GABS Brewer: Andrew Childs from Behemoth Brewing NZ and Chur Brewing Australia

What sort of beer are you making for GABS?
Chocolate Raspberry Milk Stout.

What’s it called?
Chocolate Fish Milk Stout.

Where did the inspiration come from?
We based this beer off our Beervana people choice Triple Chocolate Milk Stout, tweeked it a bit and added loads of raspberries to the beer. A Chocolate Fish is an iconic New Zealand treat. It is pretty much pink marshmallow covered in chocolate. It is a reward for a job well done in New Zealand and we really wanted to bring that to life in beer form.

What’s the weirdest ingredient you’ve ever added to a beer?
Commercially nothing too crazy. Peppercorn and Orange Peel, Pineapple, Mango, Feijoa, Peaches, 100 per cent smoked malt with smoked chillies. But traditionally we make really hoppy beers and the odd chocolatey or coffee dark beer. Nothing crazy just loads of flavour!

As a home brewer I add Paua (Abelone) to a Stout. It turned out awesome. Very hard to get commercial quantities of that

GABS drinking preference – tasting paddles or a full glass?
Glass! Ive been to a lot of GABS festivals and I think you get to taste them better. It is pretty hard to try everything (and if you did you may not remember all of them). Its more relaxing to try some of the ones you think look best or breweries you really like.

The Great Australasian Beer Spectapular is on May 19-21 at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton, Victoria, May 27 at Sydney Showground Olympic Park, NSW and June 16-17 at ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane, Auckland.