GRAINFEED BREWING CO SNEAKY ONE
Whether you need to lay yourself down or give a friend a hand up, this brew is perfect for a conversation about how to be a ‘bridge over troubled water’ for a mate.
Origin – Newcastle, New South Wales
ABV – 4.2%
Size – 375mL can
Style – Summer Ale
We all love a sneaky sickie. Well, we did pre-COVID19 anyway. We took them to extend our weekends to go skiing in the winter and to sneak out for a day in the sun at the cricket in the summer. As was once endorsed by our very own PM Bob Hawke – "Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up to work today is a bum!" – many of us snuck one to recover after overindulging during great Aussie sporting moments.
Yet the Aussie sickie isn't the only thing we love sneaking. $7.1 million in fines were issued in the first month when detection cameras were switched on to catch us taking a sneaky look at our phones while driving. Then there was Vita Garrison, the wet haired sales director who made headlines earlier this year for turning up to her 2pm Daily Zoom meetings post sneaky nookie with her jobseeker personal trainer boyfriend, Carl. And sneaking a little something isn't just a new trend. History records the lovable rogue James Squire stealing ingredients from other convicts to make Australia's first sneaky ale – for which he was sentenced to 300 lashes.
Another well-known name in beer circles that doesn't mind a sneaky ale is Lachlan MacBean, the brewer and founder of Grainfed Brewing Company. After studying at the University of Ballarat, Lach worked for Bluetongue until the multinational brewing and beverage company, SABMiller, bought the company in 2006. From there he took his experience over to Murry's where he began to think seriously about starting his own label. To do a little sneaky R&D on the side while experimenting with different recipes, MacBean started slinging schooners at The Albion in Newcastle, and it was there that he came up with the idea for this first beer, that he aptly named Sneaky One.
With Hunter Beer Co.'s Kolsch and Stone & Wood's Pacific Ale being by far the two biggest sellers over the bar, Lach figured he’d jam a beer right in between them, and in 2012 he did just that. Still Grainfeed’s biggest seller, it's a summer ale with the fruitiness of the Pacific Ale, and the dry, easy-drinking style of the Kolsch. At a comfortable 4.2%, there's a smooth mouthfeel, light citrus fruit aromas and dry yet restrained bitterness.
With beers like this on hand, there’s always time for sneaky one!
