The Byron Bay Brewery at the old Arts Factory in Byron has launched a new Premium Lager, which will be brewed into kegs at the actual brewery in Byron for the local market. They have also rebranded in collaboration with their friends at local clothing label Thrills; and recommitted to a range of local community and sustainability programs, including Festival of the Seas, which actively cleans up Byron Bay beaches in partnership with conservation charity Positive Change for Marine Life.
Now, what about the beer? Some may say that you can’t judge a book by its cover, or perhaps a beer by its label, but because people instinctively do just that, publishers and breweries put quite a bit of effort into their labels. It follows that you can actually tell a lot about the hopes for the beer from its label. For the re-brand launch, Byron Bay Brewery is collaborating with designers at Thrills (think palm trees and motorcycles) with the goal of epitomising the creative Byron Bay lifestyle.
‘It goes without saying that we here at Thrills are beer lovers, and so when the opportunity came up to partner with the Brewery, it really was a no-brainer. Our shared passion for all things music, and mutual adoration of our Byron Bay home meant that it was a really easy melding of ethos and ideas’, say Brooke and Tabitha McGregor, who started Thrills in Byron almost ten years ago.
However, the beer has to taste good, not just have a nice vibe about it. Head brewer Alastair Gillespie seems pretty confident, having tested the crisp and refreshing lager rigorously on willing local guinea pigs at the Byron venue, where it quickly became the beer of choice during summer gigs. Due to its local success, the brewery will be launching the beer nationwide this October in time for the hot summer months.
‘I really wanted to brew an easy-drinking lager to enjoy during gigs on hot summer days. We brew our Premium Lager with the best Australian pale malt and a blend of zesty hops. It has a light body with crisp citrus flavour which gives it such a refreshing finish; the perfect beer to enjoy with a couple of mates after a swim at the beach or while listening to great live music’, says Alastair.
In fact, the rebranded brewery wants more people to listen to even more live music while drinking beer, and there are plans underway to increase the experience and entertainment on offer at the venue.
In addition, the brewery has been increasing its support of local environmentally positive initiatives. August saw the success of the third annual ‘Festival for the Seas’, featuring a beach clean-up and celebration of the ocean with live music, guest panels and great prizes to raise funds for local charity Positive Change for Marine Life. The brewery has doubled the $1,500 already raised and continues an ongoing Gold sponsorship with the local charity, alongside their latest River Warriors initiative, which will focus on marine debris and water quality monitoring projects of the Brunswick River.
Charity founder Karl Goodsell said he was pleased to partner with the Brewery. ‘Giving back to the community by supporting Positive Change for Marine Life (PCFML), businesses like the Byron Bay Brewery are setting a great example for other businesses to step up and act, whilst playing a very important role in ensuring that our ocean is conserved for future generations. As a Byron-born charity, we have been honoured to have been the major charity partner with the Brewery over the past three years for their Festival of the Seas. Expanding that partnership through their becoming a major sponsor of our work will help us to drive long-term outcomes for the ocean, and further engage with our target communities across Byron, the Gold Coast, Brisbane and southern India,’ said Karl.
According to Serge Costi from the Brewery, the beer, music and good vibes are set to continue. ‘This is an exciting time for Byron Bay Brewery, with the new Premium Lager going national for all Australians to enjoy this summer, and we have plans to host bigger and better gigs at the brewery. We really value our local partnerships, whether we are working with Thrills on the brand redesign, or partnering with Positive Change for Marine Life, we are committed to building on these partnerships and giving more back to the community of Byron Bay,’ said Serge.
www.byronbaybrewery.com.au / @byronbaybrewery
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