Page 55 - Tropic Magazine Issue 26

TROPIC • CRAFT BEER

1. Mike - Founder and owner of Sauce Brewing Co
2. Pete - Sauce Cairns venue manager

any – a fair answer considering there’s 18 2
beers on tap at any one time.
“We’re all about variety. No favourites, we As for the bottle shop, it’s all about quality
love everything, but we probably tilt in over quantity. “OutSauce is focused on
favour of the hoppier American styles,” local and independent craft beer and
he said. “That said, we make amazing spirits, supporting small businesses and
stouts, including some barrel-aged keeping profits in Australia,” Mike said.
imperials, and some other quirky stuff. “We’re shipping pallets from interstate
We also do some special batch releases so we can bring the cool stuff to Cairns
that are always pushing the boundaries, you wouldn’t normally be able to get, and
and people can come in and taste a few we’ll have a rotating stock to keep things
different ones on a tasting paddle. The interesting. I’m a whisky lover as well as a
whole point is, every time you come in, beer guy, so you can expect a nice range of
there will be something different to try.” whisky in both the bar and the shop.”
Bubble & Squeak (a hazy, juicy, intensely 1 Whether you’re a hop-head, a sour-freak,
aromatic blend of citrus flavours – or you just like good quality, drinkable
practically Tropical North Queensland will drink it, as opposed to the physical ales, Mike reckons there’s something
in a can) and Piss-Weak Sauce (a mid- terroir. Sauce is a really progressive, on- for everyone at Sauce. We can’t help but
strength but hop-heavy session beer) are trend brewery and Cairns has a growing agree.
just two IPAs on offer. Mike’s also created appetite for craft beer, so it’s really
a Frisson Raspberry Hard Seltzer to suit exciting to see the two combine.”
Cairns’ summery climate, as well a tart, If beer isn’t your beverage of choice, MORE: sauce.beer
tangy Peach Berliner Weisse. there’s a nice selection of wines and
Matt Kirkegaard, craft beer aficionado spirits at the bar, and a Wolf Lane cocktail
and founder of Australian Brews News, menu of course. And like all good pubs,
expects these flavour-forward, tropical Sauce also serves up some equally good
tastes to be a hit with locals and tourists grub. The pints are perfectly paired with
alike. a locally-inspired menu by Head Chef
“That’s one of the special things about Kashi Emery, featuring a Tablelands
beer – wine reflects the region where grazing board, ceviche of cured coral
the grapes are grown, but the best beer trout with chilli and citrus zest, and pork
reflects the place it’s made,” he told Tropic. short ribs (slow-cooked in a Sauce beer
“It’s all about what I call the cultural blend) with crispy potato chats, slaw and
terroir, the place and the people who housemade sticky bbq sauce.

55 • tropicnow.com.au