GABS Brewer: Ben Kraus from Bridge Road Brewers in Beechworth, Victoria

What beer are you making for GABS?
We have made a barrel aged, bret tripel. We actually kept behind one barrels worth of tripel that we shipped to Nogne O for Aurora Australis 2. We used a whiskey barrel from the original Aurora Borealis, that had also been used to aged another collaboration, The Wheaty Weiss.

Does it have a name yet?
Once Upon A Whisky Barrel There Lived a Funky Tripel.

Where did the inspiration come from?
A matter of opportunity, barrel emptied, beer ready.

Do you think it’ll be a one-off or are you considering adding it to the range after GABS?
Impossible to do again.

What do you think of the concept of GABS?
Awesome. As you know there is a proliferation of beer events at the moment, this one is clearly the best craft beer festival in the country (after Good Beer Week if that is considered separate).

The Great Australasian Beer Spectapular (aka GABS) is on in Melbourne on May 23-25, 2014.