By Esther Lauaki
Lovers of Indian pale ale will be heading to Hopheads in Point Cook and Altona in celebration of the Great Beer Festival.
The week-long festival, starting from May 10, is made up of more than 300 events across Victoria and attracts thousands of people in appreciation of the best brewers and beer businesses in the country.
Hopheads co-owners Adrian Chong, his wife Wai Lee Yong and Ryan Cochraine will pay homage to their favourite Indian pale ales at the flagship Point Cook store and Altona store.
“IPA is a style of beer – one of the first interesting styles of beers that got the popularity of craft beers rolling,” Mr Chong said.
“Historically, when the English used to ship beer to India, they used to find that the beer would go off.
“Hops is a natural preservative, so they added more hops to keep the beer from turning rancid.
“That’s why Indian pale ales are a full-flavoured beer, almost on the bitters side. It’s got a whole range of flavours and always leans towards the fruity side.”
Mr Chong said the secret to a great beer is in the making.
“A great beer is one that has been well thought out and people have put passion into making it.”
New beers are being flown in and exclusively brewed for the Great Beer Festival, Mr Chong said. “Beers has changed a lot,” he said.
“Lots of styles have come and gone … This is an homage to the style that I enjoyed for about a decade.”
The Great Beer Festival plays host to the Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA) and the three-day GABS Beer, Cider, Food and Festival at the Royal Exhibition Building.
Details: www.goodbeerweek.com.au
