Feral beer best in Aus

Western Australian brewers continue to impress on the national stage, with Feral Brewing Company and The Monk Brewery and Kitchen winning major prizes at the 2015 Craft Beer Awards.

Swan Valley-based Feral was awarded two top prizes at the awards, which were held in Sydney last week by the Craft Beer Industry Association.

Feral’s innovative light sour German wheat beer, Watermelon Warhead, was named Cryermalt champion craft beer and champion wheat beer.

Craft Beer Industry Association chief executive Chris McNamara said sour beers were starting to grow in popularity in Australia, with Feral’s brew leading the way.

Feral Brewing Company head brewer Brendan Varis said Watermelon Warhead, which is infused with Swan Valley watermelons and spends 12 weeks fermenting in chardonnay barrels, personified the ethos of his brewery – making beer that the brewers like to drink.

Fremantle’s The Monk Brewery and Kitchen was also a big winner, taking out the champion small brewery category.

A total of 91 breweries Australia-wide entered the awards, with more than 380 different beers judged by the panel.

Two Birds Brewing Co was named champion large brewery. Despite being based in Victoria, Two Birds also has a WA flavour to it, with founders Jayne Lewis and Danielle Allen originally from Perth.

Sydney’s Modus Operandi Brewing Co won the champion medium brewery category, while also taking home the hotly contested best pale ale and best IPA awards.