Finally, the Atomic Beer Project’s head brewer Nick Ivey can express the sense of excitement he’s been brewing up inside for months.
Atomic’s schmick Redfern brewpub, the new home of the East Coast off-shoot of WA brewery Gage Roads, swings its doors open to the public today, but it’s been a long time coming after COVID stymied their originally planned April opening.
“We were ready to go and now, because we’ve had to wait so long, the celebratory feeling is immense,” Nick said.
“There is this big buzz and energy about the place now. For a while there it was just me working away on beers. But now we’ve got the hospitality staff in, the excitement has ramped up massively.
“Just seeing their excitement and wide eyes when they look at what we have produced has renewed what I was feeling all those months ago.”
With a 12 week baby at home, Nick said he’s been “busy on both fronts” as the Atomic team made the final push to see Atomic come into the world today.
The venue is a brewpub at heart, with the functioning brewery on full show and able to be seen from every corner of the venue. Nick is using a state-of-the-art three-vessel brewhouse, four fermentation vessels and six bright tanks that are connected to taps so patrons can drink beer at its freshest.
All beers are brewed fresh on-site, with Atomic’s core range of Atomic Pale Ale, XPA and IPA sitting alongside a rotation of limited release, seasonal and experimental brews. Some of the releases on tap currently include the Cryo Red Alert red ale, a saison late hopped with Cashmere and a strong Pale Ale using the newly named Talus™ hop (nee HBC 692).
“People can come here and get a really great hospitality experience,” Nick said.
“On the beer front we have something for everyone, from the person dipping their toes into craft for the first time or for the full on beer geeks.
“I’m pretty hop-forward in all that I do so there are really fun, hoppy beers, pale in colour, sessionable, and really reflective of Sydney’s climate.”
While serious about beer, the Atomic experience is so much more.
Alongside an all-Australian wine list and strictly Sydney-based spirits, head chef Jordan McLeod’s (ex-Pilu and Longrain Tokyo) South East Asian-inspired menu is designed to perfectly complement Nick’s beers while the fit-out raises the bar for Sydney brewpubs.
Open daily from 7am to late, it will serve dine-in coffee and breakfast dishes, while a bookable co-working space will no doubt attract Sydney’s growing fraternity of remote workers.
Housed in a renovated mid-century warehouse in the heart of one of Sydney’s most storied neighbourhoods, Nick said Redfern was Atomic’s spiritual home and a place they would naturally nurture.
“This is day one, but we aren’t going anywhere. Many years from now we will still be part of this community and we want to grow as it grows.
“The place, its culture, its thriving arts community, it really resonates with how we see ourselves and we just can’t wait to welcome the people to our little part of Redfern.”
The venue has a capacity of 200 patrons but until COVID-19 restrictions ease, it can currently cater for 81 people at any one time.
You can visit the Atomic Beer Project at 158 Regent Street in Redfern.
Contact Beer & Brewer by clicking here to share your news and views.