SHARK ISLAND BREWING VOODOO
Good health isn’t as simple as the old adage an apple a day. Even the great-granddaughter of ''Granny Smith'' who passed away at the ripe age of 101 said the secret to her longevity was friends rather than fruit. So, put down your apple, grab this ale and connect with a mate.
Origin – Kirrawee, New South Wales
ABV – 6.5%
Size – 375mL can
Style – Indian Pale Ale
The lads down there in the Shire have done it again. No, not won another premiership. Nor have they started another riot. That said if the region in Sydney’s southern suburbs continues the way it’s going with top-notch craft beers increasingly being released by Hairyman, Sunday Road and Shark Island Brewery, the boys up in Sydney’s inner west might take up arms Anchorman style and march south to start a turf war.
And if you think James Peebles, the head brewer and co-founder of Shark Island isn’t ready for a brawl, then you’d be underestimating him. Granted he’s no tattoo adorned hard man, but you don't lose tens of thousands of dollars of start-up funds as part of an equipment supply scam before even opening your brewery and laugh about it without having some tough fight in you. And it's this determination that has helped James, and Co-founder Dion Dickinson survived to tell the tale over half a decade on from when such major setback almost crushed their brewery dream.
Named after the iconic reef island surf break found just off the point of Cronulla, Shark Island was established in 2015. And they couldn’t have opened the Shires first brewery at a better time with the Cronulla Sharks winning their first-ever NRL Premiership in 2016. It was an obvious opportunity for lads to mark the occasion, producing Premier's Lager to celebrate the local triumph. The initial batch flew out of the door. While capitalising on a topical event may have got them going, it's been the growing Shark Island teams' core range of beers coupled with a regular array of bolder, creative offerings for the more adventurous that have kept the locals coming back week after week.
One of the most popular of those rotating creatives is this Voodoo IPA. Named after another local dangerous surf break, the only thing dangerous about this IPA is its drinkability. True to the style the Voodoo is bold, hoppy and full flavoured. The classic hop mix dishes out aromas and flavours of citrus and stone fruit characters alongside biscuity malts and a polite smattering of bitterness, that's sharp yet not aggressive.
From what I can see, the only improvement would be to add a little Sex Panther by Odeon. It's illegal in nine countries. Yep, it's made with bits of real panther. So you know it's good!
