Stone & Wood’s inGrained Foundation is now taking applications for the 2021 Northern Rivers Large Grants Program, where a $100,000 funding pool is being made available to a diverse range of Northern Rivers not-for-profits.

For the third year running, not-for-profits with DGR status are able to apply for a grant between $5,000 and $30,000 to help them tackle the varied challenges currently facing the Northern Rivers community.

This year, the grant categories are:

• Conservation of natural resources and habitats.
• Action on climate change.
• Mental health and wellbeing.
• Accommodation and homelessness.
• Inclusion and diversity.

To be successful, applicants must operate within one of these categories and be able to provide information on how the inGrained funds will have a tangible outcome for the community.

Founded as a separate not-for-profit by Stone & Wood in 2018, the inGrained Foundation works to attract, generate and direct donations to grassroots charities. In 2020, the foundation was thrilled to donate over $200,000, including $70,000 to local and state-based fire-brigades, rural fire services and drought relief efforts at the time of the 2019/2020 bushfires.

From today, Northern Rivers social and environmental not-for-profits with DGR status are encouraged to read the guidelines and apply before Monday 3 May, by visiting www.ingrainedfoundation.com.au

For those close by, please join us at our Byron Tasting Room from 4pm Tuesday 13th April if you would like to know more about our 2021 grants round. A number of our InGrained Directors and Grants Committee will be there to say hello and answer any questions you have!

Attention party people! Mx Cheeks has arrived.

With her bubbly nature and fruity asides, Peachy may seem sweeter than a Kylie float in Mardi Gras, but party guest beware, she also has a refreshing zing that will come at you like a salty slap. Mx Cheeks is from Byron after all.

The brainchild of Counter Culture and Northern Rivers LGBTQIA+ organisation, Queer Family Inc, Peachy is a sassy Bellini sour, that pours sweet layers of peach, mango and apricot puree over a pale and wheat malt, Blue Lake rolled wheat base, rounded out with a lactic sour pitch and ready to roll at 6.69% ABV.

Aiden Gentle (they/them), Managing Director at Queer Family said about Peachy, “Peachy Cheeks is a perfect representation of a queer character, particularly a local queer character. When we were imagining her, she was fun, she was summery, she was local and timely. She’s running down the beach, she wears heels if she wants to. She’s fun, she’s lively, she’s queer.”

Watch our latest Counter Culture video

Get to know Nina Hurr, our Counter Culture collab artist and designer of the Peachy Cheeks can art.

Availability

Peachy Cheeks is now available at vibing bottle shops and venues around the country. You can jump on the Beer Finder to discover your local stockists, as well as seek out the select venues Peachy will be on tap. Be sure to check with them before heading out to make sure it’s in stock!

Mx Cheeks is also taking up residency on our official online store and at our Byron Tasting Room and Brisbane brewery, so you can also catch her at the source.

NEW limited edition Peachy Cheeks T-Shirt

Vibrant, playful and diverse, the 100% Organic Cotton Peachy Cheeks Tee is a celebration of the Northern Rivers Queer community and the brainchild of local artist Nina Hurr. Out on a limited release, Mx Cheeks is here for a good time not a long time, so get in fast party people.

In the meantime, be sure to sign up to the Counter Culture newsletter and follow @counterculturebeer to hear about each release first.

To find out more about the excellent work Queer Family do within the Northern Rivers region, please head to their website and for more on the collaboration with Stone & Wood, please check out our video here.

Our Pilot Batch beers are experimental brews created by our team of talented brewers, with occasional help from collaborators within our community, all at our Pilot Brewery in Byron Bay.

These small batch brews are special, limited and, once gone, may never return. The Pilot Batch brewery is a space for our brewers to get creative – an opportunity to trial weird and wonderful things, turning the brewery into an experimental playground to get a little fruity.

Every three months, one of our brewers takes up the helm in our Byron brewery, running the day-to-day operations. During this time, they have the chance to brew their favourite beers and run the Pilot Batch program.

Meet our latest Pilot Batch brewer, Andrew Chand-Narayan aka Chandy. Say G’day to him if you see him kicking around our Byron Brewery.

GIVE US A BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT YOURSELF..

Between working snow seasons, I filled my summers with Surf and Vintages. But with my first smell of hops, my passion immediately switched to beer.

I got my foot in the door in a brewery back in 2017 and I am still enjoying the ride! Brewing is forever evolving.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE STYLES OF BEER AND WHY?

I am a hop head.

Pale Ales and IPAs are definitely my jam  but I am up to try anything of course!!

WHAT WILL YOU BE BREWING DURING YOUR TIME HERE IN BYRON?

I have already brewed a Dank Milkshake Hazy IPA, currently pouring, my Coffee Brown will be serving soon-ish and another brew to come… but I’ll keep my cards close on that one for now 

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT USING THE PILOT BATCH BREWERY TO EXPERIMENT?

The 6hL pilot kit….well….let’s just say, it was love at first brew  I still take photos every time I brew on it  Here’s to Cheers and Cheers to Beers

It’s a matter of being simply the best when a set of legendary limited-releases come out of retirement for one more chance at brewing glory.

After a crushing 10 rounds of Counter Culture, two beers must rise above the rest to become your MVBs and enjoy a comeback brew. It’s a tussle tighter than a pair of AFL shorts, but ultimately, the final whistle belongs to you.

For two heart stopping weeks of ice-cold competition, you have the power to give these small batch beers the chance at another guernsey or send them back to the sheds forever.

WIN A YEAR OF BEER CLUB

Enter our Counter Culture All Stars competition and you’ll go in the draw to win a year of Beer Club!

A welcome pack, beery stories & events and six limited release packs valued at $265.

It’s a momentous challenge to choose a favourite from this line-up, so to help with your selection, let’s recap on each player:

Killer Kween – Imperial Berliner Weisse

Drawing first blood in the competition, this rugged Berliner Weisse lured drinkers in with punches of raspberry and its pink rouge hue, before landing a knockout blow of 7.6% ABV.

VOTE NOW

Sticky Nectar – Hazy IPA

Seizing the momentum from Kween and running with it, this hazy IPA had the stands going troppo in May of 2019. Will its bursting hops and truckloads of mango be enough to get it back in the comp after this long out of the game?

VOTE NOW

It’d Be Rude Not To – French Toast Stout

Two winters ago, this creamy stout put in a gutsy effort, tackling hints of vanilla and cinnamon to produce a truly patisserie-packed performance. Will its slow and heavy attack prove to be the flavour we need in 2021?

VOTE NOW

So Long Darkness…? – Invisible Stout

When it comes to surprise, this invisible stout has a stranglehold on the game. With a smooth and creamy delivery, So Long… has a brightness its competitors never saw coming, making it a massive hit with fans.

VOTE NOW

Lovely Bubbly – Brut Rose

The showman of the comp, the attack of this flashy brut rose sour is literally, champagne. Will its strawberry tones help it bubble to the top of this star-studded line-up?

VOTE NOW

REINVIGAM8 – Hydration Ale

At 2.7%, this low alc beer always handles things with a clean set of hands. Brimming full of half-time oranges, this zesty sour has a loyal following with the crowd in the I.M. Wellness Stand.

VOTE NOW

G3 – DIPA

At 7.6%, G3 equals Killer Kween as the best pound-for-pound hitter in the comp. Taking inspiration from dominating stalwart, Pacific Ale, G3 takes tropical flavours to the next level becoming the only DIPA in the game.

VOTE NOW

Tequila Queen – Oak Aged Magarita

Late 2020, this margarita sour had legions of drinkers heading to the sin bin just to knock one back. A bookie’s favourite to make the top two, can the Queen make it reign again?

VOTE NOW

Earl of Swirl – Berry Cream Sour

There’s no stopping the bruising defence of this purple prince once he hits the glass. At 6.9% and built on berries and cream, the Earl is hoping to convert his sour notes into the sweet taste of success.

VOTE NOW

The Holy Grain – Honey Toasted IPA

This barnstorming finisher made a meal out of February when his honey toasted layers hit the lips of drinkers. Too many knocks to the can may be why he’s so deliciously hazy, so it will be interesting to see how he pulls up this round.

Coconuts clap together to simulate galloping horses*

Hear ye, hear ye.

Good Knights of the Breakfast Table, we ask: what is thy quest?

Have you come from far and wide in search of something sweet with toasted flavours, a golden nectar so delicious that you could drink it in the morning?

If so, Good Knights, thy quest – you have reached The Holy Grain.

Grab your goblets, Good Knights. Our Honey Toasted Hazy IPA The Holy Grain has delicate layers of honey, vanilla and toasted coconut added to a pale malt, wheat and oat backbone, balanced by Sabro, Galaxy, Citra and HBC472 hops for a wholesome and subtly hazy finish.

From this week, you can commence the small journey to your nearby bottle shop for The Holy Grain 500ml two-packs and cartons or your local venue to taste this sweet, delicious nectar on tap (only a select few).

From today, Good Knights, you can also purchase a two-pack from our official online store ($25 + free shipping) or at our Byron Bay Tasting Room and Brisbane brewery, where our crew is pouring The Holy Grain on tap.

Remember, Good Knights: Call ahead to your local stockist/venue to check when The Holy Grain will arrive.  Like all Counter Culture releases, The Holy Grain is very limited, so make haste!

You’ve made it, Good Knights, and have proven yourselves worthy. Now, enjoy this blessed bier.

In the meantime, be sure to sign up to the Counter Culture newsletter and follow @counterculturebeer to hear about each release first.

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!

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.

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

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.

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!

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

We have a story of innovation for you …

You probably know that we don’t like wasting things – especially beer. After all, that’s why we started our Green Feet sustainability program.

When venues around the country closed earlier this year in line with COVID-19 restrictions, many of our customers were stuck with kegs of fresh beer they could no longer sell.

To support them, we took all unopened Stone & Wood kegs back to our brewery and offered credits to our customers for when things opened back up.

Awesome – but then we had enough excess beer to overflow a swimming pool …

Until our good friends up the road at Cape Byron Distillery caught wind of it and devised an unusual plan: they decided to make a ‘beer spirit’ with our excess fresh Pacific Ale. And so, alongside Cape Byron Distillery, we bring you Pacific Moonshine.

Artfully distilled using our Original Pacific Ale, Pacific Moonshine (44%) is subtly salty and bursting with the tropical flavours of pineapple, lychee, passionate and mango, with hints of malt and citrus on the nose and palate.

Get in quick – numbers are extremely limited for this once-only special release!

With community at the heart of everything we do, we will donate $6 from every bottle to our not-for-profit, the inGrained Foundation, to support local grassroots charities in the areas we work and live.

How do I enjoy Pacific Moonshine?

The crew at Cape Byron Distillery suggest serving Pacific Moonshine with cold soda or fresh pineapple juice or try mixing it up with Cape Byron Distillery’s delicious cocktail recipe ideas.

Pacific Moonshine is available in 700ml bottle from our online store from Friday 4th December. Available only while stocks last.

Our Pilot Batch beers are experimental brews created by our team of brewers, with occasional help from collaborators within our community, all at our Pilot Brewery in Byron Bay.

These small batch brews are special, limited and, once gone, may never return. The Pilot Batch brewery is a space for our brewers to get creative – an opportunity to trial weird and wonderful things, turning the brewery into an experimental playground to get a little fruity.

Every three months, one of our brewers takes up the helm in our Byron brewery, running the day-to-day operations. During this time, they have the chance to brew their favourite beers and run the Pilot Batch program.

Meet Sean Rynne, our resident brewer for November – January.

Give us a bit of background about yourself…

I started brewing with Stone & Wood two years ago now. I pretty much just fell into brewing right out of university where I studied biomedical science and was teaching piano on the side. Around this time I made a few terrible home brews, so I came to Stone & Wood very green and very keen to learn.

What are your favourite styles of beer and why?

This answer would probably change every week! I love all styles of beer, but at the moment have been really digging some more traditional styles like oud bruin and Flanders red. I also can’t go past a well-made lager!

What will you be brewing during your time here in Byron?

I’ve gone with my favourite style of the moment with an oud bruin: a mixed ferment brown ale with raspberries and oak chips added to the fermenter.

Any beers you’re really excited about brewing and why?

I’m super excited to brew some of the calibration beers we have coming up – it’s so cool to be able to take someone else’s concept and design a brew for them and bring it to life! Also, I really enjoy anything that’s technically challenging on brew day.

What do you like about using the Pilot Batch brewery to experiment?

The Pilot Brewery is right back to basics. With everything being super manual, it gives us the chance to use fun and different ingredients that just wouldn’t work or would be outrageously expensive at large scale.