Collaboration celebrates country's native ingredients

This month, the partnership of Metricup’s The Beerfarm and Fervor will be taken to the next level when the fifth of its Native Series is launched.

While the pairing of beer farmer Josh Thomas and culinary master Paul ‘Yoda’ Iskov isn’t new in the liquid realm, it is the first time the duo have combined forces to present their Native Series creations as a dégustation.

Thomas and Iskov describe the Native Series Collaboration dinner as an exclusive educational dining experience.

The one-off special menu will highlight Iskov’s commitment to working alongside the traditional custodians of the land to source the finest native ingredients the country has to offer.

Each of the five courses will be paired with one of the Native Series beers.

It is a chance for Beerfarm fans to revisit the Native Australian IPA, Barrel Aged Salt Bush Barley Wine, Quandong Sour, and Strawberry Gum Stout, plus taste for the first time the Desert Lime and Lemon Myrtle IPA.

For many of these brews, only one keg remains in the Beerfarm’s ‘museum’, and with an endless stream of ideas and inspirations for new beers, Thomas and Iskov can’t guarantee the exclusive ales will be repeated.

Although Thomas and Iskov come from different ends of the culinary spectrum, they both share an intense passion for the South West region, and putting the region’s produce on the map.

It is the combination of each of their knowledge, their differences, and similarities that makes the Native Series so unique.

“Before this collaboration, I had probably basic knowledge of brewing. What I’ve found is cooking and brewing are similar in a way as they are both really about getting the balance right and creating that flavour,” Iskov said.

“This dinner is really an exclusive experience, it is not the sort of thing people can try anywhere. It is really special. We really respect where these ingredients come from and want to harness what Yoda is doing at Fervor and tell a story,” Thomas added.