A WA brewer. A wheatbelt farmer. And an overnight train trip.
That’s where it all began for ALBY.
Brewer Aaron Heary was on a study trip in China. As luck would have it, so was Tammin barley farmer Brad Jones. And after a yarn, a few beers and seven hours squashed on a packed train, the seeds of ALBY were planted.
“We were on a train in Beijing, packed in like sardines. We just started talking about this idea of using WA barley to brew a truly WA beer and it went from there,” says Aaron.
“We wanted to create a beer that supported local farmers and really celebrated WA. A beer that the state could be proud of that used locally grown barley, and was brewed right here.
“When that train finally pulled in, we were pretty up and about. And that’s really how ALBY was born.”
Brad Jones farms 11-thousand hectares on his property, growing a mixture of wheat, barley, canola and lupins.
Aaron says there’s nothing better for a brewer than using top quality, local produce.
“WA barley is some of the best in the world. Our state makes bloody good barley that’s perfect for making a refreshing and crisp lager beer. It’s something, as a state, we can all be proud of.”
Fast forward a few years and ALBY is growing to become a WA staple, while trips to Brad’s farm have become a regular pilgrimage for the brew team.
“We love to send our brewers to Brad’s farm and we’ve built a really strong relationship with local farmers right across the wheatbelt.
“Our brewers get out there during harvest time and love to get involved. They roll the sleeves up, help out, get in the harvester and really understand where beer comes from.”
And at the end of harvest, you can bet the farmers and brewers get together to enjoy couple of well-deserved, ice-cold “Red Dogs.”
Alby. Made by WA