Brisbane craft brewer Ballistic Beer to open second venue

BRISBANE craft brewer Ballistic Beer will soon open its second venue giving its owner Dave Kitchen extra reason to raise a glass or three to celebrate.

David Kitchen and Lachy Crothers from Ballistic Beer Co. in Sailsbury. Picture: Richard Walker

GOING BALLISTIC

THE gang at award-winning Ballistic Beer Co can hardly believe their luck.

Poised to unveil their second venue next week, the Brisbane-based craft brewers are also hoisting a glass or three to toast good news for the budding industry announced this week by both the state and federal governments.

Founder and boss Dave Kitchen only opened his brewery in an old World War II munitions tin shed at Salisbury in January last year after previously running a chain of home brew stores.

Since then, the former accountant, banker and one-time diplomat, along with his head brewer, the seriously bearded Lachy Crothers, have notched up plenty of accolades for their top drops.

In the process, they have already generated $1.5 million in revenue and are tipping that to reach $2 million by the middle of this year.

The interest has been strong enough that Kitchen now plans to launch a new pub in the West End next Friday.

Known as Ballistic West End Alehouse & Kitchen, it will throw open its doors in the leased space formerly occupied by gastropub Pour Choices on Montague Rd.

Pour Choices only closed about three weeks ago, so Kitchen and his crew have been madly installing a new bar and fitting out the interior with plenty of wood and copper.

They’re racing against the clock, since an invite-only launch party cranks up on Thursday night.

Ballistic’s base in Salisbury relies on food trucks to feed the hungry masses but the new venue has a kitchen which will churn out “fusion pub classics’’ influenced by Asian and Middle Eastern fare.

Washing it down will be Ballistic’s core range of four beers and even a “guest tap’’ to showcase the tasty creations of competitors.

WORKING GROUP

KITCHEN and Crothers have been in Nashville over the past few days attending the “Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America,’’ billed as the nation’s largest craft brewing industry gathering.

When he returns, Crothers will find that he’s snared a key seat at the table to work with the Queensland Government on how to best assist the fast-growing industry.

He is one of five key players named by State Development Minister Cameron Dick this week to what’s been billed as the Queensland Craft Brewing Strategy Working Group.

He’ll be joined by Green Beacon Brewing’s Adrian Slaughter, Bargara Brewing’s Jack Milbank, Hemingway Brewery’s Craig Parsell and Independent Brewers Association boss Chris McNamara.

Dick said craft beer production in the state was worth about $62 million per year, with more than 80 brewers now operating, including 17 which opened in the past year alone.

Quite appropriately, he announced plans for the working group at a special event at Parliament House, where he downed a few ales with nine independent brewers from around the state.

The working group will aim to develop an action plan by the end of the year but preliminary industry feedback has already identified the need to cut red tape and boost skills training.

LEVEL PLAYING FIELD

MEANWHILE, in case the outlook for our crafty friends couldn’t be brighter, this week’s budget will even the playing field in their fight with the big boys like CUB and Lion.

Treasurer Scott Morrison is poised to scrap an absurd beer tax that penalises craft brewers 40 per cent more just because they use smaller kegs.

Under the system set to be abolished, beer sold in 50 litre kegs is slapped with a lower tax than the same beer in kegs smaller than 30 litres.

The change means consumers can expect cheaper craft beer. We’ll drink to that!