The temperate climate and relaxed lifestyle of the northern rivers region was an obvious drawcard and starting their own craft brewery made a lot sense for Kevin and Andrea Rowland, the couple behind the Northern Rivers Brewing Company.

“We enjoyed the area but found it difficult to find good beer,” Kevin says. “We also saw what was happening with craft breweries in WA and Victoria and that Australia was ready for more, so we decided to give it a shot.”

In fact, Canadian-born Rowland credits his wife, a Yorkshire lass, with introducing him to craft beer while the couple travelled the world together for an extended period. After marrying, they lived in his native Toronto for a while but, after experiencing two chilly winters, they emigrated to Sydney in 2000 and eventually gravitated to the sunnier climes of the northern NSW coast.

Kevin worked as a travel agent while studying brewing at the University of Ballarat, Andrea continued her career as a graphic designer and the couple chipped away at a business plan for their craft brewery over a three-year period. “We basically had a house and a business plan but then our local bank decided to fund us,” he said.

They tracked down a secondhand 400-litre capacity brewhouse which had be making beer near Lake Taupo in New Zealand, and put together other tanks and bits and pieces over time. The brewhouse is a multi-purpose “combi-tank” affair, with the unit containing separate kettle, mash tun, hot liquor tank and whirlpool components.

The Rowland’s decidedly liliputian brewery operates from a warehouse in Alstonville, a short drive inland from Ballina, en route to Lismore. The beer making venture has grown steadily since firing up in mid-2005 and they topped 30,000 litres per annum for the first time during 2008. Northern Rivers beers are available on tap in a handful of local outlets and their bottled products can be found in a wider distribution net.

As you might expect, Andrea Rowland designed all their labels which feature various birds and mammals, including a dolphin, a Canadian loon, a humpback whale and a ruby-throated hummingbird - the latter graces their Raspberry Wheat.

“The emblems were special things we’ve grabbed onto from around the world,” says Kevin Rowland. “We’re very nature-based and when Andrea and I travelled overseas we basically went from national park to national park.”

Migration Dark Ale was designed as a winter seasonal beer, coinciding with the winter migration of humpback whales along the coast. The rummy, warming brew is the most complex of the Northern Rivers range.

The Rowlands conduct regular brewery tours and tastings every Saturday and at other times by prior appointment; takeaway sales of their bottled product and 10-litre party kegs can be bought at the brewery door. Sydney outlets available through the website.

NORTHERN RIVERS BREWING COMPANY

57 Northcott Crescent, Alstonville 2477

www.nrbrewing.com.au

TASTING NOTES

NORTHERN RIVERS PALE ALE (4.6%)

Medium gold colour. Aroma: burst of citrus hop and rich malt notes. Palate: solid malt character with toffee hints, with a lively grapefruit-laced mid-palate; the finish is interwoven with considerable bitterness. Overall: plenty of character to like in this US style pale ale.

NORTHERN RIVERS STOUT (4.6%)

Pitch black; pours with a beige-coloured head. Aroma: roasty notes upfront with hints of espresso. Palate: mellow tarry, treacle and roasty notes at first; finishes with lingering roasty notes and a moderate bitterness. Overall: well-balanced, medium stout.

Willie Simpson