Bright Brewery Alpine XPL Review

Sam Richards — 9 May 2019
Crisp as a fresh apple, this Aussie-made, locally brewed beer is a great way to chill post-adventure.

Despite the posturing of certain athletic outdoorsy types, who doesn’t love a post-adventure beer? There’s nothing better than sitting around with your mates and winding down after some crazed outdoor antics you’ve recently shared. Endless discipline and denial takes away from the sort of good times that most likely drove you to the outdoors in the first place. 

We here at Outdoor definitely like to crack one open during these post-adventure debriefs. But then, the question remains, which beer exactly? Telling them apart can be a challenge. That’s where we step in, noblesse oblige. We recently tested out Bright Brewery’s Alpine XPL (Extra Pale Lager) and, even after the 1.2 standards wore off, we can heartily recommend it.

You can feel good about drinking this beer. It’s certified independent, meaning it isn’t owned and mass-brewed by some anonymous multinational company; it’s the product of a few hard workers based in Bright, a small town acting as a gateway to the High Country’s slopes. Buy here, and you get creativity and that good feeling that you are putting money into the right pockets.



Taking one of these ice-cold Alpines out of the esky, you’ll notice beer’s light golden hue, its cloudiness but freedom from sediment. Cracking it open and taking that first sip... crisp would have to be the best word, crisp as a freshly plucked apple. There’s definitely something a little floral going on here, some sort of locally sourced Tropicana, just enough to entice you while also allowing the beeriness, that pleasant bitter twang, to take hold at the right moment. Carbonation is mild; we aren’t talking about creaming soda. The lingering hoppy taste after that initial refreshment – it’s something to savour, in the same vein you’ll be savouring the day’s memories.  

$23.95 for six

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bright brewery alpine xpl beer product review test