SIX STRING BREWING CO SHREDDIN’
Dory taught us an important lesson in the face of adversity. Yet never giving up can be easier said than done. Grab this beer to share with a mate over a chat about how you can help him to ‘just keep swimming’.
Origin – Erina, New South Wales
ABV – 6.0%
Size – 375mL can
Style – Indian Pale Ale
I was a little disappointed to learn that the brewery wasn’t set up by Jimmy, Jody and some guys from school in the summer of sixty-nine. But from what I’m told, school buddies and founders Chris Benson and Adam Klasterka did have bleeding fingers following a three-year battle seeking building approval from the local council.
The brewery’s name rather comes from Benson's love of playing his six-string. It's a love that, combined with a knack for making spectacular beers, now absorbs him. But it wasn't always that way. You see, unlike home brewing and playing in a garage band, being an IT guru working in the big smoke provides more than a square meal of frozen pizza pockets and Toohey’s New. So, it was with that bank account full of bitcoins following a successful career in infotech, that Benson returned to the coast and built his own commercial-scale brewery.
Within the four walls of Six String's large warehouse on an industrial estate sit rows of shiny tanks and brewing equipment seamlessly interwoven with a 12-tap bar – including a hand pump – and a hip little restaurant that is now occupied by the leader in low 'n' slow cooking, BlackBear BBQ. And since those taps began to flow with liquid amber way back in 2013, Six Strings hasn’t looked back – the mix of Beer and BBQ with a little live performance of electric base thrown in on a Friday night, proving popular. Yet, despite its popularity the vibe is relaxed, which is a far cry from the drunken raucousness that the objectors within the council had initially feared.
It's a vibe that flows over into their beers, this Shreddin’ IPA, the sixth beer to be added to the core range earlier this year, a case in point. Brewed as a smashable IPA and loaded with Strata Hops it was initially going to be called Strata-Caster IPA, but they ran in a slight trademarked issue with Fender guitars. Sitting at an approachable midway point the Strata delivers delightful aromas and flavours of tropical fruit and citrus which are well restrained by malt sweetness and a slightly bitter finish. It might not have been Jimmy, but Adam quit. He’s been replaced recently with a head brewery Tony D’Astolfo.
I assume after closing time the lads head back to mama's porch, crack open a one of these IPA's and reflect that these are the best days of their lives!
