Jayne Lewis and Danielle Allen

On the back of last month’s success at the 2016 Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA), which saw the brand take out ‘Champion Medium Australian Brewery’, Two Birds Brewing will celebrate five years as Australia’s first female owned and operated brewing company on June 13 sharing the occasion with beer lovers around the country.

As part of the birthday festivities, Two Birds Brewing will offer its Golden Ale and Sunset Ale flagship brews for just $5 per schooner* for the duration of its birthday week (Monday 13 June – Sunday, 19 June) at selected venues across Australia.

“We wanted to mark the occasion by giving something back to the people that have supported us over the past five years”, says one half of the Two Birds Brewing duo, Danielle Allen.

PX Belgian Dubbel

To further mark the occasion, co-owners Jayne Lewis and Danielle Allen have brewed two very individual ‘Birthday Beers’ – PX Belgian Dubbel and a G&T IPA – each inspired by their individual tastes – which will be tapped nationally at the Two Birds Brewery and Tasting Room – ‘The Nest’ in Spotswood, Victoria and partner venues on Thursday 16th June (until sold out).

Danielle’s PX Belgian Dubbel is inspired by Pedro Ximenez, an intensely sweet, dark, dessert sherry, described as “Raisin Port”. It was fermented with three specially selected Belgian yeast strains and Danielle added raisins, muscatels, cinnamon quills, ground cloves and toasted French oak.

Jayne’s G&T IPA reflects many of the flavours of the ultimate palate refresher and her favourite tipple, Gin & Tonic. Jayne added gin botanicals of juniper berries, pepperberries, angelica root and coriander seed and for the tonic, cinchona bark, allspice and grapefruit peel.

G&T IPA

Jayne and Danielle grew up and met in Perth over 15 years ago, when after a two-week tour of the West Coast of the United States in 2010, they embarked on their dream to own and run their own brewing company, which is now based at The Nest in Spotswood, Victoria.  

When reflecting on the last five years, the Two Birds Brewing’s dynamic duo admit they still have moments where they have to pinch themselves.

“When we first started out contract brewing in 2011, we had a five year plan to be operating our own brewery. We were able to open the doors to ‘The Nest’ – our Brewery and Tasting Room in Spotswood, Melbourne in June 2014, after 3 years. The way our beers have been embraced by beer drinkers has been very encouraging and makes all the hard work worthwhile,” said Danielle.

Since launching five years ago, Two Birds Brewing business sales have grown at 30 percent each year. The Birds now brew over 700,000 litres of beer a year, the regular line-up being Sunset Ale, Golden Ale, Mexican inspired Taco and Bantam Session India Pale Ale.

“While overall beer consumption is in decline, it’s fantastic to see craft beer kicking the trend and to see growth in the volume of craft beer. It’s an exciting time to be involved in the craft beer industry, as beer lover’s shift towards craft beers produced by smaller players”, comments Two Birds brewer, Jayne Lewis.

Last year saw Two Birds Brewing’s Sunset Ale win Best Beer at the Weatherspoon’s Real Ale Festival. That’s best beer at an international festival, beating 49 entrants from around the world, including the UK, America, Canada, The Netherlands, New Zealand and Guam.

In May, the female duo took home a swag of awards at the 2016 Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA) including Champion trophy for Medium Australian Brewery, Best Amber/Dark Ale for Two Birds Sunset Ale, a Gold medal for Two Birds Golden Ale and Taco and a Silver and Bronze for specialty beers, Two Birds Hop Harvest and Two Birds Hopburn Springs ESB.

Jayne and Danielle’s $5 birthday schooners will be available from Monday, 13 June – Sunday, 19 June in the following venues around Australia.

These venues will be tapping the Birthday beers from Thursday 16th June. 

VICTORIA
The Nest – Two Birds Brewery and Tasting Room, Spotswood
The Valley Cellar Door, Moonee Ponds
Stray Neighbour, Preston
Junction Hotel, Newport
Freddie Wimpoles, St Kilda
Park Hotel, Werribee
Beer DeLuxe, Hawthorn
Cookie Beer Hall, Melbourne CBD
Terminus Hotel, Fitzroy
North Cambrian Hotel, North Bendigo

WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Clancy’s Fish Pub, Applecross

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
The Franklin Hotel, Adelaide CBD

TASMANIA
St John Craft Beer Bar, Launceston
The Winston, Hobart

QUEENSLAND
Spotted Cow Hotel, Toowoomba
Flux Restaurant Lounge, Noosaville
Lester and Earl, Palm Beach
Death Valley Bar, Morningside
Woolly Mammoth Alehouse, Fortitude Valley

NEW SOUTH WALES
Hotel Sweeney’s, Sydney CBD
Royal Albert Hotel, Surry Hills
The Welcome Hotel, Rozelle
The Public, Cammeray
The Grain Store Craft Beer Cafe, Newcastle East

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Grease Monkey, Braddon