ATOMIC BEER PROJECT A002
Share an honest convo over these GorBEERchevs rather than denying and diverting and offering excuses until we're all thoroughly cooked, and only the cockroaches survive!
Origin – Redfern, New South Wales
ABV- 5.6%
Size- 330mL can
Style- Indian Pale Ale
It was 5pm on September 27, 1956. In the northern reaches of outback SA the countdown begins, three… two… one… FLASH! All present turn their backs. When they turn back again, they see a rising fireball that comes from the 15 kiloton atomic device, the same explosive strength as the weapon dropped on Hiroshima 11 years earlier. Maralinga's first mushroom cloud begins to bloom over the plain – by October the following year, there will have been six more. They were tests that would change history forever.
Gage Roads is hopeful an altogether different atomic bomb will change the history of Sydney's brewpub scene. Founded in 2004 and expanding to become one of Australia's largest independently owned breweries, they spent a whopping $3 million to ensure every aspect of the Redfern microbrewery differs from the standard bar with a brewery in the corner, serving up burgers and wings. The industrial fit-out features polished concrete, rusted beams and stainless-steel elements — including the brewhouse tanks, which are on full display. Unwittingly, the colour scheme has gone nuclear with the neon green bar, bright red tables, and forest green tiled walls. On the upper level is an open dining room that doubles as a co-working space with views to the brewhouse below. Mecca coffee is on offer from 7am daily. There's an all-day menu of Southeast Asian delights by Head Chef Jordan McLeod (Longrain Tokyo).
And beer on tap, of course. Alongside seasonal and experimental releases conceived by head brewer Nick Ivey of Gage Roads alumnus, those taps flow with Atomic Beer Project signatures. They include a pale ale, XPA and this IPA. Using a reverse-osmosis filter, the same technology Mountain Culture uses in Katoomba, to ensure the base-water he’s brewing with in Sydney matches Gage Roads on the west coast, Ivey has created a modern West Coast style IPA. Sitting at the approachable end of the ever-expanding IPA world, the upfront pine aromas, zesty citrus & tropical fruit characters are balanced with subtle malt before finishing with a lingering bitterness.
At the time, rumours were we looking for an atomic bomb with an Australian flag on it. Perhaps we've finally found it!