Beautiful beer, fabulous food and a wonderfully vibrant venue – this was the Stockade Brew Co. Adelaide launch at The Taxpayer on Thursday evening 10th November.
The Sydney-based boutique brewery is making the most of its newfound partnership with The Taxpayer bar which is located, funnily, in Victoria Square.
The bar has been, up until now at least, a fairly well-kept secret, but the word is spreading; frequented by the white collar crowd from around the CBD, this little hideaway actually does a terrific, steady trade and it’s easy to see why.
A perfect little pour
It has the vibe of a bar you’d expect to find tucked away in gentrified Brooklyn, New York; the décor is slick, modern, unpretentious and instantly welcoming – and the same can be said for the staff.
The star of the show on Thursday night though, was Stockade’s fantastic selection of craft beers.
Each brew was paired with a Taxpayer slider and, credit to the guys in the kitchen, the combinations were just about perfect.
‘Al Capone’ beef and bacon slider
The first beer was the smooth and easy-going ‘Sesh’ Session Ale, paired with the Taxpayer favourite ‘Al Capone’ beef and bacon slider.
Next up, Stockade showcased its heavy-hitting ‘Chop Shop’ Pale Ale, accompanied by the brilliant ‘Paul Hogan’ pulled pork slider with apple cinnamon slaw.
The most interesting amalgamation was that of the German-style ‘Wanderer’ Lager, originally a limited edition that saw a great deal of positive reception, and the ‘Sofia Lauren’ crab slider.
‘Heidi Fleiss’ vegetarian slider with halloumi and mushroom
Finally, we treated our palates to Stockade’s fan favourite, the ‘8bit’ Indian Pale Ale and the ‘Heidi Fleiss’ vegetarian slider with halloumi and mushroom.
As a beer lover who knows virtually nothing about beer, it was interesting to taste the subtle—and not-so subtle—differences between these delicious beers.
The summery, almost fruity flavours of the Session Ale and the IPA contrasted well with the red meat sliders, while the lighter seafood and vegetarian options were complimented by heavier overtones in the Lager and the Pale Ale.
Beer and slider pairings
Stockade Brew Co. beers are becoming increasingly available around Adelaide, but adopted South Australian home will always be The Taxpayer Burger and Booze Bar.
Photography by Alyce James-Tronnolone
