Cheers to you, brew

Western Australia continues to produce the best beers in the country, with the state’s beer drinkers’ sophisticated palettes allowing brewers to continue to test tasty award-winning concoctions.

Margaret River’s Colonial Brewing Co. last night won the Cryer Malt Perth Royal Beer Show best commercial beer prize for their Colonial Kolsch.

Colonial was the toast of the awards hosted by beer-loving dancer Paul Mercurio, also winning the Barrett Burston trophy for best ale draught and the Premier’s Trophy for best WA beer in the show.

Chief judge Brendan Varis, head brewer at Feral Brewing Company, said Colonial’s Kolsch “is a world-class example of a top-class beer”.

“The Kolsch beer is a difficult one to make because they are really light in flavour so any faults at all will show through really quickly. This was a technically perfect beer.”

He said the standard of beer being produced by WA brewers was moving forward.

He said the standard of beer being produced by WA brewers was moving forward.

“It’s also great to see iconic WA brands like Red Back picking up awards.

”WA beer drinkers should be grateful and happy to have beers of this quality available to them locally. It’s great to know we have this kind of beer in our own backyard.”

The Cryer Malt Perth Royal Beer Show attracted 300 entries from 65 brewers.

Tops for taste:

Henley Brook’s Mash Brewing best stout draught and best lager draught

Myaree’s Billabong Brewing best stout.

Matilda Bay Brewing Company won best wheat beer draught.

Mr Varis, whose Feral Brewing Company recently took out a slab of top prizes at the Australian International Beer Awards, said WA brewers were more likely to produce extreme beers than brewers from around the country.

The sophisticated tastes of the WA beer-loving public allowed brewers to test different beer styles. Beers featuring hibiscus and black wattle seed provided new flavours for beer.

The sophisticated tastes of the WA beer-loving public allowed brewers to test different beer styles. Beers featuring hibiscus and black wattle seed provided new flavours for beer.

“There were some interesting experimental beers entered this year,” Mr Varis said.

“They represent an opportunity for brewers to explore further over the next few years and their commercial potential could be most interesting.”

Gryphon Brewing Services won the amateur brewer prize, as well as the trophy for best amateur brewer and best ale.

“The exciting thing about this competition was that the best of the amateur beers were very comparable with the best of the commercial beers,” Mr Varis said.

“Those beers came from the people who are serious about making beer and they are doing a very good job of it.”

Source  :  www.watoday.com.au

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Education Tax Refund

The Education Tax Refund (ETR) is a new government initiative to help with the cost of educating primary and secondary school children. It means eligible parents, carers, legal guardians and independent students could get 50% back on some education expenses. This includes items like computers, educational software, textbooks and stationery.

Most people are eligible for the ETR because they receive Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A. However, there are some payments that prevent you from receiving FTB Part A, but which still entitle you to receive the refund. You can also claim the refund if you are an independent student.

You can claim the ETR each financial year for children in primary and/or secondary school, or if you are an independent student. You will be able to claim the refund from 1 July 2009 for the 2008/09 financial year. This means you can claim for items purchased from 1 July 2008. Remember to keep your receipts as they will help you calculate your entitlement and you may be required to produce them as proof of purchase.

You can claim the ETR even if you are not required to lodge a tax return.

For more information, see  http://www.educationtaxrefund.gov.au/about-the-ETR/

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