FACT: Australian’s love their beer, but perhaps it’s time to try some new beers. Check out these 6 Australian breweries for some great new beer to add to your rotation.
We love our VB, XXXX, Tooheys and Cooper’s beers but sometimes you just have to go with something a little different. It’s almost Australian to back the little guy and go for the underdogs. That, and we all secretly dream that we can make our coin brewing our very own beer. Here’s some Australian breweries you may not have heard of before from around the country.
1. La Sirene, Victoria
Packaged in champagne bottles decorated with artwork just screams fancy in the beer world. If you’re looking for a beer that wouldn’t look out of place on the fanciest of dinner tables, this saison is for you. Brewed by Costa Nikias and James Brown, they’ve found a unique yeast strain from a small European village and imported it to Australia. They also had a Belgian stout called Praline which I tried and loved at the 2014 GABS festival in Melbourne.
2. Matso’s, Western Australia
Located in the tropical paradise otherwise known as Broome, this brewery with a view churns out some of the most creative beers around. There’s Mango Beer, Chilli Beer and Lychee Beer to name a couple of the more interesting ones. Owned by Martin & Kim Peirson-Jones, who own various accommodation properties throughout the Kimberley region.
3. Moo Brew, Tasmania
Another great beer in a fancy bottle, and this is very fancy beer from David Walsh, the art collector who founded MONA. It’s no surprise then that the bottles are a thing of beauty, featuring artwork by Australian artist John Kelly. I’m particularly fond of their Hefeweizen, a definite must try if you’re a fan of wheat beer.
4. Burleigh Brewing, Queensland
Brewmaster Brennan Fielding has been all over– Japan, Hawaii and all over the USA, all the while honing his brewing skills. Located at Burleigh Heads only a few clicks from Gold Coast’s beaches, Brennan and wife Peta runs a tight ship pumping out beer of the highest quality in the region. On a side note, one of their beers is named “My Wife’s Bitter”, still one of my favourite names for a beer.
5. McLaren Vale Beer Company
Yes, that McLaren Vale – a well known wine region, but in 2008 a couple of mates launched a brewing company with a single beer – VALE/ALE. Head brewer Jeff Wright has expanded the range to include a Lager, Dark Lager, and IPA – but where they really shine is their limited edition/seasonal releases.
6. 4 Pines, New South Wales
Starting out as a brewery/bar/restaurant in Manly, overlooking the ferry terminal. They’ve since opened up a big brewery in Brookvale. From four core beers, they’ve expanded to making an extra 15-20 seasonal and specialty batches every year. They’ve even dared to take their beer, where no beer has gone before with their 4 Pines “Vostok Space Beer” Stout, designed for consumption in space.