Best of the Brews: Sydney venues championing craft beer

BY ALANNAH MAHER

Sydney’s trio of top craft beer venues – The Dove & Olive, The Keg & Brew, and The DOG Hotel – are beyond devoted to their mission of spreading the joy of great craft beer. You’d be forgiven for thinking they’re celebrating Sydney Craft Beer Week (SCBW) all year round.

With 120 taps across three venues, these pubs are part of the Good Beer Company, who are dedicated to continuously finding bigger and more adventurous beer varieties to offer. From easy drinking pale ales and IPAs through to more obscure varieties like an earl grey and pear blond ale, or an oyster stout brewed with Kilpatrick oysters.

During SCBW the craft beer fanaticism will be stepping up a notch…

The Keg & Brew will be paying tribute to the home of craft beer with the United Kegs of America US tap takeover, with 21 of the 33 taps dedicated to US imports including Rogue Ales, Founders, Victory Brewing Co and Golden Road. Zak Soladi, the Good Beer Company’s resident beer fanatic, notes the Keg & Brew as his “favourite bar to sit at” and “sample some really good beers in a relaxed atmosphere”.

Info: www.kegandbrew.com.au/scbw

The Dove & Olive will be hosting the biggest nerd-out of the festival with An Evening With Sierra Nevada’s Steve Grossman, who Zak describes as “one of the most knowledgeable guys in craft beer… coming from the craft brewery that kick-started the revolution”. Ask questions about the history of American craft beer while sampling specialty beers from Sierra Nevada’s core range.

Info: www.doveandolive.com.au/scbw

The DOG Hotel will be pouring more than their fair share of quality brews from NSW and the ACT over the festival as part of the Pint of Origin. To wrap up SCBW, The DOG will also be hosting a Garden Party and Beer-B-Q with one of their favourite breweries, 4 Pines. “There will be giveaways, a BBQ, Q&As…and of course plenty of 4 Pines beers to enjoy,” says Good Beer Company owner, John Azar.

Info: www.doghotel.com.au/scbw

“Craft beer is a very big passion of mine, and over the last few years we have seen the craft beer industry grow in leaps and bounds, which all of us here at the Good Beer Company find both rewarding and exciting. To see a local market flourish like that is really great,” said John.

The passion for great beer amongst the Good Beer Company team is evident through their lovingly tended venues, while each pub is unique, they all boast homely yet chic interiors and a mouth-watering array of great, affordable food.

During and outside of SCBW, the brand new Duke’s Bistro upstairs at The DOG is a great beer and food destination, “maintaining our craft beer and good food focus in a different style of offering” explained Zak, with French-American style “share plates with an affordable price tag” cooked on “rotisseries custom made and shipped over from France”.

During SCBW, Zak is excited to amp up the craft beer enthusiasm: “I love everyones enthusiasm to get on board with craft beer, whether they’re your beer nerds who are flocking around from venue to venue, or your new patrons who have never tried it before but are willing to give it a go…either converting them or just getting them to really think about what they’re drinking.”