Rare Bird Brewing creates red wheat beer Kanga Brew from barbecued kangaroo

A Melbourne brewery has created a new beer, that’s chock full of ‘hops’ for the Great Australian Beer Spectacular next weekend. Would you drink a kangabrew — beer made from kangaroo?

This Melbourne brewery may have had a few roos loose in the top paddock when making its new beer.

Rare Bird Brewing hopped at the chance to make Kangabrew — a beer made from barbecued kangaroo.

Punters can taste the unusual booze at the GABS Beer, Cider and Food Festival in Melbourne on 17-19 May.

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Rare Bird Brewing’s Brendan Corrie enjoy a Kangabrew beer. Picture: David Caird

Rare Bird Brewing’s Kangabrew will be served at GABS on May 17-19. Picture: David Caird

Tyrant ants, Vegemite, Tim Tam, coffee and doughnuts and pho inspired flavours are among the wacky beers drinkers can try at the festival.

The Hurstbridge brewery, co-founded by three mates, started making Kangabrew late last year.

“We like to make local beers with local ingredients and living out north east near Kangaroo Ground, there’s plenty of them,” co-founder Steve Marshall said.

Kangabrew gets it roo flavour by adding barbecued meat and native pepperberry during the boiling process.

“Think of it like kangaroo pie, it’s got the nice bready, toasty stuff from wheat and then there’s a subtle kangaroo flavour,” Mr Marshall said.

And no, the beer does not carry the bold smell sometimes associated with cooked kangaroo.

“To me it smells like beer, it’s nothing overwhelming,” Mr Marshall said.

The brewery has also made a red hibiscus, beef and a hazelnut porter.

“People are really interested in trying those flavours. We’ve come a long way from the 80s and 90s … people are expecting to find unusual beers and they will seek them out,” Mr Marshall said.

Kangabrew will be sold at selected bottle-shops after GABS.

Rare Bird Brewing Steve Marshall and Brendan Corrie enjoy their Kangabrew beer full of "hops". Picture: David Caird

@kara_irving