“Humbled,” says Brad Rogers, when asked how he feels about his beer being named Australia’s Best Beer in the Critics' Choice poll announced today. The Stone & Wood Pacific Ale pipped Little Creatures Pale Ale and Feral’s Hop Hog to the top spot in the book counting down the top 100 beers as chosen by a panel of 39 experts from across the beer industry.
“Humility is one very important piece of Stone & Wood – and that’s not just idle chat either,” he says, while knocking back the new number one beer at The Local Taphouse in St Kilda. “It’s important to make sure we’re not taken too seriously; our beer needs to stand up and talk for itself, but we want it to be something that sits at the side of the table, not be the focus of the table.”
The brewery only opened a little over two years in Byron Bay, not a renowned craft beer destination, making their success all the more remarkable. The beer – originally called Draught Ale – was only ever intended to be sold on tap in bars close to the brewery, but word soon spread and they were forced to reassess and send it interstate. Now, even with two more tanks due to be delivered to the brewery, their biggest problem is going to be meeting demand.
“We’re way ahead of where we thought we’d be,” says Brad. “The local community in Byron has been really supportive, as has the community of drinkers in the craft beer world. They understand what we’re on about; we’re not going to be the brewery that has 40 beers or makes something that’s 10,000 IBUs. It comes back to three blokes producing quality craft beer that we want people to enjoy.”
As for the beer itself, it was designed with Stone & Wood’s home in mind.
“I’d brewed a lot of stylistic beers before [he was head brewer at Matilda Bay before leaving Foster’s to set up Stone & Wood] so with this we threw the style guides out the window. We wanted to brew a beer that the local community in Byron Bay would enjoy. A beer that, when you’ve just walked across the sand when it’s 35C at the beach, you’re having the best day and you want something local that completes the day.
Brad gets a copy of the book signed. “My mum will love it!”
“We knew it would be a tough gig, but the best thing for me is that, from the very, very first time we brewed it in October / November 2008, the formulation and recipe hasn’t changed a bit. We love the soft, delicate Galaxy hop character, which is all about tropical fruit and are making a very simple beer to which we do special things to get the flavour attributes.”
If you’ve not tried it, you should. If you’re looking to convert mates to good beer, there’s little better with which to bring them from the dark side. And if you ever get the chance to call in and visit the brewery in Byron Bay, do as they’re as nice a bunch of guys as you could wish to meet. When we were writing their listing for The Crafty Pint a few months ago, the first line we came up with was:
“The Stone & Wood story is the closest you’ll come to a fairy tale in the world of Australian brewing.”
And so it seems. As for the future…
“What’s next for Stone & Wood?” we ask.
Brad smiles and picks up a fresh Pacific Ale that’s just been placed on the bar.
“This.”
Watch our interview with Brad and Jamie from Stone & Wood at the Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular in February
CraftyPint - GABS Interviews. Brad & Jamie from Stone & Wood from Alister Robbie on Vimeo.
