Craft beer lovers in Sydney’s inner west are set to rejoice with the opening of theNewtown Growler Depot just in time for summer.
The ‘Depot’, located within the Newtown Wine Shop on King Street, is home to Rosie – an imposing and custom-built machine that is, in a world first, capable of cleaning, sanitising and filling growler bottles.
Newtown Growler Depot founder and organiser of the Sydney Craft Beer and Cider Festival for the past three years, Sam Taylor, says Rosie is a great way of enjoying fresh beer in the comfort of your own home.
“Growlers are two litre glass bottles that are immensely popular amongst microbrewers and in the craft beer world, particularly overseas. Traditionally, growlers are filled directly from a tap, which means that the beer must be consumed within hours of purchase. Then there is the problem of reusing bottles and keeping them clean,” said Taylor.
“This is where Rosie comes into her own as no other machine is capable of sanitising and pressure filling growlers, which ensures that the beer stays great for weeks and also enables a swap and go service.”
With Rosie connected to up to 12 kegs at any one time, a visit to the Newtown Growler Depot is effectively like visiting five microbreweries at once. The kegs, all delivered direct from the brewery, are kept under cold storage in a cool room next to Rosie, ensuring the beer is as fresh as it gets.
The Newtown Growler Depot currently features beers from Young Henrys, Batch Brewing, Shenanigans, Dennis, Grifter, Willie the Boatman and Little Creatures. The depot is open seven days a week from 10AM – 10PM and is located at 145 King Street, Newtown.
Growler refills start at $22, while growler bottles can be purchased for a one off fee of $10.