From Fresh, The West Australian Dec 13

Giving beer to friends and family gets easier every Christmas. Big retail chains and independent bottle shops alike are geared up with gift-packs. The International Beer Shop in West Leederville has the widest choice, expanding its special packs this month.

$48-$75

Beginner’s Pack (11 bottles, $55). An introductory selection with a guide to tasting beer and a professional tulip glass. It contains: Germany’s Weltenburger Kloster Pils, Weihenstephaner Tradition dark lager and Hefe cloudy wheat and Aecht Schlenkerla Rauch smoked lager (all 500ml); Belgian ales La Gauloise Amber, Redbocq fruit beer and Saison Regal; Dutch Gulpener Korenwolf wheat beer; Budejovicky Budvar fine Czech lager; and English Wells Bombardier bitter ale and Young’s Oatmeal Stout (pints).

Around The World in 20 Beers ($68). Singha Beer (Thailand); Asahi Super Dry (Japan); Kronenbourg 1664 Lager (France); Efes Pils (Turkey); Budweiser (US); Budvar (Czech Republic); Corona (Mexico); James Squire Amber Ale (Australia); Windhoek Lager (Namibia); Monteith’s Pilsner (NZ); Weihenstephaner Pilsner (Germany); Birra Moretti (Italy); Carlsberg (Denmark); Karlovacko (Croatia); Kokanee (Canada); Mythos (Greece); Heineken (Holland); Saison Regal (Belgium); Kingfisher (India); Young’s Bitter (England).

Connoisseur’s Pack (12 bottles, $75) Includes knock-your-socks-off ales such as tart, oak-driven Flemish red Rodenbach Grand Cru, French-Canadian 9 per cent Tripel La Fin Du Monde (End of the World) and Duvel (8 per cent) golden ale. Also: Anchor Liberty Ale with US hops; Birra Moretti La Rosa, a remarkable rose-tinted Italian strong lager, or bock; Wells Bombardier; Young’s Double Chocolate Stout; Emerson’s 1812 IPA (NZ); Liefmans Goudenband acclaimed sour Belgian brown ale.

Aussie Boutique Beers (12 bottles, $48) Half of the dozen come from WA microbrewers. Spot them in this list:

Bootleg Sou’ West Wheat; Nail Ale; Jamieson Raspberry Ale; Mountain Goat Hightail Ale; Jarrah Jack’s Best Bitter; Holgate ESB (English Bitter); Mash Mex; Redoak Wee Heavy strong ale (250ml, made with Scottish peated malt); Lord Nelson Old Admiral brown ale; Matso’s Monsoonal Blonde wheat beer; Knappstein Reserve Lager; Tanglehead Southern White.

Kwak (4 bottles and coachman glass, $57.95) Belgian classic darkish, three-malt, sweet, almost spirity ale known for its wooden holder and glass.

Most selective bottle shops stock brewery gift packs.

UNDER $30

Hoegaarden Christmas Pack (4 bottles plus tumbler, $18). World renowned cloudy, fruity, spicy, summery Belgian wheat beer.

Asahi Super Dry Gift Pack (4 bottles, $15). Japanese lager, rich, full-flavoured body and crisp, dry aftertaste.

Matilda Bay 8-Pak ($22). Includes the popular Redback wheat beers, Bohemian Pilsner and Rooftop red lager, with a bottle-opener.

Outback Brewery Pack ($20). Five eastern States craft beers - Pale Ale, Black Opal dark lager, Pilsner, Country Bitter and Chilli Beer.

Trumer Pils (7 bottles plus glass, $25). The 330ml bottles of Austria’s delicate, clean, champagne-like pale lager drink beautifully from the unique tubular glass.

Weihenstephan (five 500ml bottles plus glass, $30). Some of Germany’s greatest traditional lagers and wheat beers from the world’s oldest brewery.

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