Overview
Melbourne's craft beer scene is a global contender, well deserving of a craft brewery dedicated to its culture. Stomping Ground Brewing Co. is just that, and the next great venture by craft beer heroes Guy Greenstone and Steve Jeffares.
The duo are well known in the beer scene as two of the originators of craft in Australia — they're the minds behind The Local Taphouses in Melbourne and Sydney, as well as the GABS festival which is now considered one of the best beer festivals in the world.
"This brewery is an opportunity to distil down what we love about the city that we live in and what we love about independent beer and hospitality in our city," says Greenstone. "We're brewing all of that love into a bottle," he adds.
The two are going full steam ahead with Stomping Ground, their flagship APA aptly named after their new Gipps Street location. "It's a logical progression for us to move into the brewing space," says Greenstone. "We're passionate about craft beer and hospitality, so it made sense to make an independent beer brand."
The team will be joined by long-time Taphouse manager Justin Joiner and head brewer Ashur Hall, who hails from Illawarra Brewing Company, where he worked closely with Wayward's head brewer Shaun Blissett.
The massive brewery will house a twenty four-tap bar, a 2000 litre brewhouse and a beer garden with retractable roof. "We want to create an all-inclusive space where our guests can be social," says Greenstone. "We love being a catalyst for people's craft beer awakening and providing them with an awesome experience that they'll remember."
While the brewery won't officially open for some months, the brewers are hosting a celebratory event for Good Beer Week on Sunday, May 15. The Breaking Ground with Friends event will act as an unofficial 'groundbreaking' of the brewery's cellar bar. The team's own core range will sit alongside collaboration beers from Stone & Wood, Burleigh Brewing, BentSpoke, Mash Brewing, Big Shed Willie Smith's and Garage Project.
Stomping Ground Brewing Co. will open by July 2016 at 100 Gipps Street, Collingwood.