It's hard to believe: there is not a Newcastle beer on the current GABS Hottest 100 Craft Beers list.
But that could all change this year.
Jaz Wearin, founder of Modus Operandi Brewing, is on a mission to get the brewer's Cerveza beer voted on to the annual 2022 GABS Hottest 100 Beers list.
GABS Hottest 100 Craft Beers is the largest people's choice poll of craft beer in Australia.
Modus brews all of its top-selling beers in Newcastle, pumping out Modus, Nort and Cerveza from its state-of-the-art Merewether brewery and restaurant headquarters.
"Our team here at Modus are throwing all our support behind Modus Cerveza - an easy drinking, Mexican inspired lager, made right here in Australia - aiming to take out the #1 spot," Wearin says.
"We are gunning Modus Cerveza for number #1 due to it being our biggest Modus package and keg seller and it being the only independently Aussie brewed Cerveza in the country" Modus master brewer Matt Hogan says.
Cerveza is brewed with an all-grain, malt including a significant percentage of malted corn to provide an authentic Mexican cerveza flavour profile, Hogan says.
"It is then fermented with a traditional lager yeast at cool temperatures (12-16 degrees Centigrade) to enhance the soft and delicate aroma and flavour while providing a crisp, refreshing finish," Hogan says.
"Finish this off by squeezing a fresh wedge of lime in the can or a frosty schooner and it's something special."
Modus Cerveza is sold throughout NSW with significant representation throughout Newcastle, Hunter and Lake Macquarie pubs and bottle shops. The beer is also available in Asia Pacific with some international opportunities on the horizon.
"Modus has some exciting times ahead with the delivery of our first of its kind in Australian packaging line," Hogan says. "The new line is a significant step up in capabilities, production rates and quality from our existing line, providing far greater flexibility in package formats with the ability to do both cans and bottles."
Wearin doesn't mince any words: "Our mission is to bring quality Cerveza home instead of consumers needing to choose an international Cerveza. This means fresher liquid but also a huge reduction on carbon footprint and a positive impact on the local economy and jobs in the local area."
Wearin, a country girl at heart, is dead serious about getting Cerveza on to the GABS list.
"We are a proudly 100 per cent independent, family-owned brewery," she says. "We aren't famous for being funny, or being really good at footy, but what we are really proud to say is that we have built Modus over the last eight years with our own blood sweat and tears (and all of our savings - ouch!) and our number one focus is our beer."
To vote for Cerveza go here.
And all Newcastle breweries are winners, if a local beer makes the list, Wearin says.
"Craft beer tourism is on the rise and breweries are now a tourist destination," she says. "A great finish on the GABS Hottest 100 list would certainly bring a lot of new faces to Newy wanting to explore not just Modus, but the other great breweries and hospitality scene Newcastle has to offer."
Voting closes midnight on Friday.
For the record, there are several Newcastle and Hunter area brewers on Hottest 100 voting list. Besides Modus Operandi, they include Holgate Brewing House (Central Coast), Shout Brewing, Good Folk Brewing, Dusty Miner Craft Brewery, Foghorn Brewery, Grainfed Brewing Co, IronBark Hill Brewhouse, Coastal Brewing Co (Forster), Akasha Brewing Co, Yard Kings Brewing, Six String Brewing Co (Central Coast), Method Brewing, and Hope Estate Brewery.
