Christmas is a brilliant time of year for trying new beer. Ever since my short-stint working for a micro-brewery in New Zealand seven odd years ago my family have always made sure we had good beer to enjoy over the Christmas break. Whether it be travelling to one of the two local micro-breweries to fill up our flagons with freshly brewed beer, or making a trip to the local liquor store and scouring the aisles to find some great New Zealand drops, having good beer on hand to enjoy over the break has become a great Christmas family tradition.

Having now spent the last two Christmas’ in Australia with my girlfriend’s family, it is with great pleasure that I have been able to introduce Australian micro-brewed beer onto their Christmas beer list. It is interesting to watch the cycle that people go through as they grow to enjoy the beer. The first stage begins with the look, as they investigate the bottle noticing it is something they have never seen before. Then begins with the first sip and the usual catch phrase “that’s different isn’t it” as they are hit with real flavour, something most are unaccustomed to. The next stage is the most enjoyable, when after a few more sips I hear “that’s actually quite nice”. And it is in that statement I know I have found another person who will be more than willing to have another micro-brewed beer next time one becomes available!

PS. While writing this I have been wondering if those households that leave Santa a beer will ever move to micro-brewed beer? Perhaps Santa would love a chocolate Stout to warm him up while travelling through Europe or a refreshing Lager to enjoy while flying over Australia!