Southern Bay Brew Co..
Here in Australia we have been surfing the wave of craft beer for a long time now and with so many options we are truly spoilt for choice. Head into any bottle shop and you can pretty much get whatever tickles your tastebuds. Restaurants and bars match brews to your food and those who have taps rotate them often so patrons don't get bored and keep coming back to sample something new and different. Like craft spirit enthusiasts, beer lovers want to know what's in their glass, from the hops to the barley and most importantly who brews it and where they do the deed.
For Melburnians especially, drinking local is pretty important, wanting to support those close by. Not too far from the CBD on the outskirts of Geelong is Southern Bay Brew Co., established nearly 30 years ago and very much known for their contract brewing of some very drinkable and award winning beers, but not so much for their own creations. This is a brewery that's hands on in every way. There are no fancy electronic devices with big screens showing colourful graphs and charts or machines programmed to automatically do the dirty work. At every stage of the process you'll find guys wearing hi vis and safety goggles, measuring out ingredients, mixing, tasting, operating the conveyer belt and packaging the bottles, not to mention rinsing and filling the kegs to get them ready for delivery. The equipment they use is tried and tested, it wasn't built yesterday, but it was built to last.
After many years in the game and still relatively unknown to many, Southern Bay are stepping it up to build their beers and take them to the next level. This is a place filled with proud brewers who go to the effort to craft quality products the only way they know how, utilising all their senses, especially touch. They want you to taste their passion, be a part of a shared journey, and most importantly they want to pass on these beers from their hands to yours.