Sky’s the limit for Australian Brewery’s newest recruit

THE Australian Brewery’s newest team member Billie Bassett, has been through the real estate and beauty industries and now, with some encouragement from her mum and a love of craft beer, she’s a brewer.

Meet Billie Bassett, one of the new wave of recruits joining the craft beer movement. Pictures: Angelo Velardo

BILLIE Bassett has taken her interest in craft beer from the bar to the brewery.

The pint-sized 21-year-old became the Australian Brewery’s first female brewer when she joined the team four months ago.

After finishing school, the Kenthurst resident worked in real estate and beauty and in her spare time she began exploring the world of craft beer.

Bassett was encouraged by her mum to be a brewer.

Bassett said she loves the creative side of brewing.

She had considered a career in brewing for some time, and was inspired after learning about Victorian company Two Birds Brewing, run by two women.

Around the same time she learnt the Australian Brewery was looking for a brewer and, with her mum’s encouragement, she decided to apply.

“I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time but I always thought, ‘girls can’t brew’,” she said.

Bassett has been welcomed into the five-strong brewing team, under the leadership of Dan Shaw, and has already learnt a lot from her colleagues.

“All the guys are just so amazing,” she said.

She enjoys the new no-holds-barred approach to craft beer, with experimental combinations and new flavours constantly on the horizon.

“There’s so many things you can do,” she said.

The Australian Brewery team with Bassett (third from left) with their award for Best NSW Beer at the Sydney Royal Beer & Cider Show. Picture: Momento Hospitality

Bassett has joined The Brewery at a time of significant change for the Rouse Hill venue.

New owners RedCape took over last Monday and plan to stock the brewery’s craft beers in its existing venues, while previous owners Momento Hospitality will also continue to stock the beers in its other hotels.

The brewery recently installed a new cannery allowing them to brew 18,000 cans a day — almost double the beer in half the time.

NOT SO LOCAL ‘CRAFT BEERS’

The team at the brewery also continued their award-winning streak recently, picking up Best NSW Beer for their Seis Hermanos lager at the Sydney Royal Beer & Cider Show.

Bassett said seeing people drink the beers she helped brew was still a thrill, while picking up an accolade like Best NSW Beer was “like your hard work has paid off”.

“It’s such a good feeling,” she said.