GABS kicks off tomorrow, so if you are reading this and haven’t got your tickets, it’s time to get off your duff and go get some.

Also, Good Beer Week 2012 is also only a week off and things are selling out fast. I know you don’t want to miss out like a stone cold sucker so if you haven’t booked everything already get clicking.

“But I’m in Adelaide, how can I get involved?” some of you might be saying… those of you in Adelaide “Good Beer Wheaty” kicks off Saturday. Check it out Adeladians.

Anyway, today’s interview is with Scott from the Mash Collective. Basically the guys from Stone , brewers of the almighty “Pacific Ale”, have started a side project. Scott explains it in the interview so let’s just get this underway shall we?
First up, can you give us some background on the Mash Collective?

The Mash Collective is really based around the idea of getting people from different walks of life together and sharing , discussing what they love about beer and then melding those ideas into a beer that can hopefully reflect the passion and philosophies of those involved…much like when we cook a meal, the finished product is greater than the sum of the parts…personally, the technical challenge of turning a weird wonderful idea on paper into a great beer has a lot of appeal …This first Mash Collective beer is about the guys in the brewery but from here on it’s going to involve people who are talented and creative in their own fields and able to bring a fresh perspective to a unique beer…and to have a ripper time cleaning out the vessels on brew day…

Most events such as this are a showcase of a range of beers, usually basic styles with the brewery staff selling their wares behind a small table. What do you think the benefits of an event like GABS are in winning people over to craft beer?

The chance to showcase to the wider public the diversity, creativity, the artistry and passion and bloody hard work that goes into creating great beer is very important. Any event where people can have their ideas of what beer is and can be, challenged, can only help to educate folks whose whole perception of beer might be based on plastic cups at the footy.

Having said that we need to be aware that there will be a range of people attending and for some the extreme nature of some of the beers will be a treat, for some it could be a bit threatening. So we as brewers need to be conscious of quality and relevance, and there’s no point being different just for the sake of being different. It’s also very important to celebrate the inherent social nature of beer, to get out and meet and have a beer with all the wonderful folks who keep us in jobs…

With so many other potentially amazing beers all on the bill, does your collective feel pressure on yourselves and your beer? Or are you just like the rest of us, happy to see an event like this taking place?

Actually no. Making this beer was just so cool. There were a number of firsts in the brewhouse that added to the challenge but also made it so exciting. I was thinking night and day about this beer for weeks before we actually brewed it and to see it safely in the tank was a huge relief. We certainly don’t feel like we’re competing with anybody else, we are just really chuffed to have been asked to be involved.

As for pressure, for us, that’s trying to keep up to the demand for our day job beer-

Stone & Wood Pacific Ale…

Are you attending, and if so, what beers are you most looking forward to trying?

We will have people at GABS and if i get to be there I’ll be trying everything i can get my hands on…seriously

Based on what the Mash Collective plans to do, how do you see events like GABS fitting into your ethos?

If you make the analogy that the Mash Collective is like a rock band , then the GABS type events are like being asked to play on the bill at a great big music festival…lots of fun , lots of entertainment , lots of diversity and lots of beer…to me, that’s totally aligned with the Mash Collective ethos…

Can i just say that i live right across the road from the Splendour in the Grass Festival site and I’d like to use this opportunity to publicly partition for Motorhead or High on Fire to be on this year’s Splendour bill…amen

What makes a beer a Rum Weizen?

Take a truckload of German Wheat, Munich and Cara malts, German noble hops, authentic wheat yeast, some local Northern Rivers molasses and rum, put it all together, mature gently then drink thoughtfully on a cool night with the warmth of laughter and good friends…

What’s unique to the process of this beer?

Probably the addition of a big barrel of molasses and a generous dash of rum

Why did you choose this style?

Well, why not really…We thought a weizenbock was a great vehicle to convey the complex, layered flavours and mouthfeel that would support a cooler weather, higher alcohol beer…
Motorhead, High on Fire and rum? damn those answers had it all. Check out the Mash Collective Facebook here – and if you are reading this and have asked yourself, “what is the Pacific Ale they keep mentioning”, you really need to get out and get some. It’s one of the great Aussie beers and regular winner of critic’s and people’s choice polls.

Next up we have Jos and Pete from the Garage Project in NZ, then Jon from Bright Brewery and finally Tim from Hop Dog Beer Works. I think that’s it? We don’t have time for any more. I wish we did, but time is counting down and I broke my laptop (don’t drink and laptop).

Cheers!