Although Rocky Ridge have been brewing for less than a decade, their farming and family history extends back 100 years as of 2024. Over those hundred years, the land which the brewery calls home has been through many iterations, all of which – from dairy to brewery – have shared a common thread of preserving and looking after said land. So, to mark a century of the Coates family's ownership of the land in Jindong, the brewers concocted a special beer: a classic Aussie pale ale.
Delivered handsomely in a 500ml tin adorned with an image of 92-year-old Peter Coates, grandfather of Rocky Ridge co-founder Hamish Coates, 1924 pours a slightly hazy golden reminiscent of one of Australia’s most famous pale ales, Coopers Green. Once in your glass, expect ripe stone fruits and both earthiness and some grassiness, all atop a firm but balanced bitterness that meets a touch of malt sweetness. The reserved 4.5 percent ABV ensures drinkability and repeatability as an Aussie pale should.
With Rocky Ridge growing rapidly – their Brunswick brewery opened in the same month this beer appeared – the future looks bright for the environmentally-conscious brewers, but throughout their growth to date and grand plans for what lies ahead they’re ensuring they don’t forget their roots.
Jono Outred
Published September 17, 2024 2024-09-17 00:00:00
