ASB MAGAZINE: Taj Burrow, Jay Davies and Dino Adrian will introduce a new Western Australia beer, Honest Ale, to the East Coast of Australia at the iconic Bondi venue Hotel Ravesis this Thursday. Honest Ale was born in Margret River in May this year and comparisons to East Coast rival Balter Brewery are obvious. Honest Ale is the product of three Western Australian natives that share a love for the water and a beer. Every brew contains fresh Yallingup Indian Ocean seawater so there’s a little bit of Margaret River in every ale.

“Joel Parkinson, Mick Fanning and a couple of others have their Balter beer and I think these boys thought they should get involved with their own beer,” Brewhouse Margaret River’s Iliya Hastings told WA Today.

East Coast versus West Coast rivaliries aside, Taj and friends are chasing a stake in the estimated $160m craft beer market.

Despite a decline in the popularity of beer drinking in Australia, the Australian craft beer market is flourishing. Changing consumer tastes, and the shift from quantity to quality have seen the craft beer movement flourish. Nevertheless, despite its small proportion of the market, 2.5% to 3% by volume, IBIS World has forecast that the revenues in the sector should grow by 5% per annum over the next five years, whereas the traditional beer market will grow by only 1.7%.

Roy Morgan has identified craft beer drinkers as ‘hip, young inner-city dwellers’ aged below 50, who are “cashed up, clued up and cultured’. Chief Executive of the Australian Craft Beer Association Chris McNamara says that craft beer makers are targeting a different demographic than traditional beer drinkers, commenting that ‘going out and drinking a lot of beer is generally not a part of what the industry is selling…it’s all about drinking for flavour and drinking local.

Taj explains “I’d say it’s like a summer ale, but a bit lighter on, not so fruity and crafty and rich. It’s got the flavours of that but a bit softer. It’s easy to drink. Good if you’re camping, fishing, surfing or going out into the desert, it’s just kind of a West Oz beer.”

“It’s easy to drink. Good if you’re camping, fishing, surfing or going out into the desert, it’s just kind of a West Oz beer.” Taj Burrow.

Honest Ale is set for its East Coast debut this Thursday the 23rd at Hotel Ravesis from 5pm.

Check out www.honestale.com.au