For the launch of this year’s Dog Days Summer Beer, we were invited to Little Creatures in Geelong. While Dog Days is far from being my favourite beer, it was a good opportunity to head down on the V/line to check out the brewery, along with sister brewery White Rabbit. Even thought it’s an hour door-to-door for me, I hadn’t yet been down to check it out.

It also meant we got to spend some time with White Rabbit head brewer, Jeremy Halse, for an upcoming podcast. After tasting barrels, and chatting about what he wants to do with White Rabbit, I definitely came away with more appreciation of what they are about. Tune in to the podcast for greater insight on that. It’s going to be a great listen.

The space itself, both the White Rabbit Barrel Room and Little Creatures hall, is excellent. Even those with less than favourable opinions on Lion/big ownership of craft breweries would be easily seduced by the dual venues. The bustling crowd in Little Creatures, full of families and friends is definitely a sign of a healthy industry; while the more intimate White Rabbit feels like a country cellar door and the Teddywidder (Berliner Weisse) is a beer I would go back for again and again.

Dog Days, admittedly, is more enjoyable in this iteration than the last bottled release. The aroma is great. Packed with grassy citrus – but I’d love a bit more bitterness and flavour in the beer itself. So much promised on the nose, but not quite delivered. Although I’m sure it will find a crowd with summertime drinkers. Interestingly, for now it is brewed in their Freemantle brewery, but canned in West End (Adelaide). A canning line is en route to Geelong at the moment.

Here are some pics of the day. Podcast to come.