Beer, music and community spirit are coming together as we throw open the gates to our Murwillumbah brewery for a family-friendly Open Day on Saturday, 29 August.
From 11am–5pm, we’re inviting the Northern Rivers community to join us at Murwillumbah for an afternoon of fresh beer, live music, local food, brewery tours and plenty of fun for the whole family.
Entry is free and all ages are welcome, with free buses running from Murwillumbah and Tweed Heads to help you get to and from the brewery.
This year, we’re celebrating the hometown launch of Northern Rivers Lager – right here at the brewery where it’s made.
We’ll also be pouring an extremely limited Swamp Beer Pilot Batch, available exclusively on tap at Murbah.
Swamp Beer pays tribute to one of Murwillumbah’s great local stories. This year marks 25 years since a beer truck ended up in the Tweed River over a long weekend, prompting a group of cheeky locals to dive in and swim the precious cargo back to shore.
There’ll be live music throughout the day, featuring TV Misery, Hayley Grace Trio from Bay Collective, O and Shae, and emerging local artist Ike.
Want to see what happens behind the brewery doors? Guided brewery tours will run at 12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm, with our crew on hand to answer questions about brewing, packaging and some of the recent upgrades to our Murwillumbah brewery.
Come hungry too. 2020 Smokehouse BBQ and Gunter’s Flammkuchen will be serving up food throughout the day.
For the little ones, there’ll be face painting, kids' activities and Malt Disney entertainment, making it a day the whole family can enjoy.
Raising a glass for our community
Most importantly, Murbah is about celebrating and supporting the community we call home.
The event will help raise funds for local organisations Tweed Palliative Support & Wedgetail Retreat and The Family Centre, supporting the important work they do across our region.
So round up your family and mates, jump on one of the free buses and come spend the day with us.
Murbah Saturday, 29 August | 11am–5pm Stone & Wood Brewery, 35 Kite Crescent, South Murwillumbah Free entry | All ages welcome
Beer, music and community spirit are coming together as we throw open the gates to our Murwillumbah brewery for a family-friendly Open Day on Saturday, 29 August. From 11am–5pm, we’re...
Six Northern Rivers not-for-profits are to share $100,000 in funding
In March, our not-for-profit the inGrained Foundation launched itsNorthern Rivers Large Grants Program 2020, which invited local social and environmental not-for-profits with DGR status to apply for a grant between $10,000 and $30,000 and show how their projects contribute to ‘regeneration and social connection’ – this year’s theme.
With $100,000 in total funding, applications closed on 22 May after a six-week extension to allow applicants to navigate any disruptions caused by COVID-19, leaving the Grants Committee blown away by the 55 applications submitted.
Now, the inGrained Foundation is excited to announce the recipients of the Grants Program 2020, so please join us in a round of applause for the following organisations:
RAINFOREST 4 FOUNDATION
Rainforest 4 Foundationwill embark on a largescale regeneration project across fire-impacted Huonbrook, Wanganui and Upper Wilsons Creek, where the organisation will engage residents, landowners, volunteers and the Aboriginal Madhima Gulga bush regeneration team in mitigating the risk of future bushfire through weeding, planting and increasing biodiversity.
MULLUM DISTRICT NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE
TheMullum District Neighbourhood Centrewill launch a nutritional food relief and food sustainability project for community members experiencing financial difficulty and/or social isolation, in which participants can connect and engage in food preparation together.
TWEED LANDCARE
Tweed Landcarewill put their grant toward wildlife regeneration in the fire-affected area of Terragon in the Tweed Valley, which engages local residents and landowners in improving safety for local wildlife and installing waterers, nest boxes, hollows and sensor cameras for animal tracking.
SUPPORT FOR NEW MUMS
Volunteer-led organisation Support for New Mums will use their grant to relaunch their volunteer home-visit program for new mothers without local support networks in the Tweed Shire, with the aim to reduce isolation and create connections for participants following childbirth.
ZERO EMISSIONS BYRON
Volunteer-run organisation Zero Emissions Byron will use their grant to part-fund their RePlant Byron Community Connection Project, which aims to drawdown carbon and reinvigorate local biodiversity around degraded pastureland. Located in nearby Bangalow, the site will be prepared for the planting of 3,500 locally grown native rainforest trees with Aboriginal firestick burning practices, locally produced biochar and the involvement of the community, local Aboriginal people and special-needs groups across two public planting days.
AUTISM CAMP AUSTRALIA
The total funding pool also included a $15,000 ‘Employee Funded Grant’ created by our crew, who substituted their monthly carton allowance with a cash donation to the inGrained Foundation to raise the money. Together we selectedAutism Camp Australiaas the sixth recipient, whose ‘Employee Funded Grant’ will enable them to purchase musical and play equipment that assists the development of young people living with autism.
We at Stone & Wood and the inGrained Foundation are stoked with the results of this year’s Grants Program. We congratulate each of the successful applicants and look forward to seeing their projects come to life, and thank all the organisations who took the time to apply this year.
We’ve lit the fire for another year of Stone Beer traditions
Whether you’ve heard the story before or you’re new to the tradition, we invite you to join us in another year of storytelling under a starry winter sky, of standing around a campfire with our freshly brewed Stone Beer.
THE STONE BEER STORY
Every May since Stone & Wood began, alongside our friends in the brewing industry, we brew our woodfired porter Stone Beer in preparation for winter. This is called our Stone Brew Day.
We start by brewing a decadent porter with dark roasted malts to give coffee and dark chocolate flavours to the beer. Then, on an open fire, we heat volcanic stones sourced from the nearby hinterland, before lowering them glowing-red into the kettle, which lends smoky caramel notes to the beer. The moment the woodfired stones touch the wort with a loudhisssis a moment for celebration.
A month later, we tap Stone Beer at our annual Festival of the Stone – our biggest beer and music festival of the year where our community comes together to enjoy fresh beer, live music, food trucks and winter cheer.
THIS YEAR’S STONE BEER ONLY JUST MADE IT
Decadent and bold, Stone Beer is close to our hearts, so it was with great disappointment this year that, in response to COVID-19, we had to call both Stone Brew Day and Festival of the Stone off this year.
Additionally, with the period’s uncertainty, we also raised some initial questions about whether to brew Stone Beer at all.
Luckily, our founders Jamie, Brad and Ross couldn’t bear the idea of a year without Stone Beer, so we reigned in our resources and brewed Stone Beer 2020 in the face of all the mayhem, albeit in smaller volumes.
STONE BEER 2020 WITH ALL-AUSTRALIAN MALTS
This year, in a nod to our roots, Stone Beer 2020 is the first brewed with all-Australian malts, including a Red Gum-smoked malt that adds a subtle smokiness to the brew’s roasted barley, coffee and dark chocolate flavours.
A delicious woodfired dark porter with a firm bitter finish, Stone Beer 2020 is best paired with campfires, fresh air and cold starry nights. Cheers!
Brewed in Byron Bay, Sunly Seltzer is our newest member of the family
We all have that kind of friend – the one that ditches their togs for a skinny dip. That friend who inspires you to live a better life.
Sunly Seltzeris like that friend. A bright, clean-tasting hard seltzer brewed at our home in Byron Bay, Sunly Seltzer is gluten-free, vegan and refreshing tipple that has less than three grams of sugar per can in three delicious flavours:Davidson Plum & Berry,Blood Orange & GrapefruitandGinger & Lemon.
We’re excited to welcome Sunly Seltzer as the newest member of the Fermentum family of businesses, alongside Stone & Wood, Fixation Brewing and Granite Belt Cider Co.
Now that you’ve met Sunly, perhaps you’re wonderingwhat hard seltzer is? It’s a pretty new term here in Australia, but basically ‘seltzer’ is another (cooler) name for carbonated water, while the ‘hard’ refers to its alcohol content.
Here in Byron, we brew Sunly Seltzer a lot like beer: we brew using a gluten-free grain called sorghum, along with hops, water and yeast, and infuse all this with natural ingredients at the final stage.
Bright, sparkling and with 90% less sugar than leading vodka RTD premixed drinks, we brew Sunly Seltzer for people love a good time, who love getting up early for sunrise and for those who – given the chance – love ditching their togs for a skinny dip.
You can grab a four-pack or carton of Sunly Seltzer from good bottle shops across the east coast (find where to buy your pack ofhard seltzer near you) and keep up with all things Sunly by following@sunlyseltzeror learn more aboutSuny Seltzeron their website.
Read the full article with our Sunly Brewer Josh Waters and Brand Manager Pat Coulson onBeer & Brewer here.
Welcome Back sessions at our breweries - enjoy 100 minutes with your mates!
OUR WELCOME BACK SESSIONS HAVE FINISHED! YOU CAN NOW DROP INTO OUR BREWERIES WITHOUT HAVING TO BOOK. SEE YOU FOR A BEER SOON.
Heads-up that our offerings for Byron and Brisbane are currently different, in line with respective state government guidelines.
BYRON BAY
Our Tasting Room in Byron Bay is now open to 95 people (Tasting Room and outdoor beer garden)! That means we’re no longer running pre-booked Welcome Back sessions, and that you can simply show up and order whichever beer and food you like. What’s more, our canteen run by 100 Mile Table is back open too!
Groups will be limited to 10 people (i.e. please don’t come in a group of 11 or more), while we’ll still be physical distancing and practising sanitisation.
We’re still running our pre-booked Welcome Back sessions at our Brisbane brewery but from Monday 1 June we’ve increased our capacity to 20 people.
Our Welcome Back sessions invite you and your mates to pre-book your spot in the brewery and enjoy a tasting paddle, a meal, a quick tour/chat with our crew, a $5 voucher for our bottleshops and a $5 voucher for our online store.
Additional purchases for beer, merch or takeaway cartons or sharers during your Welcome Back session can be made on card.
What if I had already booked a Welcome Back session for Byron?
In line with NSW Government guidelines, from Monday 1 June we’re able to host 50 people in our ByronTasting Room (not Brisbane at this stage). With this in mind, we’ve removed our booking system for Welcome Back sessions in Byron from Monday 1 June.
If you’ve already made a Welcome Back session booking after Monday 1 June, hang tight – our customer service team will be in touch shortly!
Crispy chicken, sriracha mayo, pickled cucumber bao or
Grilled king brown mushroom, black garlic, oak lettuce bao Vg
Two bao buns per serving with a side salad of shredded broccoli, sultanas & toasted almonds with confit garlic and chickpea dressing GF, Vg
DO I NEED TO BE IN A GROUP OF 10 TO BOOK?
Nope. Whether you’re riding solo, in a pair or with a group of 10 mates, we look forward to hosting you. But spots are limited (10 pax per session), so we recommend you pre-book yours soon.
If you are in a group of 10 mates, you can book a session out and enjoy the brewery all to yourselves.
WHAT’S YOUR CLEANLINESS VIBE WITH THE RELAXED GUIDELINES?
Of course, it’s early days so our specially trained crew will be keeping the breweries spotless and sanitised during your visit, with thorough cleaning between sessions. Any additional purchases will be card only, plus our crew will be practising physical distancing where possible.
WHAT IF MY GROUP OR I CAN’T MAKE IT?
You know the drill – if you’re not feeling well or something else comes up, please call our Brisbane brewery on 0476 446 336 and email[email protected]or our Byron Bay brewery on 0429 060 262 and email[email protected]tofully transfer your bookingto another time or day. We do ask that if you’re sick to please reschedule at a reasonable time in the future.
DO YOU OFFER VEGAN OR VEGETARIAN FOOD OPTIONS?
Yes! If you have any dietary requirements, please highlight this in the comments section on the booking checkout or alternatively call the brewery to let the staff know at least a day in advance.
***
As you know, things have been really tough for our industry and for independent breweries, wine makers, producers, growers, venue owners and hospo staff around the country. But while we acknowledge Phase One of the government’s reopening guidelines doesn’t work for all venues, we feel grateful that we’re able to connect with you again in our spaces.
The Welcome Back sessions are subject to change as the government guidelines move into the following phases, but we’ll keep you in the loop about that.
For now, we want to THANK YOU for your support. By supporting independent Australian beer, you’ve been #KeepingLocalAlive and ensuring the future of indie beer will be strong in the future.
Who here loves watermelon? Good news – we’ve just tapped a sour loaded with fresh watermelon at ourByron Tasting Room.
Blushed orange with a delicate sour pitch balanced by fresh watermelon fruitiness, our One in a Melon Pilot Batch brew is now available to grab in a 1L sharer bottle from our Byron Tasting Room and Brissy brewery on this Tuesday.
You can now ORDER ONLINE & PICKUP sharers of fresh beer from our tanks. Simply jump onto ouronline store, choose and purchase the Pilot Batch you want and come and – depending where you live – collect from either our Byron Bay Tasting Room or Brisbane brewery.
Thanks to Stone & Wood Beer Club member James Hawksworth who won the naming competition!
Join our mate Daz Robertson in his backyard for a delicious woodfired homecooked meal
Watch the full how-to video feat. Chef Daz Robertson
Iso makes some people stir-crazy, while it makes others turn to the kitchen.
And in the case of Darren Robertson, co-founding chef ofThree Blue Ducksup the road from our brewery, that means the kitchen in his backyard.
A champion for quality and sustainable produce, Darren is the first chef to feature in ourGreen Coast Lager Simple Moment chef series, where we spotlight our region’s standout chefs and their approach to good food and simple moments.
While everyone’s in lock-down, or at least spending more time at home, Darren has taken to his backyard firepit, manned with a couple of pots and some fresh ingredients from his garden, to share his homecooked family recipes in his ownThe Pretty Good Feed series.
Check out the video above where Darren shares his epic recipe forbackyard risottowith butternut pumpkin and corn, plus easy instructions on how tomakericottaover the fire (and utilise all parts of the recipe to reduce waste).
Delicious and healthy, most ingredients for both recipes might already be sitting in the pantry, which makes this a simple go-to dish to pair with a couple of cold beers for dinner.
Cheers!
YOU CAN FIND THE FULL RECIPE HERE:
Ricotta 2lt Unhomoganised milk Put the milk in a pan and heat until 85 – 95 degrees. Turn off the heat. Add the lemon juice, stir it through gently. Cover with a cloth and leave for 30 minutes for the curds to form. Carefully strain through a muslin lined colander over a bowl to catch the whey.
Risotto 1 head corn 1 handful chopped pumpkin 1 diced Brownonion 1 garlic clove (minced) 259g risotto rice 2 tbl butter Herbs lemon Sweat the onions and garlic in butter. Add the rice and pumpkin. Cook down then add flavours whey. Cook till rice is almost cooked, add corn. Add ricotta. Season with lemon and herbs. That’s it!
Get mixing at home with this delicious beer & cocktail recipe.
With a twist of real watermelon, cucumber and mint & hopped with Galaxy, The Gatherer is beer – but not as you know it. With its blush hue and zesty flavour, this beer challenges preconceived notions about ‘regular beer’. Get creative – serve it up with a slice of citrus and fresh mint in a stemless glass, if you like.
The Gatherer cocktail series introduces Brisbane’s brewing and hospitality elite, who we’ve tasked with showcasing The Gatherer in a cocktail.
On the mix-up stage, we have Liam Shephard fromByblos Barwith his The Gatherer x Rosé Vermouth cocktail dubbed ‘Far Far Away’ which landed Liam a spot in the finals of our The Gatherer cocktail comp.
‘I wanted to really bring out & amplify all of the flavours in The Gatherer while creating something absolutely crushable. The passionfruit & peach bring out the fruity notes in the galaxy hops, the mint brings out the freshness of The Gatherer’s ingredients while the lime adds a zesty undertone. The rose vermouth compliments the blush hue of The Gatherer, while adding complexity to the bitter notes of the beer & balancing the sweetness of the honey. The result looks like a tiki drink perfect for the beach & with the lower ABV you could drink it all day long’– Liam Shephard, Byblos.
You can view Liam’s full The Gatherer cocktail recipe below – get creative at home with this one.
Grab a carton of The Gatherer from our online store today and have it delivered fresh from our brewery to your doorstep. We’re offering Free-shipping Australia-wide.
From malt to packaging, our Pacific Ale is 100% Australian
Today is Earth Day 2020, an international day that seeks to inspire the global environmental movement, now in its 50thyear.
While most Earth Day efforts and celebrations will take place online today, many of our crew are busy making beer offline at ourMurwillumbah production breweryto ensure beer-lovers around the country can still enjoy a beer safely at home.
A big part of their job is brewing, bottling and packing the Original Pacific Ale, which – from the malt and hops through to the bottle caps and cartons – is 100% Australian-made, most within a three-hour drive of the brewery.
In celebration of Earth Day, we thought we’d take you around our Murbah brewery with our sustainability manager James to learn more about our commitment to reducing our environmental footprint via ourGreen Feet program, plus the lifecycle of the Original Pacific Ale and its all-Australian ingredients and materials.
All Pacific Ale ingredients are Australian-made, including the malt, hops and yeast
All Pacific Ale materials are Australian-made, including the bottle caps, glass and glue
Our bottles are made from 70 per cent recycled glass
Our cartons are made from 50 per cent recycled cardboard
Jess walks us through the magic of beer: malt, water, hops and yeast
We all love the stuff – but what makes beer, beer?
Welcome topart twoof theStone & Wood virtual brewery tour, where our resident Canadian beer geek and Tasting Room manager Jess walks us through the ingredients of beer.
That is, malt, water, hops and yeast, and how these are processed into delicious beer.
This part of the tour is fairlyeducational, so we recommend popping open a fresh beer and sitting down somewhere quiet where you can soak up Jess’s knowledge, covering the German purity law – aka the Reinheitsgebot –, malting, water types and plenty of beer-science fun facts. Did you know hops are related to cannabis?
After watching this video, you should understand how the quality and treatment of these four ingredients influence the beer you drink – and hey, it might help you better choose between beers at your local pub (when it opens – you’ll be ready).
Grab that beer, take a comfy seat and enjoy another round of beer education and laughs.
This might be short and sweet, but given that water makes up more than 90% of beer, the water supply can make a drastic difference in a brew. All over the planet, water supplies vary with mineral contents such as calcium, sodium, magnesium, sulfate, etc.
Traditionally, where a brewery was located geographically and what water supply they had to work with naturally lent itself to being well-suited to certain styles of beer over others.
The most common example of this is a Czech Pilsner from the town of Pilsen in the Czech Republic, whose water supply is very soft, therefore perfect for creating a nice, light, refreshing lager.
Conversely, the deep wells of Burton-upon-Trent in England have a very harsh water supply, which is excellent for making full-flavored pale ales.
These days, brewers can purify and adjust the water with brewing salts to mimic water that will work best with whatever style they are brewing.
Soft Water Beers:
Soft water is water that contains low concentrations of dissolved minerals, particularly calcium and magnesium ions.
Pilsners and Pale Lagers: These beers benefit from soft water because it helps showcase the delicate flavours of the malt and hops without interference from minerals. Light Ales: Like pilsners, light ales can benefit from the clean, crisp character that soft water provides.
Hard Water Beers:
Hard water is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium ions.
Dark Ales and Stouts: The higher mineral content in hard water can enhance the flavours of roasted malts, adding complexity and richness to these styles. Bitter Ales: Hard water can accentuate hop bitterness, which is desirable in styles like IPAs and English bitters. Belgian Ales: Some Belgian styles benefit from the mineral character of hard water, contributing to the unique flavour profiles of these beers.
What is the purpose of malt in beer?
Malts are the backbone of beer, providing not just sweetness but a myriad of flavours, colours, and textures. They're essentially grains (usually barley) that have been germinated, dried, and roasted to perfection.
Different malts undergo varying degrees of roasting, from pale malts for light beers to deeply roasted malts for dark and rich brews. This roasting process influences the flavours and colours they impart to the beer.
🌾 Pale Malts: These are the foundation of most beers, offering a clean and neutral flavour profile. They contribute sweetness and light colours to brews like lagers and pale ales.
🌾 Munich and Vienna Malts: These malts add depth and maltiness, bringing flavours of bread, toast, and biscuits. They're often used in amber ales, Oktoberfest beers, and bocks.
🌾 Crystal Malts: Known for their caramelised sugars, crystal malts contribute sweetness, body, and colours ranging from golden to deep amber. They're common in ales like IPAs and porters.
🌾 Chocolate and Black Malts: These deeply roasted malts provide dark colors, rich flavours of coffee, chocolate, and roasted nuts, and a touch of bitterness. They're essential for stouts, porters, and dark ales.
🌾 Roasted Barley: With intense roasted flavors and a dry finish, roasted barley adds complexity to stouts and robust porters, often lending notes of coffee, dark chocolate, and even hints of smoke.
Beyond flavour, malts also play a critical role in the brewing process. During mashing, enzymes in the malt convert starches into fermentable sugars, which yeast later transforms into alcohol and carbonation during fermentation.
So next time you savour a beer, appreciate the malts that went into crafting its unique character. Cheers to the diverse world of malts and the delicious brews they create!
How do hops affect beer?
Hops play a crucial role in brewing beer, contributing to both the flavor and aroma of the final product. Here are some key roles and impacts of hops in brewing:
Bitterness: Hops are primarily known for their bittering effect on beer. During the brewing process, hops release alpha acids, which add bitterness to balance the sweetness of malted barley.
Flavor: Hops contribute a wide range of flavors to beer, depending on the hop variety used and how it's added during brewing. Common hop flavors include citrus, pine, floral, herbal, spicy, and fruity notes.
Aroma: Hops also add aroma to beer, enhancing its overall sensory experience. The volatile oils in hops produce aromas that range from earthy and grassy to tropical and citrusy, depending on the hop variety.
Stability: Hops have antimicrobial properties that help preserve beer and extend its shelf life by inhibiting the growth of unwanted bacteria and yeast.
Foam stability: Hops contribute to the formation and retention of beer foam, which is an important characteristic in beer appearance and mouthfeel.
Overall, hops play a multifaceted role in brewing, influencing the bitterness, flavor complexity, aroma profile, stability, and visual appeal of the final beer product.
Different hop varieties and brewing techniques can be used to achieve a wide range of beer styles with distinct hop characteristics.
What does yeast do to beer?
Yeast might seem like a tiny player, but it's a superstar in the brewing world. Just like water, yeast plays a crucial role in shaping the flavours and character of your favourite brew. It's the secret ingredient that transforms sugary wort into the delicious beer we love.
Different strains of yeast bring their own unique flavours and aromas to the party. From fruity esters to spicy phenols, yeast adds layers of complexity that define beer styles and create memorable drinking experiences.
Traditionally, breweries chose yeast strains based on regional availability, leading to iconic beer styles like German Hefeweizen with its signature banana and clove notes, courtesy of the yeast strain used.
But it's not just about flavour. Yeast also plays a vital role in fermentation, converting sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This process not only gives beer its kick but also adds natural carbonation.
Today, brewers have a playground of yeast strains to experiment with, from traditional ale and lager yeasts to wild and funky strains that push the boundaries of flavour.
Get mixing at home with this delicious The Gatherer cocktail with Tequila
With a twist of real watermelon, cucumber and mint & hopped with Galaxy, The Gatherer is beer – but not as you know it. With its blush hue and zesty flavour, this beer challenges preconceived notions about ‘regular beer’. Get creative – serve it up with a slice of citrus and fresh mint in a stemless glass, if you like.
The Gatherer cocktail series introduces Brisbane’s brewing and hospitality elite, who we’ve tasked with showcasing The Gatherer in a cocktail.
Meet mix-master Blade Hauserfrom Death & Taxesand his tasty creation – ‘Homegrown’.
‘I knew from the beginning that I wanted to create a drink that gave an earthy freshness to compliment The Gatherer. I went to my little garden for inspiration, there I found strawberries, lime & cilantro. I created a syrup using Campari & strawberries to compliment the lime & cilantro stem juice, with Herradura Plata to keep the earthiness alive & lastly The Gatherer to bring everything together & sing the loudest’ – Blade Hauser, Death & Taxes
Give Blade’s cocktail a go! Full recipe below.
Grab a carton of Tha Gatherer from our online store today and have it delivered fresh from our brewery to your doorstep. We’re offering Free-shipping Australia-wide for the next month. Use coupon code FREEDELIVERY at the checkout.
