A new Tasmanian brewery is combining some of life’s greatest pleasures, beer and cheese.
Bruny Island Beer Co. is a new brewery by owner Nick Haddow, founder of Bruny Island Cheese Co., and brewer Evan Hunter, formerly of Seven Sheds, Moo Brew and Lark Distillery.
“We had both wanted to establish a brewery for some years prior to meeting in 2014,” Hunter told Beer & Brewer.
“Nick wanted to diversify his established business, Bruny Island Cheese Co., by making beers with the same artisan, small batch, high quality ethos as the cheese.
“I wanted to step up to running a brewery after previously working as a production brewer and distiller at Seven Sheds, Moo Brew and the Lark Distillery.
“We both wanted to craft beers with a strong emphasis on place and utilising locally-grown ingredients.”
Haddow and Hunter have created a brewery out the back of the existing cheesery on Bruny Island, where beer has been pouring since February.
The brewhouse has been built to Evan’s specifications using recycled dairy equipment sourced from local farms.
“While we use modern technology where necessary to maximise the quality and consistency of our product, we practise a simple approach to brewing – one that harks back to older methods of making and maturing beer. We will never cut corners at the expense of quality,” said Hunter.
“Giving our beers a strong sense of place is also important to us. Where possible, we only brew with the highest quality, locally-sourced Tasmanian grain, hops and water (we’re working on the yeast, too), including grain grown on neighbouring farms on Bruny Island.
“This is the first step towards reaching our goal of creating a beer entirely from Bruny Island ingredients.”
The range includes a Tasmanian ale called Farm Ale (4.5% ABV), a dark pale ale called Oxymoron (5.5% ABV) and a 2016 Harvest Ale (6.1% ABV) crafted from the March hop harvest at HPA’s Bushy Park in Tasmania.
While the beers are yet to reach the mainland, they are on tap at the Bruny Island cellar door, a number of Tasmanian venues and can be purchased online here (www.brunyislandbeer.com.au).
As for what’s next for Bruny Island Beer Co., Hunter is working on “a barrel programme and experimentation with wild yeasts and bacteria.”
1807 Bruny Island Main Road, Great Bay, Tasmania 7150
(03) 6260 6353