Beer brand Curly Lewis is set to open its brewery, bar and diner in Bondi this weekend.

Founded by Adam Richards, Oliver dos Remedios, Gareth Morton, Loren Morton, and experienced brewer Scotty Morgan, former brewer of Rocks Brewing Co. It claims to be the first brewery in Bondi, as although there are other beer brands with claim to the name such as Bondi Brewing Co., it is the first to have its own tanks in the sought-after suburb.

“We felt there was a gap in the market for beer-lovers in the eastern suburbs,” Curly Lewis co-founder and head of brand Oli dos Remedios said in a media release.

“You have to go to the inner west or northern beaches for a brewery experience.

“So we wanted to change that and create a local brand and brewery in a location that has a lot of significance to us as founders.”

That significance can be attributed to the founders’ family history rooted in Bondi, according to siblings Adam Richards and Loren Morton.

“We’ve been coasting around Bondi most of our lives,” Adam Richards explained.

“We grew up surfing here as kids and have always had a special connection with this place [Bondi].”

“Our family line goes back four generations in Bondi – you’ll find a few photos by the bar of our grandparents from the early ’40s as part of the Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club.

“Our grandparents have played a special role in our lives, so we felt it was only natural to have a spot for them in the brewery.”

Development journey

As the brewery is the first of its kind in Bondi, the journey to opening faced a few challenges, especially when it came to finding the right venue and working with local council.

Curly Lewis co-founder and head of operations & finance Adam Richards told Brews News how challenging it was to get started.

“It was extremely difficult,” he explained.

“We [had] a good couple of years looking for the right site and even got through to DA stage on a previous site in Bondi.”

Once the business settled on its venue on Campbell Parade, challenges with council were tough but expected.

“I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t a walk in the park but most of it was expected as we are not only selling beer – we are making it under a residential block on the main strip of Bondi,” Richards said.

“Advice for other brewers… get a good town planner.”

Designed by architectural firm ACME, designers of Fred’s, Margaret’s and Archie Rose Distilling Co, the venue itself features a brewery, bar and diner with a capacity to fit 120 patrons.

The 10hL brewkit was supplied by Brewtique via its Chinese manufacturer NDL and features 10 1000 litre fermenters and two brites.

Led by head brewer Scotty Morgan, the brewery will produce its two core beers, Curly Lewis Clean Cut Lager and Bondi Hazy Ale, which will also be found in other bars and stores in Bondi.

“The brewery has a steam heated mash tun and kettle – this so we can step-mash the lagers,” Morgan told Brews News.

“This means we can raise the temperature of the mash, using steam, when making the wort (brewers sugars). This is in line with lager production techniques.

“We will keg out via a Premier Stainless keg machine and can specialty batches via an American Canning unit.”

Meanwhile, along with its core beers, the venue’s 20 taps will feature rotating seasonal beers including a Gose, Red IPA and Coffee Stout.

Curly Lewis is set to open this Friday, 19th August at 102-106 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach NSW and will be open from 11am – 11pm on Tuesdays to Saturdays and 11am – 10pm on Sundays.