GABS Brewer 2016: Bad Shepherd from Melbourne, Victoria

What beer are you making for GABS?

A rich malty brown ale with aromas of banana, chocolate and vanilla and a creamy mouth feel.    

 What’s it called?

Choc Banana Split Brown Ale

Where did the inspiration come from?

This beer was a true collaboration between brewer Dereck Hales and his wife Diti. Inspired by Diti’s love of a strange little choc-banana flavoured candy bar known as a ‘Perky Nana’, this beer pays homage to that surprisingly addictive flavour combination of milk chocolate and banana lollies. Throw in Dereck’s second love, ice-cream, and what we got was a choc banana split beer – a creamy brown ale with chocolatey, dark malty flavours and hit of banana on the nose. 

With some help from brewer Dereck, his wife Diti developed the recipe and brewed a 20L pilot batch. We made a couple of minor adjustments to get the mouthfeel and the choc banana balance right before we brewed it on the big system!

Tell us why you have chosen to brew a Festival Beer for GABS 

For a start, it gives us an opportunity to flex our creative muscles and experiment with beer styles and flavours. It also gives or hardworking team a reason to celebrate and support an industry that we are truly passionate about, amidst so many other fantastic breweries!

Finish this sentence – one thing I would like to change about craft beer is…

its role in mainstream venues – I’d love to see it in the MCG on tap one day (and not from one of the big boys!)

The Great Australasian Beer Spectapular is on May 20-22 at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton, Victoria, May 27-28 at the Australian Technology Park in Eveleigh, NSW and June 18 at ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane, Auckland.