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| Riverside Brewing Company |
Seriously, does life genuinely get any better than this? A spectacular
Sydney Craft Beer Week event on Wednesday, 23rd October saw the craft beer geeks out in force. This time in the heart of Western Sydney at
Riverside Brewing Company. Riverside teamed up with
Smokey O's BBQ for some "Southern Style BBQ". Smokey O's delivers an "authentic American style barbecue" that is "low, slow and smokey cooked traditionally over charcoal and wood."
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| Smokey O's cooker |
Deliciously good craft beer and slow cook American style barbeque? No man, or woman, alive wouldn't want to be part of this phenomenal extravaganza. As my mate and I entered Riverside we were greeted by David Padden and his employee, Matt Wilson. Both Paddo and Matt are great guys doing a fantastic job, so it was nice to immediately get a taster of a
Sixty Nine Summer Ale.
On a balmy Sydney day drinking a 69 is unbeatable, if you also include the magnificent aroma of slow cooked meat wafting through the brewery. The tables and chairs were out, the cutlery out, the menus out. Not an inch was spared at the brewery to accommodate more than forty craft beer lovers, with the added bonus of some fantastic food provided by Smokey O's man himself, Tim Odom.
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| David Padden, Riverside |
To my surprise, Paddo got everyone's attention and spoke proudly of the event at hand. His brewery's been a success, the craft beer lovers and people wanting to try different kinds of beer have also made his brewery a success. His open, honest and heartfelt speech was a tearjerker, just like the movie Titanic. No, I wasn't crying but those damn onions were being cut at quite an inappropriate time.
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| Tim Odom, Smokey O's |
Paddo then passed the baton onto Tim Odom, from Smokey O's whose speech made Paddo's one look like
this. Tim sadly advised that he was unable to cook the meat over charcoal and wood due to the week long total fire bans here in New South Wales. He also mentioned that
Shields Orchards in
Bilpin, where he gets all the apple wood from, is still under threat from the bush fires. Still, with all this pressure he managed to cook us up a perfect storm.
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| A muffin to die for? Yes! |
As we sat down at our tables we were served "
Buttermilk Cornbread muffins with homemade Country Valley cream butter served with '33' Golden Ale." I don't remember the last time I felt so unashamedly in love with a muffin, but there is always a first. This heavenly muffin really could prove useful in world affairs. It'd turn Vladimir Putin into a democratic voter and Kim Jong-un an anti-weaponry advocator.
While my body and soul was being cleansed by the muffin and butter, I also made a good home for the 33. A great beer that certainly blends with the softness of the muffin. Both shared a unique quality that when mixed at the right times made you believe that there wasn't a care in the world.
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| Ribs and 'slaw. Hell yeah! |
Although I cried like
Homer Simpson over spilt milk, wanting more muffin with butter...and more Golden Ale, up next was the "
Sweet and Spicy Baby Back Ribs with Creamy Apple Coleslaw served with '77' India Pale Ale." The sight of ribs and 'slaw like this made me
drool. The meat literally fell off the bone without you having to lift a finger.
The stunning kaleidoscope that was the coleslaw is something to be proud of. The ribs, simply out of this world. The 77 has to be one of the best IPA's going around in the craft beer scene here in Australia. Combine both of these magnificent creations and you have actually died and gone to heaven. Thankfully, back on planet Earth there was more to come.
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| Brisket, beans & potato salad |
You want more? You got it. Our next mouthwatering experience was the "
Cape Grim grass fed Angus brisket with baked beans, potato salad and 'pork n greens' served with '44' American Amber Ale." Oh. My. Goodness. There are no superlatives to describe the awesomeness of this meal. None. It was at this moment in time that I felt like I was actually the King of England, eating at the head of the table being served the best food the kingdom could provide.
The combination of the food and my 44 was just unbelievable. To eat like this at an event such as this? Astonishingly brilliant. It's like watching a sports person at the top of their form, winning with ease - and you're the only one in the stadium to witness it. Such a fantastic experience that you just want the world to know how good it was.
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| Pumpkin pie and 88 |
Not only should the world know, but NASA scientists should send the next voyager into space with some of Smokey O's and Riverside's treats. You want intergalactic peace for several millenniums? Doing that would solve it. Our final piece of the food and drink puzzle was a scrumptious "
Pumpkin Pie with whipped creamed served with '88' Robust Porter."
How beautiful was it? Well, if
Jessica Alba asked me out on a date while I was at Riverside Brewing eating the pumpkin pie and drinking the 88, I would politely tell her to wait until I finished my pumpkin pie and 88. Actually, I lie. I'd probably take her to an empty room and cover her sexy, naked body with pumpkin pie and slowly lick it off, make love to her and then delight myself afterwards with the 88. Still, it's the thought that counts....right?
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| Yours truly at Riverside |
The night ended fantastically when Paddo managed to "let his hair down" and join us for a few beers and chat the night away. To top things off I allowed myself to have just one more beer before I left. What an event. What a fantastic showcase of both beers and food. Both Paddo and Tim should be excited that the combination of food and drink can be exotic, even to the uninitiated.
With the addition of a special collaboration beer brewed by Riverside and Cavalier Brewing (which was a Belgian Pale Ale) this better than brilliant Sydney Craft Beer Week event was a joy to be a part of. Both Riverside Brewing and Smokey O's impressed the crowd and delivered something that was nothing short of spectacular. Does life get any better than this? No. Riverside and Smokey O's simply rock this world.
dannbrew@gmail.com
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