BentSpoke Brewing Co's new stout Descent 21 to celebrate seven years

"We felt Canberra really needed that sort of offering," Watkins said.

"Somewhere you could come in and talk to the staff, even the actual brewer, about what you were drinking.

"When we built the Brewpub we had the idea of wholesale in the back of our heads, if you look up you can see the can lids in the roof, that was a nod to where we wanted to go eventually."

BentSpoke won several awards at the AIBA in Melbourne: Crankshaft packaged won gold for best American-style traditional IPA; Barley Griffin draught won a gold award for best Australian-style pale ale; Crankshaft draught won silver for best American-style traditional IPA; Barley Griffin packaged won silver for best Australian-style pale ale; Foggy draught won silver for new world-style pale ale; and Morts Gold packaged won bronze for best Australia-style lager.

BentSpoke has released Descent 21, a Russian Imperial Stout, as part of the birthday celebrations.

"Descent 21, like its seven predecessors, is a great combination of barrel ageing and roasty, malty flavours that give you warmth, composure and sense that you have conquered winter," says Watkins.

The beer is a 10 per cent stout that feels like starting a downhill descent into the unknown, says Watkins. It is aged in bourbon barrels for 12 months allowing the vanilla, whisky and wild yeast characters to invade the stout. The roasty, bitter, black malt and leather-like esters are integrated with the wild yeast characters from bourbon barrel aging to complete this winter warmer.

"After 2020 we wondered if we'd get to seven years, but to be part of the resurgence of the Australian craft brewing scene brings us great pride," Watkins said.

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