Media Release

A simultaneous, trans-Tasman launch of the Yeastie Boys/Lobethal Bierhaus Collaboration

We blame the Yeastie Boys. After several beer-fuelled conversations with Stu & Sam at last year’s Good Beer Week the three of us decided it would be an excellent idea to hold a Yeastie Boys concept tasting at The Wheaty – then GBW ended and we all resumed normal activities. Stu however remembered said discussions and within weeks had invited himself & Yeastie Sam to The Wheaty to make good our plan; naturally I thought it would make sense to build a whole mini-beer-fest around the Yeastie’s visit – and so Good Beer Wheaty was born.

Stu & Sam had always had a hankering to have a play in a local craft brewery while in Oz but had never got the chance; until now…

I had a chat to Alistair at Lobethal Bierhaus about a possible Yeastie collaboration and he was dead keen (should be fun), a little apprehensive (wtf will they want to brew?), quietly curious (who are these ‘specialists in all styles’?) and somewhat averse to this whole Contract Brewing caper…In short, Al was the perfect collaborator – and up for it.

So while Yeastie Stu & Sam were in town for Good Beer Wheaty in May, they spent a night up in Lobethal, and collaborate they did. Some two and a half months later their love child is ready to be unleashed.

Named after Al & Rosie’s British Bulldog, Bruce is “a Golden Bitter (3.5% ABV) with a Maris Otter base, a good dose of delicious nutty Golden Naked Oats, my sweetheart Whitbread yeast, and a hop combination of Challenger and Big Banger (a pungent new variety of New Zealand hops that I’d describe as having more than a hint of “the cousin” in their aroma) coming in at around 32 IBU.” Stu

Al has shipped some kegs of Bruce over to Wellington, NZ and it seems only right to launch Bruce across the Ditch simultaneously; at The Wheaty with Al and at Hashigo Zake with Stu. Dominic Kelly’s Hashigo Zake is one of NZ’s best Cult Beer Bars in a country spoilt for great Craft Beer Bars, and in a great show of support for SA Crafties, Dom will be pouring a handful of other Lobethal beers including Double Hopped IPA, Porter & Chocolate Oatmeal Stout along with Brewboys Ace of Spades and the Woolshed Brewery’s Judas the Dark. Rumour has it some of these lucky SA Locals (including Bruce) may even find their way to the taps of the legendary Beervana festival…

As is Wheaty tradition, we’ll be pouring Bruce 3-ways on the night; from the regular tap, through the Glasshopper and off the Handpump.

Trans Tasman Bruce Launch – Wed 1st August 6-8pm (local time)
Adelaide: with Alistair Turnbull
Wellington: with Stu McKinlay
Bruce on for as long as he lasts!
For more on Bruce, Lobethal & spooning see the Yeasties excellent write up:
http://yeastieboys.posterous.com/