Damien Martin, Head Brewer of Dangerous Ales gives us some insight below:
You are a young brewery and have already been through the horrible bushfires that affected your region, and now Covid-19 – all while starting a small business – how are things going and what have you all taken from the events over the last few months?
Damien: It’s been interesting to say the least, we have had to adapt and change our business model on the fly. We have gone from doing nothing but draught sales to only doing take away can sales and growler fills. At the same time, looking at the positive it has gotten us into a whole new market we didn’t think we were going to explore so soon.
What is your brewing style/philosophy and what can people look forward to drinking when they visit the brewery?
DM: We brew everything from light lager to double dry hopped IPA’s and oak fermented saison. Brewing beer for us we have tried not to stick to a specific style we just try to brew consistently good beer, we hope that’s our style!
If you come and visit our brewery we have beer in the brewery that won’t be available in stores, like our brett pale ale as we don’t have a dedicated packaging line for mixed cultured beers at the moment.
If you could brew a beer with no regards to cost, production or sales, what would it be and why?
DM: I would love to do more oak aged beer, get some foeders (ed: a large barrel, roughly 3 times the size of the average oak barrel) and look at more large scale oak storage for mixed cultured beers.
What is the first thing you will be doing when covid-19 restrictions are lifted?
DM: Looking forward to getting back in the surf and catching up with mates over a few tins.
And a little snapshot on Dangerous Ales' passion & direction..
Our oak ageing program started from a passion about where beer originated from and grew into being able to build complex flavours that aren’t possible in a month turnaround in stainless steel. We have also started a series to bring out a fresh IPA every month to keep those squeaky wheels happy.
As we are such a small brewery it is easier to swing and change our target (not having hop contracts) It also gives us a chance to experiment and always be making new beer. To me it seems that is what the market wants, to keep trying new beers so we are happy to have a go.
Eden Brewery
1/19 Cavendish St, Mittagong NSW 2575
Evan spent an intriguing morning at the brewery with Owner and Head Brewer Jacob Newman.
Evan: You have committed to donating 10% of your profits to Oxfam as a means of providing clean drinking water to those in need and use 100% green renewable energy in your brewery, what fabulous initiatives – where did the want to do this come from?
Jacob: My wife Deb and I used to be involved in volunteer medical work in Papua New Guinea and have seen first hand the harsh reality of extreme poverty and how life changing clean drinking water is for a community. That is definitely a motivation for us in why we do what we do. We also recognise that our craft is closely tied to farmers and the environment and being a responsible brewer means being a responsible steward. We're also using the most sustainable grain made in the world, thanks to our friends at Voyager.
What is your brewing style/philosophy and what can people look forward to drinking when they visit the brewery?
Jacob: We're definitely a grain forward brewery, that's what brings me to the table as a brewer. I also have next to no interest in brewing beers that are readily available - why go through the trouble of making a beer you can just go to the store and buy. At Eden you'll find a wide variety of hard to find beer styles that is always changing.
If you could brew a beer with no regards to cost, production or sales, what would it be and why?
Jacob: I would love to brew a barrel aged Doppel Weizenbock. I think that's the pinnacle of my favourite beer styles at their finest.
What is the first thing you will be doing when covid-19 restrictions are lifted (doesn’t have to be brewery related)?
Jacob: Have a bunch of people over for a Texas style brisket cook out.
And we had to include some info on the most interesting beer style we have come across - we have tried to get this in as many of the packs as possible as Eden Brewery are one of only 3 breweries in the world doing this style!
Phoenix D Kottbusser ABV: 5% | IBU: 23
This beer is the merging of two incredible stories. In Kottbusse, Germany, the brewers had a long tradition of making beer with honey, oats, molasses, wheat, barley and hops. Many of these ingredients were made illegal by the Bavarian government with the legislation of the Reinheitsgebot purity law of 1516. This style was forgotten to time until a hand full of beer archaeologists resurrected it. It is still one of the rarest beer styles in the world, with very few commercial examples. The origin of it’s name (Phoenix D) may not at first appear to be a tree, but the Judean Date Palm (Phoenix Dactylifera) is the oldest resurrected seed in history. In 2005 a 2000 year old seed, from the tomb of Herod the great, was planted and sprouted! It is still today the only living example of the Judean Date Palm Tree.
Best enjoyed… with a schnitzel, bratwurst or pretzels! It’s also a great introduction to craft beer.
Illawarra Brewing Co.
4/83-85 Montague Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
A quick chat with Dave McGrath, Founder & Head Honcho of Illawarra Brewing Co..
You have been around for a few years now, having started in 2011, how are you and the region as a whole down here coping in the current conditions?
Dave: We all have had to make adjustment to our business models, for us it has really forced us to package all of our beer which was on the cards this year, so it has fast-tracked it. We are doing well meeting heaps of new faces at the Brewhouse roller door. Cannot wait till they can all come inside…
What is your brewing style/philosophy and what can people look forward to drinking when they visit the brewery?
Dave: We are focused on making great well-balanced beers, with a wide variety of styles we are confident all tastebuds can be catered for.
If you could brew a beer with no regards to cost, production or sales, what would it be and why?
Dave: We are about to attempt a IIIPA we have come very close a few times. People really appreciate this style, but it comes with a warning that it is definitely a party starter.
What is the first thing you will be doing when covid-19 restrictions are lifted?
Dave: Disappear from the Brewhouse with my kids and do some exploring of this great country we live in.
Jervis Bay Brewing Co.
3 Duranbah Drive, Huskisson NSW 2540
5 Barrel Brewing
318 Keira Street Wollongong, NSW 2500
We have a video interview with Head Brewer Phil about to launch - watch our socials as it will be landing there soon!
Stoic Brewing
6/45 Rowlins Road, Gerringong NSW 2534
Andrew, Head Brewer at Stoic Brewing fills us in...
The Stoics pursued the good life. Being ancient Greek philosophers, they brewed up a few theories on how to be truly satisfied. One idea was that happiness is found in embracing the moment, no matter how great or gloomy – an eerily relevant excerpt from your philosophy - how is everyone involved with the business going at the moment?
Andrew: It was a bit of a struggle the week they shut down our taproom, now things are better as we get use to the new normal. We had to go into survival mode, reduce costs as quick as we can and then focus on selling our goods just from the brewery.
What is your brewing style/philosophy and what can people look forward to drinking when they visit the brewery?
Andrew: We try to make really solid beers, not overly out there yet as our local market is still learning the ropes with craft beer. So full of flavour ales!
If you could brew a beer with no regards to cost, production or sales, what would it be and why?
Andrew: Some stupidly alcoholic barrel aged and overly complex beer. Flirting with being a spirit. Why, its not quantity that matters is quality.
What is the first thing you will be doing when covid-19 restrictions are lifted?
Andrew: Going to the pub / any venue that serves good beer.