A couple years ago ‘’the Bens’’ left the rest of us to go galivanting across America drinking all the great beer they could get their hands on. One of those was the dregs of a beer from The Referend Bier Bendery stall at Modern Times’ Festival of Funk. Once that wild liquid touched their lips, their eyes widened, their pupils dilated, and they knew they had to get this to Australia.
Two and a half years later, a very rare delivery of barrels and kegs from The Referened arrived on our shores.
Referend are a 100% spontaneous fermentation brewery, from Pennington, New Jersey - although are in the process of moving to their new home; a farm in Kutztown, PA. They utilise local grain and fruit, and barrels galore; think French & Hungarian oak wine barrels, Port barrels, Buffalo Trace barrels, Rye Whisky barrels, Absinthe barrels (!), Apple Brandy barrels, more barrels... and a combination of them depending on the beer! These beers are a true labour of love with most of them taking 2 or 3 years (or longer) to produce.
As you can imagine, stock is ultra-limited. Once it's gone, it's gone.