Beer with the Brewer: Reid Stratton

Dec 5, 2025

By Nisha Vashisht

We sat down for a beer with

Beer with the Brewer: Reid Stratton

We enjoyed a beer with Tom Lea, Head Brewer Hunter Valley; Eddie Brown, Head Brewer Alexandria; Danielle McDonald, Brewer Surry Hills from Sydney Brewery.

Bright Brewery was born in 2005 from a passion for well-made beer, a love for the town of Bright and its pristine alpine environment, and the adventurous outdoors lifestyle that the High Country provides.

The brewery was founded by Scott Brandon, his late wife Fiona Reddaway and their friends David and Julia, driven by a desire to make beer great and to share Bright’s spectacular surrounds and environment with everyone who passes through our town.

Here at Craft Cartel Liquor this combines a few things that are dear to our heart; great beer, family and the iconic Australian country-side. In this installment of The Brewery Series, we get a sneak peak at a number of limited releases and some of our favourite core range beers. Yep, this one isn’t to be missed!

What inspired you to get into brewing in the first place?

The process and tradition of brewing was a strong draw—especially that magical process called fermentation.

What’s your favourite beer out of this brewery series pack?

The El Grande Mole is my favourite—I love beers that balance many complex flavours.

this beer good, people have come to love it and know they can enjoy a great tasting IPA that is consistent, it cranks!

What beers do you have at home in your fridge at the moment?

I’m still crushing lots of dark beers so mostly a range of stouts and porters. I’m partial to Batch’s Elsie the Milk Stout.

Do you have any advice for the aspiring brewers out there?

Start from the bottom, ask lots of questions, always try to improve.

We love that Bright is all about sustainability, why is that a pillar of your business?

I think the real question here is why shouldn’t it be? A focus on sustainability is the only way we will be able to keep brewing beer for centuries to come.

We noticed you have some pretty cool ambassadors.

Being based in Bright a huge part of our culture is getting out into nature and being active. Over the years we have created a sponsored ambassadors program we use to support and highlight local athletes in our area. Our ambassadors fly the flag from Bright Brewery in their activities but also help us promote a balanced lifestyle.