CAPITAL BREWING CO MANGO TANGO
Next time life hits us with its lemons let's not limit ourselves or our mate to self-talk like 'just deal with it.' Instead, let's share one of these beers and talk about how difficult and shitty things really are.
Origin – Fyshwick, Australian Capital Territory
ABV – 5.0%
Size – 375mL can
Style – XPA
For much of its history, Canberra hasn't enjoyed much glamorous reputation. We've all heard the jokes 'they spoiled a perfectly good sheep station', 'a cemetery with lights', and a personal favourite of mine from Bill Bryson, who, after watching a promotional video about the city when visiting while researching his book 'Downunder', suggested renaming the campaign: 'Canberra - Why Wait for Death? But in reality, our Capital and biggest-little-city of Australia isn't so bad. Not only is it surrounded by outstanding natural beauties, but over the past decade or so, it's also developed a sensational food, wine, coffee and craft beer culture.
Indeed, Canberra's craft beer aficionados are spoilt for choice, with two of the country's most recognised brewers in BentSpoke and Capital brewing from within the Capital. The latter started as a passion project for brothers Richard and Sam Coombes, of Will & Co. coffee fame, and Tom Hertel and Laurence Kain, the duo behind iconic Canberra venue Honky Tonks. Yet since the 2016 launch, much like our Commonwealth debt, Capital has been on the up and up. Along with the brewery and taproom in Fyshwick, in 2020, the team opened a bar within Canberra Airport and a year later landed a deal to pour beers during the summer of cricket at Manuka Oval. Though they've made a significant impact within beer circles, Capital has proven that it doesn't need to come at the planet's expense, announcing recently they have secured the internationally-recognised B Corp certification. It's an accreditation that comes just six months after becoming the country's first certified carbon-neutral brewery.
And while you might think the cost of taking this action on sustainability comes at your expense, Tom shared with me that it adds a mere 14 cents to each case. And based on the taste of this latest seasonal release, there's no negative impact on the flavour either. Striking a lovely balance of zesty bitterness with a wave of tropical sweetness from the bountiful splash of mango nectar, this Mango Tango is a brew that shimmies across the palate and arouses the senses.
With beers this good, it's not surprising that Canberrans have added fantastic craft beer to their love of firecrackers, porn and roundabouts!
