Hop-hop hooray as new brew prepares to make its debut at Hobart’s BeerFest on Princes Wharf

TASMANIA’s newest beer maker will this weekend unveil a drop that harks back to the state’s rich brewing past.

Head brewer Scott Overdorf with a keg of the Amber with Brendan Parnell in Old piners punt, 'Teepookana' Brewing Company's debut drop.

TASMANIA’s newest beer maker will this weekend unveil a drop that harks back to the state’s rich brewing past, when the Hobart Brewing Company makes its BeerFest debut at PW1 with its Harbour Master Tasmanian Ale.

Hobart lawyer and HBC co-founder Brendan Parnell — who will swap pinstripe suit for barman’s uniform during the two-day event — said the inspiration for his company’s first brew came from an era when Tasmania’s natural advantages delivered the finest ale in all the colonies.

“In the 19th century, before the centralisation of beer around the country, Tasmanian beer was considered the best in Australian simply due to the quality of hops, water and malt available,” Mr Parnell said.

“There is now something of a renaissance in brewing going on within the state, and Hobart, being the closest city to ‘hop central’ at Bushy Park, seemed to us the logical location for a new brewing venture and for a name for the business.

“And the name for this beer had to be identifiable with Hobart’s past and present, and to match the ale itself.”

Head brewer Scott Overdorf, a US native whose CV includes stints at Colorado’s Oskar Blues brewery and his current role at Moo Brew, described the Harbour Master Ale as a uniquely Tasmanian beer that contained no less than three varieties of hops grown right here in the state.

“We wanted that hop flavour to be the mainstay of the beer, because in this day of craft beer there are a lot of great examples of American pale ales, as well as English, German and Belgian-style beers,” Mr Overdorf said.

“So Brendan and I wanted to bring the flavour right back to Tassie.”

And the gun brewer is more than happy with HBC’s first hit-out, describing the Harbour Master as an easy-drinking, tightly balanced and “highly sessionable” beer, with a 4.4 per cent alcohol content and rich copper hue.

Beerfest runs today at Princes Wharf No.1, 5-11.30pm and tomorrow, 12pm-10pm