It began with three gypsy brewers known as The Rectors of Footscray. Brought together by a love of craft beer and Melbourne's west, Bevan Dalziel, Fergus McGregor and Nick Cooper launched West City Brewing in 2015 and quickly gained a loyal following, both locally and from craft enthusiasts across the country.
Australia's craft beer scene had exploded by 2017, but the boys eventually realised they couldn't continue doing West City Brewing justice given the competitiveness of the market and the day-to-day pressures of full time work and family. They decided that they'd try to find someone to take the reins, which is when Grand Ridge Brewery took over the West City story.
As one of Australia's first craft breweries, Grand Ridge had a lot of love for West City and what it had achieved in such a short period of time. Everything West City stood for – flavour, fun and community – fit perfectly with Grand Ridge's philosophy and in 2018, after several discussions with the Rectors of Footscray, Grand Ridge acquired the operation.
It was a big challenge, and an even bigger responsibility, but one that the family-owned Grand Ridge was prepared to take on. West City drinkers were fiercely passionate about their local brew and the Grand Ridge team was completely focused on staying true to the elements that made West City so well loved.
Fast-forward a couple of years to 2020: it's a world that nobody – neither the Rectors nor Grand Ridge – could've ever imagined. Melbourne was in lockdown, but the global pandemic couldn't stop the Melbourne International Beer Awards, where Grand Ridge was named Brewery of the Year. And West City Brewing? Well, the two gold, one silver and two bronze medals speak for themselves.
For Grand Ridge, it's been a privilege helping to build West City's reputation. The brand has grown from two beers to six, with new styles being added every year, though it's never forgotten its roots. We've learnt that you can take the beer out of the west, but you can't take the west out of the beer, and we're proud to call it the best in the west.
