Dark Emu Lager collaboration sources Bemboka's Ryefield Hops, supports regenerative farming

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View Subscription OffersBega District News' complete view of propertyHome/News/Latest NewsDark Emu Lager collaboration sources Bemboka's Ryefield Hops, supports regenerative farmingBy

Ellouise BaileyUpdated July 7 2021 - 5:45pm, first published 4:30pmBy Ellouise BaileyUpdated July 7 2021 - 5:45pm, first published 4:30pmFacebookTwitterWhatsappEmailCopySailors Grave

Brewing's Chris Moore with Bruce Pascoe and the Dark Emu Dark Lager. Photo: Sailors Grave Brewing. Ryefield Hops was always meant to go into brewing Dark Emu Lager, a collaboration between

Sailors Grave Brewing in Orbost and Historian Bruce Pascoe from Mallacoota, but drought and fire put a hold on their hops production.

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50% off EOFY SaleAll articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperAll other regional websites in your areaContinue That was until this year. Now the Bemboka hops producers

are back in action and have been included in the collaboration of Dark Emu Larger, launched in October 2020.

The idea for the beverage started between Chris and Gab Moore from Sailors Grave and Bruce through an interpersonal connection. The brewery are renowned for their use of local ingredients,

both foraged and farmed such as seaweeds, oysters, and even fermented silage.

Co-owner and head brewer of Sailors Grave Chris Moore said that as much as they strive to source foods with local significance, finding local malted grains and hops is difficult, as most of

them exist within large scale farming and supply chain structures.

"So getting access to Ryefield hops is very important to us, not just because they are relatively local to us but also because they are produced with integrity. An added bonus is that they

are amazing quality as well!"

Co-owner of Ryefield Hops Jade McManus says they are looking to continue to grow their hops business which is now the biggest producer of hops in NSW. Photo: Ryefield Hops. Co-owner of

Ryefield Hops Jade McManus was just as excited to be able to start supplying their hops in the collaboration, which champions local Indigenous ingredients.

"It's about being able to bring in all the ingredients in that are from Yuin Country into the beer," said Jade.

Dark Emu Dark Lager includes Indigenous kangaroo and weeping grasses that are harvested on Bruce's farm by Yuin people on the banks of the Wallagaraugh River.

Chris and Gab said the idea for the beverage also serves, "to also point people towards the Indigenous stories and history that Bruce explores so well."

The artwork on the can was created by Yuin artist Terry Hayes, who also harvested the grain used in the beer. It depicts the giant creator emu, Baiame, after he left the earth and rose into

the sky, becoming the huge dark space in the Milky Way. Photo: Sailors Grave Brewing "Bruce saw the potential of using native grains in a number of food and beverage applications and wanted

to work on a beer project around this," said Chris.

"We met up out on his farm and talked it through - the beer style, the grasses, and also the ways in which we could use this project to benefit local Indigenous groups."

Part of the proceeds from the beer sales support local Aboriginal students in Orbost, Mallacoota and Eden. The funds are managed and distributed by Bruce to the community.

READ ALSO: Black Duck Foods re-establishing traditional food growing, country management processes

Ryefield's big focus on regenerative agriculture and native re-vegetation also caught the eye of Bruce and Sailors Grave.

Co-owners of Ryefield Hops Jade McManus, Karen Taylor, and Morgan Taylor after a day of planting native trees on their farm with 4 Pines Brewery and Landcare. Photo: David Rogers. The hops

growers are currently involved with a number of tree planting projects on their own property and re-vegetation efforts along the Colombo Creek in Bemboka.

Their acreage has now grown to 12 acres and the focus on their farm is around implementing sustainability practices and encouraging the idea of a circular economy.