LOOPHOLE BREWING CO. SLY FOX
Good health isn’t as simple as the old adage an apple a day. Even the great-granddaughter of ''Granny Smith'' who passed away at the ripe age of 101 said the secret to her longevity was friends rather than fruit. So, put down your apple, grab this ale and connect with a mate.
Origin – Limestone Coast, South Australia
ABV – 5.4%
Size – 375mL can
Style – Pale Ale
Aussies love a loophole. The more we are told that we ‘can’t’, the more desire we seem to have to find a ‘can’. On the side of this tin, you'll find the story of an Aussie who exploited a loophole after finding himself stranded in London in 1964. It’s that of Reg Spiers, the young javelin thrower who after competing at the Commonwealth Games was told he didn’t have enough money to buy a plane ticket home for his daughter's birthday. So, the 22-year-old working part-time in the Heathrow’s cargo area came up with a plan to post himself there in a wooden box. After the epic 63-hour journey in which he was stowed upside down and dropped by a forklift, Spiers emerged from his chest when the coast was clear, put on a suit, sauntered into Perth airport and then used his passport to get through immigration!
When Derek Hooper, Dave Murdock and Tom O'Reilly were told they couldn't escape the pressures of everyday life and find a job that balanced work and play, they too went searching for a loophole. Des was first to find it, establishing a winery on the edge of the Great Southern Ocean. Dave then found his after connecting with Des and building a three-vessel brewing system in an old warehouse at the back cellar door. 50 litres of beer at a time didn't pay the rent, but it whet the beer production appetite. Meanwhile, Tom was busy brewing beer for Stone & Wood when he caught wind of a lifestyle as refreshing as the salt from the waves Des and Dave surfed each morning. The trio chatted, the dream seemed plausible, and by early 2015 Tom was serving beer from the first commercial keg to visitors of the lads' Cape Jaffa Winery.
Demand quickly outstripped production, and a proper brewhouse was soon on the cards. With the building completed in 2017, they needed a brand to match. Having found something that they were told was impossible, the name was obvious. Since then, there have been some tremendous limited releases, yet it’s their reliable core range, spearheaded by this DRYPA, that saw Loophole pick up the best SA brewery award at the 2020 Indies. Full-flavoured and exceptionally balanced, this Sly Fox as it's known, emphasises hop flavour rather than bitterness. Used to full effect, the hops provide pineapple, citrus and mango notes that sit atop a malt body and a crisp, dry finish.
Perhaps it's just the lubricant you need to get the creative juices following as you try to think of a loophole to get you across locked-down state borders for that summer holiday!
