Meet the Brewer – HPA

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.

The farm that became an award-winning brewery

Pixel3 — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 01:06:37 +0000

The Perth Royal Beer Awards is the premier beer competition in Western Australia (WA). The pursuit of new and innovative ways of brewing is stronger than it has ever been in the west, with 540 entries from large, medium and small craft breweries as far and wide as Esperance, Kalbarri, Margaret River, Busselton, Swan Valley and Perth.

Rocky Ridge Brewing had a particularly spectacular night, winning the HPA trophy for Champion Large Brewery. The Busselton brewery also won Champion Beer and Best Hybrid & Specialty Beer (Draught) for their Polski Pivo, plus Best Hybrid & Specialty Beer (Packaged) for Born Under Puncheons. For five generations, Rocky Ridge has evolved from a humble cattle farm to a thriving business with the latest agricultural and brewing technology. After a well-earned break, we got in touch with founder and head brewer Hamish Coates to congratulate the team and ask a few questions about their headliners and what’s in store for the future.

Q: Congrats on your recent success at the 2022 Perth Royal Beer Awards! For five generations, Rocky Ridge has evolved from a humble cattle farm to a thriving business with the latest agricultural and brewing technology. What’s been your driving force over the years?

A: We founded Rocky Ridge because we believed that we could make great beer, with great local produce. We came from a place of community, with long term family ties to our region. Our vision was, and still is, to make quality beer with unique ingredients, always striving to have fun and be creative in everything we do.

Q: You also won Champion Beer and Best Hybrid & Specialty Beer (Draught) for your Polski Pivo. You don’t see a lot of Grodziskies anywhere in the world, let alone claiming the title of champion beer. What’s the story behind this Aussie brewery’s decision to make a traditionally Polish beer that Will Irving described as “pure elegance in a glass”?

A: We love to push the envelope, be that with new and exciting styles and ingredients, or traditional, old school styles like the Grodziskie. Ross, our head brewer has a real love of barrel aged sours, mixed culture ferments and Lagers. The Polski Pivo is a homage to his wife Anna’s polish heritage, in a delightfully light bodied, 100% oak smoked wheat beer.

Q: Plus you won Best Hybrid & Specialty Beer (Packaged) for Born Under Puncheons. This is your most fruit forward mixed culture beer to date. It’s a pretty special beer with a pretty special purpose. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

A: B.U.P is an amazing beer brewed and blended to celebrate the birth of our Brand Director Ricky’s first son, Arlo. B.U.P started life as a blend of our Perpetual sour culture, one of our older sour beer cultures (fermentarium) and a house saison. These were then secondary fermented in french oak puncheons on blueberries, lemon zest, vanilla and cinnamon. A divergence from our standard ‘single fruit’ sours to explore culinary pairings in beer.

Q: You’re committed to staying true to your farming roots by focussing of fresh, local and sustainable produce? What’s the current ingredient of the month at Rocky Ridge?

A: Whatever is fresh and available. We’re currently brewing up a little something using freshly harvested jindong potatoes….believe it or not. We are huge supporters of local agriculture, with an absolute love for Aussie grown.

Q: And what’s the most interesting ingredient you’ve added to your beers in the past?

A: Cucumber was pretty interesting. To be honest, spuds will probably take the cake. Or hash browns.

Q: Your mission is to brew better beer in a better way. Tell us about your Green Pastures initiative and how it is contributing to a more sustainable future?

A: We are a farming family, with deep seated roots to our local community. We strive to be at the forefront of sustainable development, with dedication to industry best practice. Our mission is simple; to make great beer, and to make a difference – one beer at a time.

To achieve this goal, we established our Greener Pastures Program, which encompasses all of the brewery’s environmental and community support initiatives. We are passionate about a sustainable future, and feel it is our collective responsibility to ensure this for generations to come. We created this program to give accountability to our own goals, and to ensure transparency in everything we do. To this end, we commit 10% of our net profits to the Greener Pastures Program.

In essence there are four core pillars to this program:

Reduce and Reuse: Core to our sustainability drivers is our commitment to zero plastic and net zero emissions across our operations. We work in many areas to bring our carbon footprint down, from raw supply chains and our own direct input to packaging materials and their impact on the planet. Major initiatives include wastewater recycling, CO₂ recapture, and our off-grid power system (we brew everything through solar power).

A Responsible Future: We are carbon neutral across scope one, two and three: encompassing our operations from paddock, through to finished product on shelf. We believe in pushing for net zero carbon emissions and will continue to strive for this as early as possible. 2028 is our deadline, with 2025 as a stretch goal to reach net zero.

Restore and Regenerate: We partner with local Landcare groups and charities to enable restoration projects, including forest rehabilitation, coastal rehabilitation and waterway projects. We believe in leaving the planet in a better condition than that in which we entered.

Community: Our community is the reason we exist; without their support we would never be able to undertake any of the above. Without their support, we wouldn’t be here having this chat with you. So a huge driver for us is to give back to those who help us, from Hospice fundraising and supporting local sporting clubs to purchasing equipment and donations to animal shelters and charities, we are here to help, always.

Range Brewing win big at the 2020 Indie Beer Awards

Pixel3 — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 12:04:57 +0000

The independent beer scene is booming right now, and Queensland brewers are producing some of the best beers in the country. From small producers brewing for their local community to large producers brewing for interstate and international markets, they represent some of the most innovative and highly awarded beers in Australia. Range Brewing is the current toast of the town after winning Champion Beer, Champion IPA and the Hop Products Australia (HPA) trophy for Champion Small/Medium Brewery together with 250kg of our Australian hops at the 2020 Indie Beer Awards.

As industry leaders in quality, craftsmanship, flavour and diversity, we are committed to increasing our level of collaboration with like-minded brewers. We have evolved our sales strategy so that it directly benefits Queensland brewers, including the addition of a dedicated sales rep for the state alongside signing up as a supporting partner of the Royal Queensland Beer Awards in 2021. The Awards is Queensland’s premier beer competition which continues to enjoy growth with consistently high-quality entries. This year, they have invited brewers from across the country to compete for national recognition. Featuring a dedicated team of brewers, beer writers and industry figures, the Awards showcase the quality of Australian brewing and provide a handy guide for consumers.

If they continue their current form, Range is sure to feature in the 2021 Royal Queensland Beer Awards too. Range was started by childhood friends Gerard Martin and Matt McIver to bring the latest innovations in modern beer from around the world to Australian shores. With the help of Mitch Pickford, their ethos of exploration and evolution certainly seems to be working. After giving them a bit of time to celebrate their big win, we got in touch with Mitch to congratulate the team and ask a few questions about what it takes to brew a Range beer.

Q: Congrats on your recent success at the 2020 Indie Beer Awards. We were thrilled to present you with the trophy for Champion Small/Medium Brewery. What and/or who do you credit for your recent success?

A: I think it’s a culmination of our evolution in practices, techniques, and the emphasis we put on quality from the outset. It’s honestly been a two year journey of exploration and learning, and fortunately for us it has born fruit.

Q: Alongside the trophy for Champion Small/Medium Brewery, you also won 250kg of Australian hops. Do you already know which of our uniquely Australian flavour hops you’re going to choose and what beer style you might make with them?

A: It’s an amazing prize to receive, I mean that’s more than the entire hops we contracted from HPA last year. Luckily we’ve added some capacity to be making more beer so these hops will go to good use. I daresay we’ll be using the 250kg for both Galaxy^® and Vic Secret in a West Coast IPA and a Hazy IPA respectively. It would be rude not to!

Q: You also won Champion Beer for Fahrenheit IPA. Can you tell us the story behind the name?

A: We actually made this beer as a dual release where we made an all US ingredient IPA named Fahrenheit and an all AUS ingredient IPA named Celsius.

Q: There was an increase in medal winning IPAs and pale ales at this year’s awards. What do you think is driving brewers to continually produce these expressive, hop-forward beer styles?

A: I personally think, and hope, it’s a combination of both brewers enjoying experimenting with new ingredients, techniques and styles, and beer drinkers creating a higher demand for these styles.

Q: Range are constantly sampling the finest beers from around the world to inspire new and exciting brews. What is one of your favourite overseas experiences involving beer?

A: There are so many that myself, Matt and Gerard have, and we feel fortunate to say that as we know not everyone gets those experiences. My personal favourite was being able to work in San Sebastian Spain at Basqueland Brewing Project for a few weeks back in 2017. Absolutely wonderful people making amazing beer in an incredible city.

Q: Back on home soil, what’s your favourite hop to brew with at the moment? And if it’s not one of our proprietary varieties, what’s your favourite uniquely Australian flavour hop?

A: I think Australian hops have such unique characters. I personally love Vic Secret, especially Vic Secret flowers.

Q: There’s been Range taprooms popping up in other locations. Can you give us the inside scoop?

A: Get ready to drink some beer at our Taproom in Abbotsford, Melbourne. Keep your eyes peeled on our socials, as the taps are in and the beer is cold.

Q: We recently appointed Simeon Bonetti as your local sales rep. Are you looking forward to working with him? How will having a dedicated local sales rep for your state impact on your hop procurement process?

A: I’m fortunate enough to have known and been friends with Sim for several years now. We used to work just 30 meteres away from each other in West End. He’s always been extremely passionate and knowledgable on all things brewing and more importantly hops! Sim is a wonderful person which will make the world of difference in being able to work with him.

Blasta Brewing continues their successful beer awards season

Pixel3 — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 12:16:07 +0000

The West Australian (WA) beer scene has experienced a resurgence in recent years because of a few visionary brewers who responded remarkably well to growing consumer demand for more flavour, quality ingredients, and greater choice. Blasta Brewing is leading the pack after winning West Australian State Champion at the 2020 Indie Beer Awards. This comes after another successful campaign at the 2020 Perth Royal Beer Awards where they won Champion Small Brewery, Champion Beer, Best India Pale Ale Draught and the Hop Products Australia (HPA) trophy for Best Hybrid & Speciality Beer Draught.

We have evolved our sales strategy so that it directly benefits WA brewers like Blasta, and are now members of the Western Australia Brewers Association (WABA) as well as supporting partners of the Perth Royal Beer Awards. The Awards is WA’s premier beer competition which continues to enjoy growth with consistently high-quality entries. This year, the Hop Products Australia (HPA) trophy for Best Hybrid & Speciality Beer Draught was awarded to Blasta Brewing’s The Rampant Raspberry. This was just one of four trophies they won, including Champion Small Brewery, Champion Beer and Best India Pale Ale Draught.

The name Blasta is a tribute to founder and brewer Steve Russell’s Scottish heritage. It comes from Scottish Gaelic and translates to ‘delicious’. Every brew, every day, they stand by their commitment to brew the most delicious beers they can. This often involves pushing the boundaries which has resulted in some world class beers along the way. We got in touch with Steve to congratulate the team and ask a few questions about what it takes to brew a Blasta beer.

Q: Congrats on your recent success at the 2020 Indie Beer Awards and the 2020 Perth Royal Beer Awards. We were thrilled to present you with the trophy for Best Hybrid & Speciality Beer for The Rampant Raspberry. Other than the obvious fact that it’s delicious, why do you think beer drinkers are really puckering up to sour beer at the moment?

A: Sour beers are really starting to take off over here, and it’s no surprise considering the warm sunny days we are lucky enough to get in Australia. They aren’t new, however, some of the newer beer styles are giving non-beer drinkers an appetite to try them. Our Rampant Raspberry really reminds me of my childhood, spending the summer holidays berry picking for pocket money. I’m sure we ate as much as we picked though.

Q: You also won Champion Beer for Chainbreaker. Can you tell us the story behind the name of this sensational IPA?

A: The unicorn representing Scotland in the national coat of arms was always depicted with a chain around its neck as this symbolises the medieval belief that it was a strong, untamed animal. Our brewery logo is a geometric unicorn, and Chainbreaker is a double dry hopped IPA that is jam packed full of deep citrus flavours and aromas that we believe fit the bill of breaking chains.

Q: There was an increase in medal winning IPAs and pale ales at this year’s Awards. What do you think is driving brewers to continually produce these expressive, hop-forward beer styles?

A: As one style takes a back seat, you see other styles come forward to carry the mantle. This is mainly because consumers are simply looking for some variation. We’re often asked what our favourite beer or style is, but it changes week to week depending on circumstances, weather, etc. The wider trend is similar.

Q: Blasta use only the freshest and highest quality ingredients from wherever they can be found. What’s the greatest lengths you’ve gone to source a particular ingredient?

A: We recently brewed a beer that had a considerable amount of Scottish Heather Honey in it. It was extremely difficult to get into Australia, let alone WA which has some of most stringent import restrictions in the world, but the end product was unique and fantastic. We’re willing to go to these lengths for our customers every time.

Q: Speaking of high quality ingredients, what’s your favourite hop to brew with at the moment? And if it’s not one of our proprietary varieties, what’s your favourite uniquely Australian flavour hop?

A: We really enjoy quite a few varities, including Galaxy^®, Vic Secret and Azacca^®. More recently, we’re experimenting with some new NZ varieties which we are looking forward to releasing.

Q: We recently appointed Brad Nolen as your local sales rep. Are you enjoying having him around? And is he making a positive impact on your hop procurement process?

A: We enjoy having Brad over here in WA. It’s great to have more personal service, with him being able to drop in, catch up, and see how we’re doing. It’s also what led us to collaborate on the Eclipse^® Mixed Pack which we were excited to be part of.

Sydney Brewery crowned champion of 2021 Queensland Beer Awards

Pixel3 — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 23:07:48 +0000

In 2021, The Royal Queensland Beer Awards invited top brewers from around Australia to compete for national recognition. Supported by a team of brewers, beer writers and industry figures, the competition has become a respected guide for beer drinkers. Sydney Brewery put on a particularly good show this year, taking home Grand Champion Beer, Champion Lager, and the Hop Products Australia (HPA) trophy for Champion Small/Medium Brewery.

As industry leaders in quality, craftsmanship, flavour and diversity, we are committed to increasing our level of collaboration with like-minded brewers and celebrating their successes. So we’ve evolved our sales strategy to directly benefit Aussie brewers, signing up as a supporting partner of several industry events including the 2021 Royal Queensland Beer Awards. The Awards is Queensland’s premier beer competition which continues to enjoy growth with consistently high-quality entries.

Sydney Brewery beat a total of 485 entries from 71 different breweries to take the title of Grand Champion Beer. They are all about celebrating what makes their city unique. Sydney Brewery pour every pint with pride, knowing they never compromise on the quality of their raw materials or processes. After giving them a bit of time to celebrate their big win, we got in touch with Head Brewer Scott Hayward to congratulate the team and ask a few questions about their award-winning beers.

Q: Congrats on your recent success at the 2021 Royal Queensland Beer Awards. We’re glad we were able to support your success by sponsoring the trophy for Champion Small/Medium Brewery. What does an award like this mean to you?

A: Thanks, winning the Champion Small/Medium Brewery trophy is a great indication that we are doing the right things. We feel like we have been close a few times before, but to actually get there is a huge honour and recognition for the team.

Q: You also won Grand Champion Beer and Champion Lager for your Pilsner. It can be difficult to hide faults in such a light style of beer. How do you do it?

A: There is definitely not much room to hide faults in this category. We believe we have got our Pilsner balanced well and where it needs to be, and focus on our processes such as hygeine, handling, fermentation control, etc to ensure we keep it there.

Q: You obviously delivered a hop intensity that was well balanced with the rest of the beer. What’s your favourite hop to brew with at the moment? And if it’s not one of our proprietary varieties, what’s your favourite uniquely Australian flavour hop?

A: My favourite hop at the moment, and has been for quite some time, is Amarillo^®. With the Australian hop varieties it is hard to go past Galaxy^® (I’d imagine this would be a fairly standard response), but I am also liking Eclipse^® in the right combinations and your experimental variety HPA033 is showing some promise.

Q: Interstate entries for the 2021 Royal Queensland Beer Awards doubled compared to 2020. What was your main motivation for entering this year?

A: My main focus for entering any beer awards is unbiased industry feedback. It’s also great to get the recognition of quality beers, but the biggest takeout is identification of areas to improve.

Q: You’re industrial warehouse with it’s exposed brick, concrete wall and street art is set up so that beer drinkers can watch your brewers at work in Surry Hills. Does the team thrive under a little extra pressure, or do they prefer the peace and quiet of an early morning start?

A: I’d like to think that most of the time we are mainly focussed on the job at hand, it’s pretty common to be doing our thing and look up to see a small audience but the focus and motivation is on making a quality beer.

Q: The brewery name suggests you are pretty proud of your city. How does the boutique Sydney lifestyle influence the specialty beers you make?

A: We are definitely proud of our city, and country. The great thing about Sydney is that it is very diverse and has endless influences.

Q: You also make award winning ciders. Are there any plans to release a hopped cider st some stage?

A: We have talked about releasing a hopped cider but haven’t got any solid plans as yet, we do have a Cidery Bar at Rydges World Square so it does make sense to try something different.

Q: Sydney Brewery is renowned for having a constant rotation of seasonal beers. Do you have any new and exciting beers or ciders in the works that we should keep an eye out for?

A: We do have a history of releasing seasonal beers (and keeping them in our core range), but are in the process of implementing a more seasonal based rotation including 2-3 seasonals as well as a couple of limited releases and experimental beers. Some of these include a Black IPA that was released last year but we have brought back again, a Double Red IPA we have just released which is drinking well and will be interesting to see how it is received, and are also a couple of weeks off a NEIPA that could have notes of mango…

With the ciders we are close to releasing a second batch of Oaked Organic Cider and have been doing small batches of flavoured ciders such as watermelon, guava, passionfruit, etc.

We will also be looking at releasing a whiskey sometime this year under the brand Two Doctors, and will be starting with a 5 year old single barrel release.