Bright Brewery was founded way back in 2005, in the nascent days of the Victorian craft beer scene. The brewery was the result of two beer loving couples who’d both moved to Bright to raise their families in the early noughties.
Those couples were Scott Brandon, his late wife Fiona Reddaway, & David & Julia Cocks. Their first batches were brewed at the original Jamieson Brewery, not far over the range as the crow flies but a 5 hour round trip by car. Shortly thereafter the foursome secured the site their brewery still calls home on the banks of the Ovens River on the outskirts of town.
Brewery Type
Physical
Region
High Country
Tasting Room
121 Great Alpine Road, Bright
The brewery has gone through a number of changes over the years. David & Julia left the business in 2009, which became something of a seminal moment as it helped Scott & Fiona focus on the direction of the brewery. They decided that the two tin sheds, one that housed the brewery & one that housed the few guests that came to visit, weren’t going to be enough if the brewery was to fulfill their ambitions.
They were spot on; whilst attempting to finance an expansion the crowd gradually built, until they could no longer service the crowd at their taproom. The million dollar expansion, completed in 2012, saw their taproom capacity more than triple; a must considering the region’s cold & often wet winters.
Fiona sadly passed away from stomach cancer in 2014, but the expansion & growth of the brewery continued unabated. Their wonderful tap room gained an expanded courtyard area, whilst the old Bright Dairy was acquired, dubbed “Fred’s Shed” in honour of Fiona & converted to a production brewery. This was completed in early 2018, tripling their capacity, for a renewed push into the Melbourne market.
That push has paid off with their beers widely available in Melbourne & their venue attracting hoards of locals, as well as visitors from far and wide! On the night we visited, my first visit for a few years, the place was absolutely rammed – I’d hazard a guess that there were 300+ people, including the 100 or so braving the mid-winter evening cold on the covered terrace! There’s wooden tables of all sizes scattered throughout, whilst they serve really good pizzas alongside seasonal local offerings (think local trout/chicken).
Alongside the vast array of taps pouring their own beer, the brewery sells local cider, wine & spirits. This is in keeping with the brewery’s sustainability practices; unlike most breweries who wax lyrical about their sustainability practices Bright is the real deal. The brewery has heavily invested in solar energy, actively source their ingredients from as close as possible to limit food miles, participate in green food waste programs, subscribe to The Last Straw initiative, don’t sell takeaway coffees/plastic bottles, run a battery collection point, have started a Pak-Tech recycling program; to name just a few of their efforts to protect the beautiful part of the world in which they live.
They’ve recently also made the move from bottles to cans for similar reasons; mainly the reduced weight and bulk for transport purposes being better for the environment. Cans also have the added benefit of being more conducive to the active lifestyle Bright encourages it’s employees to live. The staff clearly live this ethos; as last year they suffered 4 broken collarbones from the Mountain Biking trails around the area!
I couldn’t walk passed a beer named after my favourite biscuit! I can understand the perceived double standards, given my take on IP issues, however I think this is inspiration rather than theft. Anyway, this was their GABS beer in 219 & I think it beautifully balances sweet raspberry, chocolate & a touch of roast. I was really worried that this would end up being a one-off release, but thankfully the team at Bright have been sending more of these out into the world (now in cans alongside the rest of their range).
Remember it’s always Beer O’Clock somewhere in the world!
