Media Release

The Mash Collective’s Bubbling Away

Stone & Wood has opened their brewery door to a new collective of creatives, bringing them in a couple of weeks back to brew the fourth Mash Collective.

First there was Amasia, a strong dark wheat beer brewed with molasses and a splash of rum, then out of its golden hopped cocoon came Aureus Crysalis, inspired by the bold ales of Belgium and Scotland and then at the end of last year came the lager hybrid The Old Persuader.

So, that brings us to the fourth. With our Murwillumbah brewery up and running, we’ve finally been able to find the tank space and have some fun brewing with three cool guys…

Musician – The guitarist and songwriter for one of Australia’s most iconic rock bands Powderfinger, Darren Middleton wouldn’t be lying when he admits he has spent his fair share of time in bars over the years. Currently on tour with Busby Marou and having released his first solo album at the end of last year, he managed to mash in some beer drinking and brewing alongside his touring schedule to be able to have a crack at crafting a brew.

Designer – Damian Kelly has worked on some of our industry’s biggest rebrands. A creative gun with a passion for design and branding, he’s also a beer aficionado and does a bit of home brewing on the side. He couldn’t pass up the chance to upscale slightly from his kit at home in the Dandenong mountains and talk shop with Brad, Brian and the brewers.

Chef – Growing up in Nambucca Heads on the Mid North Coast, Clayton Donovan learnt about bush foods by going on walks with this aunty and grandma. As an Indigenous Chef, Clayton is passionate about introducing native flavours to Australian cuisine and promoting locally sourced food. With the way he infuses flavours, we’re excited to see how this will translate in the beer.

The “brew storming” earlier in the month was a very serious affair, with us sitting down around a table and over the course of the afternoon trying an enviable selection of styles that showcased the spectrum of beer styles available to play with.

The guys went back and forth filtering what they liked from what they didn’t in each beer and by the time they returned to brew, they had a base beer in mind to fine tune with our brewer Brian over the next two days.

Just as they have to wait while the beer does its thing in the tanks, you’ll have to hold tight for the name and some hints on the beer. If Clayton has anything to do it, there’ll definitely be something local thrown in.

Haven’t heard of The Mash Collective? Here’s the run down…

Artists, chefs, photographers, architects, skaters, furniture makers, writers and musicians. These are just some of the people who inspire us every day, so a couple of years back we thought why not get some of them together and see what sort of beer they’d create?

We call this creative crew The Mash Collective.

From selecting a style, to formulating a recipe, to designing the label and of course coming together on the brew day, the collective of individuals are behind the beer’s inception. So each brew from The Mash Collective is pretty special. Not just the beer, but more importantly the who, the why and the how that goes into it.

For more information visit the Stone & Wood website.