We are halfway through Sydney’s Craft Beer Week, which gives us a great excuse to be at a big dinner midweek. The Brewer’s Feast, hosted by the Rocks Brewing Co., is fast becoming a tradition for craft beer enthusiasts. The event was hosted by their Founder and Managing Director Mark Fethers, with Kaine O’Regan providing quick little spiels on each beer we got to try.
The Rocks Brewing — founded in 2008 by Fethers — is proudly 100% Australian owned and family run. Their philosophy being that if you’re going to make good beer, make as good a beer as possible.
After six years of being the quintessential Australian gypsy brewers, the Rocks team opened their own state-of-the-art, the first-of-its-kind brewery in Alexandria. They are quickly becoming the contenders for best Australian craft beer brewers. Their Sydney Craft Beer Week event, The Brewers Feast, brings together beer enthusiasts, novices, and savants. Everyone shared stories and queries on the nuances and styles of craft beers.
The feast took place between the tanks in the brewery — tanks filled with not only all of their signature drinks, but other local beers. We feasted banquet style. And when I say feasted, we feasted.
We were served antipasto to start, with an amazing pasta salad, hummus, garlic toasted bread, and cold cut meats. Then we moved on to the main event, with pretty much every meat you could think to pair with a good ale. Never in my life have I had so much meat — and yes, that’s what she said.
We were served beer can chicken, barbeque beef brisket, pig on a spit, and — my personal favourite — their succulent Boxer Red Ale-braised lamb shoulder. It was perfectly sweet and salty and melted in your mouth. The meats were accompanied by lovely roasted veggies and, of course, their signature beers. That’s what this week is all about, after all!
We had their latest creation, the Conviction IPA; their first beer, The Boxer Red Ale; their flagship and most popular ale, The Hangman’s Pale Ale; and the Convict Larger. Each was unique in its own way, with big flavours and great back stories.
Big thanks to the team at the Rocks Brewing Co. for a fantastic evening!
– Orlaith Costello
The Plus Ones’ Food & Beverage specialist Orlaith Costello recently moved to Sydney from Ireland, where she worked in the catering industry for over a decade. She is a freelance contributor to many online publications. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram for more.
Sydney Craft Beer Week runs from October 21st to October 30th 2016. Read our guide to the Top 10 must-do events this week.
The Rocks Brewing Co. is located at Building 2, 160 Bourke Rd, Alexandria NSW 2015.
