Another highlight at this year’s Eat Local Week and its signature for venturing new and unexpected ground, the flavour makers and local growers behind Scenic Rim Eat Local Week will showcase two new beers in celebration of the 2019 season beginning tomorrow!
Wabbit Saison Carrot Beer by Kalfresh Vegetables and 4Hearts Brewing
Scenic Rim carrot farmers from Kalfresh Vegetables, marked this year’s harvest with another batch of their famous bucolic craft Wabbit Saison Carrot Beer. Their popularity when first unveiled four years ago saved the rejected wonky, out-of-spec carrots abandoned by supermarkets and grocers. 4Hearts Head Brewer Kenneth Friend described the evolution of the original recipe which now incorporates a carrot mash during production giving the 25% carrot beer brew its earthy, dry Beligian style salson with subtle carrot end notes.
“The beer has a beautiful orange carrot-like colour which is exactly what you want from a carrot beer,” says Mr Friend. “We’ve used 60kg of carrots in this batch, which is about 25 per cent by weight”
Kalfresh Vegetables CEO Richard Gorman expects his organisation to harvest more than 255-million carrots for supermarkets and produce stores up and down the east coast of Australia explaining the importance of the Scenic Rim that is celebrated throughout Eat Local Week.. “Each year we focus on how we can reduce food waste by selling 100 per cent of the carrots we harvest, even the wonky, split and marked ones.”
Beauy & Blue Spiced Pumpkin Ale by Scenic Rim Brewery
Adding to the orange toned beer range is Scenic Rim Brewery’s Beauy & Blue Spiced Pumpkin Ale, an exciting collaboration with Stuart Oppermann from Oppy’s Fruit and Vege shop in Boonah that puts a unique spin on a traditional pale ale.
Delicately crafted with locally grown Beaudesert blue pumpkins and a hint of spice, the subtle pumpkin flavour is rounded out with nutmeg, vanilla and cinnamon notes. “We only make beer the traditional way with all-natural ingredients,” said owner and head brewer Mike Webster. “After last year’s successful milk stout collaboration and sourcing lactose from local dairy and sheep farms, we sought to find another passionate farmer to explore new flavours with,” he said. “These great eating pumpkins have been developed and grown specially in Beaudesert. We love the colour of the skin and ensured the beer’s name honoured this.”
Both beers will be available at the Winter Harvest Festival on July 6 as part of the Scenic Rim Eat Local Week festivities taking places from June 29 to July 7.
