Van Dieman Brewing

Within two weeks of starting, he was brewing by himself, immersing himself in the art of brewing real ales – and developing a love for British ales that he brought back with him to Australia in 2006. Faced with a choice of working for another brewery or starting his own, he chose the latter, installing a brewery on family land outside Evandale. It’s a beautiful spot, with the brewery shed set among 100-year-old oak trees (the ones on Van Dieman’s labels) in the rolling countryside just south of Launceston.

After 25 trial batches, Will finally released his first beers – a Pale, an Amber and a Stout based on beers he’d brewed in the UK – on Anzac Day in 2009. He’s continued with the British theme since, albeit favouring the higher carbonation found in Aussie beers, producing ESBs, IPAs and a Hedgerow ale that uses berries from the farm, all of which either take their name from nearby landmarks or give a nod to their Tassie heritage.