Our resident Byron brewer for August - October..
Our Pilot Batch beers are experimental brews created by our team of brewers, with occasional help from collaborators within our community, all at our Pilot Brewery in Byron Bay.
These small batch brews are special, limited and, once gone, may never return. The Pilot Batch brewery is a space for our brewers to get creative – an opportunity to trial weird and wonderful things, turning the brewery into an experimental playground to get a little fruity.
Every three months, one of our brewers takes up the helm in our Byron brewery, running the day-to-day operations. During this time, they have the chance to brew their favourite beers and run the Pilot Batch program.
Meet Dare Ahern, our resident brewer for August – October.
Give us a bit of background about yourself…
I stumbled into brewing by accident really, two and a half years ago. I’ve always been a fan of craft beer but never saw myself ever making it. After making a move three years ago to the Northern Rivers from South Gippsland where I grew up, I got a job on the packaging line in our Murwillumbah brewery part-time. After a month of bottling and kegging, I had the opportunity to work down at our old Byron brewery (4 Boronia Place). After spending a summer learning all I could about brewing, I got a call offering me a brewing position in Murwillumbah. Two a half years on, I’m down in Byron again – at the new brewery – for my residency on the Pilot Batch brewery.
What are your favourite styles of beer and why?
There aren’t any styles of beer I don’t like, but I am partial to the malt-driven styles of beer e.g. lagers, porters and stouts.
Any beers you’re really excited about brewing and why?
I’m excited about whatever I’m brewing at the time. I’m hoping to keep brewing anything and everything to keep my education going.
What do you like about using the Pilot Batch brewery to experiment?
It’s super cute.
