Successful inner west craft beer trial to be expanded statewide

Regional wine tours could soon become beer tours with the state government expanding the craft beer trial across NSW. See which areas are tipped to become our next beer capitals.

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A tour of the boutique wineries could soon be replaced by a day out at the craft breweries.

Beer lovers are predicting a craft brewing revolution in country NSW and even Sydney’s suburbs with the statewide expansion of a unique licensing trial.

The state government is stepping up a trial which makes it easier for breweries to sell their own drinks on site and operate like small bars.

The trial began in Sydney’s Inner West Council area in September 2018 and was later extended to Newcastle. Now it will apply everywhere else in NSW.

There will be a statewide expansion of the craft beer trial, which makes it easier for breweries to sell their own drinks on site.

Previously, breweries and distilleries were only allowed either to give customers sample-sized beers or try and obtain a notoriously difficult on-premises license.

The result was a stale atmosphere with no schooners, no takeaways and no bottled beer.

Councils and police had previously expressed concerns that the breweries were “pubs by stealth”.

But this new licence allows the breweries to serve only their own product in a pub-like setting.

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“Craft breweries are becoming increasingly popular, and through this trial we are creating a more flexible category of licence, tailored to meet the needs of craft brewery operators,” NSW Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello said.

“We want to encourage more boutique breweries to enter the market which will stimulate competition and provide more choice to consumers.”

NSW Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello.

With two-thirds of the state’s craft breweries located in regional areas, there is good scope for further growth in regional NSW in places such as Orange and Dubbo.

Sydney’s inner west remains the craft beer capital of Australia with 12 such businesses in the local government area.

Batch Brewing Company director Andrew Fineran started operating under the new licence a year ago and said it has improved profits and created a more relaxed atmosphere at his Marrickville brewery.

Andrew Fineran is the co-owner of Batch Brewing Co in Marrickville. Picture: AAP/Jennifer Soo

“It means if people find a beer that they like they can sit and have a pint or get some takeaway,” Mr Fineran said.

“It creates a relaxed, pub-style atmosphere. Expanding it to the rest of NSW will definitely help the industry as a whole and give people more choice.”

Under the trial, the application fee for the new authorisation has been cut from $880 to $385, the same as for small bars.

The special authorisation will be trialled statewide until August 2020.

Businesses that take up the authorisation will be able to continue using it, irrespective of whether it will become a permanent licensing option.

Independent Brewers Association director Richard Adamson. Picture: Richard Dobson

Independent Brewers Association director Richard Adamson creating a pub atmosphere is important.

“People don’t really drink or sample beer in the same way they do wine,” Mr Adamson said.

“The issue before this licence came in was that a lot of stakeholders did not understand what a brewer looked like; now they do.

“This gives people certainty when they are going for an application. The council and police know what it is about.”

Mr Adamson said there are plenty of brewers in Orange and the Southern Highlands that will benefit from the statewide roll out.

“Hopefully we will see the proliferation of breweries in regional areas,” he said.

Originally published as Successful inner west craft beer trial to be expanded statewide