Barellan Beer Company

Rebecca Varidel
1st Oct 2014
Barellan Beer Company will launch its first craft beer this Friday. This is a community crowd-sourcing story with a difference.
 
When Stuart Whytcross went to Barellan Central School he was the only kid in Years 11 and 12. Now he teaches industrial arts there, but in his school holidays he travels the world tasting craft beers. So when his father, Ken Whytcross, grew his best crop of malt barley in forty years, Stuart decided to do something about his craft beer obsession.
 
"A lot of people think it's his business, but it's not. The profits will go back into the town. He's put a huge amount of effort into it," Ken said of his son and his not-for-profit initiative.
 
A lot of the community don't even have the internet, so many of the pledges were made at the local pub. They ranged from $100 to pre-order a case of beer to 12 x $600 packages.
 
Community involvement has extended beyond the original vision to conclude with the crowd funding community actually choosing the 3.9% blonde ale and the packaging. 2000 litres were brewed. The 20 kegs for on tap will only be sold in Barellan, but don't worry Sydney - 50 cases of packaged Golden Grain Ale will be available nationally until sold out. Which might be fairly soon.