Due to the global events of last year, our annual tradition and brewing ritual, Stone Brew Day 2020 was wound back. Although we kept the fire burning last year…Just…It was very exciting to see the return of an event that brings our close friends from the beer community together, to help us prepare our annual Stone Beer for 2021 – a limited woodfired porter that we release every winter. 

At Stone Brew Day, we honour this tradition by heating stones on a woodfire and – while they’re glowing red – lowering them inside a metal cage into the wort (the pre-fermented liquid that later ferments into beer) inside the kettle, lending Stone Beer a rich, caramelly flavour that matches the hints of coffee and dark chocolate – a tradition we have upheld since our humble beginnings back in 2008.

This year we hosted a handful of our close mates and local venues including The Beach Hotel, Brunswick Heads Hotel, Eltham Hotel, Cellar Byron Bay, The Northern, Sun Bistro, The Rails, Nimbin Hotel and Beach Byron Bay. The small local crew enjoyed some beers & conversation, great food by 100 Mile Table and learned the process and history of Stone Beer. 

SAVE THE DATE – FESTIVAL OF THE STONE

As Stone Beer sits in tank now, we’re getting excited, as Festival of the Stone is also making a return this year! Festival of the Stone will be held on Saturday 5^th June at Stone & Wood Brewery in Byron Bay. Tickets will go on sale on Friday 7^th May. Stone Beer will be flowing alongside all of our Stone & Wood beers, Sunly Seltzer, Little Dragon Ginger Beer, Treehouse Cider and Fixation. A full line up of local bands will be bringing the vibes PLUS DJ sets, Malt Disney for the kids and much more! Profits from the festival will go to local non-for-profits. Get in quick, as tickets always sell out before the night!

Our winter Stone Beer will be available to pre-order 31 May. Stay tune for updates.

It’s no secret that hazy beers are the go-to choice for craft beer lovers these days. Made from malted barley, wheat and hops, there is no shortage of flavour in here. What you get instead is a pale ale that packs more tropical flavours than you know what to do with.

Best of all, you don’t even have to be a keen beer fan to enjoy one.

WHAT MAKES A HAZY BEER?

Hazy beers get their name from the ‘cloudy hue produced by the type of yeast used. High-protein malts are added, and the beer is dry-hopped during the brewing process to produce a hazy-look.

This results in a beer that is fuller, smoother, and fruitier tasting than your average Indian Pale Ale or lager. You can easily tell a hazy apart from the clear, sparkling finish of your old man’s favourite beer.

The hazy beer’s roots can be traced back to a fairly recent subclass of IPAs known as New England IPAs (NEIPAs). As the name suggests, the origin story begins in the New England region in the North East of the USA (Vermont to be exact) where beers in this category are known for their juicy scents and tangy flavour.

Over time, the “haze craze” took over the local craft beer scene doing the rounds, before eventually making its way over to our shores in the early part of the last decade.

INTRODUCING THE FIRST LOW-ALC HAZY

Our East Point hazy beer is the first low-alcohol beer on the market, coming in at just 2.7% alc/vol. When less is more, this lightly soured refreshment quenches the thirst without skimping out. We like to think of it like when salt spray lifts off the wave, hits your face and lingers in the air
Inspired by Australia’s most easterly point, near which our Byron Bay brewery is located, the low-alc hazy beer is perfect for long afternoons, midday sessions or anything else that calls for a responsible approach.

HAZY BREWING NOTES

We brew the East Point onsite, using the protein and polyphenols from malts and hops to form a colloidal haze in the beer. The particular type of haze is considered non-biological due to the lack of bacteria and yeast agents here.

The combination of fresh ingredients and a distinctive brewing process gives it that zesty bomb and subtle sourness that you love, without the unintended “after-effects” (you know what we’re talking about).

AVAILABILITY

Pick up the East Point online in 16x 375ml cartons. You can also grab a four-pack from our Byron bay Tasting Room and our brewery in Brisbane and online. This smaller sampler pack is ideal for getting your first taste of this unique low alcohol hazy beer!

Stone & Wood and Brookie’s Gin have come together to ensure that on Mother’s Day 2021, you’re going to be the favourite child.

Delivered in a picture-perfect box, Stone & Wood’s The Gatherer sits lovingly aside Brookie’s Slow Gin, patiently poised for Mother’s Day and the pouring of The Pink Pam cocktail.

Exceptional for sharing and easily made, The Pink Pam is a thing of beauty. With a blush hue, flower garnish and served in Brookie’s glass jars, it’s the ideal refreshment to mark a special occasion.

But golden child beware! In order to get a Pink Pam in your mum’s hand on time, you need to be the proactive present buyer you’ve always wanted to be and order your gift early.

So go ahead, toss aside the choccies and slippers of Mother’s Day past and embrace your status of #1 offspring. Order your Beer Cocktail Box for mum from our online store and check our delivery calculator here to make sure you get in before cut off.

Watch how to make ‘The Pink Pam’ cocktail

Availability

Get your Beer Cocktail Box from our online store. Available for a limited time and only while stocks last.

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.