An afternoon at the farm
I’ve written about how much I love Two Metre Tall before. When I lived in New Norfolk, we were regular visitors on Friday evenings or Sunday afternoons. Or both.
Two Metre Tall is a farm-based brewery focused on naturally (spontaneously!) fermented, barrel-aged ales and ciders using ingredients grown on the property and sourced from other Tasmanian farmers. Ashley and Jane Huntington started the brewery in 2004 and since that time have built up a loyal client base and a reputation for beverages that are anything but ordinary.
Some of the products I’ve been exposed to (and loved) over the years have included sour cherry ale, wild plum ale, mulberry ale, pumpkin ale (brewed especially at my request, or so I like to keep telling myself), salty sea stout, Forager’s Ale and Farmhouse Ambigua, which was brewed specifically for Kylie Kwong in Sydney. There’s also been an ale called A Farmer’s Resilience and the Seven Year Itch. You’ll need to ask Ashley about that one because it’s his story and he tells it so much better than I ever could.
Now you might be wondering, Barb, you’ve quit drinking. What are you doing visiting a brewery?
Well, yes, that’s true and drinking establishments aren’t high on my go-to places any more. But we went on Saturday to celebrate a family member’s birthday, which is something we did a lot back in the day. The idea of dinner, even at an exceptionally nice restaurant, was one that not many of us were enthusiastic about. Being in any indoor space with people not wearing masks for the bulk of the time, which is kind of necessary in a restaurant, is on my “absolute no” list right now. The thought of being in close contact with unmasked people is, quite frankly, terrifying for me. That is, the common sense definition of “close contact” not the government’s definition.
But I digress.
An outdoor space is perfect!
Yes, it is a brewery, and yes, there are plenty of delicious alcoholic beverages to choose from should you wish to do so. But it’s also a beautiful, covid-safe setting far away from crowds and bad news and e-scooters cluttering up the pavement or knocking you over . . .
If we still lived in the area, I’m sure I’d have been there more than once in the last 12 months because, drinking or not, it’s a fantastic venue.
You can bring a picnic, bring beef to cook on the wood fired BBQs (which give it the best flavour that you can never replicate on anything you have at home), you can read a book, talk to friends at a (social) distance and, with the recent addition of some fabulous sculptures by local artist Duncan Rush, you can look at quirky art pieces too. You can, and I did, have a wonderful time without drinking a single thing.
I’d also add that if you aren’t self-isolating from alcohol, the beverages are sensational. If I ever were to drink anything again, it would be Two Metre Tall products and, yes, there are several stored in the cellar that are designated as mine. And one day I will have to make a decision about what to do with them.
But in the mean time, I had a fabulous time checking out Duncan’s sculptures and exploring the property with a lens I don’t normally use on my visits there.