A toast to Good Beer Week

From May 17 to 25 Victoria marches to the beat of the beer drum. Good Beer Week, originally a Melbourne thing, now takes over the entire state. The official website (goodbeerweek.com.au) provides details on 200 events happening at 160 venues during the week.

Canberra brewer Richard Watkins says 150 brewers created individual beers for Good Beer Week. He says many of these will be available more broadly after the event.

In one of the catchier themes of the week - "pint of origin" - various Melbourne pubs offer a moving feast of draught beers from a single state or nation.

Pint of origin this year covers Australia's six states, New Zealand, the United States, Europe, Great Britain, with the Two Row Bar, Fitzroy, covering the rest of the world. The website provides details of all events and venues.

Pagan Tasmania Cider
★★★★½
330ml $6.15

Pagan cider offers delicate, crisp, pure apple flavours, as you'd expect from the apple isle. It's light- bodied at 4.5 per cent alcohol, with the zesty tang of just-ripe apples and a dry, refreshing clean finish. It's made by Pagan Cider, Cambridge, from apples grown on the Lucaston Park orchard, Huon Valley.

Samuel Smith Tadcaster Brewery Organic Lager
★★★★½
550ml $7.65

Samuel Smith's pale golden lager, brewed in Yorkshire from organically grown barley and hops, sits towards the top of the lager pack. It makes a statement about harmony and drinkability, rather than emphasising a particular flavour component. Teasing, invigorating hops cut mouth-wateringly through its deep, lovely malt flavour.