A COUPLE has revived a family ale from the gold rush era, reports SARAH WARNE
This is a tale of a Scottish trio and a tasty ale.
It began when three cousins landed in Australia in 1853, with next to nothing in their sporrans.
To Victoria's goldfields they headed, seeking their fortune. Yet fame came not in shiny rock but in liquid form - beer.
William, MacGregor and George Troup set up camp on the Ballarat goldfields, surrounded by an army of men laboriously sinking shafts.
Digging holes, the Troup boys claimed, was not the way for them. They put their minds to brewing beer and named an ale after themselves.
The cousins established a unique handcrafted beer, blending wheat and barley from the Pyrenees region.
Quenching the thirsts of hardworking miners, the three Scots brewed their way to VIP status, raking in a fortune from beer sales on the goldfields.
The trio kept the techniques behind their brewing success to themselves.
Now, in the 21st century, sixth generation descendant David Troup and his wife Marianne have revived the Troup tradition once more.
Setting up their very own brewery in Beaufort, the couple has maintained family tradition by using the finest grain - this time from their own property and also from the surrounding Pyrenees region - to create their first beer, a pale ale.
David, who is a sheep and grain farmer, says the brewery is a way to use his farm resources to diversify.
"I'm very passionate about it," he says.
"Our three kids love it, too. They think they are the three troupers and the brewery was named after them.
"But I'd prefer to keep the alcohol and the kids separate."
Actually named after their Scottish heritage, the Three Troupers Brewery was successfully launched in August.
"I was glad to get it going, Marianne says.
"I was sick of listening to David say he was going to do it."
At the launch, restaurants, bars and cafes from the district jumped on board and quenched their thirsts with a Troup ale.
"Our brew is unique because we not only source the finest grain, but also access the region's natural spring water," Marianne says.
"Most home breweries produce ales that highlight a particular feature, describing their brews as hoppy, fruity or malty.
"Our ale is well-rounded and extremely smooth.
"It's a beer for the everyday drinker and women love it too."
David says the feedback has been fantastic.
"Everyone loves it. And we have been busy stocking pubs and restaurants from all around."
Troupers ale is being sold at more than 35 outlets from Avoca, Ararat and Creswick to Halls Gap.
Ballarat's Old Colonists' Club manager Alan Jones says his customers have been impressed with the ale.
"I've just put in an order for some more," Alan says.
The idea for the brewery began 15 years ago, when the couple travelled to the US and were amazed by the number of microbreweries.
"They were everywhere in the US," David says.
"I got the idea in my head that we could start one of our own, and source an alternative income from our existing farm resources.
"For the past couple of years I've been dabbling in the kitchen."
Marianne would arrive home to a huge mess, after David had attempted another brew.
"'I've made another one,' he'd say. Luckily he cleaned up," Marianne says.
The kickstart they needed came when their business plan came runner-up in the Pyrenees Business Awards last year.
The duo got started on making their plan a reality.
"I had concocted my own little recipe, but it really was a team effort," David says.
The first brew is the pale ale, which evolved out of David's kitchen experiments. It combines water, hops, malted barley, and yeast.
"Locals say it's similar to Coopers, but slightly lighter," Marianne says. "It's a really drinkable beer."
With the success of the pale ale it's back to the mixing pot for David, he is launching a Three Troupers pilsner next month.
The Troups' brew is on show this weekend at the Hamilton races.
