Karl: It's hard for me to talk about Beechworth without rambling (so many memories), some of my first memories are playing in Queen Victoria Park with my brother on the playground built by prisoners of the Beechworth Gaol and mind you the park was right next door to it! There was even a monument of a cannon on top of the rocks, so many battles, so many victories.
Dan: When my family immigrated from the UK they settled in Albury-Wodonga and I have fond memories of accompanying them on the 40min drive to Beechworth from Wodonga just to visit their local bakery and sweet shop. Little did I know that Beechworth would become such a powerhouse in the Australian beer scene.....
Karl: As you could imagine it was with great happiness we get to write a post on Bridge Road Brewers. I have to say with Beechworth so close to my heart this is going to be a hard one to stay objective, but I'll give it a go.
I went to Bridge Road on a lovely chilly winters morning and as I first walked through the doors of the brewery and felt the warmth of the fire I knew this was the perfect spot to start my long weekend in the country. The open fire gives you that cosey homely feel that country pubs do so well and a lively kitchen that seems to always be going full tilt, then with only the vats up the back to remind you are actually inside a brewery. There is also a lovely outside area that is very family friendly and would be great on a sunny day. I have had a few Bridge Roads brews in Beechworth, but I haven't ever actually visited the brewery itself - and I was extremely impressed, can't you tell?
Well lets get on with a paddle, it is 11.30 after all....
Dan: One thing worth noting about Bridge Road is the amount of paddle options available, more so than any other brewery I have visited, did you notice this too Karl? Good for those who just want to dip into a few beers and great for others who want to try the whole spectrum of what Bridge Road has to offer. We recommend the 10 beer sampler for $15.
Karl: Dan, it was an impressive range and what I liked the most is that I could sample all the beers with 1 paddle... I've never seen a 10 beer paddle and probably won't until I go back. Which I am already making plans for.
Ben Kraus the Owner and Head Brewer of Bridge Road Brewers was kind enough to take time out of his busy day to answer a few questions for us.
Where did your passion for beer stem from?
My passion for quality beer began after travelling and working throughout Europe after finishing a viticulture and winemaking degree in 2000. I saw the great diversity and quality of beer in Europe, and was thoroughly disappointed with Australian beer each time I returned home. That was until I worked for a wine vineyard in the Margaret River in WA, and was exposed to the emerging craft beer scene in Australia.
Do you have a favourite beer style?
One of my many roles over a four year period in Europe was working at an Australian beer bar, that's where I fell in love with Hefe Weizens. Although I love my hoppy IPA's I can always go back to a good Weizen, particularly a Dunkel Weizen.
Did you have much opposition from the locals whilst setting up the brewery?
No quite the opposite, I received good support from locals, and continue to benefit from their support 7 years later. There was some initial strong resistance from the local planning authorities, that took a year of wasted time to overcome. I often hear start up breweries facing the same challenge, battling with planning, I think the resistance from planning allowing a brewery outside of an industrial area is due to their lack of understanding of the process and impact a small brewery has. I always use the bakery analogy, imagine if every small bakery was forced to operate out of an industrial zone.
The main challenge with the local market is the same as the broader market, that is changing their perspective on beer. Most our beers are heavy in the flavour department, and the Australian beer market has been dominated by beers that are extremely light on flavour for many years. Competing for tap space with the large macro breweries is also a challenge, they offer incentives and deals we cant match, and will often use such incentives, (beer or dollars) to remove a one of our products from an existing tap. But that's just the nature of the beast, we have to continue to make quality beer and encourage local consumers to demand it on tap.
How did your collaboration beers come about - especially with Nogne O and Mikeller
The Collaboration brews came about through various distribution contacts. We asked both mentioned brewers if they would be interested in brewing with us and they jumped at the idea. The fact that we have small production capacity, are flexible and willing to experiment with new beer makes it easy for us to collaborate with other brewers.
Was this a difficult process?
No just quite a few emails is all.
Are you currently working on any new beer collaborations?
Yes we are looking at doing something in the UK.
Do you source your ingredients from Australia?
Yes we purchase from a couple of wholesale distributors for both malt and hops. However we use both malt and hops from all over the world, including Australian grown.
If sourced from Australia where and why?
Our wholesale suppliers have a portfolio of domestic and imported ingredients. If we are looking to emulate a particular style of beer, ie Hefe Weizen, we find the best way to do so is to source ingredients from that country. Therefore when making such a beer we use German malt, hops and yeast.
What does the future hold for Bridge Road Brewers?
Who knows? We are currently installing a 24HL Brewhouse that should be online by spring, increasing our brew length from 10HL. We will continue to expand our 'brewery door' facility, as well as our wholesale market.
Now lets get down to the beers. We have already had the pleasure of reviewing the Australia Ale at Harts last year, check out our review here.
Brown Dog
Karl: I had to start with this beer as I hadn't seen it floating around Sydney yet and also with the last 2 collaboration beers being so good I wanted to see if this stood up to the test... and guess what? Of course it did. This is a collaboration with Barry Cranston, who won the home brewer award at GABS. With a soft fruity malt aroma this beer finishes with a solid malt, with a slight caramel, toffee aftertaste. With an ABV of 5% there are no problems with having a few of these.
Chevalier Saison
Dan: This was one of the first Saisons I had the pleasure of trying and it is still my favourite hands down. The Saison originated from Belgium many moons ago and is typically a refreshing summer ale with a robust alcohol content, usually between 5-8%. The Chevalier stands out for me as it has a dry and acidic aftertaste which refreshes the palate and subtle hop aromas which elevates it towards becoming a session beer.
God Save The Lager, Imperial Pilsner
Karl: By this stage the day had warmed up, I was sitting in the sun and looking forward to a nice crisp and refreshing beer and this was the one. The Imperial Pilsner has a beautiful fruity, with a soft citrus fragrance and is backed up by a good hop, with a faint wheat finish. This beer is a creeper and I was very surprised it's ABV is 7.5%, but everyone says I love the strong beers.
Robust Porter
Dan: Winter is the right time of year for a Porter and man this is a good one. I detected a slight amount of smokiness on the nose initially but it is the chocolate flavours which dominate to push this Porter to the head of the pack. As a Porter fanatic this is up there with the Holgate Temptress in my book and wouldn't this taste wonderful off a handpump.....
Karl: Dan, this is one of the best Porters I've had this year (and we've drunk a few) and I hope I get to drink a lot more of them. You are immediately hit with the coffee scent, this is backed up by a great malty and chocolate aftertaste, with a slight smokiness. With an ABV of 5.2% a session is definitely in order, I like this so much it was my finisher. Even Mum likes this one.
Celtic Red Ale
Karl: The first time I had the Celtic Red was at the Beechworth Harvest Festival, it was a bitterly cold day and i thought it would be a good idea to drink beer, it was really a whiskey day after all... but I digress. This is a great Red Ale, with a slight hop aftertaste and a soft malt bouquet. I would seriously love to see this one on a hand pump and has session written all over it. Dan I have to know, what do you think of this one?
Dan: I enjoyed this one too and like the Porter,the Celtic Red Ale is perfect on a cold afternoon. The Englishman in me would like to this to be a touch closer to room temperature but that aside, its coppery colour combined with caramel undertones, a clean malty finish and an ABV of 5.3% make this a real session ale.
Beechworth Pale Ale
Dan: One of their oldest beers, the Beechworth Pale Ale is perfectly balanced and much like the Australia Ale, a good introduction to the Bridge Road range. Dry hopping (adding hops after the fermentation process) gives this pale plenty of hoppy aromas on the nose whilst not overpowering on the palate.
Karl: Dan, this is a great pale ale. I really hope we get this in Sydney during summer, because this has session written all over it and with an ABV of 4.8% it's going to be a good session. With a great hop aroma and a nice hop bitter aftertaste. Dan I really think you're going to like the next one.
Chestnut Pilsner
Dan: I was really impressed that this beer is sourced from 100% local ingredients, including the hops and yes you guessed it, the chestnuts. A crisp and refreshing Pilsner this is one I would definitely like to see on the taps at my local.
Karl: Dan what a Pilsner! A great hop aroma, backed up by a lovely nutty malt finish. I could stay here and drink this all day long. I hope this hits the taps in Sydney. This is a combination only a champion brewer could think of.
Bling India Pale
Karl: Dan, as you know I have a huge soft spot for IPA's... well all beer really... and this does not fail to disappoint - even for the most discerning IPA drinker. I think we've found a competitor to Greene King IPA here! I get a strong malt aroma and taste with a subtle, but not so subtle that you miss it, hop finish. Okay now I want to drink this all night long! How do you rate this IPA Dan?
Dan: For me, this beer is all about the hops and it is much stronger (5.8% ABV) than our beloved Greene King IPA counterpart. Still, this is a solid IPA in it's own right and checks all the boxes for me, the strong malt flavours in particular really hooked me in. Good job on this one Ben.
Walking down the main street of Beechworth where horse drawn carriages still meander you can't help but appreciate the towns rich history and architecture. The Bridge Road Brewer is in such an idyllic spot and well worth a visit to try some of Australia's best beers.
We would like to thank Ben for taking the time out of his busy day to speak with us and we are already looking forward to our next trip to Bridge Road.
Where to next...
Bridge Road Brewers
Old Coach House Brewers LaneFord Street Beechworth
Victoria 3747
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