The year 2020 needs no introductions, but we reckon it’s worth looking back on what our team and our community were able to achieve in the middle of it all.

We want to thank everyone who continued to support us this year – from our local communities to our drinkers all around the country. Thank you for #KeepingLocalAlive when times were tough and for looking out for each other like never before.

With this crazy-ass year drawing to a close, we can’t help but feel like we’re all a bit more resilient and more connected for it. Cheers to that!

January

The Original Pacific Ale is voted Australia’s favourite craft beer in the GABS Hottest 100!

In response to the summer bushfire crisis, together with Fixation Brewing and Granite Belt Cider Co we collectively donated and pledged over $71,000 to fire brigades, rural fire services and drought relief across NSW, Queensland and Victoria.

February

To provide more support around the bushfires, by brewing our own Resilience Beer alongside 200 other Australian breweries in February we donated $2,376 for Wildlife Queensland.

March

We brewed our first recycled water beer, Beer-Water Beer, for World Water Day.

COVID-19 hit – we sent our entire team to work from home, we transformed our breweries into takeaway bottle shops and launched our virtual brewery tours.

To support the venues who could no longer sell fresh beer due to mandatory closures, we took back all unopened kegs of Stone & Wood beer and credited our customers for when things opened up again.

May

We reopened our Byron Tasting Room and Brissy brewery with the ‘new normal’ sit-down bookings.

June

We launched our sparkling refreshment Sunly Seltzer!

July

After thinking we wouldn’t be able to, we released our annual Stone Beer 2020.

Our not-for-profit the inGrained Foundation awarded $100,000 to six awesome local not-for-profits in the Northern Rivers Large Grants Program 2020.

August

When the Ekka was cancelled, we brewed an Ekka-inspired strawberries and cream beer at our Brisbane brewery to raise much-needed funds for The Common Good, the fundraising initiative of The Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane.

September

We launched our lower alc beer East Point, the first craft beer of its kind.

December

Alongside our mates at Cape Byron Distillery, we released Pacific Moonshine – distilled using the excess Pacific Ale that we rescued from our customers when they had to close in March.

And throughout the year, we released five limited Counter Culture releases, reduced our energy and water usage and waste, and our Tasting Rooms donated another $30,000 to local grassroots charities via our inGrained Foundation.

Here’s to rounding out 2020 and cheers to the new year!

Last year, we were fortunate enough to spend a day volunteering with at Feros Care Wommin Bay in Kingscliff, hanging out with the residents, enjoying a few beers and singing karaoke together.

Over 12 months later, our friendship with the fun-loving Feros seniors runs strong.

In celebration of Oktoberfest, and as part of an initiative to re-engage older people with the community, Feros Care ran a four-part virtual tasting series over a month, guided by our Tasting Room manager Jess.

Every week, Jess met with a mixed group of participants (aged 68-87), who dialled in from as far south as Victoria’s Reden up to Wide Bay in Queensland, to discuss the week’s focus beer, including our Pacific Ale, Green Coast Lager, Cloud Catcher pale ale and The Gatherer.

Besides discussing the tasting notes and asking participants to score each beer, Jess guided a virtual tour of our Tasting Room in Byron Bay and talked through the brewing process and the Stone & Wood story.

In true Oktoberfest form, the participants located in Illawarra even dressed in traditional Bavarian clothing and paired our beers with German food!

This was all made possible by Feros Care’s Virtual Social Centre, an online community for participants to access online exercise, cooking and language classes, chat groups and museum tours.

Connecting with these special seniors was another reminder of how beer can bring people together – no matter the difference in age.

We just launched our first-ever Pacific Moonshine in partnership with our mates at Cape Byron Distillery.

Pacific Moonshine (44 %) is not only delicious – with bursts of tropical fruit flavours with hints of malt and citrus – but it’s an innovation that saved thousands of litres of fresh Pacific Ale from being wasted, thanks to the ingenuity of Cape Byron Distillery. Learn more about the story of innovation.

So, how do you enjoy Pacific Moonshine?

The crew at Cape Byron Distillery have got you covered with these delicious and refreshing cocktail recipes.

Full Moon Mule

Ingredients:

• 30ml Pacific Moonshine
• Ginger Beer

Method:

1. Build in a glass over ice.
2. Top with Ginger Beer and stir.
3. Serve and enjoy!

Download recipe card

Moonshine Daiquiri

Ingredients:

• 60ml Pacific Moonshine
• 25ml Lime Juice
• 15ml Sugar Syrup

Method:

1. Combine ingredients and shake with ice.
2. Double strain into glass.
3. Garnish with a lime twist.

Download recipe card

New Moon Mai Tai

Ingredients:

• 30ml Pacific Moonshine
• 30ml Pineapple Juice
• 30ml Mac. Liqueur
• 30ml Orange Juice

Method:

1. Combine ingredients and shake with ice.
2. Strain into ice-filled glass.
3. Garnish with a cherry and pineapple slice

Download recipe card

Jungle Bush Bird

Ingredients:

• 45ml Pacific Moonshine
• 10ml Campari
• 20ml Pineapple Juice
• 10ml Lime Juice
• 10ml Sugar Syrup

Method:

1. Combine and shake with ice.
2. Strain into ice-filled glass.

Download the recipe card

Pacific Ice Tea

Ingredients:

• 45ml Pacific Moonshine
• 10ml Lemon Juice
• 90ml Homemade Chilled Peach Tea
• 10ml Sugar Syrup

Method:

1. Build in glass over ice and stir.
2. Serve and enjoy!

Download recipe card

Pacific Moonshine is available in 700ml bottle from our online store. Available only while stocks last.