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Redback Wheat Beer and Smithswoodside: The Stealth Write-OffApr 05 '02 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line I'd love to drink a Redback with Smithswoodside.
There’s a man from down under, Who came on with a thunder, An absolute positive roar, When he goes into action, He gives satisfaction, And leaves them all begging for more. You might think by my slogan, He’s Gibson, Crowe, or Hogan, But compared to this man they’re a bore. No this master of prose, By name Smithswoodside he goes, Is a legend in Epinions lore. For those of you expecting a beer review, bear with me. It’s coming, I assure you. Perhaps after reading my feeble attempt at poetry, you are already reaching for a beer or some other alcoholic libation to assuage your pain. If you are reaching for a beer, my hopes are that it is a good one, in which I may feel I have accomplished something. Be that as it may, I shall now continue. Ahem. I have never been to Australia, though I would certainly like to go some day. In a way, however, I feel I’ve already been there. That’s because I read the wonderful, informative, and very colorful reviews of one of Epinions very finest writers, SMITHSWOODSIDE. From reading Peter’s wonderful reviews, I know where to go and where not when I visit Australia. I know where to stay, what to wear, and what to do if I get hurt. I know which creatures are friendly and which are not. I also know how to stay out of trouble, I know what to eat, and how much I’ll pay for it. While learning all of this and so much more, I’ve always had the opportunity to laugh with Peter’s inimitable sense of humor. And if I’ve learned anything about Australia through his 400 plus reviews, it is that if there’s one man in Australia I’d love to sit down and have a beer with above all others, it would be SMITHSWOODSIDE. If he’s half as much fun in real life as his writings are, it would be a blast! If I could drink a beer with Smithswoodside, I would choose a Redback Wheat Beer. Like Peter, Redback comes from Australia, but unlike Peter, it is brewed by the Matilda Bay Brewing Company in Western Australia. I have not seen it available here in the United States for some time, and I miss it very much. It’s a great beer. Redback is a wheat beer with an alcohol content of 4.7 percent by volume. It is sold in beautiful brown glass bottles with painted labels that feature a splash of red paint in a white, red-bordered diamond. The beer is named for the redback spider, a species common to Australia and known for its nasty bite. Fortunately, Redback the beer does not have a nasty bite. The spider, like the beer’s bottle, features a red stripe on its swollen black abdomen. It is thought that the spider may not be indigenous to Australia, but rather was introduced here from elsewhere aboard ship. Redback is a wheat beer, and as such was definitely introduced from elsewhere, namely Europe. It is a filtered German styled hefeweizen, without the clove and banana notes featured in unfiltered German versions. It is crisp and golden, eminently drinkable and refreshing and slightly tart in the finish. It is said that in the past this beer did have some notes of clove and banana, but I think as it is right now the brew is perfect for hot Australian weather. It would also be perfect to toast SMITHSWOODSIDE with. Here’s to you, Peter! NOTE: This review is part of a write-off in honor of Peter, who was recently diagnosed with a debilitating illness. Other contributions can be read at: www.writersgetaway.net/write-off.htm I also highly recommend Peter’s thoughts on his condition: http://www.epinions.com/content_2590089348 His courage is truly awe-inspiring.  |
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