SOMETIMES, well OK all the time, it’s good to be the beer columnist because you get calls out of the blue about beers which normally you would come across.
One such drop is Green Fern Organic Lager from the West Coast Brewing Company in New Zealand.
Now I must confess that I have found that some Kiwi beers have failed to live up to expectations but Green Fern doesn’t.
Marketed as an organic lager, it meets the demands of a market that is now requiring more natural processes in brewing, less additives and preservatives and a greater emphasis on flavour and body.
It is a clean crisp lager with a subtle bouquet and a clean, golden colour.
The barley and hops combine to make this a crisp beer across the palate with a hint of bitterness which adds to its appeal, particularly in quenching a thirst on a hot day.
It has good ‘sessionability’ and those looking for a beer which doesn’t sit heavy on the gut, will definitely find it appealing.
This isn’t a half-baked beer and is full strength at 5% but it doesn’t set you back and there’s the ‘sneaky’ side to Green Fern.
It keeps drawing you back for ‘just one more’ but following a pure method of brewing and minus all the ‘nasties’ which can play havoc on you the next day.
Because of its nature, Green Fern lends itself to white meat dishes, especially seafood, and light Asian salads or the lighter-style Mediterranean foods.
However if you were to look at in cricketing terms, this is a good all-rounder which could go with just about anything.
It’s starting to make its mark in Australia and on the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers and you can find it at the Bread and Butter Cafe in Kirra, O Sushi in Coolangatta, the Palm Beach Surf Life saving Club and the Great Northern Hotel in Byron or you can contact Melissa Heron at [email protected]
MY TIP
Get Green Fern nice and cold and serve in a balloon-type glass to allow you to appreciate the aroma and hop/barley flavours. A great summer beer for any occasion, Green Fern retails around $20 for a 330ml six pack. For details visit the website at www.westcoastbrewing.com