Armidale-based brewery The Welder’s Dog has scored three spots in the Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers poll, reputed to be the nation’s biggest beer vote. 

And those behind the brews have a vision for beverages crafted “from the minute [the grain is] planted in the dirt to the minute it’s in the glass in your hand”.

Co-owner and brewer Phil Stevens said the aim was to “source everything from as close an area to the brewery as possible”.

Read also:

“We believe in buying local, keeping money in the region and keeping the miles on the grain down,” he said.

“We also wanted to work closely with the graingrower in terms of experimenting with new varieties [and] ensuring quality.”

For Wee Waa growers Corie and Nicole Piper, the Dog’s sole supplier of malting barley, it was a “meeting of the minds”.

“Aside from being avid craft beer enthusiasts, we were looking to see if we could exploit our attention to detail around our malt barley production,” Mr Piper said.

They work hard to ensure varietal purity, from keeping “super-pure lines” in particular fields to having segregated storage.

“We’re trying to achieve single-origin, single-variety, single-harvest products, providing that provenance to The Welder’s Dog,” Mr Piper said.

Love your local news? Support us so we can keep supporting our community

To that end, he even collaborates with a seed breeder “so we get the opportunity to see very early cultivars as they’re coming through and have the chance to evaluate them”.

“At the moment, we’re focusing on two specific varieties, Granger and Alestar, and there’s a trial line we’re working on that has no name at the moment.”

Mr Piper said it was “really refreshing and really fun” for the couple to be so involved in the process from paddock to plate – or, in this case, from grower to glass.

“In general in farming, it’s quite isolated and independent,” he said.

“It’s nice to be in among a family of people interested in same things and working towards a really high-quality result.

“That’s been really enjoyable, and that’s what’s missing in a generic commodity production system ...

“When I look at the Welder’s Dog, I see they’re very big on high-quality, local production, and sourcing local products and input.

“I think the community in general is really starting to appreciate that – where their product is coming from; who’s growing it for them.”

Mr Stevens said that was certainly his experience.

“More and more people are looking in their food and beverages for a story.”