SEEKER BREWING TWILIGHT
It seems the pandemic has pulverised the art of talking. My tip to get started again. Grab a few of these beers, lend a mate your ears and take a moment to ask how they have really been going. The answer might just save a life.
Origin – Unanderra, New South Wales.
ABV – 6.5%
Size – 375mL can
Style – West Coast IPA
Some people spend a lifetime seeking treasure, while others just seem to stumble across it. Tommy Thompson falls in the early of the categories. Once dubbed the most remarkable treasure hunter of his time, during an Atlantic Ocean dive in 1988, he located three tonnes of sunken gold - the richest find in US history. Pete Hunt would be grouped into the latter of the two classifications. Recently published in Brisbane Times, as the story goes, he found what was believed to be a rusty electrical box embedded in a few inches of dirt when beginning a pool excavation. 'On closer inspection, we saw a dial,' says Pete. It was a locked safe disturbed from its hibernation six metres from the back door. Prying it open with a pick, he found small bags of gold, diamond rings and $21,000 in cash, mostly in $100 denominations.
Step into Wollongong's latest brewer, and you'll find a mix of both; some who have sought it out to find out what the fuss is all about and others that have stumbled across it. Though the venue had been operating under the badge of Bulli Brewing since 2017, it was following Jeff Argent's move south with his Bondi-inspired Grassy Knoll Beer brand that Seeker Brewing was born – a new name for a fresh beginning. Running the brewery and tap with twin brother Curtis and their cousin Ben Boorer, Jeff has wasted no time connecting with the beachside city and its surrounds. Many of Seeker's beers are named after local landmarks, while collaborations with local businesses are a standard part of the mission.
Providing a space where all seekers, locals and travellers alike come together to bond over a treasure trove of crafty ales, there's a pool table, basketball hoop, pizza hut and 14 taps in the cosy brewery bar flowing with liquid gold. The latest jewel being poured is this West Coast IPA. While not as aggressive as many of the beers that defined the style, the bitterness is evident, and you can pick out the pineapple, pine, lime and grapefruit in the mix too.
With iron willpower, Pete called the police, and the contents could be returned to the owners where the safe was burgled from 12 years prior. As a reward, he was given some beer- I trust it was a case of Seeker!
