Last Friday, June 2, the brewery crew took 5000 empty bottles and filled it with Wild Thing vanilla imperial stout.

It is one of eight dark beers the brewery has ‘cooked’ up for its annual June event, Dark Beer Month.

But another beer it has created it the Bluewater Pale Ale, specifically for punters to enjoy during the country music festival on the long weekend.

The brewery, located at Bobs Farm, has a bigger role in the festival this year.

“The country music festival has matured and there was an opportunity for us to get involved this year,” brewery owner Murray Howe said.

“It will be a good weekend. We’re expecting quite a turn out.”

Bluewater Pale Ale will be available on tap only from the brewery.

Brewer Sean Costigan said the Bluewater beer is much lighter in colour than other pale ales.

“It’s very aromatic with US hops,” he said. 

“It’s sweet and quite low in bitterness.”

In addition to having the Bluewater beer on tap across the weekend, the brewery will have free live music on Saturday and Sunday.

Newcastle musician Tom Blake will play blues-inspired tunes on Saturday.

Grant Walmsley, the founding member and songwriter of the Screaming Jets, will play on Sunday.​

The brewery bus is available on Saturday and Sunday. Bookings are essential.

The brewery’s large undercover facilities will ensure that events will proceed – rain, hail or shine.

In the Dark Beer Month line-up is Wild Thing imperial stout, Heart of Darkness Belgio imperial stout, Frankie Best Extra Porter, The Colonel Kentucky Common, Mister America Big American Stout and Sugar Daddy.

In addition to the Wild Thing vanilla, another sweet addition to the line-up is the chocolate donut beer.

A playful collaboration between Murray’s and Newcastle’s Doughheads donuts, this beer has chocolate and toffee flavours sweetened with lashings of cinnamon. 

“These aren’t ordinary beers,” Howe said. 

“They’re audacious, sometimes-crazy dark beers.

“Some are sweet, some a little sour or bitter, and several styles in between.

“There’s truly something for everyone.”

The eight beers – four bottled, four draught – will be progressively released throughout the month.

Wild Thing Imperial Stout

A massive, intense drinking experience inspired by the great stouts favoured by the Russian Imperial Court.

The colour is intensely black. The flavour is an intense hit of mocha with some malt sweetness but an aggressive hop bitterness and roast grain bite to balance.

Released: Saturday, June 3 in 330ml bottles.

Wild Thing Vanilla Imperial Stout

It features dominant lashings of roasted chocolate, aggressive bitterness and a silky smooth body, with the flavour and fragrance of soft, sweet vanilla from Madagascar vanilla beans.

Release: Saturday, June 17 in 330ml bottles.

Heart of Darkness Belgio Imperial Stout 

A one-of-a-kind, big, dark, Belgian-inspired beer.

An Imperial Stout (sort of), but with a stronger accent on the chocolate malt over the roast barley.

Release: Saturday, June 10 in 330ml bottles.

Murray’s Frankie Best Extra Porter

“In one of our more philosophical moments, considering beer as an elixir of life, we recalled Victor Frankenstein building a creature in his laboratory through chemistry and alchemy,” Murray’s head brewer Sean Costigan said.

“To cut a long story short, ‘Frankie’ was created in our Bobs Farm ‘laboratory’.”

Frankie features dark brown roasted chocolate and full bodied maltiness from British Maris Otter base malt.

An extra helping of East Kent Goldings hops perfectly balances the beer.

Released: Saturday, June 3 in 640ml bottles.

Chocolate Donut Beer

A collaboration between Murray’s Brewery and Newcastle’s Doughheads donuts.

This is one for the sweet tooths. It has chocolate and toffee flavours sweetened with lashings of cinnamon. The beer pours very dark with a tight packed head, and a texture that will make you think of sweet cinnamon dough and spices.

Released: Saturday, June 3 on draught.

The Colonel Kentucky Common

“The style represents the true grit of the Deep South American beer market,” brewer Alex Tucker said.

“Originating around the Louisville area, this was the working man’s beer of choice around the mid-1800s.

“The beer was made with corn, and made fast to keep up with demand, with next to no conditioning time – something we never would normally do here at Murray's.

‘But we are always keen to experiment and try new things, including adding nitrogen.”

Release: Saturday, June 10 on draught.

Mister America Big American Stout

It features lots of hops in a big black stout. A big hit of classic roasted malts finishes off with an even bigger hit of molasses, tobacco and American citrus and pine hops.

Release: Saturday, June 17 on draught.

Murray’s Sugar Daddy is a ‘pimped’ English Brown Ale

With smoked almonds in the mash and the beer conditioned on mounds of shredded coconut and roasted cocoa nibs.

Sugar Daddy pours a rich ruby brown, smells like a dessert and initially tastes like one too.

A rich and smooth mouthfeel, balanced with just the right amount bitterness.

Release: Saturday, June 24 on draught.