Welcome to the Woods: USA Craft Beer!

The Woodlands Hotel

The Woodlands Hotel proudly welcomes some of the USA’s best craft breweries for our GBW 2017 “Welcome to the Woods” dinner series, Episode 5.

Join us as we take you on a glorious 6 course journey through the wonder of beer and food matching.

Enjoy brews from some of your favourite USA breweries including, Stone, Victory, Deschutes and more that Head Chef Robert Taylor has carefully created a delicious menu around.

Be entertained by each brewery’s representatives and their tales of a beery life, and pick the brains of our special guests. You’ll get the chance to sample some of these breweries beers at the freshest we here in Australia can get; both on tap, and in the bottle. At the end of the night you’ll also get the chance to purchase a mixed 6 pack of your choosing from our featured beers.

STONE BREWING http://www.stonebrewing.com

Stone Brewing began as the collaboration of beer lover and homebrewer Steve Wagner (Stone’s President and original Brewmaster) and beer geek and entrepreneur Greg Koch (Stones Executive Chairman) in 1996.

After many years of bonding over the love of craft beer, they would regularly get together and discussions revolving around bemoaning the tyrannical oppression of the American beer drinker at the hands of fizzy yellow beer makers (Greg) and lauding the efforts of America’s rising craft brewers (Steve & Greg) during this time, the only possible conclusion became clear: They had to open their own brewery.

Fast forward 21 years later and San Diego-based Stone Brewing is the 10th largest craft brewer in the United States. Known for its bold, flavourful and largely hop-centric beers, Stone has earned a reputation for brewing outstanding, unique beers while maintaining an unwavering commitment to sustainability, business ethics, philanthropy and the art of brewing.

VICTORY BREWING COMPANY http://www.victorybeer.com

In 1973, Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski meet each other on the first day of 5th grade, and became BFF’s for life. During college both discovered a love for good beer and home brewing. A few years later, becoming disillusioned with their corporate careers, both chose to move into apprentice brewing positions to develop their commercial skills.

Fast forward several years with knowledge, experience and a love of quality beer in place, Bill and Ron decided they were ready to open their own brewery near where they first met in Pennsylvania.

Victory Brewing Company opened its doors to the public on Feb. 15, 1996. What was once a Pepperidge Farm factory became home to a 144-seat restaurant, 70-foot-long bar and a full-scale brewery. In its first year, Victory Brewing Company brewed 1,725 barrels of beer.

Since then Victory has consistently expanded as loyal craft beer drinkers continue to show their dedication to flavourful, quality beer. With a commitment to sustainability, and a belief that quality ingredients are the only way to brew the very best beer, Victory is known for being one of only a small handful of breweries in the USA that exclusively uses whole flower hops in the brewhouse to provide fuller flavour and a better aroma in the final product. Onward to Victory!

DESCHUTES BREWERY https://www.deschutesbrewery.com/

As a family and employee-owned brewery, Deschutes believes every pint of beer worth brewing is worth sharing—with friends, family, and even the stranger you just met on the barstool next to you. This has been the blueprint of Deschutes’ DNA since their modest beginnings in 1988 as a small public house in downtown Bend, all the way through to the present. Every Deschutes Brewery pint shared has a healthy dose of community, experimentation, and ingenuity. It’s crafted with plenty of balance and drinkability and invested with quality and consistency.

Brewing amazing craft beer isn’t the only thing that Deschutes are known for; Deschutes Brewery has lived by the words “do your best and next time do it better” since the day their doors opened in 1988. Going the extra mile to do the right thing wherever possible is built into their standard operating procedure.

When drinking Deschutes beer, you not only experience deliciousness, but you can feel good knowing that these guys put everything into the sustainability of their operation; in 2016 the Business Intelligence Group named Deschutes as a global sustainability leader as part of the 2016 Sustainability Awards program for actions such as working with the Deschutes River Conservancy, to restore one billion gallons of water into the Deschutes River every year, to offset what they use to brew their damn tasty beer.

So settle in and let the Woodlands Hotel treat you to a night of amazing beer, delicious food and beautiful company.

First course will be served at 7pm sharp and we are aiming to have everything wrapped up by 10.00pm.

Dining will be on communal tables. If you’re planning on dining with others, but purchasing tickets individually please follow the steps in the booking process so we can sit you all together.

Please note: There will be a vegetarian option available. There is no disabled access to our upstairs dining room.