Thumbs up for bitter: Men's Shed crew taste tests new brew
SIXTY-ONE years since he tasted the first batch of Grafton Bitter, David Abrahams was the first man to taste the resurrection.
Mr Abrahams attended a party in Yamba at the house of Chester Shaw, who had secured the first keg from the original brewery in 1951.
David thought the beer was very good, as did Warren Moss who regaled the small crowd with stories from the "snake-pit" where all the brewery workers used to drink.
According to Phil Withers from Thunder Road Brewery - the company remaking the beer - the feedback and support from local publicans has been very strong.
"Ninety-nine per cent of the publicans we have spoken to have said they were willing to put the beer on tap," said Mr Withers.
He then spoke about the effective duopoly the major brewers hold over the Australian public, defining what we drink by dictating what is available.
"Grafton to us is a place that carries a lot of the history of independent brewing with it," said Mr Withers.
"We're hoping the pubs can fly that independent flag along with us."
Mr Withers finished by saying he hoped the beer would also help draw the people of Grafton out to the pub, as it is a tap-only product.
