Beer comp success caps huge 2023 for Bright
We are very excited to announce that our Alpine Lager has once again been voted as one of Australia’s favourite lagers, in the country’s biggest craft beer competition.
Alpine Lager was voted as Australia’s #4 favourite lager out of more than 1800 beers in the recent GABS Hottest 100 Craft Beer Poll for 2023.
Overall, it was named Australia’s#38 best beer across all styles, rising up the ranks by 8 spots from #46 in last year’s poll.
By the numbers:
🔹#3 independent lager in Australia
🔹#4 lager in Australia
🔹#2 independent lager in Victoria
🔹#3 lager in Victoria
More notably, Alpine Lager was one of just 22 non-pale ales to land in the top 100 this year, with the list dominated by 78 pales ales or similar ale styles.
With more than 1800 beers from 436 breweries available to vote for, there has never has there been so much choice and variety for beer lovers to choose from, so we appreciate how precious each and every one of your votes is!
So we’d like to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who voted for Alpine Lager and for believing in this beer, believing in us and for supporting a fiercely independently owned brewery.
The year that was
And as we take these great results into 2024 and beyond, we thought it was time to reflect back on what else we achieved in 2023.
The past year threw some curve balls and challenges everyone’s way. Between the increased economic pressures here in Australia to growing instability in international markets, 2023 will go down in the books as “rocky”, to say the least. Australia’s craft beer scene was no exception and it’s probably been one of the most difficult on record for brewers around the country still dealing with the aftermath of the COVID pandemic.
And there were some tough times for us here at Bright Brewery as well, however, with a rock-solid team which is constantly looking towards the future and the support of our local community and customers, we are weathering the storm and, against all odds, continuing to grow.
🔹Our wholesale business achieved record growth in 2023.
🔹Our Brewery Door visitation continued to grow.
🔹We were voted Australia’s 8th Most Popular Brewery, thanks to Beer Cartel.
🔹We were also named the #3 Craft Brewery venue in Victoria.
🔹We released 36 new beers including Australia’s first Chartreuse Barrel Aged beer in conjunction with Carwyn Cellars.
🔹Our beers are now found in 6 new international markets
🔹We brewed our first international collab with Coedo Beer Japan.
🔹We launched our first Fiona ‘Fred’ Reddaway Digital Marketing Scholarship, in partnership with Pink Boots Australia, in honour of our late founder, Fiona.
🔹We commissioned and filled our 25-tonne grain silo for the first time.
🔹We commissioned our new centrifuge, which has made great leaps in improving our beer’s quality, clarity and consistency.
🔹We switched on our massive new 171kW solar array system at Fred’s Shed, bringing our total solar capacity to 221kW.
🔹We brewed our biggest ever batch of our collaboration beer with RSPCA Victoria, DoggoBrau Tropical XPA, which went into all Dan Murphy’s stores across Victoria.
🔹We launched a new core range beer – our midstrength Any Day XPA.
🔹We held our biggest and most successful Darker Days festival in its 7 year history.
🔹We landed our first gold medal for our new flagship Pale Ale, Bright Pale Ale.
🔹Our National Development Manager Evin Craney was named the Young Gun of the Year by the Independent Brewers’ Association.
🔹Our team attended their first international sales conference