Australian Brewery Imports German Brewer For Oktoberfest

Media Release

Every year beer enthusiasts dream of heading over to the mecca of all beer festivals, Oktoberfest. Unfortunately for most, these dreams stay exactly that. For those that can’t make the trip abroad, The Australian Hotel and Brewery have decided to bring a bit of Oktoberfest right here to Australia.

To celebrate this great Bavarian tradition, The Brewery will be replicating a German style beer, similar to a lager, with a bit of a twist. And to help them with their creative processes, they have brought over a German brewer to create a truly unique and authentic flavoured beer.

Maximilian Hammerle

Hailing from Passau, a small city on the Austrian border about 170km east of Munich, Maximilian Hammerle is the man behind the new smoked brew ‘Highway to Helles’.

The 26 year old has been brewing for over five years now, and has recently completed his ‘Brew and Beverage Technology’ degree at the University of Weihenstephan.

“I was always very interested in knowing how to create a great beer,” Hammerle explained. “After a few brewery tours I thought that it would be the right thing for me. It turned out to be a great decision!”

After combing the internet for breweries in the Sydney area, Max got in contact with Neal Cameron, head brewer of The Australian Brewery. A short Skype call later and Max was on the plane to Sydney, determined to create a unique Oktoberfest inspired brew.

“It’s going to be a little surprise how it tastes,” he said. “We’ve used Bamberger Smoked Malt to get a softer character because normally a ‘German style helles’ isn’t smoky. It would go perfect with a powerful roast meat like venison or roast pork with a dark beer sauce”.

The ‘Highway to Helles’ is available on tap at the Australian Hotel and Brewery from the start of October and is also available at selected pubs and bars around the city.