Wondering what the heck a Sensory Beer Dinner is? Think bespoke brews, good tunes and a curated menu.

Going out for dinner tends to be a familiar experience. You settle into your table, order your first round of drinks and begin perusing what’s on the menu. Sometimes, you’ll get to pick and choose your way through the offering while at other spots you’ll be treated to the chef’s selection of the best things to eat and drink. It’s a tried and true formula. But this month, one Sydney dining spot is challenging the status quo with a rule-breaking set menu experience like no other.

For one-night-only on November 16th, the team from Sydney Brewery are putting on an unexpected dining experience with a difference. In collaboration with music producer Hylander (Connor McLeod), the venue is exploring the link between our senses at an exclusive Sensory Beer Dinner.

So where did the concept come from? After studying Beverage Technology (a sub-field of bio-engineering), McLeod approached the venue with the idea to explore the connection between beer drinking and listening to music. The science behind it is pretty complicated. But essentially, the dinner plays on the concept of sonic seasonig which links certain music notes to flavour profiles. Seriously.

After working with the Sydney Brewery team, the pair decided to craft a bespoke Session IPA to suit the theme of the dinner and the style of music Hylander would be playing. The result? A light 4.5% Session IPA was crafted, both low in alcohol but bold in flavour, using Galaxy, Citra and Mosaic hops to bring out notes of passionfruit, citrus and pine.

Sydney diners are invited to try this brew first-hand at the Sensory Beer Dinner on Saturday, November 16th. From 6 to 9 pm, expect to be taken on a sensory journey with a four-course degustation menu accompanied by matching beers and ciders as well as featuring the new Hylander Session IPA. Sample your way through everything from crispy honey-smoked pork belly to goats curd king oyster mushroom tarts. During the night, Hylander will be playing four unique soundscapes to bring out the different flavours in both the food and drink, ending the evening with a live performance by Hylander to cap off the evening.

Sydney Brewery’s Sensory Beer Dinner will be taking place at 28 Albion Street, Surry Hills from 6 pm to 9 pm on November 16th. To find out more and book your spot, click here.