The face behind the barrel
Behind the barrel, there is a face – and his name is Jarryd. He is the one making these fantastic tours happen. Behind the Barrel takes you behind the scenes of some of the best Northern Rivers craft breweries and distilleries. You’ll get to meet the local artisan brewers and distillers and learn about the delicate processes they use to bring you their high-quality spirits that you know and love. But it’s about more than just the beer and spirits. It’s about showcasing the beautiful and unique area that we live in. Get to know Jarryd a bit more below as I ask him a few questions about life, work and of course, beer.
Jarryd
Tell everyone a bit about yourself…
I was born and grew up in Sydney, I only moved up here 2 years ago and currently living in Lennox. Having worked in the tourism industry for the last 6 years, including doing tours in central Australia and then tours up the east coast, it quickly became one of my passions. After moving to the Northern Rivers, I fell in love with craft beer and it too became a passion of mine.
How did Behind the Barrel start?
Combining my two passions of tour guiding and craft beer, I saw the market for it as there were more and more craft breweries popping up. With Byron being such a great tourist location as well as having such a booming craft beer scene, I needed to show people what the area had to offer.
The most rewarding aspect of your work?
The most rewarding part is simple. Happy customers. At the end of the day, the best bit is them saying ‘that was amazing, I had a great day’. After hearing that you then know that your product is good and people genuinely enjoy it.
What are your plans for the future of the business?
We are currently running tours five days per week but come October we are increasing to 6. I definitely want to transition into a 7 day a week business.
Having just released a cocktail masterclass tour, we are just trying to really focus on the local area. However, we are potentially looking to expand tours to the craft breweries on the Gold Coast.
Favourite spot in the Northern Rivers?
Lennox Head. It’s where I currently live and I just love the community. It’s a really local community and everyone is so friendly.
Favourite beer?
If you had to describe your personality with a cocktail, what would it be?
Dirty Martini. It just encapsulates my personality.
Related Tags: Bucks Party Byron Bay, Byron Bay Tours
Some happy faces on tour