News
21 Nov 2023
Australian small brewery update, May 2011
Queensland
There are no new breweries to report in Queensland, but it is nevertheless noteworthy that the retail arrangements for the Sunshine Coast Brewery have recently changed. The brewery has operated from an industrial unit at Kunda Park since 1997, and for much of that time a bar and restaurant has functioned at the front of the brewery. In March, however, owners Greg and Brigid Curran opened a new retail outlet, The Brewery Bar and Restaurant, at a generally more convenient, central and salubrious location in nearby Maroochydore.
The Brewery Bar and Restaurant,
22 Ocean Street,
Maroochydore, Q, 4558
ph. 07. 5443 3884
New South Wales
Sydney’s James Squire Brewhouse, which opened at King Street Wharf on Darling Harbour in 2003, has severed its long relationship with the Malt Shovel Brewery and the James Squire name. Since early this year it has been known only as King Street Brewhouse. A new supply arrangement has been made with the Bluetongue Brewery, whose draught beers are now on sale, along with many others. When I visited in early April, the others included products of the Sydney-based Rocks Brewing Company and Five Islands Brewery at Wollongong. The in-house microbrewery, installed and run since late 2004 by the Malt Shovel people, was inoperative for a short time during the change of allegiance, but it is now back in action, although no longer with a Malt Shovel brewer at the controls.
King Street Brewhouse,
22 The Promenade,
King Street Wharf,
Sydney, NSW, 2000
ph. 02. 8270 7901
fax. 02. 8270 7900
Rocks Brewing Company also have their own retail outlet, Hart’s Pub, over the hill from Darling Harbour, in Essex Street, where their full range of beers is available. These continue to be brewed at the Hunter Beer Company’s brewery at Nulkaba near Cessnock. Rocks Brewing has stated from the outset that it intends to establish its own brewery in Sydney somewhere, sometime.
Another beer venue in the Darling Harbour precinct that is well worth a visit is the Pumphouse Tavern, at the southern end of the bay. A couple of decades ago, this historic building was the site of a substantial brewery, turning out such beers as Brewer’s and Golden Wheat under the Tankstream name. The brewery is now just a memory, but the Pumphouse again has its own range of beers—made for it by Matt Donelan of the St Peters Brewery in the inner-city suburb of the same name.
ACT
The Wig and Pen Tavern and Brewery, a beer landmark in Canberra, has been put on the market by owner and founder Lachie McOmish. Beer enthusiasts will hope that Lachie finds a buyer who shares his passion for the beverage, and who will continue to operate his brewery, which has been in production for nearly seventeen years.
Victoria
In Victoria, all eyes are on the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick, where two new breweries are due to open this year. The first off the mark is Thunder Road Brewing, actually in Barkly Street, which commenced brewing in mid-March. Prior to this, the Thunder Road brewers turned out some prototype brews using the equipment at Ballarat University. Their brewery at Brunswick is still a work in progress, but it should be open for beer sales in May, with food service starting later in the year.
Thunder Road Brewing Company,
130 Barkly Street,
Brunswick, V, 3056
theperfectbeer@thunderroadbrewing.com
The other new establishment at Brunswick is Temple Brewing, presently being fitted out in Weston Street, only a couple of blocks away from Barkly Street, with the expectation that brewing will start in July or August.
In contrast to the extended publicity and speculation surrounding the two new breweries at Brunswick, two others have flown in quietly under the radar in recent months. One of these is Cavalier Brewing, of which few had even heard prior to its successful appearance at the Federation Square Microbreweries Showcase in March. Cavalier, which is run by two blokes in a shed at Pascoe Vale, took out the award for Best Wheat Beer at the Showcase.
Cavalier Brewing
ph. 0412 338322
edward@cavalierbeer.com.au
www.cavalierbeer.com.au
The other surprise new arrival is Moon Dog Brewing at Abbotsford, run by three lads (including two brothers) from an industrial unit literally in the shadow of the CUB Abbotsford megabrewery. How’s that for cheeky? Also practical, as in such a position they could hardly have been refused council approval for their comparatively minuscule operation. These blokes have started trial brewing, and hope to have beer on sale late June. Expect some challenging beers; full bodied, and with atypical ingredients.
Moon Dog Brewing
South Australia
Barossa Valley Brewing has relocated its operation from the Chateau Yaldara winery at Lyndoch, where it began in 2005, to more public premises at Tanunda. The official opening of the brewery at its new site occurred in February. A bar and restaurant now operate in association with the brewery, and currently there are four beers on tap (Bee Sting, BV Organic Ale, ESB and Blonde), with a stout under development.
Barossa Valley Brewing,
2A Murray Street,
Heinemann Park,
Tanunda, SA, 5352
ph. 08. 8563 0997
Western Australia
The little Beaten Track Brewery at Boulder has suffered a significant setback with the removal of its products from sale at the Kalgoorlie Golf Club, its only public retail outlet. When the club took on the locally-produced beers, it somehow overlooked the fact that it already had an exclusive beer deal with Carlton and United Breweries. CUB recently reminded the club of this arrangement, and the Beaten Track beers and signage were hastily removed.
Beaten Track Brewery,
25A Dwyer Street,
Boulder, WA, 6432
ph. 0429 205516
[adrotate group=”1″]
