Alice Springs Brewing Co launch new Top End tipple: Top End Crisp and Red Centre Dry

Calling all Territory beer lovers: A fresh pair of brews have hit the shelves in Top End pubs, just in time for the build-up. Find out more.

An Alice Springs favourite has made it up the Stuart Highway to wet Top End whistles in time for the Wet.

Alice Springs Brewing Co has launched two new beers, one mirroring the parched crispness of Central Australia, the other reflecting the lush moistness of the Territory’s Top End.

Launched this month at Darwin’s Trailer Boat Club, it is the latest offering from the popular Alice Springs start-up that opened its doors in 2018, then survived Covid-19 to emerge as a major supplier to Territory venues.

Alice Springs Brewing Co owner Kyle Pearson. Picture: Gera Kazakov

Since then the company’s won a slew of awards including gongs at the Royal Queensland Beer Awards, the independent Brewers Association and the Australian International Beer Awards.

The brewer’s latest offerings are Territorian Top End Crisp in a green can and Territorian Red Centre Dry in the orange, which business founder and chief brewer Kyle Pearson said they had been crafting for the past two years.

“As we grew out of Alice Springs we had brands that were very Alice-centric so Darwin’s been kind enough to get behind our brewery up here and there was an opportunity to have a brand that was more Territory-centric rather than Alice focused.

“We’ve tried to make the beers reflect that as well.

A crocodile featured alongside the new product launch this month.

“People got a bit more parochial after Covid-19 and a bit more aware of where their beers were coming from, and it’s been really good since then. Seen a lot of growth and a lot of awards.”

The new Alice Springs beer is full strength and the Top End tipple is mid-strength, which Kyle said reflects on Darwin’s humidity.

“The Top End beer is a mid-strength, which probably suits the humidity a little better and then down in Alice where we get cold weather like right now and so we’ve tried to position the brand with a camel for the Centre and crocodile for the Top End.”

As well as the brewer’s standard beers including Almost Summer, Batch #37 and Specific Ale, it also has a line of not quite beers including Oh! Ginger and Oh! Lemon.

“I think we’ve got our place,” Kyle said.

“We’ve got no delusions that we’re ever going to knock off the big guys. I used to work for CUB and they taught me everything I know and to be honest, the Territory’s a bit different because it’s still pretty friendly.”