SALT CELLAR

10 Toes, Alexandra Headland br ewsLOCAL WORDS STEVE LESZCZYNSKI

BATHING IN GLORIOUS sunshine at the beach or on the back deck with a beer in hand is a great way to battle the Australian summer. Some 20-plus independently owned breweries now hug the coastline from Caloundra to Cooroy, feeding the insatiable appetite consumers now have for craft beer. So, let’s hit the road and check a few out!

Maleny’s Brouhaha launched in 2016. The vision of four mates has delivered a brew pub that seats 165 with 10 taps and a seasonal menu on offer. With a range of classy beers to choose from, what sets these guys apart is their fl agship beer, the Strawberry & Rhubarb Sour. Not many breweries lead with a sour but this one sells three times as much as any other on the range. Made with local ingredients including yoghurt from Maleny Dairies as the souring agent, it brings all elements of the hinterland together in one chilled and super-refreshing package. An exciting development with the brand is the new taphouse in Aura, just a step or two from Caloundra. Offering capacity for 200 to 300 customers and 16 taps, this two-level facility is a game-changer and lets you peer into the brewery as you sip your ale and absorb the brewing process. With food trucks on weekends, Brouhaha has every base covered.

Not far from Aura will land you at the Moffat Beach Brewing Co. Such was the success of its beachside venue, a new production house facility was opened in late 2020 at 51 Caloundra Road. Open from Wednesday to Sunday, trivia nights are popular on Thursday nights, while food trucks and live music are regular visitors. Sit back and be spoilt for choice with 20 beers on tap. Chill here or at the beachside venue and crack a Deadbeat Boyfriend Easy Drinker. Like its namesake, it’s not too challenging nor complex and a reliable beer to throw back on a lazy afternoon.

Wander a little further up the Nicklin Way to Warana and land at Your Mates Brewing Co. This place is all about immersing yourself in a full, transparent brewery experience.

Local Seafood – Cheeses – Smokey BBQ Delights Take in the views of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland and enjoy a delicious tapas high tea, our way. Wednesday to Sunday 10.30am and 1pm sittings

313 Flaxton Drive, Flaxton P 5445 7450 flaxtongardens.com.au

Noosa’s Boiling Pot Brewing Co

With a range of limited-release beers as well as the core range rotated through 12 taps, a full kitchen is at the mercy of 150 to 200 customers every Tuesday to Sunday. The gastro pub experience includes trivia, Mexican and parmi nights with fresh ingredients deliberately infused with beer. The ever-popular Larry pale ale is the pick but the Tilly ginger beer has been pouring only since the start of 2021, and based on sales, it is already a clear second favourite.

Tucked away in Nambour is Stalwart Brewing. Owner and brewer Adam Tomlinson fl ung open the doors in July 2020 and has landed on his feet with the state government recently rezoning the surrounding area as a special entertainment precinct – the second in the state behind Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. Open Wednesday to Sunday, Stalwart’s beers are traditional, full fl avoured and balanced, bearing names to honour Adam’s ancestors. Check out the Sacred Chief, an American pale ale highlighted by caramel malt with hints of citrus and pineapple. Stay a while and grab a bite from the kitchen that pumps out great pub meals with specials rotating weekly. Plough through the Chief Burger Challenge (1.1 kilos) in less than 23 minutes and score a free four-pack for your trouble or just head outside to the beer garden and tap your foot to live music on the weekends.

If small is your thing, a hidden gem tucked away in Nambour is Morts. A small-batch producer, this joint pumps some cool vibes. From Friday to Sunday, grab a beer, some tunes and a feed from a food truck or simply fi ll up a growler for your onward journey.

Skip back to Sunshine Brewery. Located in the industrial estate at Kuluin, it is open Wednesday to Sunday with food

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Maleny’s Brouhaha Boiling Pot Brewing Co

Brouhaha

trucks being regular visitors. Producing classic summer-time beers, take a look at the Pacifi c Pils for that classic malt fi nish or the uber-refreshing Kaffi r Lime Gose that will have you salivating for more.

Beer lovers should certainly zero in on 10 Toes at Alexandra Headland. Established in 2016, its insanely delish pale ale makes up 45 per cent of production but the signifi cant increase in sales and production in the past 12 months has seen all sales nearly triple.

The Culture Kick range is well worth keeping an eye on. Rotated every two months, the range commences a new conversation with consumers. Made with seasonal ingredients, recent highlights have included a passionfruit, blood orange and mango sour and the incredibly popular Pine Lime Creamsicle – a pine lime splice in a can! Drop in Thursdays to Sundays with food trucks on hand, plus live music on Sundays.

If eye-catching labels drive your beer selection, Mooloolaba’s Blackfl ag Brewing may be your ticket to happiness. Its Kick Ons middy was recently awarded second place in the GABS Festival can design awards but the lure of the Rage juicy pale ale is hard to resist. Keep an eye out for its new taphouse opening in Coolum Beach’s industrial area from early 2022.

A more-than-worthy last stop on this frothy adventure is Noosa’s Boiling Pot Brewing Co. With an ethos of “custom beer for here”, its products are refl ective of the stunning climate enjoyed year-round. The venue has been designed to evoke a similar feeling to the one you get when you’re wandering through Boiling Pot in Noosa’s National Park. Head on in with experimental beers available almost every weekend. A taste of Noosa is magnifi cently captured in the Golden Ale and its popularity has continued to soar since its debut. Highlighted by tropical goodness, it’s silky and slides in with absolute ease, just

Your Mates Brewing Co

SAY CHEERS WITH A SUNSHINE COAST BEER! Brouhaha CPR NEIPA (6.3% alc) A coconut, pineapple and raspberry New England Indian pale ale hits the spot. It’s hazy, juicy and laced with sweet pineapple. A slice of the Sunshine Coast. Resistance is futile. Boiling Pot Brewing Best Behaviour (3.5% alc) Mid-strength and perfectly thirst-quenching with tropical and malty goodness. And only one standard drink! Mid-strength bliss.

A selection of the 10 Toes brews

like those rolling waves at Little Cove. If you like them dark, seek out the Bat Migration Black Lager. Dangerously smooth, it’s highlighted by rich chocolate and coffee plus bitter caramel. With a kitchen that takes inspiration from the vast regions of Europe serving up pizzas, plates and platters, Boiling Pot is the ideal place to enjoy one of beer’s superpowers – bringing people together. Local musicians go about their work every Sunday afternoon too, so why not stay a little longer?

But rest easy, the most relaxed way to enjoy a brewery adventure is to sit back and let the crew from Sunshine Coast Craft Beer Tours take care of the driving. Tours include three pre-set itineraries: a coastal tour, Noosa tour or hinterland tour. Guests who book a private tour can tailor their own adventure and even include one of seven distilleries or four wineries to mix things up.

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SUMMER WINE PICKS:

LOCAL HERO – HILLSDALE VERDELHO 2021, $21 From a new producer on the South Burnett, this is one out of the box. Sleek and lean, think licks of passionfruit curd, dribbles of lemon juice and a delicious tang of pineapple acidity. It’s Queensland in a wine bottle. GALLONS OF PLEASURE AWAIT – TURKEY FLAT ROSÉ 2021, $25 Super classy. This sits atop the Barossa rose podium. So sexy on the eye, gorgeous perfume diff uses from the glass with absolute ease. A belter for 25 bucks! PARTY STARTER – PIZZINI IL SOFFIO PROSECCO 2019, $28 What a burst of happiness and refreshment! Presented in an attractive gift box, it makes a great gift too. Loaded with green apples, pears, honeyed tones, even mead spiciness. Playful fizz. CLEVER WINEMAKING 101 – BROKENWOOD ROSATO 2021, $30 Lovers of rose will find a happy home with this beauty. It’s creamy, savoury and damn right delish. For all its ease, a sense of sophistication washes over you with this in the glass. DELICATE AND DELICIOUS – LYONS WILL PINOT NOIR 2019, $39 From a small Macedon Ranges producer, this is so generous yet so nimble on its feet. A fabulous pinot and very clever buying for the asking price. GO HERE. PLEASE DO – JC’S OWN BAROSSA GRENACHE 2019, $50 What a find! Grenache in the zone. Super classy and then some. From 150-year-old bush vines, this is grenache heaven. Feed it to me via a drip. Dangerously moreish, but it’s the structure and shape that hooks you in. MCLAREN VALE CABERNET SMASHING THE CEILING – HICKINBOTHAM CLARENDON VINEYARD TRUEMAN CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019, $75 Whoa, this is something. It speaks of class, balance and poise. A measured wine, there is some power yet it walks with grace. But that length. That mouthfeel. It’s just brilliant!

STEVE LESZCZYNSKI is a wine writer, wine dinner host and MC. Apart from writing for his website QwineReviews.com, Steve contributes to Halliday Wine Companion Magazine, Vinomofo, Wine Business Magazine and Grapegrower Winemaker Magazine. Steve is a passionate supporter of the Queensland wine industry.