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Photo credit: Nellie Harris

Love Shack Brewing Company to open at the Theatre Royal, Castlemaine.

Love Shack Brewing Company is set to launch on New Year’s Eve 2020 in Castlemaine, Victoria with a massive party featuring Melbourne band The Murlocs.

Brewers Conna Mallett and Harrison Cox met over a beer four years ago while working at Stomping Ground Brewery in Collingwood and have been good mates ever since. Mallett went on to be the Lead Brewer at Stomping Grounds new brew pub at Melbourne Airport which was temporarily closed in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cox had also moved on to Mornington Peninsula Brewery and then to Hop Nation Brewing Co in Footscray.

Making the best of a bad situation the duo decided to take the time and start their own brewery.

“When life gives you lemons, you make beer,” says Mallett. “I have always loved Castlemine and when my family and I moved here, we saw so much potential in the town for a business like this, we just had to find the right site for it”.

“The best thing about the venue is that we will get heaps of different people though the doors, sampling our beers and giving us direct feedback,” says Mallett. “We both plan to work the bar so that we can have a chat with punters and educate them about the brewing process and our beers”.

Mallett and Cox have big plans for the brewery and are already looking for a larger facility in the area to brew bulk beer while retaining the original site as their test brewhouse and bar. “We hope to launch our pack range by mid 2021,” says Mallett.

Love Shack will launch with a core range of Lager, Pale Ale and IPA as well as a summer Passionfruit and Pineapple Sour. “We are installing a hand pump at the bar so will be experimenting with some English style Ales when winter comes around and will release seasonal beers throughout the year,” says Mallett.

Love Shack Brewing Company officially opens its doors on December 31st 2020 with a huge NYE party with Melbourne band The Murlocs launching brewery into the new year. The party will continue into the weekend with Mr Fritto’s Food Truck serving food in the beer garden.

Love Shack Brewing Company opens from 1.30pm 31st December 2020 and is located at the rear of the Theatre Royal, 30 Hargraves St, Castlemaine VIC. Summer opening hours are Friday, Saturday & Sunday 12pm till late.

Mallett had been looking at different sites in Castlemaine when he bumped into Tim Heath, one of the owners of heritage listed Theatre Royal. “I told Tim what I was doing and he said they had an old shed out the back of the Theatre, why don’t we do it there,” says Mallett. “Just like that Love Shack Brewing Company was born”.

“That’s the great thing about Castlemaine, the locals have been so supportive and keen to help out,” says Mallett.

More than just an ‘old shed’, Love Shack is now home to a 6HL (six hectolitre) brewhouse and three 12HL fermentation tanks. There will also be a dedicated bar which will directly service the 300 capacity beer garden at the rear of the Theatre Royal. With further taps in the band room and main bar, punters can enjoy Love Shack brews in all areas of the venue.

Brewery openings are presented by Spark Breweries and Distilleries, the finest in-venue and production brewing systems available, with local design and support.