WA barley used in brewtiful new drop

ALBY is the latest beer from the brewery which was inspired by WA’s first brewery, the Albion from 1837.

The beer is made from malted barley grown from farms across WA because according to Gage Roads chief operating officer and brew chief Aaron Heary, WA’s barley is some of the best in the world.

“The fact is that WA makes bloody good barley for making a crisp lager beer and I think the growing conditions here lend itself well for making some really good quality barley,” Mr Heary said.

“We’ve got a nice wet rainfall season, it’s warm through the growing season, it dries out well, it’s not wet so there’s not a lot of mould, funguses or other things that can grow in more damp climates.

“ALBY’s uniquely WA flavour is derived from a combination of high quality raw ingredients, a longer, cold maturation process, and a double centrifugal process, allowing beer to maintain more of its true flavour.”

Mr Heary’s idea to make a beer from WA-barley came from his friendship with Tammin farmer Brad Jones.

A bond formed between the two when they studied overseas.

Fast forward a few years and Mr Heary regularly visits Mr Jones’ farm, sometimes even taking the brewing team with him to “get back where beer comes from”.

It didn’t take long for Mr Heary to develop a love for agriculture and he wanted to incorporate that into a beer that WA could also love, while supporting WA barley growers.

ALBY has been making its way into the market over the past three weeks with a soft launch and consumers can hope to see it at sporting events at the Perth Stadium.

Gage Roads is the exclusive supplier of beer and cider to the Perth Stadium and the stadium’s operators are currently selecting which beers will be available for events, with a high chance that ALBY will be available for punters.

The ALBY range includes a draught beer (4.2pc) and a crisp beer (3.5pc).

Gage Roads was established in 2002 by a group of beer lovers, led by brothers John and Bill Hoedemaker.