GABS Beers – Garage Project

The Garage Project is one brewery that I’ve been dying to try a beer from ever since learning about them. Their website/blog alone is enough to pique anybody’s interest. It’s essentially the same as any blog, but the words, photos, videos and other little tidbits give a sense of the passion the guys have for beer and brewing. They are also responsible for my favourite piece of beer writing this year, a post about sleeping and brewing in a hop field. You can check it out here. Currently they are putting together the finishing touches on a shiny new brewery and made a stylish video to show how it went down. Check it out here.

Jos and Pete have kindly taken the time between the install and brewing to give us a few words about their GABS Beer, ‘Double Day of the Dead’, a strong black lager. It’s basically a revved up version of the original Day of the Dead, and is their first beer to make it over to Australia. The original, as described in their own words is

” Brewed with smoked chipotle chili, refermented with organic blue agave syrup (the basis of Tequila) and conditioned over raw cocoa nibs”

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?

Jos:

There is so much more that Craft Beer can offer a drinker, and I think GABS is a bold way of showcasing this. It’s easy to fall into routines and stick to the tried and true brands and familiar styles. The brilliant thing with events like this is that there is literally no place to hide! Some breweries will be familiar but all the beers on offer will be something new, something quite different and hopefully at least one that provides an epiphany creating a new craft beer fan! 

Pete:

Beer should be fun. I feel it pays not to lose sight of this. There will be some awesome beers at GABS, I think we’ll be one of them. 

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

Jos:

Both Pete & Myself are making the trip over. We plan to attend at least one session per day, and are looking forward to trying as many of the beers as possible! Feral’s Berliner Weiss ‘Watermelon Warhead’ and Holgate’s Belgium Gruit-Style Blond have caught my eye. 

Being inspired by an Aztec Beer and named after the Day of the Dead festival, is there are connection to those for your brewery? If not, what’s behind the idea?

Pete:

Mezo America is perhaps better known for its pale yellow lagers, but there is also a tradition of brewing dark beer as well. I always thought that this was fascinating. Xocolātl, the Aztec drink that was inspiration for Double Day of the Dead wasn’t actually a beer but a ‘bitter frothy drink’ made with cocoa beans and chilli, and I believe was offered as a last drink to human sacrifices. If you’ve gotta go you might as well have a decent pint first. Double Day of the Dead combines the tradition of dark larger with the inspiration of xocolātl, to create something we hope is a little out of the ordinary. 

What’s different about Double Day of the Dead compared to the original version?

Pete:

Mostly it’s just bigger, but there is also a subtle addition of whole vanilla pods which I thought might give an extra depth and roundness to the beer. We’ll have to see if it works. 

Is this your first beer to make it across the Tasman and are we going to see more?

Pete:

Yes, it is the first, but we hope the first of many.

I’m sure Aussie beer fans will be very keen to get their hands on this, and any future beers that make it over. I know I’m certainly excited to see what the new brewery brings.

Anyway, Bright Brewery will be next, with their India Red Ale.

Cheers!