Double Gold — Beer and Butter

Madeleine Butter are one of those rare producers doing things the hard way because they genuinely believe it's the only way. Think of a butter massaged rather than squeezed. Cream from grass fed Jersey cows in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia.

Born out of Madeleine's founder Jack Gaffney's deep love for the French butter-making tradition, they've quietly built something remarkable in Melbourne — a small, obsessive, seriously skilled operation that has caught the attention of chefs and food lovers alike. There's a bigger story to tell here, and we'll be sitting down with the team for a proper deep dive in a later journal entry. For now, indulge in this the very delicious introduction.

There are pairings that just make sense. Red wine with steak. Whisky with a long week. And as the crew at Madeleine Butter have recently reminded us — Beer with Butter. To our mind - Double Gold. 

Armed with a set of stunning Denver & Liely Beer glasses (their words, not ours — though we'll absolutely take it), the Melbourne-based artisan butter makers set out on a series of beer and butter pairings that had us nodding along and, frankly, a little hungry. Here's the roundup.

Round 1 — Unsalted Cultured Butter & Hop Nation Rattenhund Classic Pilsner

A brewer once told the Madeleine team that you shouldn't judge a brewery by their IPA but by their pale lager. The reasoning is sound — lagers ferment longer, the flavours are more delicate and clean, and there's nowhere for a flaw to hide. By that measure, Hop Nation's Rattenhund is flawless.

Floral and crushed biscuits on the nose, sweet malt and hints of wild honey on the palate, finishing crisp and clean. Inspired by European tradition but anchored in Australian style — and dripping in beer awards to back it all up.

The butter philosophy runs parallel. Most people reach for the salted or flavoured varieties, but Madeleine argue it's the Unsalted Cultured Butter where the real craft reveals itself. A blank canvas that shows you exactly what the maker is made of.

And what they're made of is serious. Cream sourced from grass-fed Jersey cows in West Gippsland. A low and slow two-day fermentation. Barrel-churned in a tiny churn. Then Malaxage on a purpose-built Malaxeur — one of only two in the world, and the only one in Australia. Wooden paddles shape the blocks before hand wrapping and labelling. It is, by their own admission, a long and difficult process. Every stage carefully considered. Every detail earned.

Round 2 — Salted Cultured Butter & Watts River Brewing Belgian Style Tripel

Round two brings us to Healesville in the Yarra Valley and the very fine people at Watts River Brewing. Their range is excellent, but Madeleine have a soft spot for the Belgian Abbey style ales — specifically their Tripel, simply called 3.

It is, as you'd expect from the style, a lot going on in the glass. Yellow citrus, banana, and pear on the nose. A mellow, pillowy mouthfeel leading to a dry, hoppy finish. The right glassware matters here — and yes, Denver & Liely get another mention. They're right though. It always matters.

Against the Madeleine Salted Cultured Butter — salted with Sel de Guérande, the good stuff from Brittany — the pairing is sublime. The salt enhances the fruity, aromatic character of the beer, while the dry hoppy finish keeps both the palate and the appetite refreshed, craving another bite, another sip. The loop you want a good pairing to create.

Round 3 — Invasive Seaweed Cultured Butter, Oysters & Norman Cider

This one breaks the beer brief entirely — and is all the better for it.

For round four, Madeleine took us somewhere else altogether: a regular lunch scene from their time living in Vannes, Brittany. Recreated in Melbourne, using everything you can find at Prahran Market.

First stop, Portside. Pick up a block of the Invasive Seaweed Cultured Butter — a collaboration between Madeleine and Portside, featuring Southern Seagreens kelp and brine salt. While you're there, ask Walter what's fresh and grab a dozen oysters. Tathra are the ones to ask for. He'll shuck them if you need him to, but Madeleine reckon wrestling the lid off is half the experience. Fair point.

A baguette from QLE Baker. Then across to Maker & Monger, where Harry holds a méthode traditionnelle cider from Normandy, called Norman Cider, that will, in Madeleine's words, make you question why you don't drink more cider. Hard to argue.

The combination — seaweed, cider, oysters — is transportive. Madeleine live in the hills, but for the length of a lunch, they're right by the sea. That's the power of a pairing done properly.

Simple premise. Exceptional execution. Beer (and cider) and butter, through the lens of one of the country's finest craft producers, in some very good glasses. Follow along with the Madeleine series on Instagram — we have a feeling the best pairings are still to come but for now we're going to rate this first lot...you guessed it....double gold.