On July 25th I visited Goanna Brewing in Mackay. This is a place where you can brew your own beer to one of their recipes. They have 220 different recipes to choose from covering most varieties of beer as well as ciders and ginger beer. They were not able to give me a sample of anything because of the backward licensing laws of Mackay council. However, there were a couple of generous patrons who were bottling their brews who offered me a taste.
I tried recipe 126. Which is a Strong Ale of the English style, 6.4% abv. It has a nice amber brown colour and a rich malt aroma. It has a wonderful malty flavour with hints of toffee. It was delicious. Thanks to Mick for providing the sample.
I also tried recipe 62. This is a Strawberry and Apple Cider 4.8% abv. This Cider is made with all locally grown produce and because of this is seasonal. It has a straw colour and a sweet fruit aroma. The taste is of sweet apple and then strawberries with a nice crisp finish. Thanks go to Sam and Jo for providing this sample.
Goanna Brewing is definitely worth considering if you are in the Mackay area and would like to brew some of your own beer to one of their quality recipes.