewed the Heads which is a Dark Ale, both beers work as intended but the Hef for me wasn't as strong as I'd expected.

The Dark Ale from James Squire was a solid, malty and very moreish beer that I thoroughly enjoyed, I think this style is their strong suit.

Pouring the two together however just seemed to result in me making a mess of the table as I clumsily blended the two together with varying results.

Heads & Tails are on tap for the rest of Brewsvegas so give them a go at either Newstead or Charming Squire.

Fromage with Fortitude

So when I booked this event all I was thinking about was the cheese, I thought you know I've had most of Fortitude's great line of beers, this is all about the cheese.

You know what though? I underestimated two things, the Golden Ale which I'd never had and the effect the cheese would have on the beer.

There was no hand holding just a simple introduction for each beer by the entertaining Dan Rawling's from Fortitude with Witches Chase cheese maker Millsy giving a solid run down on each cheese as well as some of his pairing suggestions.

After this we were free to drink the beers and cheeses as we pleased making up our own minds on matching which cheese with which beer.

We had dried apple, apricots, sultanas, quince paste and some crackers and toasties to pair with 5 cheese, 2 Cheddar, a Red Leicester, a blue and a triple cream brie.




For the beers there was a full range from Fortitude/Noisy Minor with their Lager, Golden Ale, Anzus IPA, Admiral Ackbar Red IPA and Yasterbov Ukrainian Imperial Stout.

I'll admit that now days I really don't go for lager, I don't enjoy the aroma and usually don't enjoy the taste but the lager did match perfectly with the cheddar and the triple cream brie with a slight nuttiness adding to the flavour.

I've had all the beers before with the exception of the Golden Ale which was the stand out for me, not only because I hadn't tried it before but because it is so full flavoured with a lovely hoppy aroma and a great smooth malty finish.

For the cheeses I could eat the Triple Cream Brie all day, it was just so tasty but in all honesty each one had something great going on... With my favourite pairing being the Imperial Stout and the Blue as it out that slightly funky flavour all the more, which may be partly because there is a hint of Belgian yeast in the stout.

It seemed everyone enjoyed the night, it was quite intimate and there wasn't a large amount of noise so it was really easy to hear everything and asks questions comfortably, I know I went away feeling very happy and satisfied.

If you are interested in the cheeses or the beers you can now get the Lager, Golden Ale and Anzus IPA in bottles around Brisbane at selected craft beer bottle-shops (check my links on the right) and for the cheeses you will have to visit Witches Chase Cheeses on Mount Tamborine but it's worth the drive!

Brewsvegas 2015 - Day 1 - Beerkary @ Hoo Ha, Wicked Witch & Groove in the Brew @ BBco. and Big, Bold, Bizzare - Bacchus @ The Burrow

Beerkary - Flavours of the Mountain @ Hoo Ha Bar 

Grey skies and a 10am start time seemed like the perfect excuse to drink beer and eat pastries so it made sense for me to start the first day of Brewsvegas by visiting Hoo Ha Bar.

If you've haven't been to Hoo Ha I really encourage you to check it out, it is a very nice venue with exposed brick, wood and nifty looking furniture and it also has a cracking food menu and a great beer range, both bottled and on tap.

Beerkary have an obvious nack for marrying beer with baked goods and for this event the theme was flavours from Mt Tamborine with native ingredients like finger limes and quandong's being used.

There was four beers matched to the menu with Beard & Brau - Tambo on Rye, Croft - Finger Lime IPA, Noisy Minor - Yasterbov (Imperial stout) and Black Hops - Beacon Street (Farmhouse Red).

The standout beer for me was Croft's Finger Lime IPA, just bursting with flavour from the finger limes but not so much that it was over powering, just a really refreshing beer with just enough bitterness to balance out the lime.

The food from Beerkary is always delicious and this was no exception with everything looking stunning, I imagine it was an awfully late night for the team on Saturday getting everything prepped.

I went with the Bratwurst on a grain roll and a Bee Sting for my breakfast and both were delicious, the bratwurst was juicy and the roll soft with a crunch from the seeds.

The Bee Sting had a really nice flavour, with a creamy filling and soft pastry which all matched perfectly with the Tambo on Rye from Beard & Brau with it's strong rye flavour and malt profile balancing any sweetness from the bee stings filling.


As always with Beerkary the event was packed from the get go with a solid line forming at the bar for food and bevies and almost no seats not long after the event started!

Some of the beers are probably still on tap at Hoo Ha so if are you wanting to try them, get down there!

Wicked Witch of West End - Beer Launch @ Brisbane Brewing Co.

Brisbane Brewing Co. is one of the newest and one of the nicest looking brew pubs in Brisbane and earlier this year they ran a home brew competition with Brewers Choice to make a dark beer with the theme being Wicked Witch of West End.

There was quite a few entries and they were all judged with the winner Dan Angus getting the opportunity to brew his beer on a commercial scale at BBco, his entry was a Black Rye IPA.

The batch made for the event has come out great with a fruity aroma and a dry, earthy bitter finish that keeps you coming back for more and I know I drank way too much of it!

From chatting to punters at the launch it seems it was well received and talking to Dan it was suggested that it won't last much longer so if you are waiting to try it now is probably the best time!

Big, Bold, Bizzare... Bacchus! @ The Burrow

If you haven't heard of Bacchus by now they are a cleverly setup micro brewery out at Capalaba with a very unique small batch way of brewing which allows for experimentation and the production of lots of different small volume brews.

This is the second year in a row that The Burrow has hosted this event and this year Bacchus brought along four unique beers which were..

Mango & Lychee - Imperial Pilsner
The most tame of the bunch, I didn't find this that interesting but it was light, fruity and refreshing.

Hedge your Bretts - Brett Pale Ale
For me this was the best beer of the event, funky yeast sourness coming through in a pale ale, something I'd pay for bottles of for sure.

Imperial Red IPA
This was good but really it is what I've come to expect from Bacchus by now, a big ballsy no non-sense Red IPA that was sitting at 12% alcohol so not for the faint-hearted.

Not the Craw!!! The Craw - Chilli Mud Crab beer
Yep. Crab and chilli in a beer, this was by far the most strange of the four and not something I overly enjoyed. It was good for a bout half a glass with notes of chilli, lots of coconut and a unwavering finish of crab but this isn't for me but glad I tried it.

Groove in the Brew @ Brisbane Brewing Co.

Back to BBco for a musical beer adventure like no other! Groove in the Brew was an hour long 4 part musical act in which pieces were performed inside the brewery by the head brewer, his brother and some of the staff.

The music was certainly original and interesting although I think by not walking to the glass and watching I missed a lot of the spectacle.

Beers for each music act were..

Slippery Froth - Belgian blonde

It was a fairly solid blonde, tasty, funky and refreshing.

Liquorice Stick

Yep, liquorice beer. Look, I don't like any kind of aniseed flavour at the best of times but whilst this smelt like a bag of liquorice all-sorts it tasted way more mellow with a slight aniseed flavour and some sweetness, was enjoyable enough but I wouldn't want more than a small glass.

Confusion

Smelt like smoke, tasted like cheap white wine. Described as having a whole heap of smoked sultanas in it, there was no confusion over how this tasted. I drank mine but most of our table were not so daring. 

Needs More Cowbell

A light red, fruity lambic and by far and away the best beer of the four. A solid take on the style and ultimately a refreshing way to cleanse out the previous 2 beers..

This was by far one of the funnest events and even with the wet weather the place was packed and brimming with on lookers.

Photo by @Potts_Cass

In hindsight I probably did one event too many yesterday but I don't have a hangover of any note and I feel pretty satisfied in participating and checking out many of these great events on offer and looking forward to what ever I do next!

Brewsvegas 2015 - Day 0 - Four Hearts and Brewsvegas Launch Party

 Four Hearts - Pumpyard Bar: First Impressions

It's been open less than 2 weeks but the positive responses coming from patrons have made it an anxious wait for me to get to Ipswich and cut my teeth on some of the tasty brews and food at Brisbane's newest brewery.


The Pumpyard's decor does not disappoint with exposed brick decor, shiny beer kettles with led lights around them and some neat looking furniture made from steel pipes

There is 10 taps with around half being beer brewed in house with a couple of session beers that sit under 3% alcohol, their signature Pale Ale and a current seasonal Red IPA that has a big malty kick and solid bitterness.


The menu is full of tasty treats to compliment the beer all created by beer chef Ali Orchard who has had previous involvement in pairing beer and food at Tomahawk and Tippler's.

I decided to have some finger food so I went with BBQ Wings and Onion Rings, the wings were super tasty with a nice crunchy texture and the sauce had a sticky burnt toffee flavour with a slight chilli kick.

The sauce however, went literally everywhere and I needed 3 napkins to get through it and as a grown man there is only so much brown goo I want coating my face.

If you live out near Ipswich then Pumpyard should be your new local and if you are in the city I recommend taking the drive out, it's well worth it!

Brewsvegas - Launch Party @ Wandering Cooks

It's been 12 months since last years event and it's felt like forever, but last night it arrived with a bang with food trucks and $5 beers taking centre stage inside the Wandering Cooks at 1 Fish Lane.

It was a dreary, wet and drizzly day but that didn't stop anyone from participating in the launch with hundreds of people packing themselves both inside and out of the warehouse like building.

It was a great experience and a good way to kick off Brewsvegas but the shear number of people in attendance made it difficult to move around especially as the night went on.

There was 17 taps of tasty beverages all priced at $5 which made the exchange of money for liquid goodness a simple one and also helped to bring the crowd in.

There was something for everyone with the Brewsvegas beer from Green Beacon being what I went for first but there was a vast array of beer from breweries all around Queensland.

It begins!

Food trucks were setup outside with Char Baby, Vira Lata, Juan More Taco and Pizzantica serving tasty food, I went with a pulled pork roll and apple slaw from Char and it was good!
The lovely folks from Beerkary were setup inside dolling out tasty Beercaroons, dense and rich malt cookies and hop infused marshmallows.

It was a sufficiently epic way to kick off Brewsvegas and I suspect there is a few sore heads around Brisbane today but with the week of events set to kick off this morning this probably won't stop many people from getting out there today and checking participating!

Enjoy your week of beer filled goodness Brisbane, I know I will!

Nest launch @ Jen Hotel on Roma Street

If I said one of the newest and trendiest looking asian restaurants was opening in Brisbane city you would be forgiven for assuming it was on Eagle St which for a couple years now has been home to a large portion of new and hip venues in the CBD.

But trends and times change so it's nice to see a potential shift in locale for new modern venues with one of the  newest in Nest, roosting just above Roma Street on the second floor of Hotel Jen just next to the Transit Centre.

Nest is an interesting mix of restaurant, cafe, nightclub, cocktail bar and casual eatery along with a modern themed interior and some friendly staff it creates an enjoyable atmosphere and venue for almost any occasion.

For the launch party the main dining area was setup to allow for standing,eating, drinking and mingling but normally it is a sit down dining experience.

The bar has a pretty good range of drinks to choose from with some really tasty cocktails along with wine, cider and spirits but for me what was impressive was that they had a fairly decent range of craft beer.

I'll be honest being the beer geek that I am, I  go into a venue like this expecting to not find a beer that I can enjoy but I was really happy to see some great Australian craft beer and breweries being represented with Stone & Wood, Six String and 4 Pines featuring on the taps.

I started out with a Pacific Ale which went down a treat and just as I was nearing the end of my glass a tasty looking jam jar filled with kraken rum and lime and rimmed with sugar caught my eye so I tried that too and it went down way too easy!

Cocktails do take centre stage here with a nice menu with several choices with catchy names for you to try out.

The menu is Asian fusion style but also caters for a range of eating styles from breakfast food to shared plates and even a sit down dining menu which would be great for a romantic dinner looking out onto the lantern lit fig tree.

We enjoyed prawn and chicken laksa, skewers of tasty calamari and deep fried fish as well as a fried rice, mini burgers and even chocolate pudding with everything tasting great!

Overall Nest fits in well to the CBD and provides a clean, new and modern looking venue which would be great for after work drinks, before work breakfast or if you are staying at Jen it could be your go to dining spot!

First Impressions: Brisbane Brewing Co. @ West End

Brisbane's newest beer and food venue also has one of the oldest brewing setups, having moved around a few times in it's life it now rests in what is hopefully it's final home down an inconspicuous lane way in West End.

As you walk down boundary street you will no doubt turn your head as a large, intricate metal fence catches your eye. Doubling as the brewery sign, the words Brisbane Brewing Co have been masterfully metal worked and with the longer than normal entrance create intrigue as you make your way in.

I watched as many people stopped and had to double take before continuing past making sure they weren't missing something special. For those that kept going, they are actually missing something pretty special and quite unique as far as brew pubs go!

Heading into the main bar area I made my way past the kitchen, with chefs were preparing food and the cold cuts, and brisket sitting in the window creating a conundrum of "do I order food or beer first?"

I persevered, I had to, the thirst had been building for a few days and after hearing about the opening of this new venue and how well it had been received I just had to check it out!

Starting out with a Brisbane Pale Ale (BPA, catchy huh?) I sniffed, greeted by a hint of galaxy hops, then I drank and enjoyed a smooth but not overly bitter finish making for a very quaff-able pale ale.

As I enjoyed my beer I thought to myself, this beer has been around for awhile now at Brewhouse Brisbane, why haven't had I had it? The truth is I find Wollongabba to be a lackluster area to visit for craft beer but West End whilst not perfect is far more interesting with several decent venues within walking distance of each other.

There is about 10 taps with a range of house beers from a honey infused wheat beer to an IPA, with a cider and a couple of guest taps filling out the spots.

The bottle range contains over 60  different beers with a lot of old favourites and recent releases being featured like beer from the excellent Aussie micro brewery, La Sirene and even Garage Project's recently released Hop Trial #2. They also have some interesting sounding cocktails and wine if beer isn't your thing!                                

The food menu is just huge! two a3 pages of foodaliciousness, (patent pending..) with starters like corn bread as well as share plates of meats and cheese, hoagies and sliders. 

The standout part of the menu (for me) is the ability to to choose a meat option and then simply add sides to it like chips or feta and watermelon salad and create a main or your own share platter and everything is decently priced ranging from under $10 for corn bread to $36 for some of the platters. 

On my visit I shared the brew platter which was pretty impressive, with warm brisket and pulled pork taking centre stage along with potato and bacon salad, house made pickles, cheddar cheese, beer infused seeded mustard and tomato relish as well as corn and rye breads. All of which matched quite well with a pint of the house brewed Walker IPA.

Beers come in pots, pints and jugs and are competitively price with most pints being $10 or under which is good value and if you aren't sure what to drink there is also tasting paddles available if you want to try a few different beers.

I finished the evening with a pint of a guest beer from Cavalier, their  Russian Imperial stout which isn't really a summery beer but went down a treat as it had rained all day so it felt like stout weather anyway!

It's really great to see this type of brew bar setup in West End and hopefully it has a long future because so far it is fitting in brilliantly with the other local bars and should be help ensure the area is buzzing BrewsVegas in March.

First Impressions: Burgers Up @ Springfield

Living on the Northside I don't often venture far beyond the CBD but when I heard about Burgers Up I knew at some point I had to try it! Being on holiday seemed like the perfect time to drop in for a visit and seeing some family in Springfield was an extra excuse!

With a full range of burgers in both chicken and beef as well as something for the kids this homestyle burger shop really gives you a lot of choice for a very affordable price.

You can add extra meat, extra cheese, egg, pineapple, beetroot, lettuce, tomato, extra sauces and a bevvy of other stuff  which means you can make a different burger every time you visit if you want which is awesome.

The only thing (which I find odd) is that they don't have pickles on the menu which for me really makes a burger, however there is enough optional extras that you can add something to make up for that like jalapenos or pineapple and I'll admit with mustard on there I didn't miss the pickles as much.

Prices range from $4.90 for a standard beef burger up to to $10.90 for the epic Three's a Crowd and for extras they range from 40c for lettuce upto $2.90 for an extra beef patty which just makes it even more worth a visit as the pricing is so competitive!

I got the Three's a Crowd which comes with Double Beef, Double Cheese and Double Bacon but for some reason I thought it was a good idea to add pineapple, beetroot, cooked onion and an egg and mustard.

It was a great idea but it made the burger so big I couldn't eat it easily even with two hands, but I got through it! Next time though I won't add much to it.

The beef was as moist and tasty as I expected but the stand out was the bacon, its locally sourced and smoked and is quite thick cut for a burger which just makes it tastier!

I'm not sure how something like this would hold up as take away as the juice was just flowing out of it and the buns are quite soft, but if you can sit down and eat it quickly they are great burgers. (probably wouldn't be as juicy if you didn't have so much on it either!)

The Criss Cut fries? Omg, what a great invention...

These beauties were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside and sitting somewhere between a potato skin and a french fry, delicious and worth the extra to get them over normal fries.

Overall I was happy with the experience and if we are out at Springfield again I will probably use it as an excuse to return, if you live near there and haven't gone then I suggest you do.

Who Let the Dogs Out - BrewDog Tasting @ Malt Traders

BrewDog, founded by the humorous but serious beer geeks James Watt and Martin Dickie (and a dog!) are arguably the worlds most famous craft brewery right now with their own TV show airing in the USA.

They have produced some cracking beers however, with many that are true to style as well as beers that transcend, test and break styles. They have also won many awards with their brews both in Scotland, the UK and Internationally.

They have also let the public, staff and shareholders choose what beers to brew and have even offered capital to grow and improve the industry by assisting new breweries to get started in the UK.

Given Australia's love of craft beer, travel and self pioneered business it should be no surprise then that a former Brisbane-ite would make their way into the BrewDog fold. Sienna was our host for the tasting session and the manager of the BrewDog pub in London and a cicerone for craft beer.

Phoenix, the importer for BrewDog (in Aus) and many other quality craft breweries along with Malt Traders, manager Greg and Sienna hosted a small tasting session for about 18 people.

As the event began we heard some BrewDog history, how they got started, what they've given back to the community and how far they've expanded since their humble beginnings in 2007.

It was also pointed out that there is potential (if we are loud enough) for Australia to get a BrewDog pub in the future so take to social media and let them know that Brisbane is the place!

We were taken through a few of the iconic brew's beginning with the flagship Punk IPA, followed by Libertine Black Ale, 5AM Saint (Red Ale), Electric India (Hoppy Saison), Hardcore IPA (Imperial IPA) and finishing up with Cocoa Psycho which is a big rich, chocolate and coffee tasting Imperial Stout.

Each brew was explained in detail so that we knew what we were looking for in tasting them along with information about it it's origins. For example Electric India was chosen and brewed by the Shareholders of BrewDog.

In between beers we were chatting to each other and others were entering the beers into UntappD which really let me know I was with some budding members the craft beer community!

Photo by Sienna

I'd had all the beers before with the exception of Cocoa Psycho which was great to try but the standout is Electric India which has a big hoppy nose with a Belgian style funk to it that is expected from a saison which results in a smooth but full flavoured and ultimately refreshing beer.

At the end of the night myself and some other attendees were able to have a chat Sienna and we talked about how Australian craft beer is booming and I suggested some beers from Australia to try whilst here or to take back to London, a great way to end a good night!

So I'm going to write this one a little backwards and finish with the venue, Malt Traders as not only did they host the event but they are a cracking little bottle shop with a rather unique setup (at least for Brisbane).

Malt has a tonne of wine, spirits, craft beer, cider and even snacks and take away meals but what makes it stand out is that you can drink what you want and do so at decent prices.

A large table can be found in the centre of the shop making it the perfect setting for a sneaky after work drink, a pre-drink or even just a quiet little session with a couple of friends.

There is also a Growler fill station with local and international beers usually adorning the 3 taps which have nifty Star Wars tap toppers.

If you drink craft beer, work in the city and haven't checked out Malt it might be time to visit this great little venue.

event pre-drink with Brisbane brewed White Lies - Chocolate Stout

First Impressions: Chur Burger @ Fortitude Valley

Chur is the newest kid on the burger block with a restaurant in Sydney and now one in old Brisbane town, on Constance street right next to Kerbside.

Not a bad little spot for a restaurant like this and I'm sure if you are a local or work in this area it will become your regular burger joint for awhile.

We went in for a quiet Wednesday lunch and were greeted by a friendly staff person who helped us order and confirmed that we were new to Chur.

The way you order is familiar, rock up read the menu, pick your burger, sides and drinks. The difference being you can have the beef your way with Medium Rare being the recommended level.

Chur is set out with an outdoor area with astro turf, some graffiti and some umbrellas which creates a nice relaxed vibe.

The indoor section is more restaurant-ish with a twist, everything is adorned with "Chur" and they have some neat seating with booths, low tables with big squared cushioned seats as well as high tables. There is also these cool stools that look like 2 buckets with a cushion inset into them.

Check out the gallery on their website and facebook page if you want to see some decor shots as there is plenty!

I had a beef burger with double meat and bacon which cost $16 which isn't bad and really I could have just added bacon to the standard beef burger and saved $4 (as the portions are generous) but being my first time I went all out.

The buns are all brioche which works alright for pulled pork but it really doesn't work for the beef, my bun disintegrated almost instantly and whilst the flavour of the beef was good I missed having a bun by about half way through and being the manly specimen that I am I refuse to use a knife and fork! (although you may have caught me drinking coke through a straw if you were watching)

The pickles though are incredible, nice long thin shreds of cucumber with a not too over powering brine take pickles to a new level.

The "chilli salt" chips were alright, fairly standard chips with a chilli salt but worked well with the burger.

My girlfriend enjoyed the pulled pork although from the little bit I tasted it had a very sweet BBQ sauce but she enjoyed it.

The drinks menu is alright, some craft beer (sponsored by MOA?) but almost entirely centered around lagers which is a bit disappointing as I'd have liked at least a pale ale but it is a minor thing with Kerbside next door and The Mill up the road.

I would expect with such great breweries in Brisbane that at least one tap could be local or some Newstead bottles or some such.

Overall not a bad visit to Chur and we will be back to try a couple more menu items.

Double beef, bacon, pickles and cheese

Getta Burger @ Carindale

Mild mannered coffee shop by day, hunger fighting burger shop by night!

Well not exactly but Getta Burger does share That Coffee Joint's shop opening for burgers from Midday Saturday and Sunday and from 4:30 pm Wed, Thur and Friday.

The location is somewhat inconspicuous, right next to Carina Leagues just back from Carindale Westfield and nestled in a small "blink and you'll miss it" set of shops next to a laundromat.

Making use of the amazing barbecue that it's sister business and staple Brisbane food truck That BBQ Joint pumps out Getta Burger has something for everyone.

The range includes a pulled pork, bacon, cheese and fries monstrosity that is the Getta Pig Out to the Getta Boss with smoked brisket, cheese, jalapenos and bacon as well more traditional beef burgers like the Getta Burger or Getta Lot.

Getta Pig Out w/ double bacon

Getta Pulled Pork w/ bacon

I haven't tried any of the "normal" beef patty burgers because it is nearly impossible to pass up the amazingly tasty brisket and pulled pork not to mention the bacon which is probably some of the best bacon I've ever tasted.

That BBQ Sauce is what ties most of the burgers together and it really is a great sauce, not too sweet (like BBQ sauce tends to be) but with a good smokey flavour that compliments not drowns the meat.

Getta Boss

You can also ask for the burgers without a bun which is perfect for us as my girlfriend prefers not to have the bun however the bun is quite tasty, good size with sesame seeds, crisp outside and soft inside.

If it isn't obvious from the photos the portions are huge and extremely generous for the price which ranges from $10 to $14 for the bigger burgers.

The shop itself is quite small though so don't expect to eat there if it's smack bang in the lunch period and if it is during this time I'd suggest calling ahead and asking if there is a wait time as it can get busy.

There has been some mention of Getta expanding to another shop, hopefully on the Northside which would reduce my trips over the gateway for this amazing food.

If you are local to Carindale (or don't mind a drive) like burgers and haven't checked it out yet then I suggest you "Getta" to it.

Getta Pulled Pork with and without a bun, side of fries

Bacchus Brewing Co opening weekend! @ Capalaba

You could nearly say that 2014 has been the "Year of the Bacchus" with the continued growth of arguably one of Brisbane's most popular breweries.

After brewing a total of no less than 50 unique beers for Brewsvegas and winning Gold at the Australian International Beer Awards for it's Sex, Drugs & Rocky Road it's finally time for their Brewery Bar to open it's doors.

The bar and tables use reclaimed bowling lanes as well as pins for lamps. As you sit and enjoy your tipple it is very clear you are in a living brewery with barrels of ageing beer and brewery equipment being the background for the venue.

There is 15 taps (14 beer) consisting of barrel aged, cask, smooth pour and regular pour with beers ranging from mid strength English style bitters to IPA's and unique beers like Sex, Drugs & Rocky Road.


Bacchus have been known to produce some really high alcohol beers and some crazy (and awesome!) flavoured ones, currently the taps are fairly tame but with 15 there is plenty of room to rotate as people become more comfortable with the beers and seasons change.

It also seems that some of the more interesting beers will be getting bottled for takeaway and on-site consumption which is very cool.


You only need to look at my Instagram for a few seconds to know I'm obsessed with IPA's and the two currently on tap at Bacchus don't disappoint.

Pug IPA emulates the fruity deliciousness of gateway IPA's like Brewdog's - Punk IPA also offering a Black IPA named "Obama" with expected smokey, fruity and hoppy goodness.

I also tried Lamington Dark Ale which I had at Eaton's Hill Beerfest earlier in the year and it continues to be an impressively tasty beer.

Leaving my Sex, Drugs & Rocky Road taster until last was a smart move as it is super delicious and oddly session-able which is scary at 8.2% abv.

For non-beer drinkers there is Alchemy Cordials available with a do it yourself soda water and cordial setup costing only a gold coin with all money going to Alzheimer's Australia.

The pricing is very reasonable with a 5 beer Tasting Paddle costing $15 and 3 standard beer sizes ranging from $5 - 10 depending on the size.

Empty Growlers are $10 and fills range from $18-$30, they also sell 2 styles of Belgian beer glasses for $10 each.

It is a bit of a trek out to Capalaba from the North Side of Brisbane but well worth it and I suspect I will be doing regular visits for growler fills once the taps start rotating. If you are a local or can plan to make a visit you won't be disappointed with something for almost everyone.

The future of craft beer in Brisbane is an ever growing and bright one for sure!

At the time the excellent food truck The Bun Mobile was there as well so check out my post about that too!

[Edit] Bacchus now do a range of tasty and delicious Pizza's so if you needed another excuse to check it out there is one!

The Bun Mobile @ Bacchus Brewing

The growth of the food truck industry (in Brisbane and all over Aus) is no secret and there is a handful of great ones that have appeared over the past few years, one of those is The Bun Mobile.

From the name you would expect either some sort of hamburger place or Chinese steam buns, fortunately Bun Mobile is something in between which is part of it's charm.

The buns are light and fluffy with the texture of a steamed bun with both traditional and Asian inspired fillings. The standard menu consists of wagyu, pork and chicken all paired with different pickles, shoots, greens and mushrooms however they also regularly do specials which are usually worth visiting for on their own.

The specials for Bacchus Brewing's launch were Pork Belly with lettuce, cucumber, pickled carrot and fresh herbs and chicken with oyster mushroom, lettuce, cucumber, fresh herbs and a chorizo crumb!

I totally love pork, especially belly but hands down the chicken was the standout today.

I don't totally remember exactly what the dessert special was but it was delicious with a thick, rich, chocolaty brownie texture and warm chocolate sauce.

I should mention if you are looking for gluten and or dairy free they will also try and accommodate with the bun being replaced by extra lettuce and most of the fillings not having dairy.


If you haven't tried Bun Mobile, track them down and give it a go! Decent portion sizes and good value at around $8-10 depending on the bun.

Please also check out my Bacchus post as all this delicious food paired great with their beers.