Gage Roads Brewing Co Subheading

All about sun, sand and a beer in hand.

Gage Roads Brewing Co is one of the country’s leading independent brewers, but it’s a company with humble beginnings. It all started back in 2002 when a few mates from Fremantle WA – including brothers Bill & John Hoedemaker – decided they wanted to start a brewery. With a $25K credit card, they set up shop in an old margarine factory just outside of Freo, with nothing but a heap of old equipment and a dream to brew good craft beers for all Aussies to enjoy.

Gage Roads has always been local and had a deep connection to the place, named after the stretch of water that separates Fremantle and Rottnest Island, with a love of the lifestyle that comes with it.

But it wasn’t always all happy days and trips to Rotto. It was really hard going. It takes a long time to get people to trust a local brand. Eventually, they had to start contract brewing and sell some shares to a major, just to keep the doors open. Fiercely independent – that was a really hard time for the Gage Roads team.

They kept hustling and after a rough few years, things started to pay off. In 2015 they launched their now-flagship beer, Single Fin. Then the next year, Little Dove New World Pale Ale took out Champion Beer at the AIBAs. And then the year after that, they got the pourage contract at Optus Stadium. A real David and Goliath moment for these lads from Freo! But probably the most important milestone for Gage Roads around all of that, was taking back their independence and buying back their shares they’d previously sold, so they could once again be a proudly independent brewery.

January 2022, was an exciting time for the brewery, as they opened the doors to Gage Roads Freo brewery – our brewpub and spiritual home, a redeveloped 100-year-old shed that literally overlooks Gage Roads, that same strip of water that they named their brewery after, some 15 years ago. It’s bloody poetic really!

Sea Bird 330ml cans (limited release collab with Liquor Barons)

• Origin: WA, Australia
• Type: Single Hop Pale Ale
• Analysis: 4.2% ABV
• Tasting notes: With a fantastic Pale Ale foundation, this brew packs a punch of juicy tropical taste to a light malt base with dialed-back bitterness. Full of complex flavour from the Superdelic hop, but super accessible and easy to drink.
• Colour: Light and bright pale gold.
• Palate: Juicy tropical and red fruit flavour.
• Aroma: Light pale malt and citrus character.
• Serving Suggestion: Fresh from the esky!
• Food Match: Fish and chips by the sea (watch out for sea gulls!)

Hazy As 330ml cans

• Origin: WA, Australia
• Type: Pale Ale
• Analysis: 5% ABV
• Tasting notes: Juicy and golden! Pouring like a hazy golden sunset this juicy banger delivers passionfruit, pineapple and zesty citrus vibes; brewed with a hop trio of Riwaka, Galaxy and Citra Cryo.
• Colour: Light and bright pale gold.
• Palate: Hops – Riwaka, Galaxy, Citra Cryo,
  Malts – Pale Malt, Wheat, Vienna, Rolled Oats
• Aroma: Passionfruit, pineapple and zesty citrus.
• Serving Suggestion: Drink cold and fresh – listening to Heat Waves (Glass Animals) while having sunset drinks on a balmy summer night.
• Food Match: Tasty tacos with a zingy salsa.
• Facts: Hazy As was the first new release after opening the brewpub, Gage Roads Freo.

Single Fin 330ml cans & 375ml bottles

• Origin: WA, Australia
• Type: Summer Ale
• Analysis: 4.5% ABV
• Tasting notes: Tropical and beachy. More refreshing than a face full of Freo Doctor, we brew this beer with sun-drenched summer days in mind: light-bodied and chock full of aromatic Aussie Galaxy and Enigma hops. Big tropical fruit bowl aroma is balanced by subtle bitterness, and a clean finish. An easy-drinking crowd pleaser.
• Colour: Caramel gold.
• Palate: Hops – Galaxy, Cascade, Enigma, Malts – Pale, Wheat, Crystal
• Aroma: Passionfruit and pineapple
• Serving Suggestion: Drink cold and fresh – listening to Swanny Beach (Ra Ra Viper) while having an epic weekender with your mates.
• Food Match: Corn chips with fresh guac
• Facts: Back in 2015, the Gage Roads team set out to brew a modern take on a traditional summer ale. The result was Single Fin. And since then, our hero brew has found a few fans, growing to become Australia’s leading independent beer and WA’s most-loved craft beer. The label was designed by a spot the Gage crew know and love, Cott beach. There’s almost no better spot to enjoy a beer. The iconic Norfolk Pines, Tea House and pylon all feature on the design, combining with sweet waves, swimmers and surfers.

Yeah Buoy 330ml cans

• Origin: WA, Australia
• Type: Non Alcoholic XPA
• Analysis: less than 0.5% ABV
• Tasting notes: Fresh and care free! This refreshing XPA is packed with juicy tropical aromas of papaya, peach and apricot. Medium bodied and moreish you’ll be saying “Yeah Buoy!” to another.
• Colour: Light and bright pale gold.
• Palate: Hops – Cryo Pop and Simcoe, Malts – Munich, Carapils, Oats and Redback
• Aroma: Papaya, peach and apricot
• Serving Suggestion: Drink cold and fresh – listening to Left Me Like Summer (Daily J) while doing absolutely anything!
• Food Match: A bakery-fresh chicken sambo.
• Facts: Over the last couple of years, there’ve certainly been more than a few requests to develop a non-alcoholic beer. So GR set out to brew a non-alc option that doesn’t compromise on flavour. Gage Roads are proud that Yeah Buoy not only gives people a non-alc option in the fridge or esky, but delivers on full flavour and balance.

Pipe Dreams 330ml cans & 375ml bottles

• Origin: WA, Australia
• Type: Coastal Lager
• Analysis: 4.2% ABV
• Tasting notes: Crisp and laid-back. Imagine jumping into the ocean, your first swim of the summer. We’ve bottled that feeling in this lager. Crisp, clean and refreshing, with a zesty citrus aroma and smooth bitterness. Brewed naturally with nothing more than water, hops, yeast and malt.
• Colour: Light and bright pale gold.
• Palate: Hops – Herbrucker, Mount Hood,
  Malts – Pale, Wheat, Munichs
• Aroma: Zesty citrus.
• Serving Suggestion: Drink cold and fresh – listening to Is This How You Feel? (The Preatures) while watching the surf with your mates.
• Food Match: Chilli & garlic BBQ prawns.
• Facts: The brew team were really excited by the challenge of creating Pipe Dreams. The goal was to keep it simple, and brew a beer that was true to style and all natural. There’s nothing to hide behind with lagers – they’re easy to drink but tough to brew – so processes and details had to be spot on. We first launched Pipe Dreams at Optus Stadium, to thirsty fans for when the footy returned to crowds in 2020. It’s safe to say, it went down pretty well! The design was inspired by that first beach swim of summer. The sun’s shining, the water is calling, and there’s nothing more refreshing than that first dip.

Side Track 330ml cans

• Origin: WA, Australia
• Type: All day XPA
• Analysis: 3.5% ABV
• Tasting notes: Citrusy and cruisy. A beer best paired with care-free days, Side Track All Day XPA is the ideal go-to beer for a moment of refreshment on those days where the time just gets away from you. It’s jam packed with aromas of fresh citrus, tropical fruit and a hint of pine. Light malt base for smooth body and crisp bitterness for extreme drinkability.
• Colour: Caramel gold.
• Palate: Hops – Cascade, Citra, Azacca, Malts – Pale, Vienna, Wheat
• Aroma: Fresh citrus, tropical fruit, pine
• Serving Suggestion: Drink cold and fresh – listening to This Must Be The Place (Talking Heads) while in the backyard with your mates.
• Food Match: BBQ Snags & Mum’s Potato Salad
• Facts: When the challenge was thrown down to brew a mid-strength stacked with flavour, the team jumped at it. Alcohol brings flavour, so it was a balancing act for the brewers between boosting flavour through hops and malt, while maintaining balance. In the end, the light malt base and refreshing finish was the perfect platform to showcase the flavour and aromas of a hop trifecta including Cascade, Citra and Azacca.