True Brew: Froth Town unveils festival beers ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous

FEELING FESTIVE

If you like your lagers to strictly adhere to the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516, or das Reinheitsgebot, then look away now because here come the Froth Town festival beers (and one cider).

Black Brewing Co returns with another beer spider, this year a Hazelnut Affogato Ice Cream Stout for coffee lovers that will battle it out with Campus Brewing’s Black Forrest cake-inspired Happy Birthday Mr Walrus Imperial Birthday Cake Stout for just desserts at the beerfest.

Phat Brew Club has popped out Phubba Bubba (a nostalgic sweet ‘n’ sour strawberry bubblegum sour), while Nowhereman Brewing back up its Spice Girls-themed sour with Carnival Passionfruit Rice Lager, which was made with 60kg of passionfruit.

Less experimental but equally exciting are Rocky Ridge’s Green Man double Citra dry-hopped double IPA, Gweilo’s Strata Juice Triple IPA, Heroes and Villains’ Identity triple dry-hopped oat cream IPA, Shelter’s Juicy Extra Pale Ale and Karratha newcomers North West Brewing Co’s Big Dog West Coast IPA.

Oh, and there’s the return of Funk Cider and distiller Old Young’s Gin Cider for folks inexplicably not wanting a beer at a beer festival. This one is apparently full of funky botanicals.

Froth Town explodes at Claremont Showground from August 19-20.

SHINING BRIGHT

Aetheon Brewing will be among the first-timers at this year’s Froth Town.

Borrowing an ancient Greek word meaning burning or shining, Kevin Martinovich recently launched into the craft beer business after nearly a decade behind bars and in bottle shops while honing beer recipes at home.

Most recently, he’s been working at Funk Cider in Caversham, where he also contract brews.

Aetheon is already earning fans with a core range consisting of a West Coast IPA, New World Pale Ale, NEIPA and Mid Strength.

“I want the core range to be accessible, good, relatively affordable and just uncomplicated,” Martinovich told True Brew, adding that he hopes to add a pilsner and sour to the core range later this year.

He said he’ll get “weird and wacky” with his limited releases, which should be fun given what he’s taking to Froth Town.

Martinovich, who says he respects traditional styles such as saisons as much as he enjoys hype beers such as pastry sours, plans to make seven festival beers, including a nitro choc-mint milkshake stout, breakfast sour, red IPA and nitro pina colada sour.

Aetheon tinnies haven’t been in retail for long, but the positive response so far suggests WA’s craft community has another shining light.

AETHEON BREWING NEW ENGLAND IPA

Pouring a murky peachy orange and lighter bodied than other NEIPAs, Aetheon’s entry into this popular style nevertheless shines thanks to fresh tropical and stone fruit notes, with a touch of nuttiness and hint of coconut.

Martinovich has gone easy with the golden naked oats, and used a quartet of hops (El Dorado, Citra, Sabro and Ekuanot) for a 6.3 per cent east coast-style beer that is an easy-drinking quencher despite the ABV. Impressive. 83/100