SUNDAY ROAD BREWING SPECTRUM OF LIGHT
When we’re feeling a little salty, let's all do a Constanza and start a mental health conversation with Jerry (or a mate not called Jerry!) over this cold craft and few pretzels
Origin – Kirrawee, New South Wales
ABV – 7.2%
Size – 440mL can
Style – Hazy IPA
Remember that dazzling moment in the Star Wars movies when the Millennium Falcon goes into hyperspace and a kaleidoscope of stars streaks past the ship? Sadly - like many things in sci-fi movies - that wouldn't happen, a team of science nerds has calculated. Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca wouldn't see any approaching stars as they accelerate through the galaxy because of the changing wavelength of electromagnetic light, said the boffins who clearly set out to crush our dreams!
For us 'uneducated', they went on to explain, the changing wavelength works like a Doppler effect – you know, that thing with the siren of a fire engine whose pitch changes relative to where we are standing as it races down the street. Because they are speeding towards the stars, the wavelength would shorten, meaning the Millennium Falcon would move out of the visible light spectrum.
As a bit of a nerd himself, making a career in code writing before opening the doors to Sunday Road in 2018, none of the above needed to be explained to Brad Walker, owner and founder of Sunday Road Brewing. Indeed, it's Brad's geek, combined with brewer Mick O’Rance’s guru, that's resulted in Sunday Road becoming known as one of the most technically esteemed breweries in the country. Before using Spectrum - a next-gen hopping method utilising fully dispersible oils - Sunday Road employed Cold IPA and Dip Hopping techniques in recent small-batch releases. Combined with a good whack of oats in the malt bill, the practice serves up the full wavelength of characteristics; a pillowy head, a smooth mouthful, a palate of mango and citrus, and a long dry finish.
The researchers concluded that the Millennium Falcon - if it existed and could travel that fast - would see the backwash of light from the big bang that created the universe 14 billion years ago as its wavelength became visible. A few more of these 7.2% ABVs and at least some of that would start to make sense to me!
