Wagga to The Rocks Beergustation

lastminute lovely Angela tastes her way from Wagga to The Rocks during this year’s Sydney Craft Beer Week, and lives to tell the tale of her eight course journey through food and beer.

I am a self-confessed beer LOVER. Give me a lager, ale or wheat beer and I will drink it. I have brewed my own beer (in a bucket in my backyard – trust me it was good), and will happily knock back a schooner rain, hail or shine as long as it’s cold.
So as you can imagine I was pretty chuffed about attending the inaugural Wagga to The Rocks Beergustation dinner at Harts Pub as part of Sydney Craft Beer week (20-28 October 2012).

Harts Pub is a homely heritage-listed building tucked into the backstreets of The Rocks. Their dining room is set out with family style seating, including your standard wobbly table and raucous dinner conversation.

Only serving Australian (owned) beer, owner Mark Fethers and head brewer of the Rocks Brewing Co. Scott Morgan are extremely passionate about what they put on tap. At any one time they will have 12 or so beers available with a selection of their own brews, not to forget about the delish seasonal menu on offer from Head chef Kevin Naples too!

The country component of the Beergustation dinner came from Thirsty Crow Brewing Co. Wagga Wagga’s first microbrewery. Craig Wealands, owner and head brewer was somewhat of a celebrity amongst the dinner crowd with his unique Vanilla Milk Stout, and Thirsty’s Head chef Alana Brabin delighted our tastebuds with farm fresh produce all sourced from the Riverina area. Read more about Thirsty Crow and the paddock to plate philosophy in Riverina.

Throughout the dinner, each course was introduced by the chef and brewer, with every meal and matched beer alternating between Harts Pub and Thirsty Crow. Warning: hunger pains may occur when viewing the below, read at your own risk.

The Menu

Match #1
Rocks Brewing Co. – The Convict Lager
Salt and Szechwan pepper calamari served with capers, watercress, eschallots and nam jin sauce

 

Match #2
Thirsty Crow – Vanilla Milk Stout
Tumut smoked trout salad with lemon aioli

 

Hot tip: To really appreciate the flavour of a stout beer drink it at room temperature rather than chilled.

Match #3
Rocks Brewing Co. – The Hangman Pale Ale
Pickled beetroot salad with Persian fetta, currants, walnuts and chard leaves

 

Hot tip: All beers brewed at Rocks Brewing Co. are named after historic figures from The Rocks area.

Match #4
Thirsty Crow – 26-Fifty Summer Ale
Junee backstrap lamb carpaccio with a citrus and herb dressing

 

Match #5
Rocks Brewing Co. – The Governor Golden Ale
Grilled barramundi with pumkin and sage ravioli, convict lager celeriac puree, crisp parsnip and confit orange beurre blanc

 

Match #6
Thirsty Crow – The Raven’s Thong
Poachers platter: quail cured in batlow pink lady cider and hung, house-made chicken liver pâté, beer braised pork belly, fresh bread, chutney and Wollundry olives

 

Match #7
Rocks Brewing Co. – Rum Barrel Aged Porter
Prosciutto wrapped medallion of beef, sweet potato puree, cavelonero and baby carrot with rum barrel aged porter jus

 

Match #8
Thirsty Crow – Handpumped road 2 ruin imperial long black
Intense chocolate chilli mouse with Growleys “flaming bacon” sauce, vanilla fairy floss and pistachio praline

 

By now I’m sure your tum is rumbling and your thirst is yearning to be quenched by a coldie, but instead of reaching for a six pack of Coronas, treat yourself to something a little more interesting and a lot more local. And make sure you check out next year’s Sydney Craft Beer week.