ABOUT

In the beginning …
The Sunshine Coast Brewery was founded in January 1998 with the intention of making a fine local ginger beer. This task was well achieved with much recognition from both beer drinkers and beer judges alike. However, it was not only the Ginger Beer that affirmed a successful start to the brewery, with the Sunshine Coast Extra Stout going on to win two Gold Medals at The Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA) before being crowned champion stout at the National Festival of Beers. A very strong start for a young brewery! The Sunshine Coast Brewery continued brewing the ginger beer, stout and many others, as well as developing a new line of tropically inspired beers made with ingredients including pineapple, lime, coconut and chilli.
 

Brewing for Change

In mid-2006 the brewery underwent a change of ownership and under the new management of Greg and Brigid Curran, the Sunshine Coast Brewery began a process of transformation. While extensive refurbishment saw the opening of the brewery’s new-look Beer Café and function room, a focus on more traditional beer styles and “New World” craft beer interpretations saw a complete overhaul of the beer menu. Guided by the innovation of Australia’s first professional beer sommelier, Ian Watson, as our brewer, the new range of craft and specialty beers was a diverse and exciting one. Hand-crafted styles such as an Old English Bitter, Rye ESB, smoked Rauch Bier and a Bavarian Hefe-Weizen not only became instant favourites among locals, but many went on to receive great acclamation at the 2007 & 2008 AIBI – confirmation we were on to a winner!
Perhaps the greatest recognition of this came at the 2009 AIBA, contested by over 130 breweries worldwide. The Sunshine Coast Brewery was awarded a swag of gold, silver and bronze medals with the popular Summer Ale announced as the Champion Reduced Alcohol Beer. Overall, the brewery’s results were so outstanding that it was named a finalist for the prestigious Champion Australian microbrewery award.
 

Looking Ahead

Building on these successes, the brewery is continuing to develop, forging a strong reputation for itself both locally and interstate. A selection of our beers is now available at liquor stores, restaurants and pubs from the Sunshine Coast to Melbourne. As growing public awareness of boutique beverages brings the world of craft beer into the spotlight, we are also seeing an increase in the number of people wanting to further their knowledge on the subject and those looking to swap their usual mainstream tipple for a more flavoursome, hand-crafted drop. As beer lovers ourselves, we are committed to sharing this passion, and enthusiastic about helping to create a wider public recognition of “real beer”.

Below is a short video compiled by the Queensland State Library about the Sunshine Coast Brewery, outlining the changes undergone over the past few years and its direction for the future.