Our ginger beers are traditionally brewed in the bottle, using a recipe handed down from four generations and originating in Durham, Northern England – the home of ginger beer!
Gillespie’s Ginger Beer is free from preservatives and additives and made from premium ingredients : natural filtered rainwater, organic fresh ginger, Tahitian lime, lemon, native Tasmanian pepper berry leaf and sugar.
THE BEGINNINGS
While Ginger Beer was first manufactured in Australia in 1820, the first recipe for Gillespie’s Ginger Beer originated prior to that in County Durham, North East England. It was handed down from four generations to Allan and Fran Gillespie who started making the recipe a long way from Durham, in Tasmania.
Gillespie’s Ginger Beer started as a backyard family product around 1993 and was made by the Gillepie’s at family events and occasions. But it wasn’t long until their friends requested they start making it for their own parties and events. As its popularity increased and after some discussion and planning “Gillespie’s Ginger Beer” was born.
THE PROCESS
When you hand make things like this, you need to have your eye on it at all times. We use yeast to create fermentation and there are many factors which effect how quickly or slowly a brew will be ready. For this reason every bottle may vary slightly which adds to the uniqeness of our product. Once the yeast activation is complete we have to pasturise each brew to stop the fermenting process. That is why we don’t have any lids that pop off in grandma’s pantry in the middle of the night.
GROWING UP
To help their son Robbie realise his dream to attend university, Allan proposed that every dollar made selling the ginger beer would be invested in this project. With their combined energy and talents, they worked together taking the business to the next level and his dream became true.
Allan and Fran approaching retirement sold their business to friends Sam and Allison Loney, which is where it remains today. While the business has grown, it’s goals and the family’s attitude has remained the same, seeing it more as something that opens doors they may have otherwise remained shut, as opposed to an end in itself.
