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Two Decades Of Moo Brew
415 Plays10 days ago
“You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to make good beers. That’s not to say we don’t try.”
There’s little like Moo Brew in the Australian beer landscape, however you look at it.
The brewery blazed a trail for craft beer in Tasmania and remains something of a figurehead for the state’s beer scene as one of the few breweries with a presence on the mainland. The unique bottles and John Kelly artwork on their labels marked them out as something different from the off – and that was before founder David Walsh carved the world-famous Mona into the rock underneath the original brewery.
You could argue their refusal to bend from a dedication to finely-honed, classically-minded styles while the rest of the beer world was losing its mind also marks Moo out as different. Meanwhile, making it to this month’s 20th anniversary with just three head brewers – all of whom still meet up in Hobart – is pretty extraordinary too.
Ahead of their birthday celebrations, we were joined by the latest of those three, Jack Viney, to look back on two decades of Moo Brew. The chat covers the brewery’s ethos and evolution, distinct brand and place within the Walsh empire, Moo's pioneering role within Tasmania, the arrival of Manky Sally’s brewpub in Salamanca, Jack’s career in beer, and the state of affairs for beer today.
There’s plenty to cover before we get to Jack too: Grifter becoming the latest local brewery to secure B Corp status; little Central Coast bottlo Oldfield Cellars beating all-comers to an ALIA trophy; a collab ten years in the making; and a look at the ins, outs, magic and mishaps of beer advent calendars.
We also unveil the latest winner in the Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month – nominate yours here – and hear about the opening of submissions for the 2026 Royal Queensland Beer Awards.
Start of segments:
- 13:45 – Jack Viney Part 1
- 37:11 – Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month
- 40:24 – Jack Viney Part 2
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 and Industry Overview
00:00:05
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Crafty Point podcast. I'm Will. I'm James and we're sort of closing in on the end of year, Will, getting very close to our state-by-state-by-territory wraps, but we still have time for two more um great chats, both of which are tied to ah you know monumental anniversaries and milestones in the Australian beer industry.
00:00:26
Speaker
Yes, and one very big one from a very fun brewery coming up.
Grifter Brewing's B Corp Certification
00:00:30
Speaker
ah ah But before we get into that, we yeah have news from Sydney with Grifter Brewing having become the latest brewery to secure B Corp certification, which makes them number eight in Australia.
00:00:43
Speaker
Yes, it's good to see someone's keeping a record there, Will. um It's only actually a couple of weeks since we last featured ah the Grifted Brewing Company as to give them their full name in another sort of sustainability, um you know, good global citizen-related piece and where Jason Truen did a piece on silos on the back of their um Big Orange Goblin, or bog to its friends, um towering over the over the streets of Merrickville.
00:01:07
Speaker
um At the time, we sort of we were aware that they had attained B Corp status, but there was, I think, a few I's to be dotted and T's to be crossed, and that was finally sort of made public um earlier in the week. So you had a chat to Faith Wignall there to find out a bit more.
00:01:21
Speaker
Yeah, Faith has really led it. And obviously, with B Corp, sustainability is a big part of it, but it's also about employment practices, you deal with suppliers, those kind of things. So there was a whole range of things they were already doing within the business, but they sort of You know, I think this is an important part of B Corp. It's one thing to get the certification, but what Faith really goes into is how, you know, they were they were on this journey already. They were doing these things, but to have like a sort of policy and a framework that runs across the business. So, you know, you're applying your sort of thoughts and beliefs ah across every aspect of it really matters as well.
00:01:58
Speaker
Yeah. And it sounds like to get there as well as having some sort of outside help. They also almost had like a dedicated team within the business, making sure they were on the right track across the business as well. Yeah. Well, Faith and Beatrice, I think Faith described them as to two people who annoyed a lot of people in the business many times, because you obviously you have to get info from the brewers and production staff and do all these surveys and sort of internal analysis as well, which is actually, can be a tricky thing to do when you're sort of bothering people when maybe they're not completely invested in it as you are, but a lot of groups of staff were, but sort of convincing them to make sure they get the stuff to you in a timely manner is pretty hard.
00:02:36
Speaker
Yeah, yeah.
Oldfield Sellers' 10th Anniversary and Resilience
00:02:37
Speaker
And i guess a little bit up the coast from there, you spoke to another New South Wales ah business owner this week as well. um There was the obviously the Ali Awards were announced recently. And, you know, amongst, this was I guess, the big names taking to the stage to pick up trophies, it was a rather smaller operation on the central coast that, you know, has been around doing wonderful things in craft beer and sort of independent booze for a while.
00:03:01
Speaker
Yeah, Oldfield Sellers from Gosford on the Central Coast. ah So I spoke to Garth Oldfield. It's actually their 10th anniversary. um So, you know, the reward's one thing, but i basically the conversation with Garth was very much that.
00:03:15
Speaker
um Yeah, you talk to him and he's very big on the, well, you know, for us, it is kind of the basics that work well. you You don't need to have too much beer on your shelf. Yeah.
00:03:25
Speaker
More important than that is to make sure it's really fresh and it's all gone within three months. Making sure you're getting interesting stuff out and balancing it with classics, really hand selling to people and bringing people on the journey with you, which, yeah, I think these are probably good reasons why and they...
00:03:41
Speaker
While they found wine has slowed down for them in the current economic condition, well, more expensive wine rather, they found craft beer has actually been quite strong for them over the last couple of years. And that's probably part of that. It's a place in that area. People always know they can go and not just buy something new and interesting, but also have a very lovely conversation alongside with it.
Craft Beer Basics and Innovations
00:04:02
Speaker
and I guess it's pretty yeah quite an appropriate article to run them this week entitl in, I guess, to tie in the main guests later and the brewery they work for in terms of like just doing the basics really well, being consistent, you know embracing classics as well. as well But we'll get to that when we do.
00:04:17
Speaker
um And so I guess staying on a on a ah sort of fun beer tip, I had a sort of rare week where I punched out a few stories last week and then the last of those was, um I guess, you know, as I probably said in the intro to the story, collaborations are sort of ten a penny these days, but sometimes they mean a bit more.
00:04:35
Speaker
um And there's a beer that's been released in Adelaide in the last few days called Naked Ned. um People who've been, i guess, in beer social media for a long time will remember that that was Ben Krause of Bitbridge Road Brewers' original Twitter handle.
00:04:48
Speaker
Um, and so it's an amalgamation of, uh, their bling bling double IPA and little bangs, the naked ejector. But it's the story behind that I think was worth telling. I think, especially on the back of the article, we ran the secret sales rep last week that was highlighting lot of the, I guess the, the downside to craft beer, the challenges in hospitality this, um, at the minute, this was sort of like highlighted so much the positive stuff about, um, the craft beer world. So was Oscar Matthews, who's now at the helm of little bang.
00:05:14
Speaker
And his mate, Dave Lawson, who's been, i guess, Bridge Road Brewers, SA rep for a number of years. They've known each other for a long time. They knew each other before beer, but they've had this sort of relationship in beer. They've worked for the same brewery in the States. They've brewed a number of beers together.
00:05:28
Speaker
um And I just thought this sort of encapsulation of all these lovely things about camaraderie and support and IPA and all these kind of things, yeah all going into this beer that they brewed for Noel's 10th birthday was a real nice sort of, I guess, positive microcosm of of of the good things that I guess um takes me back actually bit to, you know, one of the clips we shared from the Seeker interview last week where Curtis is talking about, you know, through all the hardships they go through in the In the beer world these days, when they sit in the brewery on a Friday or Saturday night and they see a really cool band playing and they look at each other and go, this is why we do it.
00:06:02
Speaker
I think that article to an extent as well, and this sort of their friendship and, you know, what they've given to each other and shared with each other over the years and then put into this beer really is a lovely encapsulation of so much of why, you know, you and I and so many other people do what we do in in the beer industry.
00:06:17
Speaker
Yeah, it's a long journey they've been on together and very different from where they started as well. Although I was surprised to learn that Dave from Bridge Road hasn't actually been there for 10 years. I feel like he's such the face of Bridge Road in South Australia. yeah he actually He actually predates the brewery itself. yeah He sort of came into existence when Bridge Road launched.
00:06:36
Speaker
yeah Yeah, for sure. um And another article that we got out this week, um one that Jason, one of our Sydney writers, was um keen to get out there. It's something I guess we've addressed before about canvents or you know beer advent calendars, whatever you want to call them.
00:06:50
Speaker
They've been around a while. We we did we last did a sort of feature on you know where they've come from, why people do them a few years ago. But you know I guess the the industry's changed a bit since then. There are more of them. They've evolved the way people do them.
00:07:02
Speaker
um And he's sort of chatted to someone who is just... loves them. This guy, Jaden, who's had a number of them over the years. Um, and also some of the people who've been doing them for number years about the challenges they face sort of, you know, some muck ups along the way or whatever. Um, uh, so I figured that was, it was a nice thing to get out.
00:07:18
Speaker
What do we got now? By the time this goes out, we got, you know, just, uh, just under two weeks before everyone starts cracking the first of their, their can rent beers. So we'll include links to that in the show notes as well.
00:07:29
Speaker
Um, but I guess, um, Moving on from that, in two days from now, it's going to be the yeah party to celebrate Moo Brew's 20th anniversary taking place at Mona in Hobart.
Moo Brew's 20th Anniversary Celebrations
00:07:40
Speaker
um And so we had a chat to their third head brewer in 20 years.
00:07:45
Speaker
Yes, Jack Viney, not the Melbourne Football Club player, but the the most recent head brewer. It's a great chat with him. me He really dives into, you know, it's such a fascinating brewery that it has been around for so long, but has had so few head brewers. um They're all still friends as well. They're all still living in the same area. um And yeah, he goes into the history of the brewery as well, but also their approach, which I think You know, when I started getting interested in craft beer, they were a brewery you'd saw a lot more on the mainland. They've kind of, uh, their roots are a bit deeper now in Tasmania, but they're still making these incredibly classic and just like finessed beers. Like no one's ever going to, uh, I think be disappointed or buy it by a Moo beer, whether it's a limited release or one of their great cool range.
00:08:30
Speaker
Yeah, and it's kind of interesting as well when you think that the you know the the brewery was launched by David Walsh, you know the creator of Mona and all the festivals that come with it and you know showcasing some of the wildest and I guess most transgressive transgressive art that would have graced any mainstream museum um in Australia, maybe elsewhere.
00:08:50
Speaker
and yet, you know and when they first came out, the the the beer bottles were very different. They feature you iconic artwork on the labels. And for all that sort of wildness and madness around it, they have just ploughed this very, um I guess, almost sane furrow. And like Jack says, they do have a limited release program. They were one of the first breweries over here to do a barrel aged imperial stout.
00:09:12
Speaker
But essentially their limited releases will be a hazy beer or a fruited sour. And you know now they've got Manki Sally's, which he talks about, their brew pub in Salamanca. That is... that does allow more of that side of the personal personality to come out. And yet it's almost like Moobrew is this sort of sane through line through the wider business.
00:09:30
Speaker
um But yeah, and it was it's interesting to talk about, you know they're they're actually in the process of expanding, they're hoping to get more beers out onto the mainland again. um which, you know, I guess at a time when, you know, the industry has been either contracting or flatlining, um you know, that there are stories like that out there. You know, i just I've seen some stuff going on social this week.
00:09:47
Speaker
Jimmy and Jesse at Goodland, they're putting new tanks in. So, that you know, there is expansion taking place, you know, in the industry. And, know, Moobrew are part of that, even though they're, you know, one of the larger um independents out there.
00:09:59
Speaker
Yeah. And sort of the very much pioneers of the Tassie scene as well. When they started, there were very few around and and now it's a state where there's just so many tiny breweries as well, whereas they remain um more so even though they've got the brew pub with a sort of production mindset too.
00:10:16
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, for sure. um Yeah, so we'll have the chat with Jack is coming up after the break and look forward to that. In the middle of the chat, we'll also have the latest winner in our Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month campaign. If you'd like to nominate your favorite brewery, and please do so at craftypint.com slash bluestone.
00:10:35
Speaker
And as as ever, um after last week's winner, Jeff from Cypher Brewing, you know, have you done a rallying celebration of the country's good beer citizens, please do keep those nominations coming at craftypint.com slash Rallings.
00:10:48
Speaker
um And so before we get to the main chat, Will, and actually your your last one before we get to the end of year stuff, because you're off on holiday next week. So you but let's let's sign off with aplomb.
00:11:00
Speaker
Yes. Yeah. I can't wait. Uh, uh, very much enjoying it the holiday and I've got some very good friends, uh, getting married as well. Uh, they don't listen to the podcast though, so I won't shout them out, but if you listen to the podcast and if you love it and, uh, if you want to let other people know about it, maybe these friends will change their mind and play it down their aisle while they're getting married.
00:11:21
Speaker
Just, uh, make sure you like subscribe, leave us a review cause it helps other people discover the podcast. cheers. Cheers.
00:11:30
Speaker
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00:11:41
Speaker
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00:12:02
Speaker
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00:12:14
Speaker
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Speaker
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00:12:51
Speaker
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Royal Queensland Beer Awards and Industry Recognition
00:12:56
Speaker
Attention brewers! Entries for the Royal Queensland Beer Awards supported by King Street and the Star Brisbane are now open.
00:13:03
Speaker
These prestigious awards recognise and celebrate the best beers in Australia. For brewers, it's an amazing opportunity to see where your beers stack up against your peers with helpful feedback provided by expert judges on every beer you enter.
00:13:15
Speaker
And if your beer is selected as the Grand Champion, you'll win a $5,000 line bursary aimed at furthering your own knowledge and advancing the Australian beer industry. All entrants also get the chance to network and mingle with fellow brewers and industry leaders at the awards presentation, an evening you won't want to miss.
00:13:33
Speaker
So what are you waiting for? Enter the Royal Queensland Beer Awards today at rqa.com.au. That's rqa.com.au. Submit nine beers and get 10% off all additional entries.
00:13:47
Speaker
Jack, thank you so much for joining us on the Crafty Pint podcast. Pleasure, guys. Thanks for having me. No problem. So big reason for having you on. There's a thousand reasons we could have you on, but we're at a 20 years of Brew at the moment. What, um, what are the celebrations sort of look like?
00:14:04
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, it's hard with a run into summer production. Breweries flat out, everyone's juggling a million things. So birthday was actually officially yesterday, but it it sort of came and went with 800 cans off the packaging line and a couple ah triple bruise out of out of the brewery. So at the moment, celebrations not so much other than a little nod and a pat on the back for everyone, but we've got a few big things in store coming up for later in the month. So um that will give us a chance to really really sit back and reflect and and celebrate the 20 years. Yeah, well, I think a couple of days from when this show is going out will be the the main party. you can tell us what's been planned there? I guess, you know, something happening at Mona, I believe?
00:14:46
Speaker
Correct. Yeah. So Saturday the 22nd, which is, well, not this weekend, but next weekend, we're celebrating the 20 years on site out at Mona. So for listeners, viewers that aren't aware, Mona was our original but Our birthplace from the brewery were owned by David Walsh who who started Mona and that's where the brewery was originally. So it's a bit of ah a bit of a home for us even though the production facility is no longer there. We moved about four nearly 15 years ago.
00:15:16
Speaker
now out to where we are just 10-15 minutes up the road but it's nice to be able to come back to site where it all began and obviously we've got very strong connections ah there and and all the staff um not just across Mooroo but also the Mona Greater organisation so it gives us a chance to celebrate with them and also it's a pretty magic spot to throw a birthday party.
00:15:38
Speaker
And there's some birthday beers as well. Is that right? i believe I believe you've even got back together with, you know, your two predecessors in the role to create one of them. Yeah. So, I mean, we obviously wanted to do something a little different, um whether it's different from a beer perspective or just something that isn't out in trade at the moment. So we've sort of taken one leaf from...
00:15:58
Speaker
from each side of that. So we've re-released Single Hop, which was um a beer that ah Dave McGill, the head brewer before me, released when we first commissioned our canning machine. It was the first beer that we did in canned format for a number of years nearly, two and a bit years, I think, before we brought all our Core Range beers out in canned. That was a long time ago, sort of,
00:16:20
Speaker
before craft beer was really everyday in cans and bottles were were more a thing. We still have our bottling line and still do our core range beers and in stubbies as well. but So we're leaning into the can re-release of single hop, which is obviously a single hu be old tasmanian mallt and hop and hops. So Enigma is the Tassie hop from Hop Products Australia.
00:16:42
Speaker
and Tasmanian Pilsner malt and then we've we've got a Belgian Golden Strong Ale coming out in a bottle so that's a nice 9% still easy drinking golden ale classic Belgian style beer and that's a bit of a nod to David Walsh our owner who's a massive Belgian beer fan and also a bit of a nod to a sort of R&D process at the little brew pub that we have in Salamanca called Manki Sallies that's a beer that was born out of there and we brewed it a bunch of times and it always goes really well on tap so it sort of has a few nice connections there between a beer that's suited well for bottle consumption given 9% on our bottles are 330ml and then also a few different nods one to David and one to
00:17:26
Speaker
the R&D little brewery we have at Manky Sully's. So nice to get some either different or or new beers out for the birthday release. We're throwing essentially ah a little mini music festival on the lawns at at Mona up from the main stage. We've got a bunch of Tassie bands playing.
00:17:42
Speaker
um The Heavy Metal Kitchen and and the Mona Chefs are going to throw some some food on, special food on for us. And we're just activating that space for the day. So bunch of other entertainment.
00:17:53
Speaker
a few little games and giveaways and stuff but essentially just an excuse to get as many people as we can together that's had a connection uh with the brand out out and about for a bunch of beers and some music for the day so it should be fun we're throwing an after party at the brew pub obviously later for either those who are keen to kick on or the people that couldn't make it so um yeah i think it'll be pretty fun day and and And what's the vibe within the business upon
Moo Brew's Legacy and Future Vision
00:18:18
Speaker
reaching? It's pretty major milestone. you know There's not too many independent breweries have made it to 20 years, certainly still independent. um And there's not many breweries like Moo Brew within sort of you know the wider Mona. um you know And there's the winery stuff as well you know within the wider business. So you know what's the feeling?
00:18:35
Speaker
Yeah, look, I mean, 20 years is is a big achievement, I think, for any business, let alone a brewery. So um the the business has changed a lot since we started. But I think in general, when you reflect back and you look at what 20 years of history brings to the table, there's a lot that um that's happened over those years.
00:18:54
Speaker
brands developed and moved in its sort of from its original inception concepts to where we are now but obviously the craft beer industry 20 years ago was a totally different scene so it's sort of a bit of both it's a bit of a reflection looking back on on where we've come as a brand and a business but also how far the craft beer scene has come obviously there's been some peaks and drops in that more recently some drops but you know that's that's part of time and and history within within a business or within a sector. So um yeah, there's a lot to look back on and that from, Moobra actually predates Mona from a museum perspective. So we're we're we're pretty old even in within the greater organisation, obviously Marilla Winery and the site of Mona and and the winery where where operations are now
00:19:41
Speaker
predates Mubru by a long way but in the greater organisation perspective we're also we've got some pretty long um heritage there too so it's I think it's important not just for the direct Mubru staff um to be able to celebrate it but also celebrate it from the greater organisation and everyone else that has um connections with the brand or has had an involvement over the years because and obviously we're removed from the main Murilla Mona site now but we also we we work a lot very closely with people that are still ah within that greater organisation.
00:20:12
Speaker
ah so yeah, there's a lot of ties within the greater Mona world, that's for sure. and And, you know, a big part of that is 20 years, three head brewers, so starting with OJ and then Dave and now you. Like, do you have any reason why that's like that? I mean, you know, it's you've got to be on your own there to to be in ah have a ah history like that, particularly when you're all still hanging out with each other as well and all in Hobart.
00:20:38
Speaker
Yeah, no one's killed anyone yet. i think um i mean i think from the early days, if you look back at what the beer scene was in Tasmania when OJ and David Walsh started Mubru, there's probably a good chunk of time there where there wasn't the opportunity to move around or go and do something different. So um I guess from from the early days, it was always...
00:20:59
Speaker
a project that OJ was you know going to start and see through for an extended period of time. So they probably chews up a good whack of the first few years there. um i think in general in Tasmania up until recently, there hasn't been a huge scope for other roles. We're obviously Tasmania's oldest and largest independent craft brewery. so um probably if you're looking to move sideways or jump around it's not like if you're in one of the bigger capital cities.
00:21:26
Speaker
I think there's also a bunch of other other reasons and and you know the belief in what we're doing and the beers we're making and the environment that we're working in is is a big part of that but um so it's not just because there is nowhere else to go you can always move on and as we saw with Dave when the time came he wanted to go do his own thing.
00:21:44
Speaker
Same with OJ when the time came he was ready for a change and he went and tackled hops from ah from a different perspective. So, um yeah, look, I don't know, it's hard to say why why it's only been three ah in an extended period, but I think it's a testament to the brand and the beers we're making and the way we operate that people still either want to stay for an extended period of time. It's not just head brewers. We've got people in the production team that have been here for really really long time and I've had staff members go be here for 10 years plus go into another career and they still come back and help out and do some brew shifts and things when when they can because they they are invested and they feel like it's you know been a part of their um working life and and they care about the brand so that's probably another part of it but um obviously being Tasmania and being small and Dave O'Do and I are all in Hobart um we do catch up
00:22:38
Speaker
regularly hu whether it's beer industry events or just for a beer or when it's you know hop sales or whatnot so you do you do cross paths with with everyone on a regular basis which i think is nice it gives still has some connection and i know dave and oj are both still really passionate about moobroo even though they've moved on they still want to see it ah continue and and and you know do what what they think it should be doing and they put a lot a lot of years of hard work in into the brand to get it where it was so um it's nice to have those continual connections with people that have been here in the past. With that I guess, you did did you feel there's a bit bit of a sense of extra responsibility compared to maybe other head brewing roles coming in
00:23:20
Speaker
sort of taking up the baton from a couple of, i guess, real legends of the industry. And I guess even tied to that, that Moo Brew has such a flagship role within the Tasmanian scene. You know, one of the few Tasmanian breweries to have any sort of, you know, real presence on the mainland.
00:23:34
Speaker
And I think it's done a lot to, you know, help, you know, raise the profile of Tasmanian craft beer. So, you know, with you coming in, it's like, all right, I've not just got to maintain the quality of the beers, but it's, you know, did it feel like a bit more than that?
00:23:45
Speaker
Yeah, look, I don't know about pressure. Obviously, there's always internal pressure. you'd be Anyone would be lying to you to themselves if they said, I'm going to come in here and think this is going to be easy because you do have a reputation to uphold and you care about your products and your team and the way the brewery operates. So um you want to keep that going. I think...
00:24:03
Speaker
um Personally, probably just staying true to what Moo Brew is and the beers that we brew and and you know keeping that um legacy going. I remember conversation with Dave, I think it was probably after he left, after we'd sat around and drank a bunch of beers and he essentially just looked at me and said,
00:24:21
Speaker
don't fuck it up, but put your stamp on it. you know like There's only been three of us and and that's not a bad thing. Don't feel like you can't change things, but you know do what you think is right for the brand and and keep doing good things. and yeah I think that's a pretty simple ethos, right? like You don't want to change the world all at once.
00:24:38
Speaker
and and We definitely put pressure on ourselves every week to be churning out quality, reliable, consistent beers, but I think when there's a brewery with ah core range that it you know has a very long lineage of of what people are expecting.
00:24:54
Speaker
You don't have to reinvent the wheel to keep making good beers. It's not saying we don't try, but yeah, I think that's the simple part. The hard part is you know in in any evolving industry is staying relevant and still seeking out new customer bases and developing as as the industry changes. And obviously we saw ah rolled into a ah downturn pretty quickly.
00:25:15
Speaker
not long after and it's been five years nearly since I took the reins but I've been at the brewery for five years before that before taking over so I guess from that perspective it wasn't like walking into a new workspace it it felt very familiar to me and the team was was very familiar to me ah but yeah you know it's it again coming into COVID times and the industry booms and now industry bus it's it's it's been a challenging ride that's for sure.
00:25:42
Speaker
and was Was there ever a temptation at any stage as sort of craft beer pushed into ever new and weirder places to go, oh, maybe we should try this? Because, you know, it does feel that Moobras really known what it is and stayed within what what that is. But have there ever been discussions at any point going, oh, look at what's happening. Maybe we should, you know, have a look in this area?
00:26:01
Speaker
I mean, yes and no, that like the discussions always happen. You'd be silly not to have the discussions from a business management perspective. You can't just bury your head in the stand. If something's not working, yeah have you have those conversations. But I think we're really true to our core principles about what we what we do, and and that comes along with a relatively set core range that's been in the market, what we refer to as our icon range, has been in the market for a for quite a while now.
00:26:27
Speaker
um We definitely introduced some more limited release programs um in more recent years. gives us that flexibility to to play in some creative space. But having said that, we still work within our ah guidelines of what we believe Moobroos beer and ethos of making beer should be. So we're not you're not going to see us, and I'm not having a crack at it, but you're not going to see us putting glitter in beer or that kind of stuff. that I'm not saying that's wrong, but it's just not what Moobrew does.
00:26:56
Speaker
So yeah, we have we've introduced a limited release range. people listening along might say, well, that's not that creative. You're just making some hazies and some fruited sour beers and things. But when you look back at the history of of the brand and where we've come from, um you know, for us, that they're a different type of beer um to have either in the brewery or out in, out in trade. So I guess, yeah, we're sort of, I wouldn't say it was trying to stay relevant, but we get to flex our muscles a little bit. It also gives the brewing team, um, some interesting things to do. We try and do one every quarter. We have seasonal releases as well in and around that. So it does give us the capacity to, to do some fun stuff. And then obviously the, um, the creation or the,
00:27:38
Speaker
The starting of the little brew pub down in Salamanca then gives us that extra level of fun, flexibility, creativity space that isn't in our normal icon range or out nationwide on the mainland.
00:27:50
Speaker
So we get that fun space to play in as well. Yeah, and how have how's that integration been? Because, you know, when you started the limited release program some years ago, it's not like you had a brew pub. So I imagine there could have been some nerves. They're always great beers and and perfectly dialed in. But, you know, putting these limited releases straight into a significant production capacity and sort of sending them out far and wide, do you feel like a bit freer now and that you can experiment with recipes now or just what's the point as
Balancing Creativity and Market Demands
00:28:21
Speaker
a brewer? Yeah.
00:28:21
Speaker
I think, um I mean, there's definitely always nerves when you, if you're brewing something for the first time and you're throwing it at 110 hectank that you know, that you know, you need to sell it and it can't sit around for ages and you don't want to screw it up.
00:28:34
Speaker
um I wouldn't say the brew pubs helped in that sense, but what it has done has helped us dial in beers that we're really interested in brewing and excited about and bring that back to the big breweries. It doesn't make it any less nerve-wracking when you're filling a triple brew length fermenter with something that hasn't seen the market on ah on a broader scale. But um I think what it, yeah, it keeps us that creative,
00:28:56
Speaker
creative juices, I guess, pardon the pun, flowing and and it keeps you engaged and and makes you think about what you're doing, not just with those limited release series beers, but also just process driven stuff. I mean, it's a three heck brewery at the brew pub, so it's tiny in the scheme of things, but it's essentially, it's a proper little three hectolitre brew house with six unitanks, six FVs. So,
00:29:20
Speaker
you know We've changed some things, changed some yeast things, changed some dry hopping methods, sort of tank management seller stuff, which you know until you get to start mucking around with it and playing with it, you probably wouldn't roll the dice on it on a huge tank here. but So it's not just limited release beers.
00:29:38
Speaker
it's it's everything I guess from a production process perspective some of the limited release beers that we put through the big production facility out here have definitely come from Maggie Sally's brew pub because we have the flexibility to do that I mean hazy beers are a classic example of you know they're not new and exciting anymore everyone's got them and they're great and they're wildly popular for a reason um but they're something that we didn't have in our icon range beers so um yeah hazy beers are a great example of you know something that we didn't have in our icon range and it wasn't something we were looking to do as a year-round beer but obviously as brewers and drinkers we were loving being able to experiment with different hops and really leaning into those hop characters and
00:30:23
Speaker
and different aromatic and flavor profiles. And the brew pub really gave us that opportunity to, to really dial those in. And we've almost always got a permanent hazy tuck, whether it's a pale or an IPA on down there and and they fly as you would expect in the current beer drinking climate. So to be able to bring those, the things we've practiced and learned down there and bring them into the the big brew when we've done limited releases is, is it definitely a,
00:30:49
Speaker
ah like a luxury and takes the pressure pressure off a little bit. and and And where did the, I guess the idea or the impetus for the limited releases come from? You mentioned and the Belgian strong golden ale as a bit of a sort of, you know, like a nod to David Walsh as a style that he really likes. you know, is it all coming from the brewing team or can the wider, you know, is this anything tied to the festival?
00:31:11
Speaker
Might David still come in and go, i'd like to make one of these? Like, how does it how does it work? and David definitely doesn't come in and tell us which beers he wants us to make. But yeah, I mean, production team...
00:31:22
Speaker
foremost i want ah we want our team to be excited and engaged in the beers that we're brewing because it it is it is the fun part making the same beers five days a week on morning and evening shifts is is repetitive i mean anyone that works in these in a manufacturing environment understands that it's not that glamorous you know like i'm sitting here in high viz and it's middle of november and i got a beanie on because it's freezing in the brewery today so it's it's not all it's not always cracked up to be so these limited release opportunities give us that chance to get the production team and the brewing team excited about what we're doing so it's definitely a bit of that and then ah obviously you need to sit down with the marketing and the sales team and work out what's going to sell because what we're excited to brew and what we want to drink might not always line up with the time of year or the product that they want to go to market with.
00:32:09
Speaker
um Something like the Belgian Golden Strong Ale has definitely had some more robust conversations around its sellability and how much we needed to brew versus if we came and said we want to do a hazy pail, that's a pretty easy one to tick off the list straight away. But I think it's a balance for us doing doing some stuff that we know we can sell and that drinks well in the right environment, whether that's a fruited sour coming into summer or you know something different at the end of ah in spring versus
00:32:40
Speaker
or autumn or versus something like this Belgian golden that yeah it's a bit niche and yeah we brewed a little bit less of it but we put it in a bottle and it's a premium product and and it has a nice backstory and makes sense for the 20th year so it's from our perspective it's yeah it's an input on all sides.
00:32:56
Speaker
And Jack ah you know looking to next year and 21 and beyond i'm I'm sure you'll have a wonderful 21st party but you know what else ah what else do you have in store for the near future? Yeah, look, I mean, 20 years is a big one, but we're not hung up on year by year legacy. It's more just focusing on what we can do to to keep relevant and keep viable in in the current industry. So we've got a few things in the pipeline. We've recently, in the last couple of months, we've rolled out a ah new distribution um model on the Eastern Seaboard. We've been on the mainland. Obviously, a large percentage of our volume is Tasmania, given we started here and
00:33:32
Speaker
um This is where we set our routes, but we have been on the mainland for a while in different forms with sales reps in and all the major states, cities, back to smaller distribution models.
00:33:44
Speaker
We've just taken on a new partner in St. Wynes, so they've taken on us as their Salbeer brand. They've also got Willie Smith as a sole cider brand, so a nice little Tasmanian spearhead offering from those guys and they're nationwide. So um excited to see what that brings. We're we're pretty excited about that from a from a brand fit perspective. that They're a great bunch of crew and and they really understand our brand and where we're coming from and our beers and it's a nice addition to their portfolio particularly given there they're predominantly a wine, have been in the past predominantly a wine distributor. So scaling up production to meet their needs is definitely on the cards which is already happening.
00:34:28
Speaker
So that's great, we're pretty excited about that. It means that the upside of that for but drinkers is that our beers will again be more readily available like they have been in the past up the eastern seaboard to start with. We're we're sort of doing phasing that roll out first before we duck into Western Australia and South Australia just from a management perspective and a keeping tabs on volume and what we can deliver on. The the worst thing you can do is you know promise the world not deliver on it. So um yeah, already hearing some feedback from New South Wales and Queensland for people that have drunk our beers before and we're having having hard time finding them, excited that that we're back. Not that we ever went away, but definitely didn't have the the ah wider distribution as we would have liked or as drinkers would have liked. So I guess that from that perspective is it's probably the biggest thing.
00:35:16
Speaker
for the next 12 months and then also just, again, just keeping the business ticking over and the lights on in the current climate and doing what we can, um you know, to really solidify the future of the brand and make sure we're heading in the right direction.
00:35:31
Speaker
Yeah, no, um' I'm pretty sure there'll be plenty of people out there, you know, Excited to hear that. I think back to when we did the blind tasting of like the session beers and we hosted at Miss Moses upstairs and your, um you know, the red can came out comfortably on top.
00:35:45
Speaker
And i think ever since then, pretty much the full range has been staed is stocked in the Miss Moses bottle shop. And there's pretty much always at least one Moo Brew beer on tap. Cause it was just like a reminder for the the venue owner. He's like, oh my God. Yeah, their beers are so good.
00:35:58
Speaker
Haven't had them in a while. need to get them back in. So um yeah, which I guess is, you know, good sign. Yeah, I mean, James is a great supporter of ours and um yeah yeah we love having our products in the fridges in the bottle shop and and on tap when when we can get a slot. But I guess that is a challenge with with any business or brewery that's done some time in the industry is, you know, you can be seen as a bit old and boring and sometimes you do need a little tap on the shoulder to remind you that we're still making quality, consistent beers and we're still here. So,
00:36:30
Speaker
It's a little bit easier in Tassie when the market's a bit smaller and a bit more condensed. But it's hard on the mainland. There's so many great breweries and and great beers kicking around. And theres you know if you're if you're a publican or a bottle shop manager or a pub manager, you've got a ref walking in every 10 minutes at the moment trying to say something good. So it's hard to stay in the forefront of people so people's minds. So just chipping away on that and you know making some noise about the fact that we're 20 years old, but we're still here and we're still rolling out you know quality and consistent beers.
00:36:59
Speaker
yeah Great. Now, we'll take a short break now. And then in having chatted a lot about Moo Brew, I'd love to come hear about more about your story in beer. um Maybe we have a chat about the wider Tasmanian scene as well. So we'll see you after a short break.
00:37:11
Speaker
We're back to announce the Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month. Bluestone is Australia's first and best liquid yeast supplier. If you haven't tried liquid yeast yet in your brewery, be sure to give Derek and the team a call.
00:37:23
Speaker
Hello listeners, Will and James here back with another Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month. This is where you let us know which breweries you love and why. And James, we have some elder states people of the Australian craft beer community to talk about here.
00:37:38
Speaker
I'm not sure that... necessarily going to want to be called elder states people. I once interviewed Chris Lowe of the Pet Shop Boys, just name dropping a bit here for the paper in the UK and made a lot, and made a comment about them being the elder statesman of pop.
00:37:51
Speaker
And he didn't take that too kindly, especially as it was 20 years ago and they're still going now in their 90s or whatever they are. Anyway, back to back to the brewery of the month. And ah yes, that the the winners this month are Holgate Brewhouse, who um turned 25 last year, still going.
00:38:07
Speaker
And they actually had a couple of nominations in recent weeks.
Bluestone Yeast's Brewery of the Month: Holgate Brewhouse
00:38:10
Speaker
One of them was from um Elise, No Surname Supply, but she did say, and I first visited their pub many years ago. and love seeing them continue to put out new beers alongside their long list of classics in Bragg's How Good Is Temptress, even doing so into their second quarter century of beers.
00:38:27
Speaker
Yes. How good is Temptress indeed? And Elise then says an inspiration to other independent businesses out there. I like that she says businesses rather than just brewery. I remember when we interviewed Paul, he said, you know, 25 years is a long time as a small business, not just as a brewery.
00:38:43
Speaker
um And there was also someone else who let us know that Oh, yes. So Damien, better known as Damo Renahan, he's a huge supporter of craft beer all across Australia. Very rarely goes anywhere without visiting every single craft brewery on the way or wherever they are.
00:38:58
Speaker
um One of his longstanding Crafty Cabal Beer Club members as well. Damo name checked Holgate and just, you know, straight to the point, good range of beer, good food, excellent staff. And don't anyone who's visited them at Woodend or tried any of their many beers would disagree.
00:39:17
Speaker
So congratulations to Paul and Tash Holgate and their team, their family, um winners of this month's ah Bluestone Yeast Brew of the Month. um Will, what does that mean for them? Well, once again, as this month's winner, they'll score a box of Bluestone Yeast Zinc Booster from their booster range. This is a cold side edition of Sterile Zinc, which replaces the zinc lost in the boil.
00:39:39
Speaker
And as we all know, zinc is an essential for optimal yeast health and performance. So enjoy your zinc Holgate. Indeed. And thanks to Derek and the team at Bluestone for supporting this ongoing celebration of the country's wonderful breweries. Do you get your nominations in at craftypint.com slash Bluestone. We'll have another one for you in a few weeks time.
00:40:02
Speaker
um But for now, back to the show. Enjoy. Cheers. Cheers. The Brewery of the Month is brought to you by Bluestone Yeast. When it comes to liquid yeast, the team at Bluestone really are the experts, and they can even work with you to create custom yeasts for your brewery, kept safe in their biobank and ready to go.
00:40:20
Speaker
Find out more at bluestoneyeast.com.au.
Jack Viney's Journey and Moo Brew's Team
00:40:24
Speaker
Welcome back, Jack. We've spoken a lot about Brew's history, but what about the Jack history? um Do you want to tell us a little bit about like why you joined Moo your entry entry into the industry?
00:40:37
Speaker
Yeah, I've always been interested in beer. Obviously, you kind of have to be if you're going to end up in the beer industry because ah you don't last if you're not passionate about what you're doing. um new yeah new day for a long time through hospitality work and and Hobart.
00:40:53
Speaker
um was Moved overseas for a couple of years, was living and working in Canada. and um i'm going always lot i mean, I distinctly remember drinking a Little Creatures Pale when I was at uni and just being like, what what is this? This is amazing. like Why doesn't beer taste like this all the time?
00:41:11
Speaker
And sort of you know followed what was the craft beer scene, I guess, back then a little bit, but wasn't super passionate about it. but Spent bunch of time living and working in Canada and really got into, but obviously, the North American craft beer scene still is going really strong, but was really booming at that point.
00:41:29
Speaker
So it was a mix between great access to to really quality products at at pretty cheap pricing, giving even even though Canada is not quite the same as the States, but you know you you could drink really good quality beer.
00:41:43
Speaker
for cheap, which was great because we were living up like ski bumps in a ski town. And then also got right into home brewing. Home brewed a little bit through uni, but obviously as most people do, it tastes like crap and it wasn't wasn't that good. But yeah, really sort of got dialed in to it in when we're living in Canada and set up in the basement, little little mini homebrew shop, I guess.
00:42:05
Speaker
So probably that probably spiked my interest a little bit more. I didn't really have intentions of coming back to Tasmania and totally changing my career path. I did a science law degree at uni but was working in, when I wasn't being a ski bum, was working in sort of environmental,
00:42:22
Speaker
environmental geology fields and environmental sort of management stuff. um So a pretty different career shift, I guess, came back to Tassie and we originally thought we'd move back to Canada.
00:42:35
Speaker
and We'd come back for a summer or for a little extended period. hadn't been home for for a long time and my wife, she's French, but she'd been living in Canada for a long time. So I was a bit bit of like, come home to Tassie for a summer and show you around. And yeah, 12 years later, we're still here.
00:42:52
Speaker
so There's a lot to show her. Yeah, kind of came back here and and reached out to Dave. I mean, yeah, we'd already been having conversations around beer and whatnot, but said, look, I'm back. I'm looking for some summer casual work. And like every good bloop brewery employee starts on the packaging line and, um,
00:43:09
Speaker
Kind of never leaves you. I spent all morning packaging cans this morning, so it's still in there. So, yeah, Dave was like, yeah, we're actually looking for someone just casual your hours, a couple of days a week, come and hang out. And, um yeah, that's sort of where it started, I guess. and from there as it often does with people that are passionate about beer kind of snowballs into something that's a bit more all-encompassing um was lucky enough at the time I guess it within Moobrew to get some experience in all different aspects of the business coming up so you know on the packaging floor in the cellar I even did some time in the sort of operations logistics side of the business filling some holes when people were away on on long leave and um yeah just really got sort of
00:43:50
Speaker
understand the business of of beer, not just making beer. And then probably just hassled Dave enough to say, come on, give me a chance to make some beer. I think we're we were making a lot of whiskey wash at the time for local distilleries. We're doing a couple of millimetres a year of that.
00:44:06
Speaker
And that was perfect trial ground for someone that was like me, that Dave didn't want to throw the keys across straight away. We obviously have but relatively, large not large, but large for Tassie at the time production team with a bunch of brewers and A lot of them would sort of do the brew shifts and then I'd help out on the whiskey wash days. So I sort of yeah cut my teeth there, I guess, and yeah ended up where I am now. Went back to school and went through IBD and did my diploma in brewing. and which again, you know, was after finishing five-year uni degree, had no interest in studying again, but beer has the knack of really sucking you in and and putting you back to to something that you weren't expecting to do. So i guess, yeah it's been you know nearly 11 years now since we started studying
00:44:50
Speaker
with Moo. So it's been a journey for sure, but really interesting journey and and great to learn some different parts of the business. And now, um yeah, kind of obviously leading the production team, but we've got a great ah great production team, a bunch of brewers. So um I guess from a Moo Brew perspective, it's not an Abbey's perspective. it's not It's not just me. Like, i sure, I have a title that says head brewer, but I'd be screwed without the production team, packaging managers,
00:45:17
Speaker
you know warehouse and logistics, it's we're a small team, but we're a pretty committed and and close group. So um titles are a funny one, but definitely all the beer that's coming out of the brewery, people have a hand in it.
00:45:31
Speaker
And then I guess more recently taking over as co-general manager, um nearly 12 months ago now, um again, it's not something that we probably envisaged a few years ago, but um opportunity arose and and it's been really great to you know i'd properly sink our teeth into um myself and Heath into that side of the business.
00:45:50
Speaker
We're obviously very involved already and we both worked with the brand and and we're doing our other roles, but to be able to take that on and have some input into where we'd like to see the business and the brand go has been really rewarding. Obviously, it has its challenges and then managing the hospitality side of the business and a whole other unit and a team of um great staff, but it's it's a lot of headaches when you when you start adding more and more onto your plate, but it's good, keeps you engaged and there's definitely not too many dull moments.
Moo Brew's Brand Identity and Brewpub Experience
00:46:20
Speaker
when yeah and When you talk about the brand side of things, I guess, you know, the John Kelly artwork, which has adorned the the bottle since the very start. I know there's, know, paintings hanging up in the brewery. It's it's kind of never present.
00:46:30
Speaker
Is that always something that's factored into any sort of thought or is it now just sort of so much part of the, you know, the lifeblood of Moo Brew that you don't even necessarily need to think about? It's just something that's always there because it's, you know, it definitely is.
00:46:43
Speaker
You don't have Moo Brew without thinking about the iconic artwork on the labels and elsewhere. and Yeah, it's that's an interesting question actually. um I think for the people that know the brand and the brand history and have seen us develop it, they understand that connection with the John Kelly artwork and the fact that every Icon range can has its own artwork essentially, own label.
00:47:04
Speaker
um I think it it is lost on other people too. Even just the name Moo is often, you go to, not that we do there are that many beer events anymore or trade shows, but back in the day you'd get people coming up and mooing at you thinking you were, you know,
00:47:16
Speaker
making beer in a dairy or using milk in your beer or it is lost a little bit on people. um don' I don't know if that's a bad thing but it's definitely not something that everyone knows. that gives um For anyone that is listening, M-O-O comes from Marilla which is the name of the peninsula that the winery and Mona now sits on. It's the indigenous name of that peninsula.
00:47:37
Speaker
um So it's it's a little bit of a riff or it is a riff off of Marilla obviously. The winery was on site, still is on site and it's called Marilla Winery so I couldn't couldn't have a Marilla brewery, um hence Moo. So I think a few of those little nuances are lost on people, but the 20th year, again, just gives us a chance to educate people around that and just give them a bit more insight into the brand.
00:47:59
Speaker
um And we're not just a brewery making brewery. making beers, that there's a fair bit of backstory to it, whether it's the art or the John Kelly piece and he's, you know, stashed with the Australian Arts Council or if it's the name and and our history. I think they're all important parts of the brand that we definitely don't forget.
00:48:14
Speaker
We probably take them for granted a little bit because it it is does just seem commonplace for us, but it's nice to have an opportunity ah to celebrate it and tell the story a little bit more.
00:48:25
Speaker
Yeah. And what about on the sort of beer front, whether it's since taking over as head brewer or, um, steering as a general manager as well, co-general manager, like anything like beer wise that that's kept you really excited since you took the reins?
00:48:40
Speaker
Whoa. Um, ah Look, I don't know about really excited from like a single beer. I think the things that get whether it's head brewer or general manager, however, it may be if you're looking at a business perspective or or just purely from a beer style. I think the thing that keeps me excited is seeing um people come back to like tried and tested beers. You know, these aren't new and crazy creations that we've concocted and released to the world.
00:49:09
Speaker
and In this current day in ibrow day and age of brewing, like um I'm sure we haven't, but it does feel like that that new has been a little bit exhausted. And it's really nice to see, for us, Pilsner's coming back. Pilsner had a massive downturn for us years and years and years ago, but our classic German Pilsner is flying at the moment. And it's really nice to see um something that we really believe in and and we work really hard to make the best we think we can um come back into market. It was quite disheartening to see the demise of Pilsners when you know the biggest stores and the chains stopped listening because they wanted a lager in adverted commas and you know you have to
00:49:50
Speaker
face palm your forehead and you know and bite your tongue without telling them they don't know what they're talking about because it is a lager and it's the most traditional type of lager but and you know we we we jumped on that bandwagon and we have a sub-range lager and it sells really well and without that you know it'd be a huge hole in our production schedule but it's really exciting and reassuring to see sales in those you know classic style beers come back again it's nothing against the more modern hazies and the you know things that are The dry Irish stouts and the things that are taking over the market at the moment. I love drinking them. They're great beers, but ah yeah, I think from an excited perspective, it it gives us some um validation in what we're doing and why we're doing it. Um, instead of just feeling like maybe we're a bit old fashioned and, and we're not doing the cool things.
00:50:36
Speaker
Everything old is new again. Yeah. and Everything has its cycle, right? Like it comes around and and I'm sure something else will drop off and we'll, have the same headaches. But yeah, I think from it from that perspective, that that's really encouraging and exciting to see.
00:50:51
Speaker
I guess from from products, we've got some other things that we've released recently. It's not a beer, but we've got a hop soda, a hop water. We call it a sparkling hop soda. um you know that that had a lot of r and d put into it and it's very very new product in the market that is confusing to people and and they don't understand it but i guess that's exciting from that for us we believe in that product and it you know it's doing it's doing what we'd expect it to do it's been slow because people don't understand it but once they get it in the hand they drink it um they're really enjoying it and the feedback's good on that so from a new product r and d perspective that's always um
00:51:29
Speaker
fun and exciting as well but it's yeah it's not beer but it comes out of the same facility yeah well i guess maybe you know arguably the most six-week exciting new addition to the moo brew family whatever you want to call it would be the opening of manky sally's a few years ago and we sort of talked about i guess the advantage is the beauty of having that small brewery there but i guess two things one for people who've not been there can you sort of describe what it's like, because it's pretty unique venue, um obviously being a Mubru thing. and And what's it sort of meant to the brand? you know of Obviously, being able to get beers at Mona, you know whether the bar in the museum or the one on the top for a while.
00:52:05
Speaker
But having, I guess, a dedicated home of Mubru, what's that sort of meant to the the brand as well? Sure. I mean, yeah, you've kind of nailed it. We we were really looking for that dedicated customer-facing space. We had that at Mona already, so not saying we didn't have that, but we obviously they're not our staff. We don't have day-to-day contact with them, and it's a lot harder to get cut through when people are there for all the amazing things that Mona bring and not so much there for the beer. So we wanted a home that people were coming.
00:52:33
Speaker
mean, not just for the beer. Obviously, we have a kitchen and and ah what we think is a really solid wine list, but predominantly we we wanted a home where people could come and and drink all our beers on tap and have that Moo Brew experience and give like give us a chance to have that customer engagement piece. It is, like you said, it is a little unique. We're down in Salamanca, which is the sort of heritage area People have probably heard of the Salamanca markets before. it's down on the waterfront. it's the It's the old heritage strip, which is a pretty traditional hospitality restaurant and bar um pub space. So we're sort of down in in the thick of it, down the other end of the strip.
00:53:10
Speaker
um It's a unique space to build put a brewery and it's in. ah It's in an old heritage building on the ground floor with a few stories of high-end hotel rooms above us. So it provided a lot of challenges from putting just putting a brewery in there. There were definitely conversations in the early days about the fact, did we even need a brewery? Could we just do a bar?
00:53:31
Speaker
um Obviously, I was pretty bullish on the fact that we needed it a little brewery. um Because I think other other than selfish production team reasons for giving everyone a chance to go and make some fun beers, I think it really helps that um brand connection in what we're actually doing. It's also a bit of a full circle. We started at Marilla with a small brewery, which was originally intended make beer for the museum and the events and do some um you know creative things. And yeah,
00:54:00
Speaker
And now we've sort of come full circle. We've scaled up, built a production facility, and then we've sort of come back to having a little R&D test kit and having that ability to connect with consumers directly. So, yeah, that was the main reason for that. The venue itself...
00:54:16
Speaker
is quirky like all things in the Monaverse, anything that's owned by David. It's not a bog standard run-of-the-mill tap house or microbrewery. I guess the brief, which was, you know, we weren't involved from a business perspective then, but the brief to the designers then was to, you know, to make it unique and interesting and warm and enjoyable and not just a place for, you know, like the three of us could can walk into a a tap room or a brewery and sit on a bunch of pallets and drink a bunch of pints and it's great. it's We have the best time, but it's not for everyone.
00:54:48
Speaker
So sort of to to get to get a space that probably broke the mold a little bit to for what a brew pub or a tap room would look like and feel. So, I mean, it's small space, but there's a lot of soft furnishings, a bunch of quirky artwork. some We have a really interesting...
00:55:07
Speaker
curved wall and ceiling at the back with a bunch of our glass, made out of our glass bottles. So there's ah yeah's a lot of the brand connection nods to Mooboo and history of the brand. And then we've got a cracking little kitchen. So really good really good team in the kitchen and really emphasis on food as well. So um not just the beer. Obviously, we'll always champion the beer. but um yeah We're really proud of the the work the guys are doing in the kitchen as well.
00:55:33
Speaker
So it is an experience for every everyone if you want to come in and you've got one person in your crew that's a mad beer fan, they can come in and have a good time, but you can also have a good night out or or a lunch with with people that might not necessarily have walked into a to that space. So gives us an opportunity to talk to people that you know aren't just seeking us out for the pure Moobrew connection.
00:55:55
Speaker
that's becoming more commonplace as a requirement for breweries as well, like to provide that broader experience, whether it's you know through events or just through trying to touch more points, you know whether it's making it welcoming for families or non-beer drinkers or whatever, I think it's becoming more and more important.
00:56:11
Speaker
um Back to yourself as well, I know you you know touched upon your sort of previous career, pre-beer. um Just you know keen to know more about Jack. I know with Dave McGill, when when he's not a you know deep south, he'll be fishing pretty much the entire time.
00:56:27
Speaker
What about yourself? I know you hit the decks for Mankey Sally's for the breweries 18th. What else did you get up to? Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't say DJing's in my pastime, chosen pastime. It's actually how I know Dave. We worked in hospitality many moons ago, pre-MUBRU. Dave was involved in beer back then but and also heavily involved in hospitality operations.
00:56:50
Speaker
And yeah, actually worked in the same venue as... one of the resident DJs so I essentially paid my way through yeah uni DJing so it is a bit more like a chore than it is an enjoyable piece but it is it is really nice to dust I kept of kept all my records and it is nice to dust them off every now and then but I don't sign up on the weekends to to do resident slots at the moment that's for sure I've got a couple of kids at home now so life's a little a little different but um like Dave growing up I on an island surrounded by water, i spend a lot of time on the ocean or in the ocean, so surfing, diving, fishing, all those things. We have great access to that here. It's one of the one of the reasons why we all love living in Tassies, because it's on our doorstep and yeah really get to
Challenges and Community Support in Tasmanian Craft Beer
00:57:33
Speaker
embrace that. So a lot of time in wetsuits or yeah running around chasing surf or windy days for foiling and whatnot, um but we're just lucky we have access to that.
00:57:42
Speaker
And Jack, what ah what about the rest of the Tassie scene? You know, there have been ah last year we reflected on how there hadn't been any VAs in the state, but that's since obviously being quashed with Fox Friday. What's your take on the local brewing industry?
00:58:00
Speaker
Yeah, look, Tassie's not immune to the same pressures that we've seen on the mainland. We've probably seen more news or more more examples on the mainland because there has been more breweries or there have been some very prominent breweries. Obviously, um you know when you see a brewery like Fox go down, no one wants to see that. And you know they're all people that work for them, are friends and colleagues and people in the industry. So it's hard <unk>s hard to swallow. Tassie's not immune to that. Fox aren't the only ones. They might have been the ones on the news, but they're definitely not...
00:58:27
Speaker
They're not the only ones and there's still production facilities as of last week or the week before getting shut down because they're not viable in Hobart. So it's a tough time in the industry. Having said that, there's some great beer coming out of of the state and ah you know we should be celebrating that.
00:58:43
Speaker
particularly it's not just Hobart but obviously we're closer to the source being in being a Hobart brewery but you know there's great breweries Shambles Hobart Brewing Company Deep South are all making quality reliable consistent beers and I think I'm a big advocate of like a rising tide floats all boats I think it's important that everyone's you know striving towards making quality beer because it puts faith in the consumer that they can go and spend you know we all know that beer isn't cheap and um If you're going go to the pub, you want to be confident in what you're buying and what you're spending your money on in the current climate.
00:59:17
Speaker
um And we've just got a really interesting mix of you know some of those brews I mentioned. We're all fighting for shelf space and tap points, but then there's some smaller brews doing really unique stuff.
00:59:29
Speaker
You've got your Will from Van Diemen's or some of the smaller you know regional breweries in country towns that have got a cellar door open on a weekend and and just supply the local pub. So I think we're lucky in that sense that we've got a huge amount of breweries, but there is...
00:59:43
Speaker
a decent cross-section of what those businesses are looking for and people are managing to find their little slice of the pie and make it viable, which is a lot harder when you're in a huge capital city and and you know you're all functioning like a production brewery trying to sell your kegs into the same pubs.
00:59:58
Speaker
So I think Tasmanians are very aware and proud of um their local businesses and and their local produce and products, not just beer but a lot of other great food and BEV products coming out of the state and they're big supporters of that and they've got a strong sense of place which is important. So so they know the local breweries and they know the brands and who owns them and You know, that's not always the case when you're lost in in the riffraff. But I think from a Tasmania perspective, it's it's a really strong point that we have. So there is good support for those local homegrown businesses and that are owned by by Tasmanians, which is we're lucky. we't You don't get that.
01:00:39
Speaker
Every day, I think the the challenge we have, and it's not just Tassie, you see it nationwide, is that and I had a quick flick through your article the other day ah from your sales rep about the the state of the beer sales industry, which is like I totally agree with all those points and we're seeing it um in Tassie and on the mainland, but like the whole beer industry is upside down. you know like Craft beer is the cheapest it's ever been.
01:01:03
Speaker
Beer is the most expensive it's ever been to buy from a consumer's perspective and we're making the lowest margins from you know these are small locally owned right down to one or two people, family owned businesses that are having you know their pants pulled down by publicans because they think they can barter for the cheapest keg price but they're happy to pay 380, 400 bucks for a keg of mass produced multinational beer.
01:01:27
Speaker
It's totally inverse at the moment and I think we've all got a part to play in in writing that a little bit. you know It's hard because we're all competing for taps, but we're also chopping each other's knees off and going in. And like people talk about a race to the bottom, but we're at the bottom. like The race has happened and and we're at rock bottom and and it's hard to keep chipping along with those kind of margins. so you know the two plus ones or the one plus one keg deals they might be great for a brewery to get a tap for a month but i think everyone needs to take a step back and and have a look at what actually that means to the industry and what there's no longevity in that like you might you might hit shift some volume and you might make some money elsewhere out of your tap room or something but from a industry perspective what does that say about the product that would you know we need to play some value uh and some um
01:02:20
Speaker
yeah, just some quality and commitment um value back into what we're doing because it's it's been eroded and it's not saying that people don't think your beer is good but it was really poignant to read that article recently that you released ah but about that from a sales rep perspective because we see it. i mean, obviously, I'm involved a lot in that business side of things so I see it on a daily basis but it's disheartening when when everyone's getting screwed down and then all people are coming in and wheeling and dealing and just chewing the margin out of out of your deals. i mean,
01:02:50
Speaker
went obviously not we're not huge by any stretch of imagination, but I know what our, but we're large enough and I know what our margins look like and what our cost of goods are and there's definitely smaller breweries that are making less on their kegs and everyone's, you know, going in and prices are getting lower and lower. So like I just don't see that being sustainable long-term for the industry, not whether or not the brands can prop it up or the businesses can prop it up, but I think i think we've all got some work to do on that front and it's not just from a,
01:03:19
Speaker
brewery to public or wholesale customer perspective, it's also instilling that awareness back in the consumers because at the end of the day, the consumers have the choice and if they understand that, I think, and we start to build that back again, I think we'll probably see a bit of a shift in and drinking habits and volumes.
01:03:38
Speaker
I think so. I think the fact that conversation is happening, you know, and hopefully that article does help get the conversation going a bit wider and maybe getting a few people to think, oh, hang on, yeah Maybe I do need to think a bit more broadly, and a bit more holistically about the industry that I'm technically part of. you know Maybe I can help be help it be more sustainable, help it you know um have have but more legs rather than looking at the short-term gains or whatever.
01:04:03
Speaker
But um that's great. I really appreciate your time, Jack. um Brilliant chat. Look forward to catching up with you in person again soon and best luck with the celebrations this Saturday. Yeah, pleasure. Thanks for having us. Hopefully see you guys in Tassie soon a bit.
01:04:19
Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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Speaker
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01:05:13
Speaker
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01:05:32
Speaker
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01:05:48
Speaker
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