It was the hottest of hot days when I headed out to La Sirene Brewery in the suburb of Alphington to chat with brewery ambassador Will Macdonald. We spoke about the philosophy behind being a modern day Farmhouse brewer, Wild Ales as a house style and the importance of microflora in an open-fermentation brewery.

The beers and the books:

Saisonette - light, spicy, fresh, dry, tart

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

Light and fluffy romance on the surface but with surprising depth and freshness.

Paradoxe - lively, refreshing, tropical, creamy

The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

An absolutely luscious, creamy, joy of a read!

Farmhouse Red - malt, rose, hibiscus, fruit, sweet, floral, bitter

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

This is a classic, beautiful story. Sweetly bitter but with a solid Farmhouse backbone that just grabs you and keeps you hooked. Simply lovely!

Praline - chocolate, nuts, vanilla, creamy, complex, sweet, elegant

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

This is an elegantly complex tale that will leave you feeling deliciously warm inside!