Interview by Claire MacDonald
For those that haven’t heard of Gayle before, tell us about how you were founded and why?
Virginia Buckworth is the founder of Gayle, the first independently owned LGBTQ beer and cider company in the world. Virginia started the company in her home country of Australia in August 2017 after the nation legalised gay marriage and was brimming with proud anticipation – a moment that Buckworth referred to as the perfect time for us all to raise a glass and celebrate the unity and the LGBTQ community with friends and family.
What made you go with a Golden Ale as the first beer you released?
As Gayle (Gay Ale) was founded in Australia, ale is a “go to beer” for most Australians. Our recipe includes Galaxy and Vic Secret hops which have a passionfruit flavour on the first mouthful before settling down to what the Aussies call a “sessionable beer.”
Due to the success of the Golden Ale in Australia, we decided to launch the beer with the same Australian recipe but brewed here in the UK. We wanted the community in the UK to taste the fabulous flavour of the true Aussie ale flavour.
Tell us about the Gayle ethos…
Gayle is more than an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. Gayle’s message reaches far beyond race, sexuality, or gender. It’s about embracing diversity within our own community and accepting everyone’s right to express their freedoms. It’s of unity, of family, and friends. Our story is a celebration of being human
Gayle is a cheers to our past and our future. Raising a glass to celebrate love without restrictions. Our unique brew is a nod to our community’s sense of pride and a cause to acceptance as we stand together and embrace diversity, equality and self- expression. At the very heart of Gayle is a call to action, to love one another and to celebrate the power and beauty of diversity.
What is the best way to serve Gayle? Any food pairings you love with it?
The best way to serve Gayle Golden Ale is ice cold, in your favourite glass, with the people you love. The Aussies would reach for a meat pie, but I would say beer and cheese – yes please! Salty, savoury snacking partners works well with a Golden Ale. Sausage roll, packet of pork scratchings or salted peanuts or, if you want to raise the stakes, then some pulled pork with crackling or some Mexican chicharrones. But if you want something sweet then opt for a handful of skittles to bring out the fruity passion fruit notes.
Get some Gayle here!
Finally, do you have any exciting plans for the rest of the year that you want to share with the Flavourly audience?
We are an LGBTQ+ company that celebrates the culture 365 days of the year, not just for Pride month in June, so we had a lot of things planned this year. Covid-19 put a stop to those plans unfortunately but hasn’t stopped us.
We’re planning a few new beer releases this year to sit alongside our Golden Ale. Our UK launch was in September 2019 in London so we have a celebration of some kind in mind and we would love the Flavourly audience to join us. Straight, gay or bi, everyone is included as Gayle is for everyone.
We will let your audience know more details in due course but join us to have some fun whether that be in person or online. Please follow us at @gayle_europe