The past year has been pretty crazy for The Grates; they've recruited a new drummer, started their own label, recorded an album in ten days and had a baby!
After playing Splendour last weekend, they're set for an east-coast tour of Australia in the first part of August; and judging by the Top 5 they've supplied, they are a little thirsty to steer the tour van onto the highway.
Over to you Patience.
Two Birds - Pina Colada IPA
Firstly, I should start this list by saying I am no beer nerd; I don’t know the difference between ales or lagers. I know most of a beer’s flavour is to do with hops, and that hops are the cousin of weed. Gosh!Two Birds make great beers, but would you ever drink a Pina Colada and a beer at the same time? Usually not. I don’t want to spoil the magic of this brew by googling why it’s called Pina Colada IPA, I just want to drink heaps of it. Which is surprisingly easy to do. If you are not driving or breastfeeding.
Brew Cult - Keep On Truckin’ Red IPA
This brewery make some really-out there and awesome beer. You know, it’s really good to speak from the heart, and there’s nothing that touches my heart quite like that sour, sweet taste of beer. Because there’s no other beverage quite like beer. Wine just can’t suffice, spirits are too youthful and orange juice can give you stingy wee if you drink it by the pint.The Rocks - Hang Man Pale Ale
Pale ales are the ales for me. They’re more complex than your standard commercial beers, kinda like those kids that spent a few years living in a foreign country when they were little.Pale ales look like normal beer, maybe they’re a little bit darker in colour but what’s colour got to do with anything RIGHT? It’s 2015. They wear pants and put on sunscreen like normal beer but they're undetectably more sophisticated then you are. Thanks a lot mum and dad.
Feral Brewing - Smoked Porter
There’s a pig on fire on this beer’s label. It’s strong, smokey and filling. Like good yankee BBQ. I don’t exactly know how to describe hickory, but whenever I see it on a menu I order that because I know it tastes good. It’s a chilli. Or a spice. Or maybe it’s wood? Whatever, this beer tastes of hickory and that is yum!Mountain Goat x Death Valley - Water Mellon Collie and the Infinite Raddness
So this beer was a collaboration ale between Mt Goat Brewery and John from The Grates (plus our pal Dominique Furphy). John went down and spent two days with one of their master brewers – tough job right – drinking and talking beer, adding hops at the right time AND dehydrated watermelon briefly at the end. Which is the secret because watermelon sucks and this beer doesn’t. It was super delicious.Why is a breastfeeding lady doing a top 5 list of beers? Because I frigging can’t wait to drink one again.
The Grates Tour Dates
Sat 8 Aug - The Triffid (Brisbane)Fri 14 Aug - Oxford Art Factory (Sydney)
Sat 15 Aug - The Corner Hotel (Melbourne)
