HOP & CLOVER IRISH RED
It might not be time for a victory ale just yet, but this cold craft is perfect for sharing over a conversation with mate, as you recall the many times you’ve been punched in the face during these overwhelmingly difficult times.
Origin – Sydney. New South Wales
ABV – 5%
Size – 375mL can
Style – Red Ale
“Dad, a guy's selling a pair of jousting sticks How much does he want for them? $450. For Jousting sticks? Tell 'em he's dreaming” That was one of the memorable lines from Darryl Kerrigan in the 1997 comedy classic The Castle. Darryl and son Steve were in love with buying items advertised for sale in the Trading Post, acquiring an overhead projector for $150 and even a pulpit for $800.
Though not using the Trading Post, the story of another lad that loved a good bargain is that of Dave Henderson. Starting out as an able seaman with both the British and Australian Navy, Dave's foray in brewing began while working on patrol boats in Darwin. With not much to do during the wet season, the Irishman took up homebrewing from extract as a way to pass the time. He then upped the ante following a move to Sydney where he met wife Shiree, getting stuck into all-grain brewing. But it's what came next that surprised even Dave's better half. After trawling the online listings of Gumtree one afternoon with a mate, the boys spotted something that caught their eye. After mumbling something to Shiree, they headed off to buy the new brewing kit. The surprise came when the pair returned home with a trailer containing a full-blown brewery complete with five square metre shed!
Despite the sizeable bargain, it was the luck of the Irish that really set Henderson's dreams of starting his own beer brand in motion in 2017. What began as a call from one of the marketing team at Gumtree, to see if he would be happy to be included in a social media post, ended with Dave getting splashed across the national papers and rolled out onto breakfast television. Dave tells me he really had to turn on the charm when his mum rang to yell at him, for first hearing about her son's new brewing venture when reading the Belfast Telegraph! And it's that ol Irish charm that's mixed into every offering from Hop and Clover that sets them apart as brews perfect for the sharing of folklore and legends.
Rather than the current trend of highly hopped, high percentage ales that you can't put enough I's in front of, each of Dave's batches, including this Irish Red Ale are easy drinking and approachable. Using Manuka smoked malt & presenting toffee notes and a burnished red appearance, this sessional has just a little hop, and though it's not so evident on the palate, just a touch of clover….the three-leafed version!
