It went underground for a while. Home brewers were playing with all sorts of yeasts and malt extracts, sometimes getting it wrong – and sometimes blowing up the back shed.
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But now, with the rise of micro and craft breweries, there’s little point to causing explosions in the bid for a unique, interesting glass of amber ale.
Although Ballarat still boasts some 3500 home brewers, the city is now also host to two established micro breweries – Red Duck and Rebellion Brewery – as well as two up-and-comers – Cubby Haus and Athletic Club Brewery.
Perhaps no man is more passionate about Ballarat’s return to being the epicentre of brewing than Ric Dexter. Mr Dexter has now run five successful Ballarat Beer Festival events, with its first winter iteration to be held this weekend at the Mining Exchange, as part of the city’s Winterlude festival.
Mr Dexter said Ballarat was once the home for excellent brewing with Ballarat Bitter and its unmistakable mascot Bertie.
But along came economic rationalisation, the buying up of small breweries by the bigger players, and the ultimate selling of brands to overseas owners.
But of course, that is all changing.
“There’s about 375 craft brewers in Australia now. When you look at the West Coast American market, which started 20 years ago, California alone has 700 craft breweries going,” Mr Dexter said.
“(Ballarat’s micro-breweries) are helping re-establish Ballarat as the epicentre of Victorian brewing. Towns like Geelong and Bendigo have got a couple of breweries, but Ballarat has a much bigger history of brewing.”
He commended Federation University for its beer-brewing courses, which were also helping establish a craft beer culture in Ballarat.
Mr Dexter said this weekend’s Winterlude Beer Festival would offer an incredibly array of beers, such as toasty stouts, French oak bourbon flavours, peted Scotch ales and cherry sour notes.
“The thrust of this winter festival is we’re bringing a lot of the winter-based beers. Winter beers are the ones to be savoured and poured gently across the palate rather than thrown back.”
The festival will be held Saturday and Sunday from midday, with a dinner and drinks party on Saturday night.
For tickets, visit www.ballaratbeerfestival.com.au
