Brewery Radar • September 2023

Brewery Radar serves the brewing industry by keeping it up to date with the progress of planned breweries, expansions, and tap rooms in Australia. We aim to track where they are in their development process from concept to opening.

Queensland has dominated the activity over the last month. We have updates from 19 breweries or brands with:

  • 3 brewery openings;
  • 2 soft brewery openings;
  • 1 completed expansion;
  • 2 closures; and
  • another 11 in various stages of planning and development.

Keep us updated on your brewery in planning or brewery upgrade plans so we can include you in Brewery Radar at radar@brewsnews.com.au

QLD

After opening in May 2022, Burleigh Barrels Brewery shared in late August via Facebook that “due to circumstances beyond [its] control” it has had to “cease trading and shut [its] doors.” The Burleigh Barrels team vowed to keep their supporters updated as they know more.

Copperlode Brewing Co opened in Cairns at the end of August. It aims to brew with locally sourced ingredients and create beers inspired by its tropical Far North Queensland home.

Wild Barrel Sunshine Coast had a soft launch event in late August, introducing its first limited release to locals and close supporters. The brewery produces barrel aged beer using local, organic ingredients, drawing inspiration from the wine-making process.

Big Rocks Brewery’s brewing equipment has started to arrive at its site in Rockhampton. The brewery has previously said that it expects to open in November 2023.

Currumbin Valley Brewing in Currumbin Waters opened on September 16. The venue includes a taproom, kitchen and brewery.

Hodfellow’s Brewing Co. is now open on Fridays, the first step in its soft opening schedule. In a Facebook update, the owners said that they are “still work[ing] through the processes to get approvals for weekend trading” before they hold their official opening.

The Townsville Bulletin reported in early September that Ten Toes Brewery’s $2 million new venue in Buderim was two months away from opening. According to The Courier Mail, the brewery has secured a five-year lease on a former IGA supermarket site, with the option to purchase the premises. Its existing Alexandra Headland nano-brewery will continue to operate after the new venue opens. Director of Ten Toes, Rupert Hall, told The Courier Mail, “We’ve been on the hunt for a new premises for just over three years and I believe moving to The Hub is just [the] next step we needed to take to expand our production capacity.”

NSW

After long delays, Kiama Brewpub has finally had its development application approved, according to Region Illawarra. Co-owners Neil Menzies and Sam Haldane bought the property two and half years ago and will be proceeding with a brewpub rather than production brewery for zoning reasons. The premises will also feature a full restaurant, function space, beer garden, kids play area, and large bar with 20 different taps, including housemade beers, seltzers, South Coast brewery beers and soft drinks. “It’ll be a bit different to your typical local pub – we’re trying to make it a bit more of a community hub,” Haldane said. The brewery will be situated in a former Holden dealership at 35 Collins Street, Kiama.

Pioneer Brewing Co, a farm-based brewery in Central West NSW, announced in late August that it had officially closed and ceased trading.

Broken Bay Brewing Co. received council approval for its site around three weeks ago after announcing in July that it was expecting to open in Brookvale “this Summer.” However, the owners were given a list of 77 items they are required to address before they start construction, according to co-founder Andrew Forster’s Instagram video. In the video, he said that they have discovered it will cost about $46,000 to get the reports necessary to secure their construction certificate. He noted that this isn’t within their budget and they have been forced to rework their plans. 

Clarence Valley Council approved Grafton Brewery’s development application for a craft brewery, distillery and coffee roastery last month; however, the $1.7 million plans for the historic brewery could be in disarray because the council imposed more than 100 conditions, including operating hour limitations. Owner Rick Firth is seeking legal advice and may lodge an appeal via the Land and Environment Court. Firth told The Daily Telegraph that “what should have been a straightforward approval process has taken almost nine months, cost [him] hundreds-of-thousands of extra dollars, and imposes 101 conditions.”

VIC

After extensive delays, Smiley Brewing opened in the Melbourne suburb of Pakenham in late August.

St Andrews Beach Brewery’s second venue, situated within Melbourne Park’s conference and events venue, CENTREPIECE, is set to open in 2024. Construction is expected to start in February 2024 after the construction contract is awarded this November. Meanwhile, JLL Hotels & Hospitality has listed St Andrews Beach Brewery’s Mornington Peninsula venue and 92-acre site for sale. According to The Hotel Conversation, the freehold going concern of the brewery is being sold via Expressions of Interest, with submissions closing on October 11.

Fox Friday shared via its August brewery update video on Instagram that the front of house of its Richmond venue is taking shape. No opening date was provided. In late August the brewery announced it was acquiring Melbourne’s Carwyn Cellars.

Valhalla Brewing’s Brew Hall is “so close” to opening, with the brewery sharing via Instagram that it has “just got a bit of a planning speed hump to get over” before it welcomes patrons to its venue at Federal Mills in Geelong. 

WA

After closing in April to undergo a renovation and expansion, Wild Bull Brewery reopened on September 8. Changes include a new bar, playground and menu. 

Spinifex Brewery is expecting to open its Cable Beach venue in late November and is currently seeking hospitality staff.

SA

Kick Back Brewing Company, based in Aldinga, is set to open a sister venue called Drifters. The new restaurant and bar is located 13 kilometres away in Port Noarlunga and will offer the same range of beverages as Kick Back. 

Gawler River Brewing in the Gawler River region of South Australia has a shed and licence, with its brewing equipment due to arrive soon. 

Related Content

Back to Top