In the discussion surrounding this week’s furore about labelling, many people have tried to drag the debate to the ‘evils’ of contract brewing.

We have previously discussed contract brewing extensively. Contract brewers come in all shapes and sizes, colours and shades.

Some contract brewers are ‘gypsy brewers’ who actually do the brewing, but move from brewery to brewery borrowing spare capacity without owning the stainless steel; others are well established breweries such as Mountain Goat who have a brewery but utilise a bigger brewery to brew some of their beers and allow them to grow without the business risk of installing a much bigger brewery. Some use the contracted brewery rather than go to the expense of installing a bottling line before their business is ready, but brew draught beer in their own brewery.

Some contract brewers are brewers, or even business people, with passion but without a brewery, who hope to establish and build a brand with the hope of one day owning their own bricks,mortarand mash tun.

Some are even business people with little interest in beer but just think contract brewing is a lurk and a path to riches in a beer-loving country like Australia.

There are many more shades in between.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t really care what sort of contract brewer they are, just so long as they are up front about it.

That way me and every other beer drinker can decide whether it matters to them or not. Let us choose. If it’s open and out there, the market will decide between the good and the bad, the big and the small, the passionate and the dodgy.

Why do I like contract brewing? Because contract – or Gypsy brewing – is a route that throws up breweries like La Sirene, lets them get started, build a brand and – one day – you get a media release like this one…[MK]

Media Release

The Gypsies put down roots..

Happy New Year to everyone from La Sirène Brewing! We trust you all had a revitalising break, and are ready to further cement Australia’s reputation for quality craft brewing in 2013.

After an enjoyable and successful first year in the business, La Sirène are now foregoing the gypsy brewing lifestyle. Over the coming months, we will be establishing our own brewery in Melbourne’s inner North.

This will allow us to produce more beer & more kinds of beer! We’re very excited, and cannot wait to be finished. However, these things take time, and we estimate that the first bottles will leave the new brewery around the middle of the year.

We appreciate your patience, and look forward to restocking your shelves with delicious Belgian and French style ales in the near future.

All the best,
Costa and James
La Sirene Brewing
‘’French & Belgian’’