Simone Clements is the new head brewer at Gage Roads Brew Co, having been part of the team since 2014 when she started out in the lab as a quality officer before moving into the brew team in 2017. Her appointment comes after having led a number of releases at Gage over the last couple of years.
“I can’t wait! I was shocked when I found out and it took quite a while for the news to sink in. When it finally did, I felt equal measures of excitement and nervousness.
“But I can’t wait to be down in Freo at our brand-new venue, working on a new kit and brewing awesome beers. It’s also going to be great to interact with the punters, who can see the brewing firsthand while they enjoy a beer,” says Ms Clements.
Ms Clements will lead the brew crew at the new Fremantle home of Gage Roads Brew Co, overlooking the strip of ocean that originally inspired the brewery, with the new venue being built at Fremantle’s iconic “A Shed” at Victoria Quay.
The family-friendly venue includes a working micro-brewery, restaurant, bar and al-fresco area, with a focus on promoting Western Australia to locals and visitors alike.
Ms Clements says she’s excited to get on the brew-kit and start brewing the full range of beers that Gage has become famous for, alongside a rotation of limited releases and brewery-only exclusives.
“I’ll be brewing the core range so you’ll see all your Gage favourites, along with a range of limited release seasonal beers that will be available for a few months at a time. You will also see special one-off beers that could be a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ situation,” said Ms Clements.
“It’s a really engaging industry to work in. Every day I’m surrounded by excellent people with similar interests, like beer! Having passion for the product you are creating makes for a fun environment. There’s also a huge scope for learning. You can really dive deep into areas like the barley malting process, biochemistry of yeast, hop farming, or the physics of heat transfer through stainless steel.”
Gage Roads Freo will open this summer.
