While we definitely lean towards the traditional styles here at Slow Lane, we’re also open to putting our spin on new world beer styles. And why not add a little Slow Lane touch to the classic Hazy IPA combo of Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe hops. After all, many of our beers are already naturally hazy due to can-conditioning! Same But Different is  refreshingly dry and bitter with yeast derived fruity esters complimenting the hop profile.

In our opinion, rye is an under-used grain in brewing compared to its more popular cousins barley, wheat and oat. We’re excited to give it time to shine in this beer. The use of rye increased the complexity of this beer by contributing a spicy quality and also lends a smooth rounded mouthfeel. The Time is Rye is a dark sour brewed with both malted and unmalted rye. It was aged in oak barrels for 12 months with a mixed culture of Belgian Abbey and Brett yeast, together with Pedio souring bacteria.

Baltic Porter is a regional adaptation of English-style Porter by the countries around the Baltic Sea. Owing to the cold climate in the region, it is stronger than a typical Porter and is cold fermented with lager yeast rather than ale yeast. Frozen Sea is smooth and full bodied with a rich malty sweetness.

Previous releases:

- Aug 2021

Grisette is a historical style of beer from Belgium’s southern Hainaut province. It was originally brewed to quench the thirst of local miners. Like traditional recipes, it is low in alcohol and brewed with a large amount of wheat that gives it a light body and refreshing nature. The German and Czech hops contribute moderate bitterness with floral and spicy notes. Yeast driven fruity esters round out the flavour profile.

Previous releases
- November 2021
- January 2021
- July 2020

Bitters were the dominant beer style in English pubs from the 1960s to the 1990s, until it was surpassed by light lagers. Amber coloured and surprisingly full of flavour given their low alcohol content, they are arguably the ultimate session beer. Keep it Real is our modern interpretation of a traditional Bitter, brewed with all English ingredients and can conditioned so that the flavours will continue to develop over time.

Munich Dunkels were the most common German beer until technological advances in the late 19th century made pale lagers easier to produce. Our lagers are inspired by the rustic unfiltered Kellerbiers from the Franconian region of Germany. Before Dawn showcases the rich and complex flavour of dark Munich malt.

Previous releases:
- June 2021

Once upon a time believed to have health benefits (and even prescribed by doctors), oatmeal stouts were extinct for a few decades and then brought back in the 1980s. Rich and hearty, with roast and chocolate flavours, this beer is a winter favourite. Oaty was made with a high proportion of oats to give it an extra smooth texture. 

Previous releases:

- May 2021

Old Ale is a strong, dark and malty British beer style that, as the name suggests, is aged for long periods of time. Like historic versions, Not Too Heys was aged in oak barrels with Brettanomyces. Mahogany in colour with nutty, plum, caramel, wood and leather notes. Nicely balanced between the moderate sweetness, substantial bitterness and light acidity.

Weissbier (wheat beer) originated in Bavaria in the 16th century. At the time, the ruling dynasty controlled production, only giving a privileged few the right to brew wheat beer (Weissbierregal). Regal Authority is our rendition of an original 16th century Weissbier. We fermented it in wooden barrels for 4 months and like most beers of that historical era, it is naturally sour due to the microflora living within the wood.

Until the 1960s, milds were the most popular beer style in England. To Put It Mildly is a dark mild, a malty beer with a wide range of flavours including caramel, toast, roast, toffee, chocolate and dark fruits. The hops are mostly added to provide supporting bitterness with the focus on the malt and to a lesser extent the yeast derived fruity esters. A well balanced beer that is super drinkable and full of flavour for its low strength.

Quake is our hazy pale ale that is fermented with a strain of the centuries old Norwegian Kveik yeast (pronounced similarly to Quake). This beer features expressive yeast character, solid bitterness and a dry finish. This batch uses Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand. These hops are known for having a distinct and complex flavour profile with tropical fruit and black pepper notes. 

Previous releases
- June 2021
- October 2020
- May 2020: Loral hops

Altbier is the traditional beer of the German city Dusseldorf. A copper coloured, smooth and well-balanced ale. It is fermented at cooler temperatures than typical ales to give it a cleaner finish. Altbier is rarely seen outside of Dusseldorf, yet inside many of the city’s pubs it is the only beer served.

Previous releases:

- October 2021

A collaboration with our friends at the Hopsters Cooperative Brewery. Awakening started out as a no-boil mixed fermentation Berliner Weisse style beer, before we dry hopped it with Lotus, a unique new hop out of the US. Lotus brings a strong aroma of orange and vanilla, supported by berry and tropical fruit notes. The delicate nature of the base beer allows the hop flavours to really show through and the Brett adds complexity through fruity esters and hop biotransformation.

This is our version of a Berliner Weisse, at one time the most popular alcoholic drink in Berlin. Staying true to traditional brewing methods, it is a mixed fermentation beer that contains live Lactobacillus souring bacteria and underwent a secondary fermentation with Brettanomyces for over three months. It was also not boiled during the brewing process to emphasise the raw, bready flavour of the German pilsner and wheat malts. It is very pale, refreshingly acidic, highly effervescent and has subtle Brett derived fruity esters.

Previous releases
- November 2021
- June 2021
- December 2020
- July 2020

While Brettanomyces (‘Brett’) yeast is known for producing the funky flavours and aromas in wild ales, it was actually first isolated from British stock ales, hence its name meaning ’British Fungus’ in Greek. It is believed that Brett living within the wooden barrels used to age these stock ales gave them their distinctive complexity and smoothness. Taking Stock was aged in oak barrels for eight months with the specific Brett strain that was originally isolated from these stock ales.

Bear Hug is an Oud Bruin style sour, otherwise known as a Flanders Brown. It was aged for 16 months in oak barrels, before being can conditioned for a further 5 months. This long aging period allows the Pediococcus bacteria to develop the desired sourness and also results in the malt profile acquiring some sweet sherry like flavors. A complex blend of dark malts and fruity esters, with balanced sweetness and sourness.

Royal Talus is a complex IPA combining the flavours of the Talus hop, Brettanomyces yeast and oak barrel aging. Talus is a unique hop out of Pacific Northwest USA displaying bold fruit, floral, and wood aromas. These fruit and floral components are amplified by the Brettanomyces yeast. The five months barrel aging then complements the hop derived wood aromas with subtle oak flavours.

Named after the month of May, Maibocks are a strong malty German lager brewed for the transition from cooler to warmer weather. While having substantial strength and body, in line with the bock style, it is a light amber colour compared to the darker Winter bocks. Maibocks are also distinguished by their noticeable bitterness and hop character.

Kolsch is a light, dry and hoppy ale originating from the German city of Cologne. A true Kolsch is required to be brewed according to rules within the Kolsch Konvention. These rules include that it’s brewed within 50km of Cologne, filtered and served in a 200mL cylindrical glass called a Stange. This is our version brewed 16,575km from Cologne, unfiltered and more than likely not served in a Stange.

Previous releases

- October 2021

Simple Coercion was brewed with high protein grains to give a full body without excessive sweetness. Simcoe hops are added throughout the brewing process contributing tropical fruit, citrus and woody aromas. It was also fermented with two expressive yeast strains that produce fruity esters and promote hop biotransformation.

Previous releases:

- August 2021

Hefeweizens are a traditional German wheat ale with the name literally translating to “yeast wheat”. They are the original hazy beer, having a cloudy look due to the yeast strain used and the large amount of wheat. While popular in its motherland, hefeweizens remain an underrated style, especially in Australia. Classic Haze was brewed using old world methods. It was open fermented to help the yeast develop the desired complex flavours and can conditioned to achieve the required high carbonation levels. 

Previous releases
May 2021
Sep 2021

Tripels are a strong pale beer that have been brewed in Belgium since the 1930’s. The name originates from when breweries marked their beers with X’s according to their strength.Those marked with three X’s being referred to as a Tripel. Threefold has complex yeast derived flavours from an initial open fermentation and a second fermentation in the can. This beer is highly carbonated just like the original Belgian Tripels. 

Previous releases
Mar 2021
Nov 2021

This beer is inspired by the lower strength ‘single’ beers traditionally produced by Trappist breweries in Belgium. Trappist breweries are located within monasteries with resident monks overseeing the brewing. Monks brewed these ‘single’ beers for their own consumption in the monastery refectory. This is a refreshing ale brewed with all Belgian malt paired with spicy and fruity yeast and hop driven flavours.

Previous releases
Nov 2021
Jul 2021
Dec 2020
May 2020

Morning Light is a golden sour fermented and aged in wine barrels with Belgian Saison yeast, Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus. Fermenting directly in the four barrels gave the microflora living in the oak greater opportunity to develop unique characters. Morning Light was aged in barrels for 18 months and can conditioned a further 3 months before release. 

The biggest of all Belgian beers, Quadrupels follow the monastic tradition of naming beers by their alcoholic strength. Fourfold like traditional quadrupels is characterised by intense caramel, dark sugar and malty sweet flavours. Filled with dark fruit aromas and notes of raisin, dates and figs, this beer is a great candidate for aging in the cellar.

We love our New Zealand hops, so it was only natural that we would brew a beer with the latest hop out of NZ. A hop variety that’s over a decade in the making, Nectaron produces amazing tropical fruit, stone fruit and citrus characters. A well balanced hazy pale ale, Nectorius displays moderate bitterness and expressive yeast character.

This beer started out as our traditional no-boil mixed fermentation Berliner Weisse style beer with live Lacto souring bacteria. It underwent a four month long secondary fermentation with Brett ‘wild’ yeast including two months aging on pineapple. We used a Brett strain that produces pineapple aromas to further accentuate the pineapple flavour.

Previous releases:
August 2021

Simplicity is an unfiltered Helles, a pale lager style produced predominately in Southern Germany. Medium bodied and malt focused with only a touch of bitterness from the spicy German hops. Perfect for reminding you that the simple things in life are often the best!

Melody is an unfiltered Vienna Lager. Reddish-copper in colour, smooth and malty, with some toffee and bready flavours. Restrained hop usage with just enough bitterness provide a balanced finish. First introduced in Vienna in the 1840s, it is a style now rarely seen outside of craft breweries, even in its homeland.

When we were asked to choose a beer style to brew for the NZ Hops Challenge, we decided to play it safe by making a... barrel fermented sour brett IPA. Rise Up showcases Nelson Sauvin hops which are known for their distinctive New World white wine characters. This is combined with refreshing acidity,  fruity brett derived esters and subtle oak influence.

Our take on a hazy pale ale with solid but well integrated bitterness and minimal sweetness. This beer was open fermented with an expressive yeast strain. We used the NZ hop Motueka which blends citrus and tropical aromas with some floral and spicy/herbal flavours from its noble hop heritage.

Previous releases:
March 2021

Best Wishes is our strong golden Belgian style Christmas ale, taking inspiration from Brasserie Dupont’s famous Bons Voeux holiday beer. Doing away with the dark malts and spices that are commonly used in Christmas beers, we think Best Wishes is a great fit for an Aussie Christmas lunch on a hot summer’s day. Lots of richness from the Belgian pilsner malt and complexity from the farmhouse yeast, yet still refreshing due to the dry finish and high carbonation.

This beer started out as our traditional no-boil mixed fermentation Berliner Weisse style beer with live Lacto souring bacteria. It underwent a four month long secondary fermentation with Brett ‘wild’ yeast including seven weeks aging on peaches. The delicate nature of the base beer allows the fruit flavours to really shine through.

Continuum is the follow up to the first beer we ever brewed, Foundation. A farmhouse ale open fermented with a Belgian Saison yeast strain, then aged in oak barrels with Lacto souring bacteria and Brett yeast for 16 months. Very dry, highly carbonated with pleasant acidity and fruity and spicy yeast esters.

Previous releases
March 2021

A blurring of styles, this beer takes inspiration from all around the world. Starting with a golden bodied malt base of Australian and German origin (including some haze creating grains). We then use New Zealand hops to give it a prominent bitterness in the vein of American IPAs. Finally we open ferment the beer with a Belgian Abbey yeast strain. An interesting blend of both hop and yeast derived spicy and fruity notes.

New Zealand produces some of our favourite hop varieties. We went all out with this hazy pale ale featuring all three of our favourites - Motueka, Nelson Sauvin and Riwaka. Full bodied, moderately bitter and featuring expressive yeast character.

Marzenbier or March beer is a medium bodied amber lager that is the traditional beer served at Oktoberfest. Why is a beer drunk in October named a March beer you ask? Originally it was brewed in March as a 16th century Bavarian rule prohibited brewing between April and September. This was due to the increased spoilage of beer by wild yeast and bacteria during these warmer months.

Dunkelweizens are a traditional German dark wheat ale. Classic Dark Haze was made in the traditional manner, open fermented to give the characteristic banana and clove yeast flavours. It was can conditioned with high carbonation to achieve a creamy texture. German wheat beers are the original hazy beers having a cloudy appearance due to suspended yeast and wheat proteins.

Doppelbocks are a strong, rich and malty lager originally brewed by Bavarian monks in the 17th century. Designed to sustain the monks while they abstain from solid foods during the 40 day Lent period, doppelbocks earned the nickname ‘Liquid Bread’. Disclaimer: We do not condone 40 day beer-only diets.

Return Walker is a sessionable hazy pale ale showcasing single farm Riwaka hops, direct from Eggers Hop Farm in New Zealand. Grapefruit and passionfruit aromas with a full body and mouthfeel. Fermented with an expressive yeast strain contributing fruity esters to complement the hop derived fruity flavours.

Russian Imperial Stouts are known to be the strongest of all stouts. Originally brewed in London in the late 18th century for export to Russia, they were a favourite of Catherine the Great, the Russian empress at the time. Entirety is big and intense, with rich roast and chocolate flavours. We used an extended seven hour boil to give it a very full bodied mouthfeel. It was then aged in bourbon barrels for eight months adding more bold flavours.

Barleywines are so named as they are a showcase of intense malted barley flavour and have wine-like alcohol strength. With this Cellar Worthy release, we used an extended eight hour boil to create complex melanoidins that contribute toffee and caramel notes. It was then aged in bourbon barrels for eight months adding more bold flavours.
If cellared this beer should continue to develop positive characteristics for many years.

Russian Imperial Stouts are known to be the strongest of all stouts. Originally brewed in London in the late 18th century for export to Russia, they were a favourite of Catherine the Great, the Russian empress at the time. Entirety is big, bold and intense, with rich roast and chocolate flavours. We used an extended five hour boil to give it a very full bodied mouthfeel.

Barleywines are so named as they are a showcase of intense malted barley flavour and have wine-like alcohol strength. Cellar Worthy is made in the English style with traditional Maris Otter barley known for its rich malty flavour. We used an extended five hour boil to create complex melanoidins that contribute toffee and caramel notes. This is a perfect late night sipping beer. If cellared it should continue to develop positive characteristics for many years.

Previous releases:
September 2020

Solitude is a rich and malty ale with a dry finish. It showcases the complex dark fruit and spicy notes from the Belgian Abbey yeast. To achieve this complex yeast character, we took inspiration from the traditional methods employed by Belgium’s Trappist breweries and fermented the beer in open tanks, allowing the temperature to free rise during fermentation.

Hop Barn started out as a mixed fermentation farmhouse ale with a Brettanomyces yeast strain known for producing fruity flavours. Prior to packaging, we generously dry hopped it with Mosaic hops. Complex hop driven tropical fruit flavours and aromas combined with the fruity esters from the Brettanomyces yeast.

Table beers are light bodied, low alcohol beers that were popular in medieval Belgium and France. They were designed as a casual beer that could be enjoyed by the masses at mealtimes. Our version includes a large percentage of wheat and oats to provide additional body. It is fermented with a mixed culture of Saison yeast, Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus to provide complex yeast derived flavours.

Flemish Red Ales are often referred to as the Burgundy of Belgium due to their deep reddish-brown hue and wine-like characteristics. Outback Sky is our interpretation of a Flemish Red Ale. Brewed with a blend of Belgian Abbey and Brettanomyces yeast together with Lactobacillus  and Pediococcus souring bacteria. Aged for 11 months in ex-wine barrels. Complex flavours of cherry and oak with balanced acidity.

Monument started out as dark farmhouse style beer with rye malt and flaked wheat. After a primary open fermentation with a Saison yeast strain, we put it into ex-wine barrels with Brettanomyces yeast and Pediococcus souring bacteria. It was aged for 9 months in the barrels followed by a further 6 weeks can conditioning. Complex flavours of chocolate, liquorice and dark fruit with pleasant acidity and a dry finish.

This beer starts out as our traditional no-boil mixed fermentation Berliner Weisse style beer with live Lacto souring bacteria and Brett yeast. We then ferment it on mango and passionfruit for a further three months. A super refreshing fruit filled experience with some funk from the Brett yeast.

Previous releases
August 2020

Hoppy sour beers have traditionally been difficult to produce as the lactic acid bacteria that gives the beer its sourness is inhibited by hops. A unique brewing yeast strain (Lachancea) has been recently been discovered, on a tree in a Philadelphia graveyard of all places, that naturally produces lactic acid during fermentation. We made this beer with Lachancea yeast, followed by a secondary fermentation with a fruity Brettanomyces strain. Hopped with new world American hops during the boil and dry hopped prior to packaging.

Old Russet started out as a Belgian Dubbel style brown ale. The Special B malt and Dark Candi Syrup combined with the Belgian Abbey yeast contribute flavours of burnt sugar, caramel, raisins, figs and chocolate. Taking inspiration from Flemish Brown Ales, we then aged it in oak barrels for over six months with various Brett strains and Pedio souring bacteria. The final product has a complex dark fruit profile with pleasant sourness and a wine-like character.

Botany Weisse is our version of a Berliner Weisse sour German wheat beer. Like traditional recipes, it undergoes a secondary Brett fermentation for added complexity. We aged this beer for six months including three months on apricot. It was also dry hopped with German Hallertau Blanc hops contributing additional fruity flavours.

Farmhouse ales are an old European tradition. Farmers would brew beer from their own grains for consumption on the farm. They would often use non-barley grains such as wheat and oats. As these beers were fermented in wood vessels, they would be exposed to wild yeasts giving them a rustic character. This beer was open fermented then aged in red wine barrels.  Dry, well carbonated with fruity and spicy yeast driven flavours.