Hop Nation Brewing to Open a Brand New Brewpub in Footscray

The gypsy brewing days are over for Hop Nation Brewing Co. On Saturday, July 23, the Melbourne-based small batch brewers will welcome patrons into their new home, a historic site of an 1880s blubber factory in Footscray.

The winemakers-turned-brewers, Sam Hambour and Duncan Gibson, have been contract brewing out of Hawkers and Cavalier since 2015. The co-owners started out as home brewers and have seen much success since launching their flagship brew in May 2015, an Australian IPA called The Fiend. While some brewers take many years (and beers) to get from home brew to production stage, the Hop Nation guys have fast tracked their way to the pro game. "We saw our good mates Sawmill Brewery put their equipment up for sale and Duncan went over to New Zealand and shipped it back over here," says Hambour. "The ball just kept rolling after that."

In the short months to follow, the duo found their ideal location, a warehouse photography studio in the inner west suburb of Footscray. "We'll be the first brewery in the area, but there's already a good craft beer culture that we're excited to be a part of," says Hambour. Though both men haven't yet given up their winemaking day jobs, they've still found time to build all of the brewpub's new furniture out of recycled wood and old pallets from the photography space. They've also commissioned local graffiti artists to liven up the walls.

As the name would suggest, the brewery is focused on hop forward beers, but the cool twist is that each brew uses hops from a single-country, creating distinct flavour profiles. "We specifically like to look at all different hops around the world and the unique varieties of each country," says Hambour. While The Fiend contains all Aussie hops, The Buzz is an All-American hopped red ale, and The Damned, a new world pilsner, uses New Zealand hops. The duo are coming out with some pretty interesting seasonals as well, starting with The Sturm, a collaboration beer with the Yarra Valley's Jamsheed Wines, which uses wild fermented Riesling juice and German hops as a nod to the wine varietal's origins. This beer-wine hybrid sounds much like the brewers themselves.

Patrons can also expect the impending launch of a barrel-aged program, food trucks and unique brewpub-only beers to come. It's another new notch in Footscray's new foodie belt, along with the recent openings of barbecue joint Up in Smoke and Jerome Borazio's Back Alley Sally's.

Hop Nation Brewing Co. will launch their new brewpub on Saturday, July 23 at 6/107-109 Whitehall Street, Footscray. Opening hours are Friday from 3pm to 10pm, Saturday from noon to 10pm and Sunday from noon to 6pm. For more info, visit hopnation.com.au.