Thanks a Million: Publican lauded for his ‘Save the Beer’ campaign

Royal Albert Hotel publican Michael Bain pivoted his business during the COVID-19 lockdown — canning thousands of kegs of beer destined to be thrown away.

Michael Bain, owner of Royal Albert Hotel, canned beer to distribute around the country. Picture: Dylan Robinson

Michael Bain had only a week to close his successful pub and figure out how to make a living when COVID-19 lockdown was announced in Sydney.

The savvy businessman came up with an idea not only to help his own business, but support small Australian craft breweries.

A canning machine he bought in the US five years ago and which he used to can about 20 beers a day pre-COVID was put to use and Bain began canning the 4000 kegs of beer sitting in a warehouse in Botany destined to be thrown down the drain.

His new business, Taps n Tins, was born and helped change his once full Royal Albert Hotel in Surry Hills into a virtual pub.

Michael Bain canned 4000 kegs of beer. Picture: Dylan Robinson

His wife, Sasha, nominated him in the Thanks a Million campaign for his quick thinking business sense during COVID-19 and his support of the Australian craft brewing industry.

“We had to think quick when we got notice we were being shut down,” Bain told The Saturday Telegraph.

“I started a campaign called ‘Save The Beer’ to save the 3000 to 4000 kegs of beer sitting in a warehouse. We had to move quickly because craft beer doesn’t have a very long shelf life.

“To fund it, we did a kind of crowd sourcing campaign where people received beer in return for money. You could pledge $20, $60 or $90 and receive a 1L can, a three-pack of 1L cans or a six-pack. We saved a lot of breweries from tipping beer down the drain.”

Bain saved kegs which had been sent from Western Australian breweries, Beerfarm and Feral Brewing Company, pre-COVID as well as from Victorian breweries such as Moon Dog and Hargreaves Hill.

And he worked with a handful of local Sydney breweries including Modus Operandi and Akasha. At their peak they were canning up to 250 cans a day.

At the same time, Bain turned the Royal Albert Hotel into a virtual pub, selling canned beer straight from the tap and pre-mixed cocktails in a jar.

Even now that restrictions have eased, the once thriving pub can only allow a maximum of 50 people through the door but the canned and jarred products remain popular.

To nominate or for more information, go to thanksamillion.net.au