WE JUST LOVE BEER
DAVE WILLIAMSON
Dave has been passionate about beer for a long time. His first brew was over 30 years ago, but it wasn’t until the 20-teens, as his electronics business wound down, that he had time to get serious. He turned the back room of his house into a micro brewery with his first pro setup that turned out some respectable brews, making him everyone’s favourite neighbour until he graduated to the 500 litre system at Gales in 2022.
When he’s not behind the bar at Gales you might spot Dave at someone else’s brewery, from Brunswick to Busselton, making friends and building on his already considerable beer knowledge.
As an engineer, Dave knows all about precision. When it comes to processes and procedures, it’s everything by the book, measured and calculated. Nothing left to chance. And nobody understands their system like Dave does – he built the entire system himself, using quality componentry plus a few clever devices he designed himself. He’s good at what he does, and loves to talk beer. You’ll find him behind the bar most shifts.
"I’ve come a long way since we filled a rubbish bin, put a blanket over it and a light globe underneath and hoped for the best."
– Brewer Dave
TOM CRESWELL
Tom remembers the first beer that ignited his passion for quality craft brews. It was a rather hazy NEIPA, juicy and tropical, which inspired him to ask his boss at the restaurant for permission to use the kitchen after hours to experiment on a 20 litre system. After finishing a 10 hour shift he’d brew for another 6, a gruelling routine he kept up for 2 years.
Tom’s training as a chef – a profession he left to come to Gales – was a great foundation for building his skills as a brewer. With ambitions to become a qualified Cicerone, Tom is currently studying the art, and listens to beer podcasts around 3 hours a day to advance his knowledge.
You might find an interesting mead at Gales, and that’s likely to be Tom’s work. He won first prize at a brewing comp with his first raspberry and mulberry number, and is always musing over ideas for something unique. Tom is also very interested in how hops inform the brew, and is currently growing his own. You might even find some in the side garden at Gales.
"Compared to food, beer is complex. With up to 2000 chemical reactions happening at once, it's a lot to manage, and the permutations are endless. I never know for sure what's going to happen and I love that."
– Brewer Tom