I’ve decided to review something a little different this time round but don’t panic, it still requires beer.

Beerbird is a handy little cooking device that is available at your local BCF for $19.95. It will help you cook the most succulent chicken you’ve ever tasted and I can vouch for this. Let’s look at how it works. Firstly you need to buy a whole chicken, and then you need to prepare that chicken. Luckily enough the Beerbird comes with a handy recipe book. If for some reason yours didn’t or you lost it you can download a copy here. There are seven different recipes to choose from in this book and I decided to go with the Italian Beer Chicken. Once you have chosen your recipe and prepared the chicken to your satisfaction you now have reached the hardest part of the Beerbird process, deciding what beer you want to insert in it and yes I said insert. Unfortunately this product requires you to use canned beer and we all know that there aren’t many great beers readily available in that form so I went with a low carbohydrate option, with a 375ml can of Pure Blonde. Ok, now that the hard part is over quench your thirst and drink one third of the beer. Then insert the opened can up the chicken’s ass, shove it right up there, now you’re ready to cook. You have one of two options either to barbeque it or cook it in the oven. I decided on the latter purely due to the fact my BBQ may not have had adequate room to use the Beerbird correctly. The Beerbird must be used upright and this means the rear end of the chicken facing downwards with the head or what’s left of it facing upwards.

The strange thing about the Beerbird is that one would assume it evaporates the beer during the cooking process thus producing a moist succulent chicken but guess what that’s not the case. The recipe book confirms this and so did the can when I removed it after cooking, I was surprised to notice that nearly all of the golden liquid was still there, unfortunately it was just a tad too hot to drink not that I would have after knowing where it had been. Cooking time varies but expect to wait a minimum of two hours before you can start devouring your tasty Beerbird chicken.

My experience with the Beerbird was fantastic. It really did produce a mouth watering, succulent chicken that my family and I enjoyed. It’s also easy to use and non expensive. I highly recommend you try this innovative product and share it with your family like I did. Next time it’s the barbie for my Beerbird!

BeerAdvice rating (out of five):

‘The Original Pilsner’ or so the bottle says. Pilsner Urquell is brewed and bottled in the Czech Republic in a city called Pilsen also known as Plzeň. One is likely to think that a ‘Pilsner’ brewed in a city call ‘Pilsen’ would make for a great beer? Well guess what, it does.

First of all let’s discuss something important to everyone these days, the cost. For a fully imported brew Pilsner Urquell won’t break the bank, the six-pack I bought for this review cost $16.99 from Dan Murphy’s and you can currently pick up a carton of them from BWS for $44.80, but be quick as this price ends on Sunday.

Pilsner Urquell means ‘The Pilsner from the original source.’ It was given that name in 1898 as the people of Pilsen did not want it to fall under the generic definition of a Pilsner which is a beer brewed using bottom fermenting yeast. This beer is certainly anything but generic. It pours a medium golden colour leaving a quick disappearing small head. Aroma from this brew is sweet and floral like. The taste is very smooth & pleasant even if it does start off bitter. Pilsner Urquell is very easy to drink. It leaves you refreshed and wanting more.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable Pilsner and can be great value if bought at the right time. It makes for a perfect session beer and I know what I will be drinking this coming Australia Day even if it’s not Australian….but then most likely neither are the clothes or shoes you’ll be wearing come Tuesday!

BeerAdvice rating (out of five):

Another year over, a new one has just begun and what better way to start 2010 than with a review of a limited edition brew.  My Wife’s bitter is proudly produced by the Burleigh Brewing Company which also makes Duke European-Style Premium Lager which I enjoyed and reviewed here.  Burleigh Brew Master Brennan Fielding named this beer after his wife Peta who in return said that “I’d like to think the beer hasn’t been named about me; it has been named for me”.

Like any decent limited release, this beer is hard to get.  It was limited to 400 cases in the initial release and as for this second release your guess is as good as mine.  Your best bet of finding it is to check your local Vintage Cellars where I found my bottle.  It will cost you about $8 but don’t despair as this brew comes in a 650ml amber bottle.  The bottle itself is enough to make you want to buy it, sporting a red & white colour scheme with a bikinied girl who in my opinion doesn’t look very bitter.   I’m glad this beer was released a second time around because it is delicious and I missed it on the first occasion, as I’m sure many others did.

My Wife’s Bitter is filtered through local lava rock and has Burleigh Brewing’s coastal twist thrown in to mix up the taste of their interpretation of a classic style English bitter.  This bitter pours a clear copper colour with little head which quickly vanishes.  It lacks carbonation but not enough to discourage me from drinking it and it has a sweet floral aroma.  On the palate the beer boasts a roasted full body taste with hints of caramel with a fruity undertone.  Overall it’s a delight to drink.

My advice to whomever may be reading this is to get out off your chair and go grab a bottle of this unique brew before the current limited release runs out, cause you never know it may just be the last time it’s ever made.

BeerAdvice rating (out of five):

Beeradvice would like to wish everyone a happy & safe Christmas, followed by an amazing New Year!

We look forward to bringing you more reviews in 2010 and hopefully with a new look site so stay tuned.

Why is it that only up until now I’ve never heard of Barons Brewing? Well actually that’s not entirely the case, cause if you look below you’ll see the current brands that Barons Brewing lovingly create and I know that I’ve definitely tried one or two of them or maybe more.

From what started as an Australian Independent beer company, Barons Brewing is now recognised on a global scale. Only five years in and Barons Brewing now has breweries in Australia, Belgium, China, England and Singapore. Why is this you might ask? Well if Barons Lager is anything to go by it’s the taste!

To begin with, this brew has absolutely no additives or preservatives and it really does taste that way. The inspiration behind this brew was the German Pilsner Munich Helles which was created by the Germans back in the late 1800’s to compete with Czech Pilsners. It had a malty taste with spicy hop characteristics but was more subdued than its Czech counterparts. ‘Helles’ is German for ‘Bright’. Oddly enough some of the ingredients used to make Barons Lager are sourced from Germany and the Czech Republic, talk about in keeping with the countries of origin. This brew is very crisp on the palate and has a wonderful refreshing finish about it. I could drink this lager all night long. It has a sweet inviting floral aroma and pours a strong white head with a rich golden colour. There are only two minor problems with this beer and they are, cost and availability. For a local lager the cost is quite high and again, for a local brew availability isn’t that crash hot, I was only able to source this beer at my local Liqourland and that was purely by accident.

In conclusion this lager was definitely one of my favourites to date and I will happily purchase it again…if I can find it.

BeerAdvice rating (out of five):

BWS currently have an E-Voucher for Löwenbräu Original beer, for the purchase of a six pack for $10 but hurry this offer ends next Sunday the 1st November 2009. Unfortunately we haven’t reviewed this beer yet but will be doing so in the near future. For the time being here’s what I can tell you about it – Löwenbräu Original is a premium lager made in Germany, need I say more. A bottle of this German brew has 5.2% alcohol, is crisp & refreshing and it goes down well making it a good choice for a session with friends. Until the review is up, why not give it a try while it’s on special and let us know your thoughts, cheers!

Britain is the home of cider, the ancient drink which is essentially beer made out of fermented apple juice presenting a perfect balance of fruit and sugars to decant a delicious clean, crisp refreshing alternative to beer. Apart from being an alternative to beer, cider offers drinkers some health benefits, as it is high in antioxidants. Cider aficionados’ scoff at these mass-market offerings on the shelves these days, saying they are pale imitations of what cider can be if some care and craft are applied to its production.

Last month we spoke about 5 Seeds and how it is marketed as part of the Tooheys Extra Dry family, pitched to younger drinkers and women. Tooheys isn’t the first Australian beer maker to offer cider, but it will be the first to really push it into your consciousness. Having tasted and enjoyed 5 Seeds sparkling cider I can say this is a clear winner in the battle of the ciders. I have found whilst some ciders present an acidity that is sharp, lean, full flavoured and completely refreshing 5 Seeds is not only light in colour, light in character, but you can drink lots of it in a “session” without being overwhelmed by its flavour. It is smooth to the palate and delivers maximum refreshment without leaving you with that pub smell of beer.

5 Seeds is a truly fun drink to facilitate a taste sensation and one that is smooth enough to enjoy time after time.

BeerAdvice rating (out of five):

Well basically this is Victoria Bitter’s first attempt at penetrating the low carbohydrate market and frankly it’s a poor one at that.  I understand that VB have a hard reputation to lift but this new lager simply doesn’t cut it and here’s why.

Hearing the news of a new low-carb lager I honestly thought that VB may have been onto a winner but unfortunately that’s not the case, excuse the pun.  VB Raw turned out to be the mysterious free beer which I filled a survey out for a month ago and had posted on the BeerAdvice News section here.  A six pack showed up at my front door neatly wrapped in what looked like a recycled cardboard box with each bottle delicately encased in green gift wrap along with a VB Raw pamphlet.  Now in terms of marketing and packaging I would give this beer 5/5 but regrettably that’s not what I review.  As mentioned earlier, this beer is marketed towards the low-carb section and the younger generation of beer consumers.  Its carbohydrate rating comes in at 1.9 grams per 100ml which when compared to a similar low-carb lager such as Bavaria Blonde’s 0.9 grams per 100ml, it doesn’t fare that well.  The worst part for me with this beer was the taste, or lack thereof.  I find myself thinking long and hard on how to describe the taste but my thoughts lead me to consider it as bland – it almost tastes as though it was watered down.  There is no lingering taste whatsoever and it leaves your tastebuds saying ‘is that it?’  It has only a small amount of carbonation and pours with a nearly non-existent head.  The smell is slightly sweet and the colour is a light shade of yellow.

I would like to thank www.inthemix.com.au for supplying me with a six pack of this beer for free, because if I were to have paid for it I would have been severely disappointed.

BeerAdvice rating (out of five):

I came across this Australian made brew purely by accident one night on the town after visiting the Sky Room in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.  As I approached the bar I soon realised that the majority of my well known and regular ‘night out’ brews were nonexistent.  Quickly assessing my surroundings I noticed the blue label of Duke in the hands of many at this bar and with that knowledge I made my purchase – Duke Lager European-Style Premium Lager.

Much to my surprise this lager is not only brewed in Australia but brewed at one of my favourite holiday destinations, Burleigh Heads.  Naturally brewed and bottled by the Burleigh Brewing Company, in you guessed it, Burleigh Heads makes this an attractive beer in my books.  It contains no preservatives or additives and is not heat pasteurised which in case you were wondering is the process of heating beer to a certain temperature which in turn kills all yeast and bacteria good or bad that may be residing in it.  Most mainstream beers are pasteurised to provide a more stable product with a longer shelf life but in turn result in the brew having its natural flavour altered.  When poured, this beer has a light golden appearance with a decent amount of carbonation.  I didn’t notice much head in my glass but the taste was certainly noticeable; sweet, crisp and refreshing the way a good lager should be and this brew certainly does have some European characteristics to it.  A sweet floral smell is exuded from the golden liquid.  Remember, that like all other lagers, this one is no exception and should be served cold; the bottle recommends a chilly 6 degrees.

Though this may have been an accidental find for me I now know that I will reach for it with confidence.  Overall Duke European-Style Premium Lager makes for one easy drinking brew that is not only crisp and refreshing but full tasting in a good way.  Well done Burleigh Brewing Company!  I for one look forward to trying more of your tasty creations.

BeerAdvice rating (out of five):

Lion Nathan has launched a new addition to their Tooheys Extra Dry range, 5 Seeds.

Have a guess what type of beer this actually is?  Cider!

5 Seeds has been produced by the same people that made the popular Tooheys Extra Dry brew which is reassuring to know.  It’s a medium cider reported to have slightly tangy apple characteristics coming through in both the flavour and aroma.  Real apple juice sourced from Braeburn apples is used in this cider to produce a very light coloured beverage that in appearance can be compared to white wine.  The aptly chosen name 5 Seeds, refers to when a perfect apple is cut in half across the core and in theory should reveal five seed chambers each with one seed in it.   I can’t say I’ve ever had a perfect apple but obviously the creators of this beer have.

Unfortunately I have yet to see this cider make an appearance at my local bottle store but I am optimistic it will be on the shelves shortly awaiting my review.  This is new territory for Lion Nathan so if you have already tried it, please post your comments below as we are all keen to know.