Beer and Brewer Magazine

Hot Brew Shuffle

Hot Brew Shuffle PAUL MERCURIO saves his toughest judgments for the colourful beers that have danced across his palate

Some of the beers on this list I've only had once in my life. Others I would never have again. So why are they in my Dirty Dozen? The answer is simple - I love beer and I love the experience that goes with a beer. Yes, it's about flavours and balance between the sweetness of malt, the bitterness of hops and those yeasty esters, but equally it's about where, why and with whom you're having that beer. That's why my Dozen is travelogue, tasting notes and memoir rolled in one.

1. Emu Bitter

The last time I had an Emu I didn't think much of it, but the first time was a great memory. I was 15 and coming back from Leighton Beach in south Fremantle one hot sunny day when I discovered a hair growing under my arm. In celebration of my impending manhood Mum gave me a small glass of Emu Bitter to celebrate. Geez, it tasted good!

2. Coopers Sparkling

Back in the early ‘80s when I was young, fit and working at the Sydney Dance Company we'd would do two seasons a year at the Sydney Opera House. In the Green Room post-show we'd drink the Fosters and VB on offer... or Coopers Sparkling Ale. Now, in those days it was pretty strange having Coopers on the bar in NSW, but you know us arty types! I absolutely loved it but, on a dancers wage, couldn't afford to drink as many as I would've liked. The solution came when my wife bought me a Coopers Home Brew kit for our first wedding anniversary! I've now been married 20 years and brewing for 19, and I still enjoy a Coopers Red as much as I did back then.

3. Hite Lager & 4. Hellas Pils

I've been very lucky to have traveled around the world with my work, and most of my memorable moments abroad include beer. Like the time in Pusan, Korea. The student riots were in full swing and we were partying, climbing out the 18th storey windows of our hotel room in hand onto the very traditional curved roof, Hite Lager in hand. There we sat, sipping our beers and watching the flares below. Later, when the SDC toured Greece we stayed on the island of Aegina, we'd take the ferry back to the hotel after long, hot rehearsals and sit at that first cold Hellas accompanied by a bowl of olives and some hot chips were to die for! The hotel restaurant was built right on the water and we'd fall off our chairs laughing, right into the ocean. Even if I never have Hite and Hellas again, those moments will remain the best beers I'd ever had.

Back in 1986 I spent a month journeying aroud France and discovered these lovely bars called Biere De L'Academie, bars specializing in beer and single malt whiskey. I tasted and wrote notes on over 100 beers that month and first tasted amazing Belgian Ale. Today, you'll find one or all these in my fridge.

5. Gueuze Lambic

A wonderfully refreshing sweet ‘n' sour beer with lots of complex flavors - the champagne of beers.

6. Kriek Lambic

same as the Gueze except fermented with sour cherries and is even sweeter - makes a great sorbet!

7. Kwack

a strong dark ale best consumed from its traditional Belgian wooden holder.

8. Chimay

Made by Trappist Monks, there's red label 7%, white label 8% or Blue Label 9% - all are big, gutsy strong ales and absolutely delicious.

9. Orval

another immensely satisfying beer made by Trappist Monks. A complex, dry, slightly sour brew with orange overtones.

10. Three Sheets

My first beer at the Lord Nelson Pub Brewery in Sydney's The Rocks was 20 years ago and the owner Blair asked me to distract a drunken sailor making a nuisance of himself. I did (without punches thrown) and have been drinking there ever since. Once, there was a club upstairs called The One Eyed Beer Tasters Club, which would meet monthly to eat, drink and heckle brewers who'd come to talk about their beers. These gatherings made me want to be a brewer. The Nelson still make the same six beers they had 20 years ago and there's nothing better than a Ploughmans Lunch and beer on brew days when the aroma of sweet wort drifts into the bar.

11. Dix BBQ & Brewery Red Truck Ale

In 2004, I spent five months in Vancouver working on the Wil Smith film I Robot. As the movement consultant, choreographing the actors and stunt men who played the robots. There were five microbreweries within walking distance of my hotel. Five! I was in craft beer heaven. The fine American ales I drank and the friendships I made culminated in me shipping in some beers from home for a tasting night at the Dix for the cream of Vancouver's brewers. I collaborated with Dix on a beer and also helped out in the kitchen, the Dix BBQ chef positively begged for my stout meatballs in his pasta!

12. Hoegaarden White

A very special wheat beer which pours a lovely cloudy yellow and carries a fine white head of really tiny lace bubbles. The spicy aromas of coriander and orange peel waft gently to your nose as you take a sip. Hoegaarden White is slightly sour, spicy, fruity, yeasty - in short complex and fantastic. This beer has really inspired my passion for cooking with beer as a primary ingredient. If a recipe has liquid in it then beer can be substituted instead of stock, water or wine. Because of all its nuances, Hoegaarden is especially suited to seafood risotto, tempura batter, ice cream, cheese soufflé, beer soup and Thai pork curry. You name it, I'll cook it - with beer!