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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.
READ ALSO:
Bega aspires to be Australia's first net-zero footprint regionRyefield Hops plants 1000 trees to regenerate waterway with Landcare Australia "I have known Jade from Ryefield for some years
as we yarn about regenerative agriculture and Australian Aboriginal foods," said Bruce. "I thought it would be a natural fit to use local hops."
"We all get on well," he said. "I admire both businesses greatly and it gives us a chance to sell whole grain. The aroma from our grasses is fantastic."
The grass seeds are not used for a starch or sugar source for fermentation, but instead they are used to enhance the flavour of the beverage.
"We are trying to extract as much flavour and aroma from them as possible," said Chris.
"We do this by using a baker friend's oven to hand roast the grains, husks, and stalks. When 'mashing' in the beer you can really smell the grasses. As Bruce said on the first brew day - it
smells like the farm!"
An example of the Fuggle hops used by Ryefield Hops in the brewing of Dark Emu Dark Larger. Photo: Ryefield Hops Chris describes the flavour profile of the beer as "grainy, tangy and
slightly roasted with a hay like layer of aroma.
"It's relatively dry, clean and refreshing with a lovely earthy, spicy, floral character from Ryefield's Saaz and Fuggle hops," he said.
The beer supply on the South Coast of NSW is fairly patchy and the beverage is only produced in very small quantities when enough grain has been gathered to make the beer, so Sailors Grave
suggests asking your local bottle shop if they can order it in.
ShareFacebookTwitterWhatsappEmailCopyEllouise BaileyJournalistQueensland Country Life reporter based in Rockhampton and reporting on agriculture in the central Queensland region. Got a
story? Get in touch: 0447 477 399 or email [email protected] Country Life reporter based in Rockhampton and reporting on agriculture in the central
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