Breweries tapping into foodies with everything from food trucks to gourmet restaurants and beer-infused desserts
BREWERIES are tapping into foodies with everything from food trucks to gourmet restaurants and beer-infused desserts.
Sydney Taste
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BEER has always had a food partner — a pie on the way home from the pub or a shared pizza with mates over a few coldies.
Now, breweries are taking classic beer and food pairing a step further by expanding the gourmet offerings at their establishments. Breweries across Sydney and NSW are offering customers everything from mobile food trucks through to full service, award-winning restaurant meals in a bid to broaden their appeal beyond the beer connoisseur. Some are even incorporating beer into their recipes.
“The wine industry has been doing food matching forever, but with the explosion of craft beer and the mammoth selection now available, it’s possible to match beer with food as successfully, if not more so, than it is done with wine,” says Dave Phillips, from Dave’s Brewery Tours.
Phillips plans to expand his Sydney beer tours with mealtime-specific itineraries, including a beer and breaky tour.
There are around 25 craft beer businesses in NSW, according to IBISWorld, with the industry growing at a rate of 10 per cent a year for the past five years.
While most breweries offer an informal food option such as a food truck stopping by on certain days, a handful have full kitchens on-site.
In Sydney’s west, the Australian Hotel Brewery at Rouse Hill entices diners with an extensive bistro-style menu, while in the north, 4 Pines in Manly has offered food with beer fresh from the fermenting tanks since it opened in 2008. New kid on the block, Modus Operandi at Mona Vale has a tasty selection of American-style dishes and a smaller bar menu available.
In the CBD, Sydney’s oldest pub brewery, the Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel, operates a restaurant in its convict-quarried sandstone building at The Rocks and Redoak Beer Boutique Cafe has an award-winning menu matched to its craft beers.
A year ago Blackrock Brasserie — the only brewery offering food in Sydney’s south — opened in Sylvania. Owner and passionate craft beer drinker, Lance Cochrane, says the extensive menu at the Brasserie was developed in conjunction with his brother, Bryce, a one-time home brewer and chef, and the establishment’s head chef, Graham Johns and takes beer and food matching one step further.
“There’s food matching and then there’s using the beer recipes, which is what we do,” Cochrane says. “There’s a lot more you can do with beer in food than make beer batter. We have beeramisu with beerscotti on the dessert menu (pic, cover) as well as a whole selection of brewhouse options including stout braised beef shin and beer fried chicken.”
Diners at Blackrock Brasserie can see the brewing process in operation behind glass panels and sample its range of nine beers, labelled Blackhorse, straight from the tanks.
“Our customer base is largely locals who may not necessarily be experienced craft beer drinkers,” Cochrane says.
“They mostly come for the food, but then they try our beer and for many it’s an introduction to craft beer.”
MUST-VISIT SYDNEY BREWERIES
Australian Hotel & Brewery
Opened in 2010, this beer and food venue promises something for everyone, and as such is a popular option in Sydney’s north west. The family-friendly brewery has a large and hearty bistro-like menu including burgers, chicken parma, pizza and crisp pork belly alongside its regular range of beers brewed on the premises.
350 Annangrove Rd, Rouse Hill, australianbrewery.com.au
4 Pines Brewing Company
The Manly Mega Burger is the signature dish on the mainly pub-style menu, which also features a few offerings for finer tastebuds including the seafood bouillabaisse, ceviche and pork belly. Guests enjoy a meal and a quality brew alongside the massive steel fermenting tanks overlooking Manly Wharf.
29/43-45 East Esplanade, Manly, 4pinesbeer.com.au
Batch Brewing Co
After hours, this 400sq m warehouse brewery is converted into the production space of an enterprise started by American mates Andrew Fineran and Chris Sidwa. Patrons come for the selection of craft offerings made, as the name suggests, in batches and rotated as needed. Conscious of being located in an industrial estate, the owners have always offered informal food options via a weekly rotation of food trucks including Mexican, German hot dogs and vegetarian fare.
44 Sydenham Rd, Marrickville, batchbrewingco.com.au
Rocks Brewing Co
Tucked away in a semi-industrial part of Alexandria, this brewery is as Australian as they come. Run by fifth and sixth generation convict descendants, its beer labels mimic this historic association with names including Convict Lager and Governor Golden Ale. Sit alongside the big steel fermenting drums as you sample the beers and American-inspired menu. A large outdoor seating area is great for larger groups and families and live bands often entertain on weekends.
160 Bourke Rd, Alexandria, rocksbrewing.com
Young Henry’s
In place of a kitchen, this hip inner city venue offers classic street food through a rotating food truck system. Patrons jump on social media to see which trucks are due, mostly stopping on weekends. Guests can indulge in a “straight from the tanks” beer and enjoy the relaxed vibe.
76 Wilford St, Newtown, younghenrys.com
Modus Operandi
Put simply, the ‘method of operation’ is to craft good beer. But the owners of this relatively new operation on Sydney’s northern beaches understand that a more complete experience comes with food.
So they also opened a full kitchen catering to guests with an American-inspired menu including buffalo wings, burgers and Texas-style ribs.
14 Harkeith St, Mona Vale, mobrewing.com.au
Blackrock Brasserie
The closest breweries to this Sylvania offering are Rocks Brewing Co in Alexandria and the Illawarra Brewing Company in Wollongong. But the year-old family business is not resting on its sole status laurels. It has developed a menu around its range of craft brews, often incorporating beer into the actual recipes. A favourite with diners is the four-dish beergustation taster.
117-119 Princes Hwy, Sylvania, blackrockbrasserie.com.au
Flat Rock Brew Cafe
Beers replace coffee as the brew of choice in this north shore cafe, but don’t be fooled by the name. An extensive menu filled with share-plate options including cured meat and cheese boards is on offer as well as regular Sunday specials matched with a beer and curry nights.
290 Willoughby Rd, Naremburn, flatrockbrewcafe.com.au
Red Oak Boutique Beer Cafe
This microbrewery in the heart of Sydney offers award-winning food and beer, but best of all it combines the two to provide a well-rounded experience. The well-established brew restaurant provides a beer and food matching service but also uses beer in its recipes, including its Red Oak ice cream, sorbets and chocolate and beer-infused truffles.
201 Clarence St, Sydney, redoak.com.au
Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel
It claims to be Australia’s oldest pub brewery and with an award-winning restaurant serving modern Australian cuisine to patrons, it’s also one of the most popular. Set in the historic Rocks precinct, the old colonial sandstone building was restored by the current owners.
19 Kent St, The Rocks, lordnelsonbrwery.com
Regional NSW breweries
Black Duck Brewery
Hidden away in an industrial part of Port Macquarie, Black Duck has a laid-back atmosphere in a bar set inside the brewery. Brewer and one-time-engineer, Al Owen, is often around for a chat and a tour and diners can enjoy the ploughman’s platters as they sample the 10-plus beers on offer here.
6b Acacia Ave, Port Macquarie, blackduckbrewery.com.au
Thirsty Crow Brewery
Wagga’s first brewery is attracting a steady flow of beer lovers, but the Brewpub menu caters to all. The lunch menu includes relaxed pizza, burgers and ribs fare but the evening menu takes it up a notch with braised lamb shanks and its signature oven roasted suckling pig, which requires three weeks notice.
31 Kincaid St, Wagga Wagga, thirstycrow.com.au
Badlands Brewery
Jon Shiner started brewing at this location 18 months ago alongside cafe, The Agrestic Grocer, which does amazing things with Shiner’s beers. The two businesses work closely together to produce wonderful recipes (think chicken in an IPA brine and churros with a chocolate and porter sauce) as well as food and beer matching events throughout the year. If he’s around when you pop in, Shiner’s happy to show you around and have a chat.
426 Mitchell Hwy, Orange, badlandsbrewery.com.au
Murray’s Craft Brewing Co
Murray Howe and his team have been brewing craft beer since 2006. At their Brewery Restaurant near Port Stephens, beer remains a focus with recipes infused with their brews, including favourites Whale Ale-battered fish ‘n’ chips, pizza made with dough using Moonboy Golden Ale and, for something sweet, Dark Knight Beer scones.
3443 Nelson Bay Rd, Bob’s Farm, murraysbrewingco.com.au
BentSpoke Brewing Co
Coming up to its first anniversary, this Canberra brewery offers pub fare with a modern twist. You’ll find hot wings crusted with malted barley, slow cooked beef brisket in dark ale and signature sauces including chilli ginger aioli with ginger beer and beer-infused BBQ sauce.
38 Mort St, Braddon, ACT, 02 62575220
Wig & Pen Tavern and Brewery
Operating for more than 20 years in Canberra, this brewery is a local institution. At its new location on the ground floor of the ANU’s Llewellyn Hall, this would have to be one of the best campus bars in the country. Music and arts students mix with off-campus visitors who come for the well-known craft beer and simple cafe fare.
100 William Herbert Pl, Canberra, 02 6248 0171
Mudgee Brewing Co
The region is better known for its wine, but as the sign at the Mudgee Brewing Co says, “Come for the wine, stay for the beer”. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the menu is filled with pub favourites including burgers, pizza and pasta with a more up-market dinner menu matched with its range of six signature beers.
4 Church St, Mudgee, mudgeebrewing.com.au
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