It’s no secret that Aussies love their beer and in recent years we’ve seen the rise of craft beers. Many microbreweries are popping up in South East Queensland and one of the best is Heads of Noosa. My eldest son is always going to Noosa, so not surprisingly he told me it is his very favourite beer. Recently this proudly independent and family owned Australian business has branched out and launched here in Brisbane.
Although I’m not a beer drinker all three of my sons love their craft beer, so when invited for a tasting I knew I’d have no shortage of volunteers. My middle son won the toss and we ventured along, with several of our SheSociety friends, to the newly renovated Mary Mae’s at the Powerhouse to sample a range of beers. It was a beautiful night by the banks of the Brisbane River, perfect for whiling away a few hours sipping and chatting with friends, old and new. I spied super chef Josh Lopez, musician George Sheppard from the band Sheppard and even double bass player Phoebe Russell and viola player Nicole Greentree from the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
Heads Of Noosa is the brainchild of Craig and Lance Masterton, two lads who grew up in the northern suburbs of Brisbane, who are now based in idyllic Noosa. Their idea for a smooth drinking beer has been brewing for years. You know when you having a barbie or sitting at the local surf club all afternoon and want to drink a smooth and balanced beer. That’s the lager Heads of Noosa brews.
Lance is head brewer and he says, “ We treat our beer the way we would like to be treated. Our passion lies in making the most humble of beers, the lager. Fermented colder with delicate balance, there is nowhere to hide.”
Craig told us, “ We really focused on the ‘ins and outs ‘ of lager and what makes them good. We set up a little brewery in Lance’s garage first, that was probably the envy of every home brewer. It really served us well. We pumped out some brews and got some consistent results which gave us the confidence to open our own brewery. We’ve probably started out a lot bigger than most people but that will help us grow it easier as we go forwards.”
You can visit their taproom in Noosaville from Wednesday to Sunday from 11am to 6pm and on Fridays they extend the opening hours until 8pm. I’ve also noticed that many Sunshine Coast restaurants and cafes stock Heads of Noosa beers. My local at Twin Waters, The Cock and Hen, are big fans of this brew.
There were four distinct beers to taste on the night. First was the mid – strength Lager 3.5 followed by the Japanese Lager, Summer Dusk and Bock Lager. We also enjoyed the alcohol free Hop Valley H20 Sparkling Hop Water. Matt said, “ It’s very difficult to find a good mid- strength so the 3.5 is very good. Most people would really enjoy this one because it has a crisp mouthfeel, is full flavoured and it would be an easy drinking beer on an afternoon to evening. “
His favourite was the Japanese Lager and he’s not alone. This beer was voted best Lager in the Gabs hottest 100 for 2020. Its proprietary blend of malts gives it a delicate appearance and flavour profile. It’s filtered for a clean and crisp mouthfeel, making it exceptionally palatable.
Craig and Lance said that Summer Dusk was inspired by beautiful Summer evenings in their backyard of Noosa.This lager is refreshing and full – flavoured, boasting a fine amount of specialty dark malts balanced by tropical fruit hop flavours and aromas.
For a stronger lager Matt really enjoyed the Bock Lager which he said, “ ….has a really good, strong caramel toffee flavour and a full mouthfeel.”
The Bock contains a blend of six different malts and is lightly dry hopped. It’s a strong German style lager which is temptingly easy drinking.
We were looked after superbly by the staff at Mary Mae’s and the canapés including mushroom arancini, spicy chicken skewers, fish and chips, ceviche, pumpkin arancini and sweet spoonfuls of gooey chocolate made the beers go down even better. This is a great space for an event overlooking the river and bathed in the twinkling lights of Brisbane.
SheSociety is one of the first to give you the ‘heads up ‘ that you don’t need to drive to Noosa to sample this terrific beer anymore. Heads of Noosa is brewed right here on the beautiful Sunshine Coast and launching in Brisbane is just the start of the dream for the two friendly Masterton brothers. Cheers and beers to that!
Michelle Beesley is a Brisbane born and bred former primary school teacher. A wife, proud grandma and mother of three grown sons, Michelle is thrilled to have recently published her debut contemporary romance novel, It Happened in Paris, with Serenade Publishing. Her novella – Escape to D’ Amour was published in 2019. Michelle’s work can be found in the anthologies – Destination Romance and Short & Sweet. When not reading or writing Michelle can be found at a coffee shop chatting with friends, front row at a fashion show, or beside a rugby union field cheering on her favourite teams.
Michelle is a reluctant traveller, Francophile, keen walker and avid yoga enthusiast plus a book, film and theatre lover who loves everything pink and sparkly (including champagne). You can find Michelle on instagram @michellebeesley_writer and her website: michellebeesley.com.
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