A Mudgee brewer who has been on the craft beer scene for 12 years, says it's great to see Dubbo customers taking an appreciation for the product after attending this this year's Beers to the Bush Festival.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In 2007, Gary Leonard started Mudgee Brewing Co, in a historic 100-year-old former wool store in the heart of the town.
He brews approximately 14 beers per year and also creates a range of seasonal beers including pale ales, wheat beers, dark beers, IPAs, and ales.
Mr Leonard said the craft brewing industry in the region has grown over those past 12 years.
"I think there was about 20 craft breweries when we started and now there's over 400 of them and growing very quickly," he said.
"Which is good. There's some really great beers out there being made all over the place and lots of different varieties."
Just recently he attended the Beers to the Bush Festival in Dubbo and commented how great it was to see locals appreciation of the craft beer scene.
"When we started 12 years ago we thought our target market would be people between 35 and 45 years-old, who I believe were drinking craft beer at the time," he said.
"And now that target market ranges anywhere form 22 to whatever. I think it's really expanded. There's so many people appreciating what beer really can be."
Mr Leonard will soon be sending his beer Mudgee Brewing Port Porter to the annual GABS Festival's in Sydney and Melbourne.
Renowned as one of the world's leading beer festivals, GABS (otherwise known as the Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular) brings together the best breweries from Australia and New Zealand for a whirlwind celebration of craft beer and cider.
The beers showcased at the Festival have to be unique and one off, which worked out perfectly for Mr Leonard who had been looking for a long time to do a barrel aged style beer.
Mr Leonard took his porter beer, which is a dark beer with dark chocolate and roast coffee flavours and used port from the local Peter Van Gent winery to create the unique drink.
"We've added some port in it to give it a bit of port flavour to go with the chocolate. We've also added some oak barrell staves into the mix as well to give it a bit of a barrel-aged, woody flavour...," Mr Leonard explained.
"It's just something a bit different for us."
Mr Leonard has previously attended a GABS Festival as a customer, so 2019 will be the first time he will be showcasing as a brewer.
ALSO MAKING NEWS: Drought won't stop committee form putting on a great Show in Walgett
Kegs of the Mudgee Brewing Port Porter will be showcased at Melbourne and Sydney.
He, together with his sons and a friend, will be attending the Melbourne event and Mr Lawson said he was excited to see what audiences think of Mudgee Brewing Port Porter.
"There's a massive variety of beers so hopefully they find something a bit different about it (Mudgee Brewing Port Porter). I hope they appreciate the fact that it's a wooded style beer because there's some great barrel aged stuff out there now," he explained.
Mr Leonard said the beer has come out well and he was really happy with it.
"If we get some positive feedback I'd love to do another barrel aged one and actually put it into old wine or port barrels and extract the flavours directly.. which I think would be a fantastic project."
While GABS Festival might be the pinnacle event in metropolitan areas for craft beer lovers, Mr Leonard see the rise in customers across the central west.
Taylor Jurd
Hi, my name is Taylor Jurd. I am a journalist with Australian Community Media, I write for the Western Magazine and Wellington Times.
Hi, my name is Taylor Jurd. I am a journalist with Australian Community Media, I write for the Western Magazine and Wellington Times.
