Nathan Fenton and Ben Kraus celebrate Bridge Road Brewers' ninth-placed entry in the GABS festival 2022 Hottest 100 Craft Beer competition.
From a field of 100 entries, Beechworth’s Bridge Road Brewers has again been placed in the nation’s top 10 craft beers.
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The company’s popular Beechworth Pale Ale nudged out 91 other entrants to come ninth in the Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular festival’s 2022 Hottest 100 Craft Beer competition, announced on January 31.
Bridge Road Brewers owner and founder Ben Kraus said he was pleased with the ale being the highest ranked beer in Victoria, however, he has eschewed the classification of his product as ‘craft beer’.
“We prefer to describe ourselves as an independent brewery since the big companies are taking over smaller brewers and marketing their products as craft beer,” Mr Kraus said.
He said the key values to his business were authenticity and independence.
“We are proudly independent but still compete with the big guys.”
The brewery has been consistently in the top 10 of the competition, but had a challenge to return last year after slipping down the list for 2021.
The business is known as the ‘High Country brewer’ and sources hops from the Ovens Valley to allow the company’s success to rely on the taste of their beers.
The brewery’s products are sold from Australia’s east coast to Adelaide where they feature in a pop-up stall at the popular Fringe festival.
Mr Kraus started brewing beer in 2005 in his father’s backyard shed, having left the European wine industry, met his wife Maria on the Austrian ski slopes and decided to return home to partake in the “more fun industry”.
The business has grown slowly to now employ 50 staff and is opening a new 30-tap venue in East Brunswick.
Mr Kraus found inspiration during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and had success with venturing into distilling in conjunction with Corowa Whisky to deal with excess beer.
Emily Potter and Millie Hodges take a break from bar work at Bridge Road Brewers. The brewery will host the High Country Hops Festival on March 25. Photo: Andy Wilson
Strong community support for the brewery is a reflection of the company’s contribution to local events and causes.
The brewery sponsors and contributes to events such as mountain biking, has its own community running club, and recently supported restoration work at Lake Sambell.
Beechworth Urban Landcare and Sustainability secretary Jane Rudman said that the brewery’s contribution to the lake after the floods last year was welcomed.
“They provided about 20 staff for a working bee to help clean up the glades area of the lake,” Ms Rudman said.
“That’s huge for these little projects which are labour intensive; they came down from the brewery and helped with weeding and mulching,” she said.
Marketing manager Nathan Fenton said the brewery had been embraced by the people of Beechworth.
“The township really appreciates Ben and Maria’s contributions; the company has gained a lot of respect from the community,” Mr Fenton said.
The brewery will host the High Country Hops Festival on March 25.
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