Meet the Brewer – HPA

Meet the brewer: Russ Gosling, Little Creatures

Pixel3 — Thu, 08 Aug 2013 23:00:33 +0000

Like Little Creatures Head Brewer Russ Gosling, we’re big fans of the Perth craft beer scene, which lured him from the other side of the world to Little Creatures eight years ago.

It’s a job where tasting new beers, exploring the world of craft for creative guidance and playing with hops is mandatory – making it, some would argue, the best job in the world.

At Little Creatures, Russ has had plenty of opportunity to play with our hops, be it in their hero Little Creatures Pale Ale or with different craft varieties.

“Hops behave differently in different styles and produce different characteristics…it’s about pairing the right hop with right beer. It’s only after a number of years you get a good understanding of the individual hops. As with any good craftsman you learn about the raw materials through time, practice and playing”.

One of Russ’s favourite hops is Ella, which is a major component of the Little Creatures Pale Ale and Rogers Beer. While Galaxy^® gave the Pale Ale a notable tropical fruity flavour, dry hopping Ella produced a more complex stewed fruity flavour which Russ felt really worked.

He’s also pretty excited about Vic Secret, having tried it in the Pale Ale. With the recent arrival of its first commercial hop harvest; he’s looking forward having more of a play, and we’re looking forward to tasting the results!

One of his favourites brewed with our hops is the Little Creatures Brown Ale. Russ wanted an autumnal beer, so created one using rye malt and Topaz leaf hop. Until then, he’d never used Topaz but was really impressed with how it suited the beer, describing the hop as “a real pleasure… a cracker”. Can’t get much better than that!

When Russ designs a new recipe, he goes with a feeling about what will work, but while a new recipe always looks good in paper, it’s not until you brew it and taste it that the real work starts. When playing with hops, he often starts by dry hopping as this brings the hop to the forefront.

You will find Russ’ playground, the Little Creatures Fremantle Brewery in, yeah you guessed it, Fremantle, WA.

No boundaries, only possibilities

Pixel3 — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 23:04:15 +0000

The Indies, now ten years young, is an annual celebration of the best of the best independent craft beers as well as the people who serve and support our industry. In 2024, the Awards were held in Perth alongside the WA Beer & Brewing Conference. Nearly 50 judges from Australia and New Zealand evaluated 1,028 beers, with a total of 151 beers being awarded gold medals. An incredible 87% of all beers entered receiving a medal, which demonstrates the exceptional quality of indie beer around the country.

Boundary Island was awarded Champion Modern IPA, proudly sponsored by HPA. The WA brewery was born from two Mandurah families who love great beer, good food and a warm atmosphere summer or winter. We got in touch with Head Brewer Dylan Kelly to congratulate the team and ask a few questions about their beers and the heart of their brewery.

Q: Congrats on your recent success at the 2024 Indies Awards. As proud sponsors of your trophy for Champion Modern IPA, can you tell us a bit about the story behind Deckie?

A: Deckie is one of the core beers we launched with. It was always intended to be a more traditional style IPA, but as I was influenced by a number of new IPAs using modern hops, it slowly morphed into that. About a year ago it was actually on the chopping block because I wasn’t happy with it. Deckie today barely resembles that beer.

Q: You also won Champion Independent Small Brewery and Champion Modern Pale Ale for your Estuary XPA. What hops are behind the bright aromatics of lime, melon and spearmint in this beer?

A: This is another combo of modern hops – Citra, Strata and Nelson Sauvin. We’ve also cycled in a couple other Aussie and NZ hops over time.

Q: Mandurah locals and tourists have been enjoying your waterfront brewpub since 2022, but you appeared on even more beer lovers radars recently after winning the Gary Sheppard Memorial Trophy for Best New Exhibitor at the 2023 Australian International Beer Awards followed by the equivalent trophy at the 2023 Perth Royal Beer Awards. Have you seen a boost in trade on the back of these awards?

A: It’s hard to gauge whether it makes a difference in trade. The venue has been flat out since we opened. The trophies are obviously good recognition within the industry and help to let the public know that we are making some good beer.

Q: Industry awards are a great opportunity to see how your beers compare to those of your fellow brewers. Where does your drive to benchmark, evolve and innovate your beers come from?

A: As the only brewer here for the first couple years, all the responsibility was on me to make sure customers are having a good experience. Any bad beer falls 100% on me. I’m also very self-critical when it comes to our beers, so I try to recognise any slip ups and continuously improve. None of the recipes are set in stone, I’m always working to make them better.

Q: The heart of your brewery is the beautiful Esmerelda. What’s her story?

A: We found her abandoned and gave her a new lease on life as the play area for kids. A deserted cray boat, she was tugged down the swan river, across the ocean and into the Mandurah Marina where we lifter her by two cranes and placed her where she now sits proudly at the entrance to Boundary.

Q: You can get to the brewery by boat, car, bus, foot or bike. What’s your favourite way to get to work?

A: I wish I had a boat to come by. Usually by car, but I have definitely done some cycling and running.

Meet the brewer: Ben Kraus, Bridge Road Brewers

Pixel3 — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 23:00:29 +0000

Beechworth mightn’t be your first stop on a craft beer tour of Australia, but our friends at Bridge Road Brewers are definitely worth a visit.

For Head Brewer Ben Kraus, brewing is an evolving experience, and as he becomes familiar with the way our hops work, so to do drinkers of Bridge Road beers.

Since 2005, Ben has built a great reputation for brewing beers with “strong hop content without being extreme” – his words, but we heartily agree.

Ben’s certainly no stranger to our hops; he’s been to Rostrevor Hop Gardens and picked hops alongside our farm manager Allan and his family. But it’s in his beer that Ben’s relationship with our hops comes to light.

Bridge Road recently crafted a single hop 4-pack IPA series featuring some of our most well-known proprietary varieties: Summer, Vic Secret, Ella and Galaxy^®.

Ben says “True expression of one hops’ characteristics can be hard to capture, so single hop beers like the IPA range from Bridge Road go a long way in educating the Aussie drinker on what hops are and how important they are to creating unique flavours”.

To craft these beers, Ben doses by alpha acid content to create that a balanced flavour and aroma profile without too much bitterness.

His role as a ‘brewducator’ is not a new one. As a part of their bar series launch last decade, Bridge Road released a wet hop beer using one of our experimental varieties. It was a departure for Aussie beer, both stylistically and because it challenged the industry to appreciate how great hops produce great flavours.

Given Ben’s love of exploring and learning, it’s no surprise his favourite beer is “the next beer I haven’t tried yet”.

Ben is currently in Italy experimenting with the team at Birra del Borgo crafting an intriguing IPA, hopped with Galaxy^®, Vic Secret and Topaz with a local citrus fruit in the mix for added depth. After a trial run in Italy, the team has plans to relaunch the beer in Beechworth.

The 4-pack IPA series from Bridge Road will be dropping into good beer stores later this year.

Top dog of lagers and pilsners

Pixel3 — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 23:02:43 +0000

The Brewers Guild of New Zealand Beer Awards are held in esteem worldwide due to the reputation of all involved in judging, organising and staging the event. The Awards celebrate quality in beer as well as the broader organisations and individuals that make the New Zealand brewing industry to vibrant. This year’s competition saw more than 700 entries from across the country with 77% of all entries receiving a medal. This is testament to the outstanding quality of New Zealand beer, which is fantastic news for brewers and consumers.

Parrotdog was awarded Champion New Zealand Large Brewery, proudly sponsored by HPA. The Lyall Bay brewery was conceived in 2011 out of a love for good beer by three guys called Matt. They’re continuing to do what they started back then: making approachable, award-winning beer. We got in touch with Brewing Director Matt Warner to congratulate the team, and ask a few questions about their beers, the importance of friendship, and a change of perspective.

Q: Congrats on your recent success at the 2024 New Zealand Beer Awards. As proud sponsors of your trophy for Champion New Zealand Large Brewery, can you tell us where the name Parrotdog came from?

A: Cheers, the whole team is incredibly proud to be crowned Champion New Zealand Large Brewery – its great recognition for all the hard work everyone is putting into making high quality beer every day.

The name Parrotdog has very simple origins – my Co-Founder Matt Kristofski and I call each other ‘Dog’, and Matt had a pet parrot named ‘Smee’ when we started home-brewing in our student flat.

Q: You also won the trophy for Best NZ Pilsner for Sundog and Best International Lager for L.B. Cold IPA. What was the inspiration behind this Lager/IPA hybrid?

A: Both trophy winning beers are actually Lager/Ale hybrids – our Sundog NZ Pilsner is fermented with an Ale yeast and the L.B. Cold IPA is fermented with a Lager yeast. The Cold IPA was our third attempt at trying to nail down what we interpreted this modern US style to be, without ever really getting to taste a classic example from over there. It’s a fun style to brew, combining the classic smoothness of a lager ferment with the big, dry and hoppy characters typical of the well-known West Coast IPA style.

Q: Bitterbitch, your troublesome original release named for the problematic first brew day which hugely emphasised its hop bitterness, has evolved nicely over the years. It was awarded another gold medal in the NZ IPA, Pale and Draught category, and has been the heart of your core range…until recently. Has the success of Birdseye been a refreshing change of perspective?

A: I see what you did there – nice. Bitterbitch has always been the true heart and soul of this brewery. It’s still our second biggest seller by a decent margin. The slightly darker/maltier IPA style seems to be anti-seasonal – it is such a consistent seller for us throughout the year. Birdseye took our best seller spot by storm during the Covid lockdowns in 2020, and remains a clear leader for us now. It certainly drove a lot of extra sales and production for us – a real game-changer. The Hazy IPA style just appeals to so many modern beer drinkers.

Q: Parrotdog has been in existence in some form since the end of 2009. How did you go from avid home brewers to fully fledged commercial brewers?

A: In 2011, after home brewing for two years, we decided to make the leap and try contract brewing our first 1,000L batch commercial release. Things didn’t quite go to plan when scaling up our homebrew recipe, but after some emergency tweaking (throwing more hops at it) it ended up being a crowd favourite at the local Beervana festival and the rest is history.

Q: You had some guerilla methods of getting your early brews into bars. How crucial have your friendships with fellow beer enthusiasts been to your success?

A: The craft beer scene in Wellington in the early 2010s was a huge reason that we ended up having the inspiration and confidence to begin Parrotdog. The scene was so vibrant back then and there were many supportive industry folks who gave us crucial tips for the business of brewing, or even a leg-up to help sell our beer through their bars and stores. Friends, family and fellow beer enthusiasts have also been very instrumental in helping us get to where we are today.

Q: Finally, how many Matt’s are there in your growing team?

A: Still just the three. We’ve somehow managed not to hire another Matt in 13 years.

Meet the brewer: Brad Rogers, Stone & Wood

Pixel3 — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 23:00:21 +0000

Stone & Wood’s Director and Chief Brewer Brad Rogers really knows his Galaxy.

He recognises “Galaxy^® is a huge part of Pacific Ale and Pacific Ale is a huge part of our Stone & Wood brewing business. What I really love about Galaxy^® is that you can open a bag of hops to smell next to a bottle of Pacific Ale, show people, and they reference the aroma in the bag and in the beer instantly.”

High in oils and bitterness, Brad describes Galaxy^® as an “all-rounder you can use as a bittering hop early in the brew-house kettle and also late in the fermenter to get the aromatics, where it has a very floral, tropical flavour of passionfruit and paw paw”.

By no means a hop monogamist, Brad enjoys “the fruit salad of different hops” from our gardens. Stone & Wood’s Garden Ale limited release offers a real opportunity to experiment with the hops. When using Summer and Ella he found they have a very aromatic, strong oil content which pulled flavours out that people can really detect.

Brewing since the early 90s, Brad’s crafted a number of brews allowing him to experiment with many different hops, malts, water and yeasts. Brad prefers to let the hops express themselves individually, so you really get a sense of the hop characters.

Whatever the method, Brad’s aim is always to make beer that’s really drinkable. He just wants people to enjoy craft beer.

In Brad’s fridge right now, you can find beers from the UK & Germany after a recent trip to the other side, including Fullers and Camden Brewery beers, as well as some home grown Stone & Wood Pacific Ale and Stone Beer. You’ll find Brad and his fridge in Byron Bay, living the dream.

Slipstream’s saison success

jAmieaDMin27 — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 05:32:13 +0000

The Royal Queensland Beer Awards invited Aussie brewers to compete for national recognition once again in 2025. Supported by a team of brewers, beer writers and industry figures, the competition has become a trusted guide for Aussie beer drinkers, and is the first commercial beer competition of the calendar year.

Hop Products Australia (HPA) were particularly proud to award Slipstream Brewing the HPA trophy for Champion Small/Medium Brewery for the second year in a row. They also took out the top gong for Grand Champion Beer, as well as Champion Amber Dark-Ale, Champion European-Style Lager and The Star Entertainment Group Best QLD Beer. After the awards, we got in touch with Head Brewer Gavin Croft to congratulate the team and ask a few questions about their hot streak.

Q: Congratulations on your slew of trophies and medals at the 2025 Royal Queensland Beer Awards. Have you made any changes in the last 12-months that directly contributed to this success?

A: The mentality of constant improvement that we’ve had for the past few years hasn’t changed. But that does mean that recipes and process are regularly being refined to improve our quality.

Q: Your Classic Saison Draught picked up Grand Champion Beer, Champion European-Style Ale and The Star Entertainment Group Best QLD Beer. What makes this beer special in your eyes, and are there other underrepresented beer styles you think the Aussie market should embrace?

A: Twenty years ago, Saison Dupont showed me that there can be so much more to beer than just being a social beverage. A real wow moment that stuck with me, and has inspired me ever since. Saison is a really simple style at heart that is both refreshing and complex in it’s flavour. Our Classic Saison leans a little more into the citrusy tartness than many Belgian examples, but it was brewed with our balmy Queensland weather in mind. If you take a broader view of the Australian market, almost every style is underrepresented. Lager and Pale Ale rule supreme. But I will highlight Pilsner as a frustrating one, because it suits our market, but the name seems to scare people off. Some brewers make the decision to market their Pilsner as Lager instead, because they know it will sell better.

Q: You managed to secure a whopping 33 medals at the Awards. Which is your favourite beer that received a medal, but not a trophy?

A: Gold Wild Ale was a real labour of love that was almost 2 years in the making. We were very happy with that beer, and it was recognised with a gold medal. It’s probably a good thing that it didn’t get a trophy, because it’s not one that we can quickly rebrew and restock the shelves with. We’ve got a few more batches already aging in barrels, but they will be ready in their own time.

Q: Your medal winning Uncharted IPA features HPA-4029. Why did you choose to brew this beer with one of the leading experimental hops from our breeding program?

A: Our Uncharted IPA series always takes a bit of a risk using hops we’ve never seen before in a single hop IPA, but Sim had given us strong sensory feedback on 4029 from last years harvest, so we were excited to give it a go. The result was fantastic, with big tropical fruit aromas of pineapple & passionfruit (which we were expecting) alongside plenty of resinous pine and grapefruit peel.

Q: Last year, you mentioned that Vic Secret was your favourite Aussie hop? Is it still the top hop, or is there a new contender?

A: Vic Secret and Galaxy are always up there amongst my favourites. After using 4029 though now I’m not so sure. Perhaps a few more brews with it will take it to top spot.

Q: You went to the Craft Brewers Conference in Las Vegas in 2024. Did you pick up on any new beer trends that are yet to make their way down under?

A: We saw a swing back to West Coast IPA from Hazy IPA being the trending style, with breweries now preferring to make clear IPA but with less bitterness than 10 years ago.

Blasta’s unbridled passion for quality beer

Pixel3 — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 04:12:18 +0000

The Perth Royal Beer Awards is the premier beer competition in Western Australia (WA), welcoming entries from large, medium and small craft breweries. It has been celebrating the continual expansion and innovation of the beer industry since 2007.

This year Blasta went back-to-back, winning the trophy for Champion Beer once again, this time for Unbridled Unicorn. They also won Best India Pale Ale Draught for Unnbridled Unicorn, and the HPA trophy for Champion Large Brewery. After a well earned week off, we got in touch with founder and brewer Steve Russell to congratulate the team and ask a few questions about their meteoric rise.

Q: Congrats on your recent success at the 2021 Perth Royal Beer Awards. We’re glad to be able to support your success by sponsoring the trophy for Champion Large Brewery. In a nutshell, how did you turn a passion for homebrewing into a successful business venture so fast?

A: First and foremost there must be lots of passion and genuine love for all things beer. Brewing beer is easy, but brewing great beer is highly technical where precision and attention to detail are a must. Having a business requires the same as above, and if you throw in resilience, hard work and determination then dreams can come true.

Q: Blasta also won Champion Beer for the second year in a row, this time for Unbridled Unicorn. Can you tell us the story behind the name for this magical IPA?

A: We commissioned a new piece of art along the entrance of our brewery wall in Burswood which is a large majestic unicorn ‘running along the wall’. It is imposing, powerful and looks almost uncontrollable. When we designed the beer, we wanted to make a beer to match our wall art. The beer is bold in flavour, has a high ABV and is bursting with aromas and a firm unapologetic bitterness. We think we nailed the brief. The beer is unrestrained and unbridled in every sense.

Q: The Strata hops in Unbridled Unicorn really shine. You clearly understand how to maximise the flavour of this particular hop. On the flip side, are there any hops you just can’t seem to figure out, or find a bit unpredictable?

A: We haven’t come across any particular hops that are hard to figure out to be fair. We are regularly experimenting and assessing hops for their potential in a blend and style and have had good outcomes. There are sometimes unpredictable results when dry hopping during the early stages of fermenatation where biotransformation provides some interesting outcomes. Importantly, always good results though.

Q: By the end of the night Blasta were awarded a massive 16 medals in total. Is there a medal-winning beer other than Unbridled Unicorn that you’re particularly proud of?

A: We are very proud of all of our beers at this time. We have invested a lot of time and effort to assess and hone each beer to get style, quality and consistency exactly to our liking. We are now seeing the results of these efforts as we are having sustained performance of these beers in major comps such as the recent PRBAs and AIBAs.

Q: A few other WA breweries had an extraordinary night as well, namely Otherside and Margaret River Brew House. What do you think is driving the state’s resurgence in recent years, resulting in some ridiculously high quality beers?

A: There are some seriously good brewers and breweries in WA. The market is demanding of very high quality products but also customers are in tune with the latest trends which allow the breweries to make new styles with the comfort that there will be demand for it. This allows brewers to gain valuable experience and knowledge along the way in techniques, processes etc. The use of the newest and latest ingredients also has an impact.

Q: There was an increase in no-alcohol and low-alcohol entries at this year’s Awards. Is this a category you can Blasta entering in future years?

A: Absolutely. We have a delicious low alcohol pale ale “Steady Head” and are looking to expand our selection in the future. The non-alcohol is a style we have been preparing for and will have some options out in the not so distant future too.

Queenstown gambit pays off

jAmieaDMin27 — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 05:12:46 +0000

The Melbourne Royal Australian International Beer Awards is the largest annual beer competition in the world, judging both draught and packaged beer. The 2025 awards attracted over 2,300 entries from more than 390 breweries across 22 countries. It is a valuable benchmarking opportunity for breweries of all sizes to secure internationally recognised credentials that will help their beer stand out in a crowd.

Altitude Brewing took home Champion Small International Brewery and Best Modern Pale Ale, proudly sponsored by HPA. The Queenstown brewery was built on epic adventures, tall stories and great beers, which they clearly know how to make. After giving Altitude Brewing time to celebrate their big win, we got in touch with Head Brewer Dan Jaffe to congratulate the team and ask a few questions about their beers.

Q: Congrats on your recent success at the AIBAs. You went home with the trophy for Champion Small International Brewery and Best Modern Pale Ale for Sled Dog Session Hazy. What does this kind of recognition mean to you?

A: It’s really pretty amazing to take home these awards. The team works so hard every day to make sure we make the best beer possible every batch. We’re constantly tweaking recipes and trying new techniques, so awards like these are proof we’re doing something right and the long hours are worth it!

Q: You also earned a slew of medals, including 4 gold, 14 silver and 6 bronze. What’s your secret to making award-winning beers across multiple categories?

A: We were very proud to show consistency across our range. I can’t say we have any secrets, we’re just always learning, always trying to be better, and always moving forward.

Q: Of your 24 beers that medalled, which 3 mean the most to you?

A: Sled Dog getting the trophy for modern pale ale was amazing. That beer has always been solid, it’s our number one seller, but we’ve tweaked that beer more than any other to get it where we want it. Southern Lights finally getting the recognition it deserves was pretty special, most underrated beer ever! And it’s always nice when a problem child ends up performing well. A few panicked phone calls to Scotty from Lallemand were needed to get one of those beers over the line, but I’ll leave some mystery as to which beer that was…

Q: Tell us what makes the Queenstown beer scene special from a local’s perspective.

A: Passion is what makes Queenstown so special. People move here to follow their passion for skiing, mountain biking, climbing and all the other activities we’re lucky to enjoy from our doorstep, and we’re stoked to share our passion with them!

Q: We know you’re staunch users of New Zealand hops, but what’s your favourite Aussie hop?

A: There’s a solid whack of Galaxy in Sled Dog, but we’ve also had great success with Enigma.

Q: Who made the Gladfield Malt jacket you were rocking at the awards, and how do we get one?

A: Haha, Sebastian from Gladfield’s wife made that for Eliott to wear at last year’s New Zealand Brewer’s Guild Awards and I was lucky to borrow it. I still need to get one for myself!

Mountain Culture named among best beers of 2021

Pixel3 — Wed, 11 Aug 2021 06:27:56 +0000

An Aussie beer starring Aussie hops has ranked among the best in the world. Untappd recently released its 5 best Hazy / NEIPAs of 2021 and coming in at #5 is Australian brewery Mountain Culture with Be Kind Rewind starring Vic Secret.

The beer came in right behind US brewing heavyweights Tree House (who took out #1 and #2) and Monkish.

Mountain Culture Founder and Head Brewer DJ McCready is stoked that Aussie breweries are now competing with the rest of the world in a beer style that really only gained traction in the country just a few years ago.

“Relatively speaking, Australia is new to the hazy game, but I think what makes Aussie hazy beers so good is that some of the best hops in the world are being produced right on our doorstep by Hop Products Australia (HPA).”

“I remember when I was at Oskar Blues, they were big fans of Galaxy and really showcased it in their beers. Between them and other US breweries it went a long way to putting Galaxy and other Aussie hops on the map,” said McCready.

While Galaxy has become a bit of a ‘golden child’ for hazy beers, there’s a lot more to Aussie hops.

“For Be Kind Rewind, we’ve gone with the ugly step-sister, Vic Secret, which is a hop grown in Victoria and considered to be quite grippy and less juicy, but I think it’s just misunderstood,” says McCready.

“It’s not as forgiving as Galaxy. You have to know how to use it, and in what quantities to get it right. But when you do, I think it outshines Galaxy, giving off bright, citrus, juicy characters while still being quite resinous,” said McCready.

“I’m really proud to be showcasing and championing Aussie hops on the world stage. We’ve taken the time to figure out how to harness these ‘hard to wrangle’ hops, to really hero them and give a uniqueness and edge to our beers.”

HPA’s National Sales Manager Michael Capaldo has had the pleasure of being involved in a few brew days at Mountain Culture. He said “It’s always inspiring. From driving up the mountain, to walking into their amazing venue and brewing beers with an obscene amount of hops! The whole team are always so welcoming, and we’ve shared many a yarn over a beer or two.”

Capaldo said “[he] knew Be Kind Rewind was a standout beer since inception, and deserves it’s ranking in the top 5 hazy / NEIPA beers in the world.” He is particularly stoked that Vic Secret stars in the beer. “Vic Secret is a big part of our future at HPA, with production volume growing faster than any of our hops over the next year. Its massive oil profile brings clean citrus and pine flavours to beer that are really versatile and can be used in almost anything from the lightest of lagers to the haziest of IPAs.”

Galaxy and Vic Secret aren’t the only two hops that have graduated from the HPA breeding program. Their exciting range of Aussie flavour hops also includes Eclipse, Ella, Enigma and Topaz. However, Galaxy and Vic Secret are by far their two biggest varieties in terms of popularity and production volume. In 2021, HPA harvested 974 metric tonnes of Galaxy and 233 metric tonnes of Vic Secret.

These production volumes are set to grow significantly in the future. HPA are focused on sustainably scaling up Galaxy, Vic Secret and their newest hop Eclipse through continued expansion of their farms in North East Victoria. This commitment can only improve HPA’s chances of addressing the global demand for their Aussie flavour hops.

Moffat Beach are making some magic beers

Pixel3 — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 01:06:11 +0000

Reinvigorated after a long hiatus, the Royal Queensland Beer Awards invited the top Aussie brewers to compete for national recognition in 2022. Supported by a team of brewers, beer writers and industry figures, the competition has become a trusted guide for beer drinkers. Queensland breweries put on a good show this year, taking home 14 of the 17 trophies.

Hop Products Australia (HPA) were particularly proud to award Moffat Beach Brewing Co the HPA trophies for Champion Small/Medium Brewery and Champion IPA for their Trilogy Best Coast IPA. The local legends were also awarded trophies for Champion Session Beer for their Moffs Summer Ale and Champion Pale Ale for their Passenger Pale Ale. After a well earned week off, we got in touch with co-owner and head brewer Matt Wilson to congratulate the team and ask a few questions about how living the good life leads to brewing great beer.

Q: Congrats on your recent success at the 2022 Royal Queensland Beer Awards. We’re glad to be able to sponsor your success by sponsoring the trophy for Champion Small/Medium Brewery and Champion IPA. What was it about Moffs that made you realise it was the perfect place to bring your brewing dream to life?

A: There’s something pretty magical about Moffat Beach and the Sunny Coast. My wife Sharynne and I moved here ten years ago from Sydney, looking for an escape from the city and the chance to start something of our own. And while it hasn’t been without hard work and challenges, the lifestyle feels a lot more balanced, and of course it’s great for the kids. There’s also a wonderful sense of community, where locals support locals, and get behind people willing to give it a crack.

Q: You obviously live and work in a sensational part of the world. How often do you draw inspiration from the surrounding mountains, forests and beaches when crafting a new beer recipe?

A: Our beer recipes are guided both by personal preference (we do love hops here at Moffat Beach), and also by the occasion we’re brewing the beer for. Our Champion Session Beer – Moff’s Summer Ale – was designed to quench a salt-driven thirst after a day spent surfing Moffat Beach’s famous point break. We reckon our Champion Pale – Passenger Pale Ale – pairs perfectly with watching the stunning sunsets we get.

We’ve recently rebranded all of our can designs, and took a lot of inspiration from the people and places of the Sunny Coast, from the glorious beaches to the stunning hinterland and everywhere in between. For us, our beer is a canvas that reflects the lifestyle we enjoy in this little slice of paradise.

Q: It was an extraordinary year for local breweries at the Royal Queensland Beer Awards. What do you think is driving the ridiculously high quality of beer coming out of your state in recent years?

A: We’ve been asked this question a bit lately! I’d actually argue that Queensland has been producing quality beer for quite a while now. Look at Balter, Green Beacon, Newstead, 10 Toes, Brouhaha, Range…you’ve got a lot of trophies across various competitions there. Regardless, it’s great to see more attention on Queensland’s brewing history and credentials.

Q: Entries were up 14 percent on the previous Awards. What is the main motivation for entering your beers in competitions like this?

A: When we started entering competitions, our aim was really just to see how our beers were going. I had never worked (or trained) as a commercial brewer before starting out, so it was a fantastic opportunity to have beer experts assess our range and provide valuable feedback to use in improving our recipes and processes. As we grew, I became further involved as a judge, and find that judging process a great opportunity to learn from industry leaders and further hone my skills.

Q: You describe your award-winning Trilogy Best Coast IPA as a beer for the adventurous. What’s the most adventurous way you’ve used hops in a beer?

A: I’m not sure if it would be called ‘adventurous’ – more likely ‘fiscally irresponsible’ – but our much anticipated annual release, Iggy Hop Double IPA, uses an obscene hop regime that makes for a fun conversation with Sharynne when the bill comes in.

Q: And finally, describe the first adventure you’ll be going on once border restrictions become a thing of the past?

A: Funnily enough, while we love the beach, we really love hitting up the ski fields when on holiday. Japan has been burning a hole in my mind throughout the pandemic, so is high on the wishlist.