Newcastle craft brewer Method's Delayed Response makes GABS finals

The Islington brewer is one of 10 finalists in the GABS CanDesign competition for best beer can design in Australia.

The 10 finalists were selected from 155 entries by popular public voting conducted online.

Method, which made the brew, Delayed Response, in collaboration with Bracket Brewing of Alexandria, in Sydney, was the only Hunter or Central Coast brewer to break into the top 10.

As the entry notes: "The 'delayed responses' between the two breweries in trying to make this collaboration happen, made it feel like they might as well have been communicating in Morse Code! Hence was born the idea to create a Morse Code can design. The dots and dashes were painstakingly placed to create a striking and mesmerising can design."

Hot shot graphic artist Elliot Walsh, a friend of McKenzie, made the design.

The can carries a genuine Morse Code message, and the brewer held a competition to see who could decipher it first.

There were five Newcastle brewers with cans in the competition.

The finalists are:

Aether Brewing - All Australian Pale Ale, Design by Emery Greer in collaboration with DRAPL and THEZOOKEEPER

Black Hops Brewing - XRAY HAZE, Design by Aidan Howes

Blackflag Brewing - RAGE, Design by: Ross Holloway

Brick Lane Brewing - Last Train Home Oud Imperial Stout, Design by Pete Johnson

Fixation Brewing - Yippee Ki-Yay MF, Design by Adam Collins

Hawkers Beer - Imperial Stout (2023), Design by Christopher Flem

Lost Palms Brewing Co - Yeah, Go On Then, Design by Amanda Baker

Method Brewing - Delayed Response - Double WCIPA, Design by Elliot Walsh

Mountain Culture Beer Co - Alliance Of Magicians - New England IPA, Design by Marianne Fagan

Temple Brewing Co - Hello, My Name Is Amber, Design by Raymond Lim