Crafty Robot Brewing serving family and pet-friendly fun

So you want to enjoy a beer but you have a pram, energetic toddler and even a dog in tow? A crafty trio has brewed up the perfect solution.

This trio love the science behind beer making which partly explains why they’ve named their city microbrewery and taproom Crafty Robot Brewing.

Damien Rowe – whose nickname is Robot – and wife Genevieve, opened the Grote St business with co-owner Tim Milotti last month.

Its house specialty craft brews include Ginger Hef, a wheat-based Hefeweizen style beer developed over three years, and the fruity beer, Peach and Raspberry Sour.

Ms Rowe said she and her business partners want Crafty Robot to add value to the local community; it is family and pet-friendly, thanks to its courtyard at the front and games such as a giant Connect 4 and a blackboard, which is inspiring “awesome artistry” by all ages.

Co-owners of Crafty Robot brewing Damien and Genevieve Rowe with Tim Milotti, beer tasting at the bar in their city micro brewery. Picture: Keryn Stevens

“Breweries lend themselves well to being community-based because they are more about quality than quantity in terms of drinking,” she said. “This is also great for families living in the city who have not had this kind of space in which to spend time together and with friends.”

Crafty Robot is also a melting pot for the trio’s former study and work lives.

For example, Mr Rowe studied the science of cell biology, which is particularly useful for beer making.

Mr Milotti, who worked with Mr Rowe when they were both production brewers at Mismatch Brewing, also had a background in industrial design.

“Because of that we were able to do our own fit-out,” said Ms Rowe, who has worked in the corporate finance sector.