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Holgate - Mt Macedon Ale

The Holgate Brewhouse Mt Macedon Ale is surprisingly good. Sometimes I’m suspicious of beers that stray away from the standard naming conventions: Pale Ale, Stout, Porter, IPA, Golden Ale, etc. How do you know what it will taste like? You have to risk buying something bland and unexciting. Thankfully this one doesn’t disappoint. Like other’s in the range (the Hopinator and Temptress are good examples) the Mt Macedon Ale is a good example of an american pale ale. Great hops and a honey flavour make this a good, easy drinker.

Imagine: Pre-dinner drinks with friends. It’s something they might not have heard of and will come as a bit of a surprise.. a good one too.

If this beer was an actor: Patton Oswalt. Not a regularly named one, but a good solid act and thoroughly enjoyable.

Rating: 8/10

Matso's Ginger Beer

Wow.. that was the first word out of my mouth when I sipped this beautiful ginger beer. I’m quickly becoming a fan of the Matso’s range. Their Mango beer was sweet, fruity and refreshing. The ginger is crisp and slightly sweet with a massive ginger kick and citrus aftertaste. It has more of a bite than your supermarket Bundaberg ginger beer (which is nonetheless yum) but this is something else. It reminds me of the home-made ginger beer I used to make with my dad, but this one has an alcohol content. It would be quite easy to work through many of these in a single go, but as with the mango beer, it might ruin it in the long run.

Imagine: Hot summer’s day. It’s not necessarily dinner time but you want a refreshing drink. This is a beer that will be enjoyed by itself without any form of food to slow it down.

If this beer was an actor:  Emma Stone in.. anything. Light, gingery, refreshing.

Rating: 8/10