A DESIRE to value-add the countless tonnes of malt barley produced through the Western District and a keen interest in beer brewing was the spark behind the Pyrenees’ addition to Victoria’s craft-brewing scene.
Beaufort’s David Troup said the inspiration behind the Three Troupers brewery, which began in the middle of last year, came from years of combining farming with his passion for beer.
“Where we are, you could virtually throw a stone over thousands of acres of malt barley nearby.
“Down through Skipton and the Western District area, there’s a lot of barley being produced, I was sick of seeing it go down a sheep’s throat, so I decided to do something a bit different,” Mr Troup said.
Three Troupers now produces two beers, a pilsner, a light, clear and hoppy lager and a pale ale, a dry and malty drop.
Mr Troup said he was happy to join the growing band of craft brewers in western Victoria, including Camperdown’s Red Duck brewery, Warrnambool’s Flying Duck and Mildura Brewery.
“I saw the microbrewery thing taking off in America 20 years ago, but it has really taken off here, mainly in north-eastern Victoria, but also over here.”
*For full report see Stock & Land, April 23.
