In the age of craft beer, choice is king.
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So many people want to look around and try everything from amber ales to stouts.
This push towards innovation and variety, along with the want for all natural products has been the fuel Scott Wilson-Browne has used in creating one of Ballarat’s best-known breweries.
The owner/directer/founder/brewer/bottle manager/ general jack of all trades of Red Duck brewery told The Courier he was sick of having to avoid big industrial beers and wanted to make a beer that was all natural.
“I'm a bit of a health nut I guess,” he said.
“I like wholefood, I like to keep fit and I don't like processed foods, full stop and I don't like industrialised beers.
“I think it's important that at least one brewery sticks with tradition and makes natural beer, there's not many breweries left in Australia that do what we do.”
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Keeping with traditions and creating a natural beer means brewing without using any chemicals. This process allows the beer to remain alive, often resulting in sediment at the bottom of a bottle, which Wilson-Browne says is a good thing.
“It's the sign of a healthy beer, if I get a beer without yeast in the bottom I know it's been filtered and probably more industrial.”
After deciding to enter the industry basically because of his love for beer, it was three years before Red Duck produced their first product in 2005.
“That time was spent buying the brewery, getting it re-engineered, designing the brewery, learning how to make beer and doing trial batches. The only downside was it took much longer than expected.”
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Now over 170 types of beer later, Wilson-Browne keeps looking forward to what is next for the industry.
“I think in the future low alcohol and no alcohol beers are going to go really well. I'm surprised we haven't seen more of it before. It’s a great option if you have stuff to do or you want to drive but still enjoy a cold refreshing beer.”
Red Duck beer will have a marquee at Saturday’s Ballarat Beer Festival.