Top 10 South Australian microbreweries

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This was published 8 years ago

Top 10 South Australian microbreweries

By Mark Chipperfield
Updated
The Steam Exchange Brewery, Goolwa.

The Steam Exchange Brewery, Goolwa.Credit: Adam Bruzzone

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Vale Brewing, McLaren Vale

Based in Willunga, Vale Brewing (formerly McLaren Vale Beer Company) is one of South Australia's most successful boutique brewers, with a strong following in the Eastern States. The brewery makes a popular range of full-flavoured but highly drinkable beers, including Vale Lager, Vale Ale, Vale Dark Lager, Vale IPA, Vale Cider and the best-selling Dr Pilkington's Miracle Cider.

Lobethal Bierhaus, Adelaide Hills.

Lobethal Bierhaus, Adelaide Hills.Credit: Adam Bruzzone

"We take established styles of beer and put our own twist on them," says Jeff Wright, head brewer. "My ambition is to make beer which is approachable, flavoursome and hopefully you can have a few of – and also beers which are food friendly and work with all types of dishes." Earlier this year Vale Brewing launched a second-tier brand called Fox Hat Brewing that is dedicated to making "unique and untraditional beers" aimed at the more adventurous beer drinker. Fox Hat has already released Phat Mongrel, an American style oatmeal stout and metric IPA, a challenging bitter beer. Both beers are available in keg form at selected outlets in Adelaide. The brewery is not open to the public, but beer tastings are offered at nearby Red Poles, a café and art gallery.

Vale Brewing, Jay Drive, Willunga, South Australia 5172; Phone: 08 7071 3520; www.mvbeer.com. Tastings are available at Red Poles, 190 McMurtrie Road, McLaren Vale. A tasting paddle of four beers costs $4

Smiling Samoyed Brewery, Myponga

Goodieson Brewery, McLaren Vale.

Goodieson Brewery, McLaren Vale.

This idiosyncratic brewery (named after a breed of dog) enjoys a cult following on the Fleurieu Peninsula for its small batch brews and excellent wood fired pizzas. The tasting room is packed with all kinds of memorabilia, beer bottles and farm equipment – even the tasting paddles are served on old LPs. The current beer portfolio includes Kolsch, 12 Paws Pale Ale, Dark Ale, IPA, plus seasonal beers and one-off creations which are released throughout the year. Brewery owners Simon Dunstone and Kate Henning both gave up secure jobs to launch Smiling Samoyed and continue to push the craft beer envelope. "We generally brew in a traditional style, but our American Pale Ales and IPAs are more contemporary," says Simon. "We also release fairly experimental beers, such as our Imperial Brown Ale-IPA hybrid. Then there are the single batch beers, like our chilli beer. We like to keep things interesting." Although Myponga requires a small excursion from McLaren Vale, it's worth making the effort – apart from the beer tasting there's a lovely view of the nearby man-made lake from the rear veranda.

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Smiling Samoyed, 48 Main South Road, Myponga, South Australia 5202. Phone: 08 8558 6166; www.smilingsamoyed.com.au. Opening hours: Friday to Sunday, 11am to 6pm and most public holidays.

Goodieson Brewery, McLaren Vale

Vale Brewing, McLaren Vale.

Vale Brewing, McLaren Vale.

Inspired by their earlier travels in Germany and Austria Jeff and Mary Goodieson have created a small, traditional brewery in the heart of McLaren Vale. Jeff, who previously worked for Lion Nathan, is committed to making authentic British and European beers and ales which are true to style. His Pilsner, Pale Ale, Brown Ale and Wheat Beer have generated a strong local following. The family-run brewery also releases a number of seasonal beers throughout the year, including a full-bodied stout in Autumn and a popular spiced Christmas Ale. "I started my own brewery with the aim of making authentic European beers but using the best malt and hops from Australia," says Jeff. "At the same time I like to challenge myself, which is why we make so many seasonal ales. And the core beer range is not fixed – I've just added Brown Ale which is going very well." These beers are not available on tap at any of the nearby pubs, so if you like a particular beer you'll need to buy some from the cellar door; tastings are also available.

Goodieson Brewery, 194 Sand Road, McLaren Vale, South Australia. Phone: 0409 676 542; www.goodiesonbrewery.com.au. Open daily, 11am to 5.30pm, for tastings and sales.

The Steam Exchange Brewery, Goolwa

Located on the historic Goolwa waterfront, The Steam Exchange is one of South Australia's longest running craft breweries. At the core of its operations is an old style brew house, which includes an open ferment system. Bottling is done on site. Brewer Gareth Andrews prides himself on making traditional English ales, but also produces some more experimental brews to show younger brewers he can still run rings around them. The company's first batch of malt whisky is now ageing in barrels, ready for release in 2017. "Because of our type of gear we concentrate on making good wholesome English ales," says Gareth. "We also do things like California Steam Beers, the forerunners of American pale ales. We're not 100 IBU hopheads but about more subtle English styles. But we've also won a gold medal with a beer called Truffles – a double chocolate vanilla porter."

The core beer range includes Steam Ale, India Pale Ale, Southerly Buster Dark Ale and Stout. The brewery does several seasonal and one-off brews during the year and thanks to its waterfront location is a glorious place to taste beer – there's outdoor seating for sunny days.

The Steam Exchange, 1 Cutting Road, Goolwa, South Australia 5214. Phone: 08 8555 3406; www.steamexchange.com.au. Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm.

Lobethal Bierhaus, Adelaide Hills

Alistair Turnbull, a former international banker, brings a deep-seated passion to his new craft. As he puts it, making great beer is only part of the story. It's also about providing good food and conviviality – both of which are in abundance at this cavernous beer hall. Alistair established the brewery in 2007 and today his beers can be found in many Adelaide pubs. The brewery has eight regular beers on tap, plus seasonal and one-off creations.

"My preference is to focus on beer styles I personally like and if others don't agree then at worst I can always try to drink them myself," says Alistair. "While I do love to taste beers that truly test the boundaries for me the best beers are ones you can enjoy by the pint with friends, served in a welcoming friendly environment, and accompanied with good food and plenty of entertaining banter." The current beer range includes Bohemian Pilsner, India Pale Ale, Hefeweizen, Pale Ale, Red Truck Porter, Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, Devil's Choice, Bruce Mid-Strength Bitter and Lisa Kolsch. The restaurant is extremely busy on weekends, so arrive early to secure your table.

Lobethal Bierhaus, 3A Main St, Lobethal South Australia 5241. Phone: 08 8389 5570; www.bierhaus.com.au. Opening hours: 12-noon to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, 12-noon to 6pm on Sundays

Prancing Pony, Adelaide Hills

One of the success stories of the local craft brewing scene, Prancing Pony stands out from the crowd by using fire brewing – a technique once popular across Europe. Brewer Frank Samson replicates this method with a gas-fired system, which he believes gives his beers a greater depth of flavour. "I think our beers taste good, but then a lot of beers also taste good. The fire brew story sets us apart from everyone else," he says. "It's a good conversation starter and chefs instantly latch onto the concept, because they are experts in flavour. Now we are putting our beer into kegs which means that a lot more people are trying our beers." In January 2015 the company moved into larger premises in Totness so that it could expand its beer production. The current range includes Sunshine Ale, Pale Ale, Blonde Ale, Amber Ale, India Red Ale, Black Ale and Copper Ale. The brewery also serves hearty country-style meals and runs guided tours most days – there's even a chill out area for nursing mums. The brew shed is a popular destination for visitors to the Hills, especially on weekend – so expect a crowd.

Prancing Pony Brewery, 42 Mt Barker Road, Totness, South Australia 5250. Phone: 08 8398 3881; prancingponybrewery.com.au. The brew shed opens daily 10am to 6pm.

Clare Valley Brewing Company

The rising star of the South Australian craft brewing scene, Clare Valley Brewing is the creation of business partners Craig Harnett and Ben Jeanneret who wanted to make a range of good-tasting beers which reflected the Clare's rich agricultural heritage. Signature brews like King Kong, Bulls Eye and The Fuzz now have a strong following in Adelaide and the Eastern States. The brewery's idiosyncratic tasting room, Hop & Vine in Auburn, stocks the full Clare Valley Brewing range, plus some interesting limited-release table wines. "Because we're a small brewer we can adapt quickly and come up with new ideas and respond to public demand for something novel," says Phillip Douglas, head brewer. "Our beers are interesting without being whacky. A lot of craft brewers go for very high alcohol and strong flavours, but I kinda think that's a bit of a pitfall." The current range includes Welease Wodger (Summer Wheat Beer), King Kong Stout, Bulls Eye APA, Monkey's Uncle Red Ale, Miss Molly Malone, The Fuzz Mid Strength Ale, Bring Out The Gimp (Seasonal Ale). Some of these are available on tap at Hop & Vine, while the whole range is readily available at pubs and bottle shops across Adelaide.

Hop & Vine, 20 Main North Road, Auburn, SA 5451. Phone: 0448 079 406; clarevalleybrewing.com.au.The tasting room is open daily 10am to 5pm.

Big Shed, Adelaide

After work drinks at Big Shed is now something of an institution among local hopheads. For owners Craig Basford and Jason Harris this is the best part of the week – the chance to share some of their favourite brews and tuck into hearty beer-friendly grub. Apart from housing the company's 10 hectolitre brewing kit, the big shed also contains a tasting bar with six taps; tastings are available during the week, but with a more limited food menu. Despite the grungy labels, these guys brew some masterful in-your-face beers. The current range includes FrankenBROWN, an American Brown Ale, F-Yeah, an American Pale Ale, Californicator, a West Coast IPA, and Kol Schisel, a German Pale Ale. These beers are sold in handsome 640ml long neck bottles. The boys also pump out one-off creations such apple and cherry cider and chocolate chili porter. Apart from making its own beers, Big Shed also undertakes contract brewing for other local labels. Despite this heavy workload visitors will find a warm welcome when they venture out to Royal Park – why not join the faithful for a pint and a plate on Friday night?

Big Shed Brewing Concern, 13/2 Brandwood Street, Royal Park, South Australia 5014. Phone: 0477 550 016; bigshedbrewing.com.au. Open Monday to Thursday, 10am-5pm, Fridays, 2am-9pm and Saturday, 12pm-6pm.

Meechi Brewing, Langhorne Creek

Langhorne Creek is a compact wine region between the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale. Best known for its character-filled reds, the region can now boast its own microbrewery. Meechi Brewing is a collaboration between local winemakers (and mates) Ben Potts and Matt Schmidt – with assistance from their wives Lucy and Kate. Meechi was launched in mid-2014 with a single product, a pale ale, and remains something of a hobby. Each batch is tiny – just 2000-litres. All four partners have day jobs. The beer is currently being contract brewed in Mildura, but ultimately Ben, Matt, Kate and Lucy would like to establish their own craft brewery in Langhorne Creek. New beers will be added to the Meechi range. "With our pale ale we wanted to create something which was different, full bodied, has heaps of flavour but still very drinkable," says Ben Potts, the brewer. " We use Galaxy, Chinook and Cascade hops. Upscaling from a pilot brewery to a commercial brew has been a steep learning curve, but we're pleased with the result." The beer is available to taste, alongside some boutique wines, at The Winehouse in the centre of town, which also serves great country fare and hosts live music most weekends.

The Winehouse, 1509 Langhorne Creek Road, Langhorne Creek, South Australia 5255. Phone: 08 85 373 029; www.meechibrewing.com.au. The cellar door is open daily.

Pirate Life, Adelaide

Launched at the very beginning of 2015, Pirate Life is one of the most popular new microbreweries in South Australia. Part of the reason for its success is the decision by its two young founders Jack Cameron and Red Proudfoot chose to sell everything they brew in aluminum cans. "People seem to like holding a can in their hands," says Jack, who previously worked at BrewDog in Scotland and Little Creatures in Fremantle. Pirate Life operates a 10,000 litre-a-week brewing kit in the suburbs and while the brewery is not open to the public its beers are available at 21 pubs and 30 bottle shops across the state. The brewery's current portfolio consists of a Session IPA, a Pale Ale and a Double IPA – all three have found a niche with craft beer lovers in Adelaide "Canned craft beer is the fastest growing trend in the United States," says Jack. "We didn't even think about doing it any other way." The two men argue that aluminum cans keep beer fresher, are easier to transport and much better for the environment – around 85 per cent of all cans sold in South Australia are recycled. Clever branding is another hallmark of this venture – the highly original can design shows the entire brewing process, including the type of hops and malts used, mash times and temperatures, in graphic form.

Pirate Life Brewing, 89 South Road, Hindmarsh, South Australia 5007. Phone: 08 8340 1447; piratelife.com.au. The brewery is not open to the public, but its products are available in pubs and bottle shops in South Australia.

This article has been sponsored by South Australia Tourism Commission

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