Back in the Vale

It’s been five years since Vale Brewing packed up their bags, their kegs and their cans and moved away from their spiritual home in Willunga to the northern suburbs of Adelaide following the sale of the brand. Now, with the opening of the Vale Taphouse, Restaurant and Bar, Vale Brewing has returned home.

‘It’s a project that’s been in the making since Vok picked up the Vale brand in 2017,’ says Simon Habib, Vale Brand Manager at Vok Beverages. ‘It’s been a long-term vision to put a brewery and visitor centre back into the region. Now that it’s finally opened its doors it’s incredibly exciting for the business and for the region.’

The Taphouse has found a home within the grounds of McLaren Vale winery, Beresford Estate, also owned by Vok. It’s part of a $10 million development that includes fifteen new, luxury suites for onsite accommodation which sit beside Beresford Wines’ Tasting Pavilion and wedding venue, Beresford House.

Positioned on top of a hill, the Taphouse enjoys sweeping views over the seventy hectare property and beyond. The building itself is sleek and minimalistic, the dark exterior emblazoned with the now-iconic inverted triangle of dots that marks every Vale Brewing beer.

Inside, the Taphouse includes a ten-hectolitre microbrewery which allows chief brewer Jeff Wright the chance to experiment with smaller runs. Fittingly, the microbrewery features a refurbished brew kit that’s been repurposed from Vale Ale’s Willunga facility. The gleaming stainless steel vats are on show behind the bar – which sports no > less than fourteen beers on tap – and guests will be able to see the brewery in full swing on brewing days. ‘The whole idea is that it’s a really immersive space,’ says Simon, with brewery tours and masterclasses also planned for the future.

While the bar and brewery will no doubt attract beer lovers and those in search of a casual drink, the space is designed for broad appeal.

‘We want to be able to offer something for everybody. We’ve got casual bar seating for the punter who just wants to come in and have a beer. We’ve got the restaurant side where you can come and sit down and have a degustation or three-course meal if you’d like,’ says Simon. ‘Then we’ve also got the outside area where we’ve got games for kids – it’s a perfect place to bring a family with a large grassed area.’

Chef John Rankin, previously at Sean’s Kitchen, is at the helm in the restaurant. ‘We wanted really sophisticated food made to be paired with our beers, which is unique to breweries,’ says Simon. ‘There’s such fine produce to draw on around the Fleurieu and we really wanted to hero that.’

John joined the Taphouse team about six months prior to opening, which has allowed him plenty of time to be hands-on with Vale’s brewers and to develop recipes, making sure they work with the beer. The brewery’s influence is woven throughout the menu, including in the bread which is leavened with Vale’s IPA yeast. >

Of course, a Taphouse survives on the strength of its beer and so it helps having the world’s best pale beer available on tap, with Vale’s Tropic Ale winning the title at the 2022 World Beer Awards. Naturally the original Vale Ale is available, but there are also three new beers in the line-up to celebrate the Taphouse’s opening.

‘We’ve got the Hazy Tropic Ale, which is a really juicy, fruity style of beer. An Aus IPA that’s a lighter, session-style beer using all Australian hops and malt. And a Red Lager that’s actually the first beer we brewed on site,’ says Simon. ‘It’s a lager with an amber-red colour and fair bit of chocolate malt which is really well-rounded and balanced. They’re all easy-drinking, approachable beers that are quite refreshing.’

Down the line, they’re hoping to develop a gluten-free beer as well as a lower-alcohol beer styled as a ‘super-session ale’ which will be about half a standard drink and will cater to people driving within the region or taking it easy. Then, as the weather cools again, IPAs and darker beers will re-enter the line-up.

At the time of writing, the Taphouse has been open for a few weeks and while the weather has not been particularly kind, Simon has been thrilled with the early response. ‘There’s been a lot of feedback from customers that it’s great to have Vale Ale back in the region,’ he says. ‘The thing that stands out the most is the customers coming in and having the ability to taste beer brewed on site.’

While it’s been a long hiatus, Vale Ale is back – and very happy to be here.