Craft beer: Inner west suburbs the top place for deliveries in Aus

It’s the liquid gold that somehow helped keep the inner west economy afloat in 2020. And new figures suggest there is only one place to be when it comes to quality craft beer.

In what probably comes as no surprise to Courier readers, of the top five suburbs in Australia for craft beer home deliveries four are in the inner west.

Many in the hospitality industry have always bragged about the inner west having more craft breweries than churches and the latest figures show there certainly was a market for it in 2020.

The figures come on the back of multiple lockdowns in Sydney last year which saw us stuck at home and craving the spirit of the pub in our own lounge rooms.

The number one suburb in the country for boozy home deliveries, according to data provided by BWS as part of their new home delivery service, was Marrickville, followed by Ashfield, Erskineville, Petersham and Perth in WA.

The flow of liquid gold in the inner west is nothing new in what many call Sydney’s hipster Mecca and for local businesses suffering during the pandemic the option to deliver to the door was the only one left.

Mr Fishwick said delivering to front doors provided a huge boost in Balmain. Picture: Monique Harmer

White Bay Beer Co. founder Tim Fishwick, who set up the brewery in Balmain at the height of restrictions last year, said he had queues down the street from his warehouse when they shared a post offering to sell straight from the warehouse.

With pubs closed the kegs and slabs instead were being delivered door to door on the peninsula and beyond.

“There was nothing like those first three months,” he said.

“I think for us having that option to drive straight to peoples’ homes … they wanted to support local businesses and for us we wanted more than ever to share our beer.

“Me and my team were so busy delivering to their front doors and they were lovely, saying things like ‘good luck’.

Brewer Dennis de Boer, left, and Tim Fishwick said they were “either the dumbest or smartest blokes you’ll meet” for opening during the pandemic. Picture: Monique Harmer

“It was a great way to introduce ourselves.”

Shutting down watering holes in the inner west last year as coronavirus restrictions kicked in dealt a massive blow to the economy.

To put the numbers into perspective the Burwood police area command, which stretches from Drummoyne to Burwood, has the most pubs of any district covered by cops in Sydney.

Mr Fishwick said despite them now selling to pubs and bottle shops, people are still asking for home deliveries because it had “became a habit”.

“Was I surprised? I reckon it was a mix of emotions,” Mr Fishwick recalls of the home delivery orders last year.

“It was a brand new business and the surprise came that first day and we were really humbled with locals taking a punt on us.

“I’m old, young people are hungover and get McDonalds at 11am but now they don’t have to leave the house when they find out about a new brewery.”