Fresh off the win of 2024 Champion Beer at the Indies, Uraidla Brewing’s Head Brewer, Max Bowering, sat down with Beer & Brewer to talk about following his passions and his innovative approach to brewing.
Bowering’s love for beer first began while working as a bartender at Adelaide’s Gilbert Street Hotel.
“Being able to sample new beers from 10 rotating taps got me hooked on craft beer pretty quick. It’s pretty typical for me to go for an all or nothing approach so I pretty quickly did some of my own research into brewing, as well as my old man showing me the ropes of homebrewing. After some time to think during the pandemic, I decided I’d try and get a job in the industry,” he said.
From there, Bowering enrolled in a TAFE SA brewing course, and joined Uraidla as an assistant brewer. The other brewers at Uraidla have made a significant impact on Bowering’s career.
“I was lucky enough to work under Oscar Mathews, the previous Head Brewer, and learn a lot about translating brewing processes into flavour, the philosophy behind Uraidla Brewery, and the tools I needed to produce great beer.
“I have also worked under Owen Lyons, former Mismatch Head Brewer, for the past couple of years. He has been key to mentoring me the ins and outs of running a brewery efficiently and all the other work that goes on behind the scenes,” he said.
In June of this year, at age 24, Bowering took the reins as Head Brewer at Uraidla, where he is able to build on his strengths.
“I feel as if I bring a fresh and tasteful outlook on the direction of our beers. I am also quite critical when it comes to beer flavour so I’m always driving the best version of our beers.
“I try to have quite a modern approach on most of our beers. For me, that is lower bitterness and a higher hop expression for pales and IPAs, and a more full-bodied or sweet flavour with less bitterness for dark beers. Keeping our beers highly expressive yet also very drinkable is great for beer lovers as well as new beer drinkers,” he said.
For Bowering, the diversity of beer styles is one of his favourite parts of the industry.
“I like how quickly trends come and go. It keeps me on my toes and constantly innovating and experimenting. On the flip side, I also love the traditional side of the industry, beer styles that are tried and true and stay the same for centuries,” he said.
Following the Indies win, Bowering aims to continue producing beer a high and consistent quality.
“For now I’m happy to keep the ball rolling on what we have going on at Uraidla. More awards would be great, but maintaining the high quality of beers will speak for itself,” he said.
When asked what he would say to aspiring brewers looking to enter the industry like he did several years ago, Bowering’s advice was simple.
“Get some studying under your belt and go for it.”