At Tough Guy Book Club we are proud of putting robust conversation back into the pub, and each month we do just that in venues across the world. So, when we got the opportunity to put some of that same robust talk into a fine institution like the Wheeler Centre, of course we were going to give it a bloody crack.
On the 26th of July, the Wheeler Centre and Tough Guy Book Club came together for a night of great Australian books matched with great Australian beers. What could be better? It was a great event celebrating books, beers, and the good conversations that flow from both.
A full house of eager attendees was riled up by five Goons (TGBC members) who got everyone excited about books and beers. Each Goon picked an iconic Australian book to introduce, and paired it with an Australian beer based on the text. We know food can be paired with beer, but pairing beer with a book is on another level — and right up our alley! But the beer wasn’t just talked about. As each beer was revealed, it was served throughout the crowd for the audience to partake. A question relating to the novel was then thrown out to small groups to spark conversation while the drinks were shared.
First up for the night was Tom with Wake in Fright by Kenneth Cook (a book from our back catalogue), paired expertly with Kensington Bitter from Bonehead Brewery. Next, Dave from Sydney chose The True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey, with a Holgate Sparkling Ale. “It’s as close as I could get to a beer the Kelly Gang would have drunk,” Dave shared. JB followed with The Commandant by Jessica Anderson and a Belhaven Brewery’s Scottish Ale. “The brewery is from the UK, but located close to where the book’s protagonist was born,” said JB. Matt’s book was Flames by Robbie Arnott, and his beer was the Moo Brew Stout. And rounding out the night was Shay who introduced Praise by Andrew McGahn and matched it with XXXX Bitter; both Queensland stalwarts.
Between each speaker the beers were cracked and shared in pairs among the crowd. Each set broken up with some time to chat, led by a question relating to the just-shared book. Questions such as ‘What experiences have you had in nature that felt bigger than you?’ and ‘What is something you regret from your teenage years?’ made the room buzz with energy as great discussions were sparked across all those in attendance. One punter at the event, Louis, said “The night had a lot of my favourite things...learning about books I don’t know, and learning new things about books I do. Same with the beers!”
To top it all off, the Wheeler Centre arranged for one of the featured authors, Robbie Arnott himself, to record a video message giving a shout out to the club for sharing his book on the evening. He even had a bottle of the matched beer, the Moo Brew Stout, to drink and share his tasting notes! How fucking good is that?
A Night of Books and Beers with Tough Guy Book Club was a fantastic night, and a much enjoyed event. We want to give a big shout out to all our organisers, speakers, Robbie Arnott, and most of all to the Wheeler Centre for making it all possible.
