Brewers name: Ian Morgan, Assistant Brewer

Breweries worked at and now:
Holgate Brewhouse - the first and only!

How you started brewing:
I moved to Australia from Seattle in 1999. At the time there were only a handful of craft breweries and it was hard to find their beers.  Having come from a beer lover's city like Seattle, I had to resort to brewing my own!  In 2007 I decided to make it my career, enrolled in the graduate certificate program in Brewing Science at the University of Ballarat, and managed to talk my way into a job at Holgate's. 

Favourite beer you’ve brewed:
They're all mybabies and I love them all the same.  I must admit, however, that it was particularly exciting to work on the recipes for our Temptress Chocolate Porter and the Nut Brown Ale.  Formulating these recipes, with their additions of vanilla beans and cocoa (Temptress) and roasted macadamia nuts (Nut Brown), was a challenge and we were a bit anxious about how the first batch would turn out, but we were richly rewarded by the result!   And the hand-pumped ESB at the bar makes for a great knock-off drink all year round.

Favourite beer you haven’t brewed:
I was a macrobrew drinker before moving to Seattle for university. I was converted at the Big Time Brewery in the University District there.  I think I spent more time at the alehouse than in the library, but it was an education of sorts.  Their cask conditioned Bhagwan's Best IPA on the beer engine always goes down a treat. 

Greatest beer achievement:
Managing to not drink the bottle of Pliny the Elder that I brought back with me on my last trip to the States until I could share it with an appreciative friend. 

Favourite brewing website:
This one, of course! I also enjoy the brewing history blog "Shut up about Barclay Perkins". 

How you see Australian Microbrewing industry:
Booming! The amount of growth and diversity that has occurred over the last few years has been astounding.  But it would happen even faster if we could get a fair break on excise tax along the lines of the tax break enjoyed by small wineries.

Brewer/Brewery you most highly respect:
I can't believe that Paul ran the brewery on his own for seven years. It's busy enough around here with two of us plus Julian out on the road.  Respect.

Hint to home brewers.
Cool down your fermentations.

Hint to microbrewers.
Join your state brewers' association (VAMI here in Victoria) and lobby for excise tax relief.