The set up down at Eagle Bay Brewing Co is quite flash. The way co-owner and head brewer Nick talks about the operation is very humble, but all you need to do is step into their vast eating house or sample some of their fantastic beers or wines, and you’ll soon see how much of a big deal these guys are. Eagle Bay Brewing Co is one of our favourite places to stop in for lunch when down south, but you can also enjoy their liquid offerings up in Perth. Today we chat to Nick about Eagle Bay and his life as a brewer…
Tell us how you have come to where you are now:
I have always loved creating things, from hanging out in the shed with my grandfather while he was doing woodwork to working in the cellar at Wise Winery. I made by first brew when I was 18, using a Coopers home brewing kit, and I created an Australian Pale Ale. All the experimenting continued on from there. I completed an Accounting degree and never worked a day in the suit, having decided I wanted to pursue brewing towards the end of my degree. Once I graduated I headed straight to Edith Cowan University and completed a post-graduate Diploma in Microbrewery Management. From there I have brewed at Dux de Lux in Queenstown and Christchurch, New Zealand, Gage Roads, Perth and 4 Pines in Sydney.
Who is involved with Eagle Bay?
Eagle Bay Brewing Co is our trio of d’Espeissis siblings: myself, my brother Adrian and my sister Astrid. Eagle Bay Brewing Co is located on our family farm, which our grandfather bought in 1950. For two generations our family has been wool farmers, including our father John d’Espeissis. Observing that the three of us were not going to follow suit he was the one who firstly came up with the idea for us to go into business together and open a brewery.
What’s the best thing about working in a family business?
Knowing the way each other thinks, maybe a little too well at times.
What are the biggest challenges faced in a brewery?
There are two things. Firstly creating and maintaining a consistent product, then secondly keeping up with the demand. The appetite for craft beer is growing at a rapid rate, we currently run our microbrewery at capacity and it’s exciting times for the industry. We will be expanding our brewing operations on-site in Eagle Bay this year come winter, when our brewing capacity will increase by one third.
How many staff do you have to run a brewery of your size?
There is just the two of us working fulltime in the brewery, the assistant brewer Matt and myself.
I imagine there must be a lot of trial and error involved in brewing when you start out. Any horror stories from when you first got into it?
Nothing comes to mind, if anything only hilarious stories about some of the interesting people I have met along the way.
You seem to advocate simple is best when it comes to brewing – not adding anything to the beer, which is just rainwater, malted barley, yeast and hops. Tell us a bit about the philosophy behind your brewing:
My philosophy has always been about creating simple, clean and sessionable beers using the best possible ingredients you can find. If one of our beers become their new favourite that is awesome, if we are a stepping stone that leads them into enjoying other bigger and bolder craft beers, that’s even better. It’s all about educating everyone about drinking better beer; quality over quantity.
If it’s so simple why do beers taste so different? Often with beer you might get pine needle aromas, other times you might taste a hint of banana. How does this happen?
To start with that all comes down to the core ingredients that go into a beer: hops, yeast and malts. Each of these ingredients have a huge range varieties, which influence the aromas, flavor and colour of the beer.
What drinking temperature is optimum for your beers?
The best drinking temperature for our beers depends on the style, it can be anywhere for two to ten degrees. Our Kolsch is best drunk at three degrees and my favourite the Pale Ale at six degrees.
Eagle Bay is a wonderful place to head for lunch (or even just desert – they’re superb!) What’s been your favourite item on the menu this summer?
My favourite is our old faithful, the beef burger, it has been on the menu since we opened our doors and let’s just say I’m a creature of habit.
The view from the restaurant, overlooking the property.
What have you got coming up for Eagle Bay Brewing? Are there any new styles you are experimenting with?
We have been busy experimenting with different styles of beers and ingredients of late. This year we have launched our “Brewer’s Series”, which is a collection of my best-loved styles of beer to suit the season. The Summer Ale kicked off the collection in January, to be followed by our Black IPA, which we brewed this week and will be released early April.
There are also Eagle Bay wines, which are lovely I might add! I believe these use grapes grown on the property, which are then taken to local winemakers. Can you tell us a bit about this process?
Our first vines were planted in 1991. We have about 15 acres under vine on our farm in Eagle Bay. This area is tiny (even by Margaret River standards) and we do not intend to plant any more vines at this stage. Instead of expanding, our aim is for our small 15 acre plot to be the best cared for and loved 15 acres of vines in the Margaret River region.
Due to our tiny size, we do not have enough fruit to warrant installing a winery at our vineyard; rather we take our revered fruit to the best winemakers, at the best Margaret River wineries, to make it into some of the best wines in the region. All our wines are unique limited releases.
Describe your perfect day off spent in the southwest:
I’m a huge fan of summer days, kicking off with an early morning surf at my favourite surf break, Three Bears. Heading home for a coffee and some breakfast to refuel then back out to the surf again. Then to finish off the day, hang out on the lawn at Eagle Bay Brewing Co and kick back with a pint of Pale Ale.
And finally, where can we find your brews up in Perth?
For a cheeky pint of Eagle Bay Brewing Co on-tap you can head to Bar Lafayette in the city, The Apple Daily upstairs at The Print Hall and The Village Bar in Subiaco.
Eagle Bay Brewing Co beers take-away are available at: Mane Liquor, Belmont; Cellarbrations Carlisle, Carlisle; Como Liquor, Como; Liquor Barons on Angelo, South Perth; Subiaco Liquor Store; Con’s Manning Fine Wines; Con’s City Beach Fine Wines; Parry Place Cellars, Bullcreek; Ballajura IGA Liquor, Ballajura; Liquor Barons, Wembly Downs; Subi Liquor Store, Subiaco; The Wine Store, East Fremantle. Nick
Eagle Bay Brewing Co, Eagle Bay Road, Eagle Bay.