Articles by Jono Outred
Jono Outred is a food and beverage writer based in WA’s Southwest. He has been involved in craft beer across a variety of capacities over the past 11 years, from beer blogging to production brewing and everything in between. When not immersed in beer, Jono is a cricket tragic, grows grapes and tends to his farm in Nannup.
The beer(s) or moment(s) that turned you on to good beer:
That would be would be BrewDog Tokyo, gifted to me by a colleague for my 18th birthday. Its existence alone as a 12.5 percent ABV beer blew my mind; previously I had only consumed Emu Bitter (in excess) at house parties. Discovering that beer led to a visit to the International Beer Shop where, obviously, many more mind-blowing beers were purchased and consumed.
You've got three beers to turn someone else on to good beer; what are they and why?
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Rocky Ridge Peach Invasion: For me, it's the perfect craft beer. It's big flavoured but perfectly smashable. Interesting but easy-drinking. Bold but balanced. Naughty but nice. Made entirely out of locally made ingredients in WA, you'd be mad not to give it a crack!
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Boatroacker Ramjet: Because THIS is what beer can be. It's massive. You might hate it now but you certainly won't forget it. One day you'll understand and you won't be able to get enough. This beer is everything that is right about crazy, "big" beers.
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Jester King El Cedro: It's American craft beer at its best. A beautiful, bubbly farmhouse ale aged in cedar barrels. We're lucky here in Australia to get our hands on these fantastic American ales and I think Jester King stands for everything we love about beer. Great beer, great story.
The last beer you enjoyed:
Beerfarm Native series Quandong & Samphire Gose.
Name three examples of music/art/culture/sport/travel/other that represent you.
- Cricket – a passion from a young age. A mediocre off-spinner with an U17's club record of 8-30. Currently playing for the Nannup Tigers!
- Punk rock and heavy metal – A passion for over 15 years, from singing in a dodgy death metal garage band as a teenager and being active in Perth's punk and hardcore scene, to mic grabs at Slayer and traveling cross country to farewell I Killed the Prom Queen in Adelaide!
- Food – A chef in a past life, now out from behind the pass and exploring food throughout Western Australia and cooking more at home.
Crafty Crawls: WA's South West Corridor
WA's South West is a popular holiday destination awash with wineries and breweries. These days, however, even the journey down to the region is paved with beer so here's a guide to the best beers along the South West Corridor.
Athena: On A Mission To Boost Beer Quality
Clare Clouting has spent years working on craft beer quality and earlier this year launched a business to support breweries looking to build better processes. Jono Outred chatted to her about Athena Quality, good beer and good chips.
So Fresh: The Rise Of WA's Hop Growers
The South West might be best known for wine and beaches, but now it's not just the brewing community that's growing fast: these days the region has multiple small-scale hop growers making an impact on the local beer industry.
Eagle Bay Leap Through Hoops... Slowly
Eagle Bay have launched Hoops, a years-in-the-making series celebrating wild ferments, barrel-ageing and patience. We chatted to brewer Keegan Steinbacher about the passion project launched with a little help from 3 Ravens.
From Cask Ale To The Beerfarm: Young Gun Emma Locke
Emma Locke's first brush with beer came while pulling pints of cask ale to help fund a uni degree in the heart of England. Now, having switched British pubs for WA's Beerfarm, she's been named Indies Young Gun of the Year for 2022.
Who Brews Full Circle Beers?
Small breweries cropping up in all manner of places but few as impressive as Bridgetown's grand hotel. We caught up with the Full Circle crew who brew out of The Bridgetown Hotel in the small town three hours from Perth.
A Grodziskie Wins The Perth Royal Beer Awards
The rarely-seen historical Polish beer style, grodziskie – a low-alcohol smoked wheat ale – was named best beer at the Perth Royal Beer Awards tonight. It's from Rocky Ridge, who also claimed Champion Large Brewery.
From Backyard Brews To The Real Deal
The team at Margaret River Brewhouse launched their Backyard Brewing Tournament as a means of staying connected to their homebrewing roots. Little did they know it would help launch the brewing careers of others.
An Alliance Forms In The South West
South West WA has long been home to one of Australia's most vibrant craft brewing scenes. And now many of the region's brewers have come together to form an Alliance with the aim of achieving even more as a collective.
The Collaborators: Mortlock Malt
After studying brewing at ECU and gaining brewing experience at Little Creatures, Rex Rowles moved back to the family farm to combine his love of brewing with his experience growing barley to create Mortlock Malt.
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Something To Braggot About
With his latest collaboration with a local brewer hitting shelves – a braggot brewed with Seasonal Brewing Co – we caught up with the passionate homebrewer turned meadmaker Sean Johnson, of WA-based Erosion Meadery.
Who Brews In Kalbarri?
The Finlay's name has an association with the WA coastal town of Kalbarri stretching back decades. These days, it's attached to a family-friendly brewery serving beers inspired by the region and a seafood driven menu.
Who Brews Phat Beers?
Phat Brew Club joined WA's impressive beer industry this year but their origin goes back six years to when six mates got together to brew. We caught up with the team to find out more as part of our long-running Who Brews? series.
A Frothy Expansion In The South West
WA's South West hosts a heaving beer scene these days and set to add to the local beer offering is Froth Craft Brewery, who are opening a second brewery in Bunbury. We caught up with the founders of the Exmouth-based operation to find out more.
Rocky Ridge's Greener Pastures
Three years on from our first article on Rocky Ridge's sustainable approach, the WA brewery is carbon neutral and heading towards carbon positive. With more eco-minded plans in the works, Jono Outred paid a visit.
Crafty Crawls: The Venues Of South West WA
The South West of WA has long been a hotspot for local breweries. These days, you won't struggle to find quality bars and bottleshops supporting the brewers of the region and further afield.
The Collaborators: Native Flavours
As they prepare to launch their seventh collaborative Native Series beer together, Jono Outred spoke to the people at Beerfarm and Fervor driving these unique beers and the educational aspect that surrounds them.
Margs' Mermaid Megsy Gets A Makeover
They've become a much-loved part of the Margaret River food and drink scene and now, three years after launching, Brewhouse Margaret River have unveiled a new look and new cans as they look to spread their vibe across WA.
Who Brews As The Sophisticated Beast?
It's one of the tiniest breweries in Australia and also produces cold brew coffee and pink oyster mushrooms. Jono Outred called into The Sophisticated Beast to find out more.
Brew & A: Keegan Steinbacher
As they close in on ten years of beers, Eagle Bay have appointed a new head brewers as co-founder Nick D'Espeissis steps into a new role. We caught up with the new man for our Brew & A series.
Want to know more?
Hopping Into The Wild
The burgeoning beer scene in the South West of WA grew again this week with the opening of Wild Hop. Jono Outred joined the team on their family farm to find out more about one of the most highly-anticipated new operations in the state.
