Beer Growers: Meet the farmers behind our Cloudy Cider
While the veggie patch at our Newtown brewery certainly punches above its weight with the fresh produce it offers our crew, hungry passers-by, and the local ibis population, it doesn’t quite have the capacity to grow everything we need to make your favourite YH brews. Fortunately, we know a couple of folks who do. We’ve always valued working with Australian producers to champion local ingredients through our products, so thought it was about time to introduce you to some of the legends who ‘grow’ our beer.
First up, we’re heading to Victoria’s West Gippsland region to meet our mates at Bellevue Apple Orchard where our Cloudy Cider apples are grown. Owned and operated by the Russo family for four generations, the Bellevue orchard occupies 35 luscious hectares in the town of Officer, and is home to18 different varieties of apples including the Pink Lady and Royal Gala strains we use in our cider.
While there are plenty of other apple growing regions in Aus, West Gippsland seems to have the special sauce for producing perfect fruit. The area is a lot cooler than other parts of the country throughout the year, meaning the apples are less likely to get burnt or sun damaged, and the icy mornings can even help the red apples colour much faster (science yo!). It also gets PLENTY of rain, and boasts some pretty incredible soil we could only dream of having here in our garden!
From juice to vinegar, Bellevue’s apples are used for a whole range of products. However, with Bernadette, Nick, Robert and Joe Russo at the helm, the farm is becoming increasingly more invested in cider and the growing methods required to produce great tasting brews. In 2012, the Russos introduced a bunch of heritage cider apple varieties to the farm, and linked up with seasoned winemaker Norman Lever to oversee production.
A favoured drop for the farm crew after a hard day on the tools, the Russo’s reckon there’s no better time to enjoy a cider than a Friday arvo when the sun is shining - pointing to a lyric penned by our mates The Beefs as gospel:
"Its Friday arvo, shins up, tins up".
And it ain’t just the farmers who can enjoy a cider or two as they gaze upon the leafy horizon at dusk, the Bellevue Farm Gate is open to the public too! The epic little venue at the heart of the orchard offers a scenic space to get stuck in to some crisp apples, tasty grub, and fresh AF juice and cider made on site. To learn more about the Bellevue orchard, click here.
Cheers to the Russos!
ABOUT CLOUDY CIDER
Our Cloudy Cider is a natural farmhouse style cider made with Royal Gala and Pink Lady apples grown at the Bellevue Orchard. With no added sugar, syrups or water, we use 100% apples and brewers yeast to help kick off the fermentation. The result is a natural fruit sweetness with a tart apple finish. Gluten free and vegan friendly, grab some below from our online store.
