The newest James Squire Brewhouse opens this week

The Squire’s Landing opens in Sydney today, bringing to seven the network of James Squire Brewhouses operated by various hospitality companies in partnership with Lion Beer Australia.

The latest addition is located at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay, offering expansive views of Sydney’s most famous landmarks and glazed windows displaying an on-site microbrewery as its centrepiece.

The development faced considerable opposition from stakeholders including the City of Sydney, but Lion head of craft Gordon Treanor said these hurdles had been overcome amicably.

“It’s been a long time in the making, over three years, so ever since I’ve been in this role we’ve been working on it,” he told Brews News.

“With these initiatives theres’s always challenging approvals and steps to go through and we’ve navigated our way through those with the Mantle Group.

“We had a number of different stakeholders that we needed to work with, but I think everyone’s really happy with the outcome.”

Treanor said The Squire’s Landing will play an important role in the rejuvenation of Circular Quay and The Rocks.

“Not only will there be what I would claim to be the world’s best microbrewery location, you’ve got a whole lot of additional development going on around it along the foreshore,” he said.

“So it’s going to be a real hub and a real destination for people to visit, starting this weekend for Vivid Festival.”

Head brewer Peter Merrington alongside the freestanding brewery

Head brewer’s dream job
Peter Merrington, formerly of Malt Shovel Brewery in Sydney, has become head brewer of The Squire’s Landing. He will be permanently based on-site brewing exclusive small-batch beers for the venue.

“As he’s mashing in and working through his daily brew, he’ll be facing the Opera House and as he turns to go down the steps he’ll be getting a nice view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge,” Treanor said.

“So it is basically the best job in the company I reckon, if not the country.”

The Squire’s Landing exclusives will pour alongside James Squire’s nine core range beers and ciders, and limited releases including The Wreck ‘Preservation Ale’.

The recently released beer was crafted using 220-year old yeast discovered in the depths of Australia’s oldest merchant shipwreck, Sydney Cove, which ran aground in the icy waters surrounding Tasmania’s Preservation Island in 1797.

Treanor said it is fitting that The Squire’s Landing is located so close to where the brand’s namesake brewer James Squire would have first landed in Australia on the First Fleet.

Featuring multiple external decks and terraces, the two-storey restaurant will feature a menu of modern Australian pub food designed by head chef Angus Harrison in collaboration with Mantle Group’s executive chef, Deniz Coskun.

The Squire’s Landing will be open initially for lunch and dinner with breakfast soon to follow.