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The Year In Beer 2025 – Tasmania
2 Playsin 2 hours
For stop two in The Year In Beer series for 2025, we take a trip across Bass Strait.
Tasmania’s beer scene is one that mainlanders tend to have to watch from afar, with just a tiny handful of the dozens of breweries operating there sending beer off the island; indeed, many don’t sell anything too far beyond their own taprooms.
The state’s brewing industry did catch the eye of the beer world further afield in 2025, however. Fox Friday, which launched in Hobart before changing hands in 2019 and embarking on an ambitious national expansion, collapsed under a weight of questionable funding; Mountain Culture acquired their assets, although have since halted production in Hobart.
Another Hobart-based operation, Overland Brewers & Distillers went into liquidation, too, while 2025 also saw the pioneering Seven Sheds welcome their last customers, although founders Willie Simpson and Catherine Stark left on their own terms and in credit with the drinkers who’d passed through their bucolic Railton home over the previous 17 years. Meanwhile, as the year drew to a close, Tassie craft beer pioneers Moo Brew celebrated 20 years of beers.
In this episode, Matt Fielding from Science Made Beerable once again joins us to chat about the not-for-profit he founded with Kelsey Picard as well as what’s exciting him locally. We then hear from Hobart Brewing Co’s marketing manager, Nick Devereux, who talks about the brewery’s acquisition of The Hope & Anchor Hotel while hinting at other future plans given the state’s "will they-won’t they" stadium is set to be built over their Red Shed brewery venue.
Our last guest is Sam Reid, who alongside Will Horan runs Launceston-based Du Cane Brewing, which featured in a three-part guide to beer in the state's north earlier in the year. He tells us about the brewery’s busy events schedule, his decision to step back from Willie Smith’s Cider, and their forthcoming ramen bar.
Midway through the show, James and Will reveal the latest Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month too.
Start of segments:
- 2:48 – Matt Fielding
- 11:17 – Nick Devereux
- 20:45 – Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month
- 24:10 – Sam Reid
To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Year in Beer Wrap
00:00:05
Speaker
Hey listeners, Will here with our Year in Beer Wrap for Tassie. We've got a great show with wonderful guests from across the state. Starting things off is returning guest Matt Fielding from Science Made Beerable. Matt founded the not-for-profit with Kelsey Pickard and they're dedicated to communicating science through the wonderful lens that is beer.
00:00:24
Speaker
Like last year, Matt lets us know what's going on in the state as well as what's been happening with Science Made Beerable.
Hobart Brewing Co.'s Challenges and Future Plans
00:00:30
Speaker
Next up, you'll hear from Hobart Brewing Co.' 's marketing manager, Nick Devereaux. A couple of months back, they took over the Hopenanka Hotel, which is one of the country's oldest pubs, maybe the oldest. There's a couple of disputed claims around that. But um so we wanted to have him on to talk about that and obviously what partially informed their decision to do that was the fact that their Red Shed, which has been their home since they launched, is ah the future of it's in doubt because of this forthcoming footy stadium. ah Nick and I recorded this conversation a few weeks back, but there was a there was a little less clarity back then, but it looks almost certain that the stadium will go ahead. And Nick kind of gives us a bit of a hint about what might be happening with HBC's future.
Sam Reid's Transition from Cider to Decayne
00:01:13
Speaker
Then we're over to Sam Reid, who runs Launceston's Decayne alongside Will Horan. Many in the industry will know Sam from his time at Will Smith Cider, which co-founded in 2011. Sam recently posted that he was ah leaving the cidery to focus more on Decayne, so we thought it was a good chance to catch up with him and talk about how the year's been to Decayne, as well as his reason for stepping back from Will Smith's. I've...
00:01:39
Speaker
very fortunate i get to go to a lot of breweries for work and uh one that i haven't made it to yet is decaying's but it's like i reckon it's number one on my list of breweries i want to go to maybe one day they'll even be my bluestone yeast brewery of the month and speaking of which you'll hear james and i talk about the latest winner in the middle of the show so enjoy the chats cheers looking for the perfect christmas present for the beer lover in your life why not give the gift that keeps on giving all year round with a crafty cabal membership Just $99 a year gets you access to thousands of dollars worth of exclusive beer benefits all across the country.
00:02:14
Speaker
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00:02:25
Speaker
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00:02:39
Speaker
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Science Made Beerable's Return and Expansion
00:02:49
Speaker
Matt, welcome back to the podcast. ah Thanks for having me Will, it's great to be back. Yes. And once again, like last year, we're here to talk about the year in beer in Tasmania. Last year you did say that, um you know, there were VAs or anything in Tasmania that since and unfortunately wasn't such a crystal ball and it hasn't gone that way, but maybe, you know, it' stepping aside from that um let's start with science made beerable. Like how was 2025 for you? Because the event was back on.
00:03:16
Speaker
Yeah, we had the event back on after a rest period last year. um which is really exciting. it' was great to to get back into it. We kind of brought things back down this year. We didn't live stream it. We didn't send beers out across the um across the country, but it allowed us to kind of focus on Tasmania a lot more. So we had five brewers, um four breweries and one home brewer, brew the exact same beer. And then we got to sit down, drink it and see that none of the beers were in any way the same. um
00:03:48
Speaker
ah largely because brewers can't follow a recipe closely but also because different techniques and things like that um so yeah it's a lot of fun it's great to have it back and um yeah it makes me excited about what we can do in the future yeah and what uh did the audience love it i'm imagine like yeah i mean and i can't think of a time i've really drunk beers like that like it's a pretty cool experience yeah it was a lot of fun and it was um I'll be honest, there was a lot like, cause it was a two hour event and we're drinking the same beer the whole time. a little bit of palate ah fatigue, that's for sure.
00:04:19
Speaker
um And some of them had been a little heavy handed with um some of the, um the bittering compounds. So there was some pretty bitter beers in there by accident. So they were playing around with flex, but um yeah, it was um a lot of fun, a lot of good questions, a lot of good conversations. yeah, it's good to have that one done. And now we've got to look at, you know, what we can do differently next year.
00:04:41
Speaker
Yeah. Okay, cool. And maybe straight into that, I mean, any like big plans on the horizon for science? So yeah, as we're a not-for-profit. So we're in a corporate association within Tasmania. So we're kind of, you know, I think people think of us as the event, like that's what we've become because that's what we're doing at the moment. So we'd like to expand a bit and, um you know, focus on some of the other elements, you know, membership, other smaller events that we can do throughout the year. There's lots of things that we can do. So it's just working out what that might look like. So we'll definitely do the national science week event again. But we're also thinking what else we can do and what other aspects of science we can, we can highlight.
00:05:22
Speaker
Science that never sleeps. I'm sure it doesn't. What about the the state? You know, I mean, any big highlights or just things you've really loved um from the state?
00:05:33
Speaker
Yeah, there's been some, um some great events and things happening. So Hobart community, um, ah Hop was back again, which is um HPA and down at the Red Shed Hobart Brewing Co.
00:05:44
Speaker
um That was the second year they've done that down there. Just brings a lot of brewers together, brewing fresh hop beers, lots of fun. Always a great space to be as well. um i I think I said this two years ago and maybe even last year, I just cannot get over Hefeweizens. And I'm just stuck on them, um which is really frustrating because no one brews them because no one wants them, apparently, except for me, it seems. But Spotty Dog brewed a Hefeweizen this year as part of their Mayfest, which was a sensational beer. Riley, of course, training in Germany, has a few tricks up his sleeve. So, yeah it was really great to see that. Unfortunately, it wasn't canned. It was keg only, but I've been nudging him ever since.
00:06:25
Speaker
um especially since Muburu didn't brew theirs this year as well, which is a big shame. um And the other beer that really kind of stood out to me was the um the World Ocean Day Lager from Muburu and Deep
Collaborations and Industry Changes in Tasmania
00:06:38
Speaker
South. It was a collab between them and Yakima Chief Hops and also the Great Southern Reef Foundation. So it was raising money for the environment, essentially. And that's always a big tick for me because um as an ecologist, anything that's kind of delving into that that our conservation science world is always going to have me going back for more. And luckily it's an incredibly delicious beer as well.
00:07:02
Speaker
Yeah. um Yeah. Bringing those two former, well, current and a former Mu head brewer together as well. I'm sure they loved catching up again, Jack. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So yeah, it's great to um great to see them collabing and doing stuff together as we'd like to see in the Tassie beer industry.
00:07:21
Speaker
cool and um i i mean yeah there probably have been a couple of low lights obviously fox friday has been one of the most high profile um brewery closures they did have spaces all over but that i mean that's still sort of in the news for various reasons in terms of the funding but um in the good side of that mountain cultures come like like what about those that side of things yeah and so yeah like as you say there has been those closures there's been fox friday which is the big one um overland as well in north hobart they um They went into VA as well recently, which was sad to see. um But as you say, you know, seeing that and culture kind of rise out of the ashes and fill that niche because the Tassie beer scene, we don't really focus on those big hoppy beers that Fox Friday did. Fox Friday kind of paved it that path in Tasmania and then set off across the the country. So to see someone like mountain culture who does a similar style, um
00:08:16
Speaker
step into those boots and fill that niche is really great because it also means that it's not stepping on the toes of the other breweries that are already here, the other locals. So yeah, seeing that Mountain Culture acquire the brewery, um the brew house or the the the front bar front and the Muna Hotel, which is my my local. So I'm very happy about that because i move I bought a house like five minutes away from it. So I'm very happy that they they kept that.
00:08:43
Speaker
um But phil seeing that has been incredible. And um yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing what Mountain Culture do down here moving forward. Yeah, the Muni Hotel has one of the great um great spots to drink a beer. That that garden, that open ah that's the window, sorry, that opens up into the street. I think that's one of Australia's truly truly best places to drink an IPA. And it's good at still serving good beer as well.
00:09:05
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. And they've got the cellars pumping, which is um pretty a whole bunch of unique beers to um Tassie, as we don't get them that much down here. Yeah. Cool. Cool. And what about for the future? Do you have any sort of hopes for Tassie beer or beer more widely other than more Hefeweizens, please?
00:09:21
Speaker
but I, be honest, I think it is the more Hefeweizens. I mean, I think, uh, I'm the brewer, the brewers are actually, you know, on board brewers like Hefeweizens, most of them I talk to, but it's the punters. So I just need those punters to get behind it, get wheaty, have a tribe, a wheat beer.
00:09:39
Speaker
Um, I think people, um say, you know, they don't like wheat beers and they haven't really tried them or don't fully understand them. But there's more to beer than just hops. um The East is um where it's at. And so I think um I'm ho hoping that we get more wheaty as we go on. um Otherwise, i would love to see some more events in Tassie. We don't have that many beer events, um couple a couple of year kind of thing. And so with the hot fields down here and with um all these breweries, you know, we still probably got the the highest capita breweries per person, I think, still, hopefully, maybe. Don't know. sure um so you know, I think this is a perfect place to celebrate that. And yeah, hopefully we can continue to do it into the future.
00:10:24
Speaker
Yeah, I think um the state's still really missing the Fresh Hop Festival. I know obviously Hobart Brewing have stepped up to the plate and and they're running great events, but there's kind of only so much they can do. And I don't think it should just be on them because they they love the events. it It would be great to see other breweries as well, step it up and see that collaboration across the industry.
00:10:42
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. We've got, you know, ah paddocks full of hops, fresh hops every year. So, you know, that's that's definitely an untapped source of, um you know, promotion and beer and everything um that we could, um we could look into.
00:10:57
Speaker
Wonderful. All right, Matt, thank you so much for joining me. I'm sure we'll do this again next year, but we'll have to get you and Kelsey both on for the podcast before then as well. Yeah, no worries. Thanks so much, Joe.
00:11:09
Speaker
and Will, sorry. All good. Cheers, mate.
The Future of Hobart Brewing Co. and Consumer Trends
00:11:12
Speaker
Cheers.
00:11:18
Speaker
Nick, thank you so much for joining me on this end of year app. No worries at all, man. It's good be here Cool. So, I mean, we'll get to the Hope and Anchor maybe in a little bit, but before we do, what about any other highlights from the year for ah for Hobart Brewing Co.?
00:11:34
Speaker
Well, it's been a bit of a crazy year for Hobart Brewing Co. As some people may know, the future of our current brewery site is a little bit of up in the air, depending what happens with local parliament votes over the next month or so because of the the big old a AFL stadium. They're about to put exactly on top of where we brew our beer and where people hang out and drink it.
00:11:58
Speaker
um So for those of you who don't know, we're down on the Hobart waterfront, the stone's throw from Salamanca, big, beautiful beer garden that's been there last 10 years or so, and it's part of the redevelopment. that's the space that they're going to use. So we've been searching for new locations, trying to come up with something that I guess is ah in keeping with what we do, that we can do live music, that we can keep on having the beer garden vibes that we have.
00:12:26
Speaker
But we're searching elsewhere. so it's been a um but an interesting year of just seeing what we can pull out of our hat. So hopefully we'll have something to tell people pretty soon, which is exciting. And then taking over that pub, as you said, we'll come back to that later, but that's been a pretty exciting endeavor.
00:12:43
Speaker
um Apart from that, it's been a ah good year of doubling down on the classics, so to speak. I was listening to last year's rap and Matt was talking about the year of lager that had just been, feel like it's been a continuation of that as far as we're concerned of not necessarily just lager, but people searching out classics, searching out things that are consistent and smashable and made well.
00:13:12
Speaker
So our pale and not just us, but everyone else around Hobart, guess, has been the same. um big IPAs and crazy fruited sours aren't necessarily at the top of people's lists of things that they kind of try to jump on. So we've been really enjoying getting into the the science of consistency of making really good smashable beer.
00:13:37
Speaker
Cool. Yeah, no, it's, um yeah, you know, people like the classics. it's It's a big time for them. I think people want sort of what they know and what they love and um to stick on things as well, I i think. yeah In these ah crazier times where everything's happening in world politics and the ah the wild world out there, people like to stick with what they know to a degree. Yeah, yeah, like, you know.
00:14:01
Speaker
you know It sounds like a bit of a downer coming onto a fun podcast and talking about the cost of living that is a thing, but it's great that people can still go out and grab some really good beers from local breweries at an affordable price because people are, I guess, really focusing on making good core range beer that people can reliably get.
00:14:21
Speaker
Cool. And what about the Hope and Anchor? You know, you're several months into running it now. It's ah what, the oldest pub in Tasmania, maybe continuous license. let's Let's ignore that. It's old. That's the main thing. It's a beautiful building. How's it how's it going?
00:14:37
Speaker
It's good. You know, like you ah you take over... arguably Australia's oldest pub and you expect there to be some ah some ghosts in the building, whether that be the ghosts that people talk about on ghost tours or whether that be the ghosts that are the cursive electricians from the 50s who haven't had their work updated in 70 years.
00:15:01
Speaker
But it's good. We've taken over. um Locals seem to be really getting into... having a little bit more of a varied list that isn't just 10 lion lagers in a row.
00:15:14
Speaker
um People are coming in for the food, they're coming in for the vibes. We've taken 25 guns and 50 swords off the walls and instead trying to make it a little bit more of an approachable place for anyone that might want to come in and check it out, and trying to make the the building the star of the show because it is a pretty sick old, old, old building.
00:15:35
Speaker
um No, it's going great. We're loving it. Cool. And, um, you know, any other like plans for it at the moment or or now do you feel like you've got it sort of the place where you want it to be?
00:15:48
Speaker
um For an old building like that, there's always going to be things that you have to keep on ticking away at. Like I said, there's work that hadn't been about 70 years of a tree that we started on. So that's been the focus to start with. But, um you know, it's ah it's a two-story building as far as, like, the main pub is concerned. We've only really been focusing on the bottom to get the... um So we'll focus on getting upstairs open. There's ah another public bar up there that isn't quite yet open to publics.
00:16:18
Speaker
Hopefully get some outside action going too. We're working with council at the moment to introduce some street side drinking onto onto to marketplace there. So it should be really cool.
00:16:30
Speaker
Cool. Okay. And what about for the brewery more proper in 2026? Obviously there's just stuff potentially you can't talk about for the moment, but and anything you can talk about. Sorry, this is for the stadium brewery or the the new brewery down the road?
00:16:46
Speaker
ah for the new brewery? Yeah, I guess the reason we got the Hope and Anchor in the first place was to keep the Hobart in Hobart Brewing Cove when we went in sound and a new site because like in any capital city, it's real hard to find a big industrial open space that's ripe for brewing in the middle of CBD.
00:17:10
Speaker
So um Hobart doesn't have that many industrial precincts, so we're expecting to have to to move out to the Burbs. um Can't say where we're potentially moving to yet, but the distance isn't as far as we're expecting. So we're really we're really excited about that. So still be accessible for the people that have been coming to see us. It's going to be a different vibe.
00:17:36
Speaker
It's going to be... ah potentially a little bit smaller, potentially a little bit more of a focus on giving people a cool beer experience instead of sending them out into the jungle. It is our kind of beer garden. um But, yeah, no, it'll be thick.
00:17:52
Speaker
And I reckon our brewers are super stoked too because like they'll actually have a brewery space that is level with adequate drainage, which I guess is a brewer's dream, so to speak, when you've been working in a in a rusty red shed on the Hobart waterfront. when And when it rains outside there, it tends to rain a little bit more inside.
00:18:13
Speaker
So they'll be super stoked to go out there and have a lot more ah flexibility and tools to play with. Cool. And what about the wider Tassie scene or whether or even nationally? Like, is there anything you'd hope to see or any thoughts on where it's all headed? Hopes, desires, fears, anything like that?
00:18:33
Speaker
Desires, fears.
00:18:36
Speaker
I'm short-sighted. Get through summer. Yeah, I mean, the see I'm not sure when you're releasing this, but it's the 18th today and on the 22nd it's Moobrew's 20th birthday. So i'm ah I'm looking four days ahead he said ah to the day where it'll be hopefully a little bit sunnier than what it
Community Impact and Celebrations
00:18:55
Speaker
is right now. There'll be Moobrew single hop pouring from a tap somewhere that I haven't seen in ages.
00:19:02
Speaker
So really looking forward to that. um Looking forward to March next year, we've got a little festival called um the Hobart Community Hop, which is,
00:19:16
Speaker
i i guess, a step on from the old fresh hop festival that used to be in Laudceston where we get, you know, bit over a dozen breweries to come down, engage in the harvest for a fresh hop beer. We're really lucky that all of our breweries are a stone throw away from the um the bush the Bushy Park Hotfields. So OJ and Ado and the team there will hook us up with big old bags of green and we'll get to work and bring all the beers together at that festival. So that'll be in March or April, and maybe in a slightly different format because of all the things that are going on with our brewery at the moment. But it's always ah a huge highlight to me for me to not just to drink fresh hot beer, but for people to get a little bit weird with it.
00:19:59
Speaker
So ah looking forward to that. No, that's as exciting as my hopes and dreams get. I'm a simple man. I like drinking single hop reintroduced beer at Mubru's 20th birthday. And I like people coming together for ah for a crazy pint am when we can all make different beers together and then bring them all together. Nice. I'm actually wearing my Fresh Hop jumper just for you. I won't be able to see it, but I thought I better get it on for before a Tasmanian chat.
00:20:31
Speaker
i Look, I appreciate it. um I may not have been involved in that festival, but I feel spiritually connected to you over the internet nonetheless. Wonderful. All right, Nick, thank you so much for joining me.
00:20:42
Speaker
No, thanks for having me, mate. It's been a pleasure. Cheers, mate. It's time now to announce the Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month. Bluestone is Australia's leading manufacturer of liquid yeasts, offering brewers a biobank of over 100 strains. Find out more at bluestoneyeast.com.au.
00:21:03
Speaker
Hey listeners, Will and James here with another Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month. This is where people write in to let us know what breweries they love at the moment. And James, we've got one from Rich here. Yes, it's a brewery that we've celebrated in the past. I believe they've been a past breakthrough brewery of the year and one of our annual Victorian wraps. But when we did that, before we switched to the the podcast format, um Rich has nominated Love Shack Brewing in Castlemaine. Fantastic place, makes some lovely beers. They've had a really great year as well. They've expanded a little. um Been having some fun with with some of their releases as well. Rich says, when it comes to the idea of a brewery being the social hub of a community, These guys absolutely understand understood the assignment.
00:21:45
Speaker
Founded by a couple of young ex-Stomping Grand brewers and making their home in Castlemaine, their beers are high quality, straightforward and honest. I love an honest beer. Exactly. um He says ah their venue is a loving homage to the glorious country of yesteryear, 1970s vibe in a modern world. Their branding and marketing is also some of the best in Australia, with a recent highlight being a one shot video featuring rock band Tropical Fuckstorm causing mayhem in the kitchen while Connor, who is one of the founders, scrambles to find some cash to pay them gold.
00:22:15
Speaker
Yes, yeah I did watch that. I saw that collab as well and I was like, If ever a ben if band sort of was turned into a brewery, Tropical Fucksdale would be turned into a Love Shack. And coincidentally, we at the time of recording, I had my street party, Christmas party last yesterday, and one of my neighbours said that they recently had a pint of Love Shack Pale Ale at Norton's, which is a great pub in Melbourne, and they said it was just it just hit them. It was the perfect beer. He did say it might have been the moment. It was a nice afternoon, but he just was like, that is one of the greatest beers I've ever had in my life.
00:22:48
Speaker
Well, there you go. So congratulations, Love Shack, Connor and the team. um One of our final Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month winners for 2025. If you want to get a nomination there's still time for yeah to get one more in before the end of the year. Please head to craftypint.com slash Bluestone. Will, can you tell us what um the Love Shack will be winning from the lovely folks at Bluestone Yeast?
00:23:13
Speaker
You better believe I can. as this month's winner, Love Shack will score a box of Bluestone's Zinc Booster, which is from their booster range. This Zinc Booster, it's a coal side addition of sterile zinc, which replaces that zinc, which is lost in the boil.
00:23:28
Speaker
And as I've found out over the course of this journey, zinc is essential for optimal yeast health and performance. Well, and quite a journey. You've got better and better at outlining the the prize that so each each winner wins, each time will. So, ah you you know, shows that practice can make perfect. um Anyway, congratulations to those guys. Thanks again to Bluestone East for getting behind this campaign. And head now back to the show. Cheers. Cheers.
00:23:55
Speaker
Thanks to our Brewery of the Month partner, Bluestone Yeast. Bluestone provides the highest quality liquid yeasts to many of the best breweries in the country. If you'd like to find out more, visit bluestoneyeast.com.au today.
00:24:11
Speaker
Sam, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast. Let's have a look back. How was 2025 for Dick Hey, Will, thanks for having me. Good to be on here. i appreciate the invite. 2025, good year for us again. um You know, we're ah probably call it one of, so suppose, solidification. I guess it's our third year-ish. Well, we had our third year of opening this year.
00:24:36
Speaker
um And, yeah, I think everything's just ticking over well. We've kind of got things pretty well dialed. and ah And, yeah, it was just just a good year overall, I suppose. So, yeah. Any like standout, you know, events, moments, beers or anything like that?
00:24:51
Speaker
Yeah, I guess for us, probably one of the great, well, my two, two of my favorite moments of the year were when we um hosted Holy Holy and we hosted Sumner. So both Holy Holy and Sumner are Launceston based, or at least the lead singer of Holy Holy is. So they were unbelievable events, sold out, ah some of the best nights I've had in my life. And yeah,
00:25:14
Speaker
And yeah, so guess that's part of what 2025 was for us, kind of solidifying ourselves as a bit of an event platform. We're working with um a guy called Stu Bell here in Launceston who does fresh comedy. So he's getting some pretty major comedy acts coming through town. We're doing some adventure movie nights. So we're kind of like leaning into the brand there with rock climbing, mountain biking, bushwalking kind of themed events and movie nights. And then, of course,
Decayne's Expansion and Local Ventures
00:25:42
Speaker
the live music events which um you know i'm particularly partial to so yeah cool and was that something you thought would always be a focus on opening the brew pub or have you leaned a little bit more into these events like where's it sort of where's the vision come from well we've got a big room out the back we call the green room here uh and so know we thought that that would actually be activated as an event space more than it is it's just kind of part of our day-to-day trading a lot of the time now these days, given we've become more popular than we probably thought we were going to. um And so, yeah, but, you know, when when events came together, we've kind we've trialled a few and we've just kind of demonstrated to the organisers and to ourselves that they're they're fun, they're good to do, and um hopefully we can make some money from them as well. But you know, in terms of making Launceston a better place to live and a more vibrant community.
00:26:34
Speaker
We've got Seth Century this weekend, our first skip hop act. We're probably going to lose money on it, but, you know, like ah he's doing a national tour and it's to be shame for him to miss Launceston. And so just great to be able to bring, you know, some pretty serious acts like that to town.
00:26:48
Speaker
Nice. If you told me in my early 20s that you could lose money on Skip Hop, I wouldn't believe you, but I guess tastes changing. Well, that's right. I think you are you have to go pretty big to to make money these days. And um I am actually going down to see Hilltops at the Derwent Entertainment Centre in February. So I'm looking forward to that one. So, yeah.
00:27:05
Speaker
Nice one. And um on on a more personal note, a lot of people will know you for your long time involvement with Willie Smiths. And you I saw recently on LinkedIn, you've decided to step back from that. um Do you want to tell us a bit about why that's become the case?
00:27:21
Speaker
ah Yeah, I mean, I think when I moved to Lonnie in the start of COVID, um it became apparent that I would have to go down to Hobart every week to make that work. I was really trying to spend more time with the family at that stage.
00:27:37
Speaker
That's when we put a general manager in at Willys, Tim Hodgkinson. He's been doing a really good job. I guess I've been feeling... less and less involved over the years since since that's happened, since I've stepped out.
00:27:49
Speaker
I've been more and more focused on kind of Launceston and Duquesne. And um And yeah, I guess, you know, ah time timing worked out. um Smithy's got a mate of his who's just sold his business. So he's, you know, put put an offer forward. He's looking forward to getting into something new and different. Smithy's really focused on, you know, wholesale sales growth, um which um I'm probably a little bit less inclined to focus on at the moment.
00:28:15
Speaker
But he thinks there's a real opportunity there and that's great. And I'm hoping they can get after it. And, um, And it just enables me to kind of focus more on Launceston and and see what's next for Duquesne as well, I guess.
00:28:27
Speaker
Cool. So what is, what's next for Duquesne? What does 2026 look like? Well, we have bought um an old gospel hole that's next to the Duquesne and um we're actually converting it into a, well, I really miss ramen, frankly. There's not much good ramen in Launceston. There wasn't much good wood-fired pizza either, so I thought I'd better do that and and that works. so I'm going to bank on the fact that if I miss it, then other people will too. But um but yeah, like some good a good ramen shop and um ah which we kind of going to turn more into an izakaya, like a Japanese laneway bar vibe, i suppose. and um
00:29:03
Speaker
And of course, sell a lot of Japanese rice lager. So the boys are pretty excited. Sam and Will are pretty excited to be making this Japanese rice lager. um I was over visiting um Stomp and and doing a Melbourne ramen tour earlier this year, and they've got a banger of a Japanese rice lager. And um so, you know, we'll be trying to sell, um you know, as much beer as we can through that venue next door, but with a slightly different concept, I guess.
00:29:26
Speaker
Oh, that's super exciting. Like, um are the booze offering ah as well ah that you'll be presenting to people or how's that sort of side of things look? Yeah, what we've done with GK is keep it really, really local, obviously. um You know, we've got amazing wines and spirits here in the Tamar Valley around Launceston.
00:29:43
Speaker
We're going to lean into the Japanese more, obviously. We'll have a Sapporo on tap, no doubt. um We will also definitely have plenty of Japanese whiskey and, um of course, we're going to have some sake as well. So we'll we'll have to have those, um you know, but there's plenty of good Tasmanian whiskey that will go there as well. And, and yeah, so so it'll be a full full range of beers, probably a bit more of a cocktail bar vibe, but, you know, for rum and beer, it goes beautifully. So I think, you know, we're planning to get through quite a few kegs of the rice lager anyway. The the Japanese, ah the Ducane dark lager will be rebranded Ducane black or something probably for for that as well. And we did earlier this year for the Sumner gig, we actually did the did a Japanese yuzu and lime alcoholic soda for Sumner who are kind of a bit of a dance duo from down here getting some Triple J airplay at the moment. And that's been pretty popular through here. So we'll probably put that on tap as well. um
00:30:39
Speaker
Yeah. So looking forward to to seeing that happen come to life. that's We're going to start on that in January and hopefully launch in um in May. so Cool, just more and more delicious things.
00:30:51
Speaker
Well, that's right, exactly. Good food, good booze. It seems to go well together at the end of the day. People do appreciate it. And, um and you know, we're still small enough in Launceston that you can really make quite a difference with um with a unique offering, I suppose. And so hoping that'll have... It obviously won't have the same impact that Duquesne had on... um on Launceston but you know it's uh we're going to go down a bit more of a kind of nightclub vibe thing so uh with this as well so um interested to see how it's received but you know we want to make it fun and different nice and what about you know the wider Tassie beer industry or what what's you sort of hope or take on that at the moment yeah I mean I think the wider beer industry you know I think wholesale is really tough I think everyone kind of knows that um
00:31:38
Speaker
You know, ah obviously the the majors, I mean, the two big breweries have so many brands now that um you can't really, that everyone thinks they're getting a good choice. And then the retailers are putting in beers as well at some really sharp pricing. So, and then, of course, after COVID, costs went up a lot. So, yeah, there's really really not a lot of margin in that, but I think, you know, people are more and more focused on kind of venue and hospitality. Hobart Brewing Company have just taken on the lease of um the Hope and Anchor in Hobart. You've probably covered that already. You know, so they can have another outlet for their beers because, know,
00:32:19
Speaker
Selling beers at you know full retail and getting paid straight away is a far more attractive proposition to me these days than um you know than getting paid three months later and selling it for about you know a quarter of the price. so I think that's where people are kind of focused on here.
00:32:38
Speaker
you know there's um There was a push for, you know, even in Tassie, you know, we're getting super regional with our beers as well. There isn't really a a Tasmanian beer any anymore. Moorberry were kind of pushing it for a while as the Tasmanian beer, but, you know, there's a brewery in most towns now. and um And so hyperlocal is still the name of the game and i can't see that changing anytime soon.
Local Beer Trends and Recognitions
00:33:02
Speaker
Yeah, I think it's better for, um you know, for the as much as that makes whole ah wholesale hard and things like that. I mean, this is kind of what people wanted, isn't it? Like to go to a small town and be able to drink the local beer.
00:33:14
Speaker
I think so. I mean, I think so. mean, we're excited because Bogues are redoing their centre down there and that'll be good because that actually means they are... spending money on the visitor side of things too so it'll be it'll be you know a benefit for Launceston to have that as well so no i'm I'm excited and I think it it is pretty cool because each one you get to feel the experience of the brewery and and what they want you to what they want you to take away from it I guess and and so yeah I always love drinking a local beer wherever I go so yeah Sam anything else that stands out or big highlights from the year or anything
00:33:47
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, one of the things that was really pretty cool, ah you know, last year we were members of the Launceston Chamber of Commerce, which is the, you know, the business community here in Launceston. And last year we were fortunate to pick up the, um you know, the visitors Visitor Economy Award in the Chambers Awards. But, you know, we didn't get that this year. But what we did get, which was a lovely surprise, was what was called the Chamber's Choice Award. So this is all the members voting for their kind of I suppose, favourite business because it's a member's choice of the year or the business they that people hold in the most most high regard. And, you know, that was a huge um accolade for us to get voted on by our kind of business peers as as someone who's making a difference in the local community. So it' stoked <unk> with that one.
00:34:32
Speaker
It's like the highest honour you can get, isn't it? If you're making the beer that all the brewers want to drink, then you're you're kind of making the best beer and you're you're the business all the other business owners love. Yeah, I know. well ah We have a lot of business meetings here and a lot of social meetings and gatherings here too. So it's um it's just become that community space we were hoping to achieve from the start.
00:34:53
Speaker
Cool. All right. Cheers, Sam. Thank you so much for joining me. No worries. Thanks, Will. Good to see you. Cheers, mate. Cheers.
00:35:00
Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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