The Winston -- Batch Brewing Dinner
168 Caroline Chisholm Dr
Winston Hills, Sydney
The Knights ventured off to The Hills district for a unique craft beer event held at The Winston Hotel and hosted by The Batch Brewing Co. The Winston’s modern stylings and open spaces create a warm and sociable atmosphere, whilst still retaining the character of a classic hotel.
The perfect setting for a fun but insightful night into the world of craft beer! On arrival we were greeted by the boys from The Batch Brewing Co., who detailed the history of their boutique brewery located in Marrickville and, most importantly, their 4 Batch ales specially brewed for tonight’s event to match the 4 delicious courses provided by The Winston.
Now, onto our first starter for the evening...Beef Tartare with wasabi avocado on a crisp wonton! Don’t let the wasabi turn you off this dish! The avocado complemented the tartare very nicely with the wasabi giving the flavour a slight kick everyone would enjoy. The perfect starter to a great night ahead. With this dish we were treated to the first craft beer of the night - a pint of classic American Pale Ale. This was a fresh, natural and balanced beer which was drier than your typical pale ale but with a nice hoppy aftertaste. The citrus stone fruit is a nice touch and a great opening beer that quenched the Knights thirst after a long day at the office.
For our entree we enjoyed Five spice Duck breast with roasted baby roots and plum sauce. The duck was cooked perfectly and the plum sauce was divine! From the rate at which the Knights and the 70-odd fellow beer-enthusiasts in attendance quickly consumed this dish, it was clear this was already a highlight dish of the night! This was served with a West Coast Indian Pale Ale. With Mosaic hops and big hits of fresh pineapple and tropical stone fruit this beer was surprising fresh and thirst quenching with the bitterness never overwhelming the palate.
Braised and Smoked pork short Ribs was the main course served for the evening. This was complemented with organic polenta, wilted cress and red wine demi-glace. The dish was served with the Flying Fox Amber Ale. Luckily for the Knights, and beers lovers in attendance, this beer is currently unreleased with the Batch boys very interested in getting the audiences take on their new creation. With more of a round body with roasted dark fruits, this beer sits perfectly with the warmer months. It had a gentle bitterness a was a bit heavier, which suited the main perfectly while satisfying our thirst too.
There is no better way to cap off a great evening than with a Chewy Chocolate Fudge Brownie for dessert! It was heated perfectly and served with candied peanuts and burnt fig ice cream. On it’s own the brownie was very delicious, but we were also treated to one of the Batch’s unreleased gems of a beer; Elsie the Milk Stout! For this Knight, this combination of food and beer was the best of the night! The Milk Stout’s malt bill with touches of chocolate, coffee and cream creates an unbelievable taste in your mouth when consumed and soaked in the fudge brownie!
We also took the opportunity to check out the normal menu at The Winston and it looked great - plenty of choice with a heap of pub classics and fancier dishes as well as some interesting options there as well - check out their gourmet pizza and mussel dishes.
The Knights, who review for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined (and drank) as guests of The Winston and Batch Brewing Co. Special thanks to Amy Fourro from The Winston for this invitation.