Best beer scores tap spot in Backyard Brewing Tournament

The best of the 2023 Backyard Brewing Tournament have been crowned, with a special event at Margaret River Brewhouse held to honour the top entries from this year’s home brewers.

Judged by an expert panel comprised of Margaret River Brewhouse’s own Magda Bustos, Jeremy Good from Cowaramup Brewery, Running with Thieves’ Reuben Herriman, CBCo brewer Marcia Alegria and beer journalists Jono Outred and Simon Collins, the competition attracted over 100 entries.

Rob Stott’s Trappist Single, ‘Single Pringle’ emerged from the intensive judging process as the overall winner, while Wolf Pack Brewing’s ‘Bro you seen my jandals?’ and Peter Townsend’s ‘Velvet Revolver’ came in second and third.

“To be honest I’m still shocked,” Stott said after the win was announced.

“There are some great homebrewers in Perth and the South West, so to take out first place with over 100 entries really felt like a massive achievement when you look at the previous winners and see what they have gone on to achieve.

“I really would like to thank my wife Julie for putting up with me and the constant brew shop trips and putting up with me and the kids on brew days, and my family for sampling all my good and bad beers over the years.

“Also, would like to thank everyone at West Coast Brewers, their feedback throughout the year has improved my beer and I encourage anyone who is interested in brewing to join their local homebrew club.”

Stott’s beer will be brewed at the Brewhouse and will feature on the venue’s taps, as part of the prize package.

“I think is every homebrewer’s dream to at some point see what happens on a brew day in a brewery, but to go brew my own beer with Caitlin and the other brewers on a commercial set up and to put it into cans and on tap at the Brewhouse is a dream come true,” he said.

“I can’t wait to get down to Brewhouse again and have a go on a big set-up, I can imagine its a lot different to my tiny 35l kettle.”

Margaret River Brewhouse owner and director Ilya Hastings said the quality and variety of styles in this year’s competition were “off the charts”.

“Every year we are blown away by the number of entries we receive from home brewers across the state, and this year was no exception,” he said.

“This competition is all about honouring our roots as home brewers and giving back to the home brewing community. We know firsthand the passion and talent that goes into every batch. That’s why we love hosting this event and providing a platform for aspiring brewers to shine.

“We can’t wait to have Rob on site to brew his winning beer in a couple of months time.”

Local Kate Fleay, who took home a silver medal for her ‘A Cheeky Weekend in Bali’, said she was pleased that her first foray into the competition had such great results.

“[Husband] Rhys is the brewer really, but I wanted to get in and have a go myself, learn a bit about the process and have some fun with it,” she said. “It was really nice to have his advice along the way, and to be involved in his passion at the same time. It was loads of fun!”

judge and beer journo, Jono Outred agreed that skill and creativity continues to shine within the annual brew-off.

“Each beer had its own unique flair, reflecting the personal touch of the brewers behind them,” he said. “It’s amazing to see the home brewing scene thriving and pushing boundaries.”