BADLANDS BREWING PINEAPPLE PILS
A beer perfect beer for sharing as we climb the mental health mountain, bridging the great divide that results in so many not seeking help early.
Origin – Orange, New South Wales
ABV – 4.6%
Size – 355mL can
Style – Pilsner
Ever been ripped off? Ever shelled out fifteen bucks for a pint of Great Northern in a hip CBD bar? If so, you have felt the rough end of the pineapple. The force of the phrase derives partly from the fact that either end of the pineapple is rough, although the end with the prickly leaves is very rough indeed! The uniquely Australian expression was first recorded in 1959, with evidence suggesting it was derived from the original phase 'to get the wrong end of the pineapple'.
Be it the wrong end or the rough end, locally made beer in the Central West of NSW gets a raw deal. People will happily wax lyrical about bright Chardonnays and warm Merlots. They secretly scoff fudge and wait year-round for cherry season. But the virtues of the region’s breweries are rarely sung. It’s a fact that’s sat uncomfortably with Jon Shiner since he moved 250 km directly westward and set up a small, authentic and community-focused microbrewery on the outskirts of Orange. Despite being the beer brand of choice for locals since Badlands has had a tough time slinging locally brewed pilsners and pales to the town's half a million visitors per year. It's something that Jon's determined to change by moving to Orange’s main street, with the new site allowing for something they've never had before: a taproom. 'Although we've always sold through the grocer next door', Jon shares, 'having our own space to serve beers on tap in the heart of the town will ensure Badlands becomes part of the itineraries of visitors soaking up local food and drink destinations.
The characterful backdrop for those visitors will be an impressive space that shares a long history with the region- sitting dormant for more than a decade, Jon has begun to convert the building that once housed the first car dealership west of the Great Divide. While some of the finer details are still being worked out, when the pineapple is finally turned the other way up, one thing's for sure; this Pineapple Pils will be flowing from the taps. Currently a limited release, by adding vast quantities of chargrilled pineapple to their award-winning New World Pils, Jon delivers pilsner with a Puerto Rican twist.
With a mild hop bitterness and aromatics of nettle and elderflower that gives way to pineapple sweetness, it's crisp, refreshing… and anything but rough!
