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New Lead Brewer for Bright

After nearly four years at the helm of Bright Brewery, head brewer Reid Stratton is swapping the mountains for the ocean, and making a sea-change for the sunny shores of Denmark, WA. 

Stepping on to the brew deck in his place is lead brewer Lewis Kerr. 

 Lewis, who previously brewed for Bridge Road Brewers, Moon Dog Craft Brewery and Whistler Brewing Co (Canada), joins Bright to lead its passionate team of brewers including David Stokie and Madi Bruce. 

 “Ever since I began my brewing journey, I have had a long-held aspiration of being the head brewer and part of the production team at Bright Brewery,” Lewis said.  

“I want to work for a brewery that shares the same values as I do, with regards to an active outdoor-driven lifestyle, in parallel with a focus on sustainability, both of which I have always admired Bright Brewery for.” 

 A keen mountain biker and snowboarder, Lewis is focused on helping Bright achieve its goals of carbon neutrality and continue its strong sustainability program. 

“I am extremely conscious of the sustainability challenges our industry faces and passionate about making the future of brewing greener,” he said. 

Lewis brings with him a passion for wild, sour and alternative beer styles and is excited to create brews with a uniquely High Country flavour. 

 “Blurring the lines between wine and beer is something I would like to explore more, and I have a particular interest in creating our own distinct terroir.” he said. 

“We are lucky to live in an area that is home to amazing artisan producers, and I will strive to build on the creative and positive relationships with them that benefit our brewing projects and community.” 

FAREWELL REID 

Reid, who joined the Bright team in March 2019, brought with him a wealth of experience and was inspired by the High Country landscape around him.  

Reid and his team transformed Bright’s stable of core range beers, enabling the business to grow exponentially over the past four years. And his creativity, love for fermentation, and knowledge of unusual ingredients helped elevate Bright’s limited release range of beers in market-leading trend-setters. 

Reid now joins the small but notable group of brewers who have all made their marks on Bright Brewery and gone on to create amazing beers in other parts of Australia, and the world.   

We wish Reid and his wife all the very best for their move to WA – and we thank him for everything he’s given to Bright Brewery over the years. 

Farewell to Head Brewer Reid Stratton

Head Brewer Reid Stratton will be departing Bright Brewery to start a new adventure in Western Australia.

From the moment Reid – a quietly-spoken American euphonium player from Oregan, USA – joined us in 2019, he made a huge impact, not just on our team and our beers, but on all of our lives.

Within weeks of arriving, Reid – a former-baker-turned-brewer – made his mark; becoming the first brewer in Australia to brew with the Norwegian super yeast, Kveik. And from then on, Bright Brewery became synonymous with Reid Stratton.

Reid and his small team of brewers elevated Bright’s stable of core range beers to a level of quality and production volume that enabled our business to grow exponentially. His creativity, love for fermentation and knowledge of unusual ingredients helped transform Bright’s limited release range of beers into market-leading trendsetters.

He relished Bright’s proximity to the Southern Hemisphere’s largest hop farm – Eurobin’s Rostrevor Hop Garden – and forged strong relationships with local producers all over the North East, including Mountain Yuzu, Reed and Co Distillery and Backwoods Distilling.

Reid now joins our small but notable group of brewers who have all made their marks on Bright Brewery and have gone on to create amazing beers in other parts of Australia.

We wish Reid and his wife Gabby all the very best for their move to Western Australia – and we thank him for everything he has given to Bright Brewery over the years.

 

Bright Brewery welcomes new Head Brewer Reid Stratton

Bright Brewery is thrilled to announce the arrival of our new Head Brewer Reid Stratton.

Reid officially stepped into the Brewhouse on March 21, 2019, to join assistant brewer David Stokie.

Reid joins us from New England Brewing Co, NSW, where he has been Head Brewer since 2014. With prior experience brewing at Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales in Michigan, USA, and Grand Teton in Idaho, USA, Reid brings a wealth of craft brewing experience with him.

“I really enjoy the transformative process of fermentation,” Reid, a former baker, says. “It’s about taking those raw materials that, on their own, aren’t very exciting and turning them into something beautiful and nuanced.

“I love the craft, the science, and the art that goes into that.”

A recreational cyclist and skier, Reid says he is planning to take full advantage of Bright’s High Country location and its proximity to natural attractions like Mystic MTB Park and the Alpine skifields.

“The natural beauty of the area and the outdoor activities on offer are amazing,” he says. “And I am also really impressed by the culture of Bright Brewery and I really identify with the values of being Active, Sustainable and Authentic in what we do.

“If I had to sum up my own values in what I’d want in a workplace, that is it.”

Bright Brewery Founder Scott Brandon said Reid’s local and international brewing background provides Bright Brewery with valuable expertise as we continue to expand our beer production to meet a growing national demand.

“Reid’s passion for brewing and experience at the genesis of the craft brewing movement in the USA is a huge asset for us,” Scott says. “And his experience in brewing very specialised beers such as sour, wild, and barrel-aged beers is particularly inspiring. Having him on board to help take Bright Brewery’s beers into the future is really exciting.”

Channel 9’s Postcards celebrates Bright Brewery’s Tourism Awards win

Bright Brewery featured on Channel 9’s Postcards on Sunday, December 2, alongside other winners from the 2018 RACV Victorian Tourism Awards.

Postcards presenter Lauren Phillips visited both the Brewery and ‘Fred’s Shed’, our new Production Brewery, and met with Head Brewer Richard Chamberlin and Founder Scott Brandon.

 

 

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