Sydney is getting a new beer dedicated to the local bowling club. The creators, Matty Graham and Alex Light, came together after both losing their jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Both had previously worked in creative marketing and decided to come together to create a lager that would hopefully support their local bowling club.
“I’ve been involved with my local Bowlo at Bondi for a few years now as a
volunteer director and member of our pennants team. During this time. I’ve seen
small clubs struggle to stay alive due to COVID-19, declining revenues and
dwindling membership bases. Sadly, some have been sold off or folded,” says Graham.
“When Alex and I started talking over a beer, we realised we wanted to celebrate the value of the local clubs, the sense of community they provide, and to help this iconic Aussie identity stay alive.
“We decided to create a beer which is not only a bloody great beer but has the
potential to help the bowling clubs in my local area survive. From there, the idea
came to life and has snowballed, and we are hoping we can grow the brand to
have a footprint in every bowling club in Australia, over time.”
Bowlo Draught was born as a beer designed “by bowlers, for bowlers” – a classic full-flavoured lager that recreates a typically approachable Australian flavour profile. The draught is made using 100% Australian ingredients with an ABV of 4.2% and an IBU of 14.5. It is targeted at the contemporary beer drinker as much as old-school Aussie lager drinkers.
Graham and Light’s hope is that the presence of Bowlo Draught in the market will inspire people to get behind their local bowling club to help stop the iconic Australian institution from going extinct.
“It is as much about enjoying a beer as it is about making a difference. Between
us we have a bunch of experience building and growing brands, but it’s even
better to make one of our own. It’s also been great learning about the other parts
of the beer industry, and it’s something we’ve enjoyed doing together with Bowlo
Draught,” says Graham.
Bowlo Draught will launch on 18 April.
Kirsty Sier
