New England Beer - Murray's Craft Brewing Co

In my last post I commented on the demise of the Grafton brewery. I have now discovered a new New England beer. My thanks to the Australian Regional Food Guide for alerting me to it.

In an earlier story on Slim Dusty I referred to his classic song The Pub with no Beer. The pub in question was located at Taylor's Arm (population 50) on New England's Mid North Coast.

I now find that Murray ’s Craft Brewing Co. was launched in December 2005 and is based at the Pub With No Beer. The unconventional brewer has quickly gained a reputation for brewing distinctive and adventurous beers, with the world class quality of its ales recognised not only through a fast-growing following of beer lovers, but also through beer awards.

Murray' s Craft Brewing Co. has won Silver medals for both its entrants in this year’s Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA) - Murray’s Nirvana Pale Ale and Murray’s Sassy Blonde.

With results announced in Melbourne last Thursday, the AIBA is Australia’s most prestigious beer event and the second largest awards of its type in the world. The awards were established in 1987 to reward excellence in the field of brewing and to assist in the promotion of the Australian brewing industry. A renowned barometer of diversity in beer brewing across the world, the 2007 event attracted 941 beers from a record 189 exhibitors across 39 countries.

Murray's Nirvana Pale Ale won Silver in the American Style Pale Ale class and Murray's Sassy Blonde, a Belgian-style Pale Ale believed to be the only beer of its kind brewed in the southern hemisphere, took out a Silver medal in the Other category of Packaged Ales.

The AIBA accolades follow two medal wins at the inaugural Sydney Royal Beer Competition, announced in February this year, which saw Murray's Nirvana Pale Ale receive a Silver medal (the highest award issued), and Murray’s Sassy Blonde a Bronze medal.

"The Silver medals are a great result for our little brewery, given the standard of competition this year. We’re especially thrilled to have our Sassy Blonde recognised at this level among its international peers. We’ve come a long way in just 18 months," says Assistant Brewer, Shawn Sherlock.

You can get a feel for the brewery from this you tube item.

You can buy the beer at the pub or by order. Details can be found on the Murray's site. This also includes a beer blog.