Spinifex Brewing Co’s range of infused beers using native ingredients will soon be available for travellers heading to Rottnest Island and cruising the Swan River, with SeaLink Travel Group’s Captain Cook Cruises division becoming the Aboriginal-owned brewery’s first stockist.
Spinifex director of sales Adam Barnard said SeaLink’s Captain Cook fleet would stock the full range of the brewery’s beers, which are infused with native ingredients including lemon myrtle, wattle seeds, bush honey and Geraldton wax.
Mr Barnard said Spinifex’s lemon myrtle ginger beer would also be launched on a Captain Cook vessel at a tourism industry function later this month.
“What we are finding is that people are really buying into the story of Spinifex. When I have my meetings people are shocked to hear that 89 per cent of the Australian beer industry is foreign owned,” Mr Barnard told Business News.
“We are really starting to see an accord between the Australian-owned aspect of this beer and the fact that we are encouraging Aboriginal business and the Aboriginal supply chain that comes with that business.”
SeaLink Rottnest Island general manager Andrew Lane said the company was honoured to support Spinifex’s strategy to create indigenous employment opportunities and an Aboriginal-owned supply chain.
“Here at SeaLink we’re a big believer in local WA businesses, especially those that support and advocate for more Aboriginal businesses in the supply chain.
“The Spinifex beers will be proudly sold not only on our direct ferry service to Rottnest Island from Perth and Fremantle, but also on our Swan River Cruising products under our Captain Cook Cruises business.”
Meanwhile, Spinifex is also ramping up distribution of its F88 Lager, which the brewery is using as a vehicle to support veterans-related charity groups.
Mr Barnard said F88 Lager would soon be stocked in a range of Australian Defence Force barracks across the east coast, as well as a significant number of RSLs.
By Dan Wilkie
