Search for: INFINITE
Celebrating the Dark Arts of Barrel Aging: Introducing INFINITE Barrel Works By Bright Brewery
Emerging from deep in the heart of the High Country comes an exciting new range of beers from one of the country’s pioneering craft breweries.
Infinite Barrel Works by Bright Brewery will celebrate the dark art of barrel aging, with only the most exclusive beers seeing the light of day.
Whilst Bright has released highly-acclaimed barrel-aged beers before, like it’s 16th anniversary Pioneer Rum Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, a formal barrel-aging program has long been on founder Scott Brandon’s wishlist.
And now, under the watchful eye of Head Brewer Lewis Kerr, Infinite Barrel Works sees a curated selection of hand-picked barrels reserved only for Bright’s most premium beers.
“Barrel aging is something quite special that all brewers love to work with,” Kerr said. “There’s a bit of black magic to it, and you have to give up a bit of control of the beer that you’re working with to the elements and to nature and to the barrel.”
THE STORY
The first Infinite Barrel Works release will be a Whisky Barrel Aged Imperial Stout – but it wouldn’t do the beer, or the barrels, justice, to just stop the explanation there…
In fact, we have to go way back in time to that peaceful pre-COVID and pre-Russian War on Ukraine period of 2019 when we were blissfully unaware of how the world was about to change.
“This beer was derived in the depths of the High Country with our good friends at Backwoods Distilling,” Kerr said.
“In 2019, we sent off a batch of our Stubborn Imperial Stout (then called Stubborn Russian) to Backwoods for distillation into a whisky. That whisky was then aged in these barrels, and both the whisky and the barrels were given to us when the whisky had matured.
“We then aged another round of imperial stout and whisky in those barrels, and the cycle continued, creating a closed loop of barrels that are infinitely used.”
To be more specific, the beer in barrel is Bright’s 2023 Stubborn Imperial Stout – the notorious 16-percenter brewed by Kerr and his team in the Autumn of 2023. So what has a year in a whisky barrel done for it?
THE BEER
“It’s definitely still boozy, as you’d expect from a 16-percenter, and it’s picked up a lot of the whisky characteristics – a lot of deep plum, raisin and prune characteristics, and the heat has mellowed out,” Kerr said.
Due to its high ABV (16% and 5.6 std drinks per can), this beer is definitely designed to share with other beer lovers, not to consume solo.
“Practice responsible drinking and share it with some mates. Take it to can-share night, take it as a gift, open it with a couple of friends, sit down and take your time,” Kerr advises. “When you finish the beer, you will see it evolve and become a new beer when it’s warmed up to room temperature.”
THE BARRELS
So what can beer lovers expect from future Infinite releases? Kerr is excited but he isn’t giving away all his secrets. “We’ve got an incredible array of barrels, like Madeira, coconut rum, cognac, mead, banana brandy so there’s some exciting things on the cards,” he said. Infinite Barrel Works beers are expected to be scarce and extremely limited in quantity, due to the small-batch nature of the style.
They will be available exclusively online from Bright Brewery.
THE ART
Bright fans will notice that Infinite beers look remarkably different to the rest of its very distinctive, colourful cans. “This beer is so special to us and so unique to Bright that we wanted the can art to reflect that,” Kerr said. The can artwork for Infinite Whisky Barrel Aged Imperial Stout features a beautiful photo of Mount Buffalo, Vic, captured by local photographer Sam Walklate.
“I’m pretty lucky as I live just down the road from Mount Buffalo,” Walklate said. “And from where I live, I can see the conditions up on the mountain. On this day, I saw the cloud sort of dancing around the mountain and I decided to just drive up the road and grab a shot. I just stayed there for about 20 minutes while the clouds danced around the mountain and I came out with this image.”
Subsequent Infinite releases will feature equally beautiful High Country landscapes and photographers keen to see their work on an Infinite can are invited to lodge an Expression of Interest to have their art featured on future beers. There is more information on that process here.
THE DETAILS
Infinite Barrel Works Whisky Barrel Aged Imperial Stout will be available by pre-sale to Bright Mash Club members from Wednesday May 1 and will go on sale to the general public on Friday May 3.
To join the Mash Club and get early access to the beer, head here. Or join Bright’s Brew Crew mailing list to be the first to know when Friday’s release goes live.
Infinite Barrel Aged Imperial Stout 4-Pack
INFINITE Stubborn Whisky Barrel Aged 2019 Stubborn Imperial Stout.
INFINITE represents a cyclical collaboration, three years in the making, with our friends at Backwoods Distilling.
Our Stubborn Imperial Stout became a barrel-aged whisky and those barrels were then filled to age another vintage of Stubborn Imperial Stout.
INFINITE 2019 seamlessly blends the woody, floral character of the Stubborn Whisky and the sweet, chocolate flavour of the oak barrel-aged Stubborn Imperial Stout.
Brewer’s Notes: A project 3 years in the making. In 2019, we distilled Stubborn Imperial Stout into whisky that aged in French Oak barrels for two years. Once the whisky was decanted, we re-filled those barrels with 2019 Stubborn Imperial Stout we had saved and aged the beer for one year in the whisky casks. The result is a bold whisky flavour full of fruity and herbal character combined with a rich and mellow Imperial Stout base.
Strength: 12.0% ABV
Size: 4x440ml can
Case: Not available
Malts: Pale, Roast Barley, Crystal, Chocolate Malt, Brown Malt
Hops: Super Pride
Yeast: American Ale
Dietary/additions: Vegan; contains gluten
Take advantage of FREE SHIPPING in NSW, ACT, VIC, QLD, SA & TAS (excl WA/NT) for orders over $99.
“It was complicated, but it is delicious!”
It was a special moment last week when we launched INFINITE Stubborn Whisky Barrel Aged 2019 Stubborn Imperial Stout. A cyclical collaboration three years in the making with our friends at Backwoods Distilling Co; it represents a beer that is as complex as the process it was to make it.
So, how did we make it?
In 2019 we distilled Stubborn Imperial Stout into whisky that aged in French Oak barrels for 2 years. Once the whisky was decanted we re-filled those barrels with 2019 Stubborn Imperial Stout we had saved and aged the beer for 1 year in the whiskey casks.
Confused? Don’t be! Check out the video below with our Head Brewer Reid Stratton where he explains the process in more detail.
Given the limited nature of this rare and special beer, demand was sky high and INFINTE sold out online within one hour when it was released! However, you can purchase INFINITE at one of these specialist bottle shops or at the Bright Brewery venue.
Limited-Release Stockists
Doggbrau Tropical XPA
CANS/CASES
A Point of Difference Liquor
Albion Budget Supermarket
Alibi Bar & Dining
Ascot Vale Cellars
Beer 360
Beer Cartel
Black Hearts & Sparrows
Bogurks
BottlO´Briens
Carlton Cellars
Carwyn Cellars
Cellarbrations at Foxxy’s
Cellarbrations Yarraville
Churchill Cellars
Coledale Fine Wines
Craft and Vine
Dulwich Hill Cellars
East Albury IGA
Empress Craft Beer Bar
Erindale Cellarbrations
Fermentus
Grand Cellars
Harold’s Food and Liquor
Harvest Cellars
Hop & Vin Cellars
Hopheads Altona
Hops and Vine Australia
Hurstbridge liquor
Mac N G’s
Mate’s Bar Mordialloc
Mayerling Cellars Croydon
Midtown Cellars
Monbulk Cellars
Naughtons Hotel
Nillumbik cellars
Northcote IGA
Ocean Grove Cellars
Old Habits
Otter’s Promise
Page Bottler
Patto’s grog shop
Patto’s grog shop
Premix King East Geelong
Premix King East Geelong
Ritchies IGA : Ritchies IGA – Ringwood
Ritchies IGA : Ritchies IGA – Taren Point
Ritchies IGA : Ritchies IGA – Wantirna
Sales Rep Samples
Savvy Cellars
Staple Brunswick
The Craft Beer Cottage
The Hop Shop
The Hop Supply Co
The Lane Cellars Albury
The Mallow Hotel
The Vin Wine and Spirits
Upside Liquor
Valhalla Entertainment
Waterdale Cellars
Wine Republic Northcote
Woodend Cellar and Bar
ON TAP
MELBOURNE
Otter’s Promise
Mate’s Bar Mordialloc
Ascot Vale Cellars
Hotel Spencer
Hopheads Altona
Metro Cellar Door
Prince Alfred Hotel
Hardimans Hotel
Bar Josephine
The Thornbury Local
REGIONAL VIC
The Mallow Hotel, Ballarat
Midtown Cellars, Ballarat
NSW/ACT
The Beer Bar, Alexandria NSW
Caribou Kingston ACT
TASMANIA
Preachers, Hobart
The Whaler, Hobart
Any Day XPA (2.9%)
NORTH EAST VIC
The Goods Shed Wodonga
Bright Brewery
Cambrian Hotel Bendigo
Rutherglen IGA
East Albury IGA
Chas Cole Shepp
Lane Cellars Albury
John Gehrig Wines
Cellarbrations Benalla
Genny Mt. Hotham
Bright Colonial
Premix King Wodonga
Sovereign Liquor Wangaratta
Corowa Supa IGA
ACT/NSW/TAS
Kodiak Bar, ACT
Corks Liquor, ACT
Page Bottler, ACT
Bomaderry Super Cellars, NSW
The Woolhouse, Albury
Boodle Beasley, Hobart
MELBOURNE & SURROUNDS
Hops and Vine Warrandyte
Prahran Grocer
Purvis Wine Cellars
Cellarbrations Bacchus March
Preston Bottle Shop
Upside Liquor Thornbury
McCoppins Abbotsford
Cellarbrations McCrae
Bottle-O Yarra Glen
East Ivanhoe Foodworks
Monbulk Cellars
Jeffries Croydon
Trawool Cellars Box Hill
Ritchies IGA Wantirna
Doc’s Liquor Ringwood
Notting Hill Hotel
Craft and Vine Montmorency
Churchill Cellars Braybrook
Premix King Drysdale
Hunter Leisure Tullamarine
Beaumaris Cellars
Northcote IGA
The Vin Wine and Spirits Seddon
Hop & Vin Cellars Kensington
Any Day XPA (2.9%)
NORTH EAST VIC
The Goods Shed Wodonga
Bright Brewery
Cambrian Hotel Bendigo
Rutherglen IGA
East Albury IGA
Chas Cole Shepp
Lane Cellars Albury
John Gehrig Wines
Cellarbrations Benalla
Genny Mt. Hotham
Bright Colonial
Premix King Wodonga
Sovereign Liquor Wangaratta
Corowa Supa IGA
ACT/NSW/TAS
Kodiak Bar, ACT
Corks Liquor, ACT
Page Bottler, ACT
Bomaderry Super Cellars, NSW
The Woolhouse, Albury
Boodle Beasley, Hobart
MELBOURNE & SURROUNDS
Hops and Vine Warrandyte
Prahran Grocer
Purvis Wine Cellars
Cellarbrations Bacchus March
Preston Bottle Shop
Upside Liquor Thornbury
McCoppins Abbotsford
Cellarbrations McCrae
Bottle-O Yarra Glen
East Ivanhoe Foodworks
Monbulk Cellars
Jeffries Croydon
Trawool Cellars Box Hill
Ritchies IGA Wantirna
Doc’s Liquor Ringwood
Notting Hill Hotel
Craft and Vine Montmorency
Churchill Cellars Braybrook
Premix King Drysdale
Hunter Leisure Tullamarine
Beaumaris Cellars
Northcote IGA
The Vin Wine and Spirits Seddon
Hop & Vin Cellars Kensington
INFINITE Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
A Point Of Difference Liquor
Audacious Monk
Bo Gurks
Bright Brewery
Carwyn Cellars
Chas Cole Cellars Shepparton
Far Side Beers
Fermentus
Foodworks Mansfield
Grape and Grain Liquor Cellars
Hop Heads Altona
Hops and Vine Australia
Hotel Spencer
Lane Cellars Albury
Mate’s Bar Mordialloc
McCoppins Abbotsford
Naughtons Hotel
Nillumbik Cellars
Ocean Grove Cellars
Otter’s Promise
Purvis Beer
Ritchies IGA Tower Hill
Sessions Brunswick
The Hop Supply Co
Upside Liquor
Stubborn Imperial Stout
Bottlehouse Balaclava
Bottles and Barrels
Brighton Bay Cellars
Cellarbrations Gisborne
Cellarbrations Carnegie
Cellars Bentleigh
Corks Crew
Far Side Beers
Grand Cellars
Grape and Grain
Greensborough Hotel
Hop Supply Co
Hops and Vine
Hudson Road
Lets unwine
McCoppins Abbotsford
McCoppins Fitzroy
MCD
Melbas Food Hall
Monbulk Cellars
Mordialloc Cellar Door
Ocean Grove Cellars
Olinda Cellars
Otters Promise
Premix King – Drysdale
Purvis Beer
PY Liquor
Ritchies Mt Martha
Ritchies Wantirna
Sessions Brunswick
The Bottle O Mooroolbark
Tinys bar and bottleshop
Upside Liquor
VCD
Williamstown Fine Wine
The Hop Inn (Mt Duneed)
Regional Vic
Bright Brewery
Jackson Cellars Bairnsdale
Sovereign Liquor Wangaratta
Ingrained Culture
Diana Lodge Falls Creek
East Albury IGA
On Tap
Bright Brewery
Goldfish Hunter Valley
The Old Canberra Inn
Hotel Sweeney’s Sydney
The Pourhouse Maitland
Grape & Grain Moorabin
Affogato Stout
Benchwarmer
Bell Cellar & Grocery
Blackhearts
Bogurks
Bottlehouse Balaclava
Bottles and Barrels
Brighton Bay Cellars
CBN Elwood
CBN Gisborne
Cellarbrations Carnegie
Cellars Bentleigh
Corks Crew
Dan Murphy’s South Melbourne
Dan Murphy’s Bulleen
Far side beers
Grand Cellars
Grape and Grain
Greensborough Hotel
Hop Supply Co
Hops and Vine
Hudson Road
Ingrained Culture
Jefferies
Lets unwine
McCoppins Abbotsford
McCoppins Fitzroy
MCD
Melbas Food Hall
Monbulk Cellars
Mordialloc Cellar Door
Ocean Grove Cellars
Old Habits
Olinda Cellars
Otters Promise
Premix King – Drysdale
Purvis Beer
PY Liquor
Ritchies Mt Martha
Ritchies Wantirna
Sessions Brunswick
Suburban Cellar Door
Sydney Cellars
The Bottle O Mooroolbark
Tinys bar and bottleshop
Upside Liquor
VCD
Williamstown Fine Wine
Wine Republic Windsor
Wine Republic Fitzroy
Wine Republic Northcote
The Hop in (Mt Duneed)
Regional Vic
Ritchies IGA Bright
Jackson Cellars Bairnsdale
Pickled Sister’s Cafe Rutherglen
Harrietville Hotel
Diana Lodge Falls Creek
Mansfield Foodworks
East Albury IGA
Ritchies IGA Bairnsdale
Dan Murphy’s Albury
Dan Murphy’s Wangaratta
Sovereign Liquor Wangaratta
Zirky’s Mount Hotham
East Albury IGA
Lane Cellars Albury
Billsons Beechworth
Wandi Pub Wandiligong
On Tap – Vic
Mount Macedon Hotel
Cherry Tree Hotel
Lincoln Hotel
Masterson’s Bar
Grape & Grain Liquor
Billsons Brewery
The Catfish
Bright Brewery
On Tap – NSW
The Old Canberra Inn
Hotel Sweeneys
Baker Street Sports Bar
The Pourhouse
DoggoBrau XPA
A Point of Difference Liquor
Audacious Monk Cellars
Aussie Brewmakers
Bell cellar & Grocery
Benchwarmer Bar
Bergy Seltzer PTY LTD
Berowra Village Tavern
Berowra Village Tavern
Black Hearts & Sparrows
Blaxland Cellar
Boiler Maker House
Brunswick Cellars
Burke Road Cellars
Carlton Cellars
Carwyn Cellars
Cellarbration at Windsor
Cellarbrations Elwood
Cellarbrations Georgetown
Churchill Cellars
Cork The Liquor Store
Corks Crew Cellars
Craft Cartel
Decanters By The Bay
District Bottle Store
East Albury IGA
Far Side Beers
Fermentus
Froth Craft Beer WA
Grape and Grain Liquor Cellars
Harvest Cellars
Hops and Vine Australia
Hops to Home
Ingrained Culture
Let’s Unwine
Liquor Emporium Marrickville
Local Bottle Store
Local Bottle Store
Marketing INTERNAL
Matthews Liquor Group
McCoppins : McCoppins Abbotsford
McCoppins : McCoppins Food & Wine-Hawthorn East
Monbulk Cellars
Mordialloc Cellar Door
Mr Drinks
Myrtleford Burgerville TMG
Nillumbik cellars
Nillumbik cellars
Northcote Bottleshop
Ocean Grove Cellars
Old Habits
Oldfield Cellars
Olinda Cellars
Otter’s Promise
Premix King East Geelong
Purvis Beer
Ritchies IGA : Ritchies IGA – Wantirna
Sessions Brunswick
Sovereign Liquor
St Kilda Cellars
Sydney Cellars
The Bottle-O Mooroolbark
The Bottle-O Sanctuary Lakes
The Burnley
The Goods Shed
The Greensborough Hotel
The Hop Shop
The Hop Supply Co
The Lane Cellars Albury
The Local Sunbury
The Local Taproom
The Park Hotel Werribee
The Regal Inn
The Vin Wine and Spirits
Upside Liquor
Wine Republic Fitzroy
Wine Republic Northcote
Wine Republic Windsor
Wines On Poath
Prince Alfred Hotel
The Hop Shop
Edinburgh Castle Hotel
Brewery Door Retail (Internal Bar Beer Orders)
Naked for Satan
Mount Macedon Hotel
Grape and Grain Liquor Cellars
Hotel Spencer
The Pourhouse
Kincumber Hotel
Mixtape Brewing
The Ten Saints
Breakfast in Bed Multigrain IPA
VICTORIA
Bright Brewery
APOD
Blackhearts
Blackburn Cellars
Sydney Cellars
The BottlO Mooroolbark
Brighton Bay Cellars
Northcote Bottleshop
Carlton Cellars
Carwyn Cellars
DIstrict Bottle Store
Ocean Grove Cellars
Otters Promise
Purvis Beer
PurvisWine Cellar
Tinys
Union Wine Store
Bottlehouse Balaclava
Bogurks
Ritchies Towerhill
Page Bottler
Mount Macedon Hotel
Plus Tasmania & WA
Yuzu Sweetart Sour Stockists
METRO MELBOURNE
A Point of Difference
Audacious Monk
Carwyn Cellars
East Ringwood IGA
Hop Shop
Hops and Vine
Hudson Road Wine & Beer
Melbas Food Hall
Mordialloc Cellar Door
Otter’s Promise
Penny Young
Prahran Grocer
Ritchies Mt Martha
Grape and Grain
Sessions Brunswick
Mastersons Bar
Upside Liquor
Bottlehouse Balaclava
Bogurks
The Local Bottle Store
REGIONAL
Bright Brewery
Ocean Grove Cellars
Hop Supply Co
East Albury IGA
Diana Lodge Falls Creek
PILOT SESSION XPA STOCKISTS
Apod
Alice Rebels
Audacious Monk
Carlton Cellars
CBN Elwood
Cork the liquor
Ocean Grove Cellars
Otters Promise
Parkhill
Hop Supply Co
Upside Liquor
Imperial Affogato Stout Stockists
Acland Cellars
Apod
Alice Rebels
Beer 360
Bottle O Northcote
corks crew
far side beers
Hops and Vine
McCoppins Fitzroy
McCoppins Abbotsford
Melbas Food Hall
Valley Cellar Door
Mordialloc Cellar Door
Nillumbik Cellars
Ocean Grove Cellars
Olinda Cellars
Otters Promise
Penny Young
Prahran Grocer
Purvis Beer
Purvis Wine Cellars
Ritchies Mt Martha
Ritchies Mt Waverley
The Bottle O Mooroolbark
The Fat Goat
Hop Shop
Hop Supply Co
Suburban Cellar Door
Union Wine Store
Upside Liquor
Vintage 72
Bottlehouse Balaclava
Brighton Bay Cellars
Cellarbrations Carnegie
Cellars Bentleigh
Grape and Grain
Ritchies Carrum
Ritchies Dromana
Ritchies Towerhill
Bogurks
Tinys bar and bottleshop
The local Bottle Store
Sessions Brunswick
Midtown Cellars
Pumpkin Pie Ale
Acland Cellars
Apod
Alice Rebels
Beer 360
Bottle O Northcote
corks crew
far side beers
Hops and Vine
McCoppins Fitzroy
McCoppins Abbotsford
Melbas Food Hall
Valley Cellar Door
Mordialloc Cellar Door
Nillumbik Cellars
Ocean Grove Cellars
Olinda Cellars
Otters Promise
Penny Young
Prahran Grocer
Purvis Beer
Purvis Wine Cellars
Ritchies Mt Martha
Ritchies Mt Waverley
The Bottle O Mooroolbark
The Fat Goat
Hop Shop
Hop Supply Co
Suburban Cellar Door
Union Wine Store
Upside Liquor
Vintage 72
Bottlehouse Balaclava
Brighton Bay Cellars
Cellarbrations Carnegie
Cellars Bentleigh
Grape and Grain
Ritchies Carrum
Ritchies Dromana
Ritchies Towerhill
Bogurks
Tinys bar and bottleshop
The local Bottle Store
Sessions Brunswick
Midtown Cellars
Bright launches Australia’s first beer can handle recycling scheme
In what is believed to be a first in Australia’s craft beer industry, Bright Brewery has rolled out a national recycling scheme for Paktech beer can handles in bottleshops across the country.
Bright Brewery-branded Paktech recycling bins are being installed in independent bottleshops and supermarkets from this week.
Beer lovers can drop any plastic Paktech beer can handles into the bins – whether they’re from Bright beers or any other brewery – to ensure they’re recycled correctly.
Bright Brewery National Sales Manager Evin Craney said the recycling scheme was an important part of Bright’s Sustainability Program.
“We believe this is the first recycling scheme of this kind in Australia,” Craney said. “We pride ourselves on acting sustainably in every aspect of our business, and this seemed like an obvious way to do that on a much bigger scale.
“We will collect all the handles, and make sure they are all are reused or properly recycled, as part of our ongoing quest to lessen the environmental impact of craft beer.”
Paktechs are made from 100% recycled milk containers and are also 100% recyclable – a fact that Bright’s Marketing Manager Laura Gray said was lost on many beer drinkers.
“Most people don’t realise that they are actually made of recycled materials, and they are completely and infinitely recyclable,” she said. “They are also really sturdy and re-usable, which makes them even more sustainable.”
Craney said the idea for the recycling scheme, like all great ideas, was concocted over a few cold beers, in order to solve a problem all beer-drinkers face.
“We have always recycled and reused our own Paktechs in-house. But we know that, anecdotally, many beer drinkers don’t even know they are recyclable and are just throwing them out.”
The first bin was installed at Carwyn Cellars in Thornbury earlier this week and general manager Ben Duval said he was thrilled to be involved.
“As soon as Bright came to me with the idea, I knew it was gold,” he said. “Beer drinkers never know what to do with the handles, and they just end up getting chucked out.
“Bright has solved a massive problem for us and for our customers, and I can’t believe no brewery has thought to do this before now!”
The bins are currently rolling out to Bright’s independent retail customers across Victoria, with other states to follow shortly.
Craney said Bright was hoping to implement the same program within the major national “big box” retailers to increase the awareness around sustainable practices in the craft beer industry and implement the program on a larger scale.
“We are hoping that the success of these in independent retailers helps translate over to the major chains as we continually develop new ways to lessen our carbon footprint,” Craney said.
Bright Brewery Paktech/Beer Can Handle Recycling Bins are available to beer retailers across Australia.
To register your interest, secure your bin and help Bright help the planet, please email Evin Craney on nationalmanager@brightbrewery.com.au