Welcome to Stone & Wood’s Regenerating Our Backyard Series, a look into the ways in which the coldie in your hand can help create a better future for the environment that supports us.  

As a business, we’ve aimed to tread lightly on the earth since Day One. We’ve taken measures to reduce our reliance on traditional energy sources and produce less waste, but how can we do better? By thinking outside the box and working with like-minded friends from the farming and brewing communities, we’re making new pathways into a greener future.

In Episode two of 'Regenerating Our Backyard' we spent some time at The Farm Byron Bay. In partnership with national non-profit Farmer's Footprint Australia, they’re helping young people get access to land and learn the noble art of growing food.

Along with Byron Shire Council, Ingrained Foundation (the not for profit we established in 2018) has helped us to support the program, using beer as a force for good, balancing our love of brewing with our love of fresh, organic and local produce.

The hard truth is that these days, there are plenty of barriers that prevent young people from getting into farming. Acquiring land is just the beginning. The Northern Rivers Incubator program aims to educate and empower our next generation of farmers, with an access and education model that could be rolled out by local councils nation-wide.  

We chatted to this year’s participants: Grace and Rob on the patch and learned just how much this program has allowed them to realise the potential of farming as a viable career path, and why we need more of these opportunities for our young people. Enjoy the full episode now 🍺#beerasaforceforgood

Watch episode one of Regenerating Our Backyard here.

What is the GABS Hottest 100?

It's that time of year again. The Arias of Craft Beer is here, the GABS Hottest 100. Every year GABS puts out a People's Choice Poll where beer lovers can vote on their favourite craft beer from that year. It's 2023 and we're hoping you can help us make the champions list, once again! Whether it's a tried and true like Pacific Ale, or something newer like Hinterland Hazy...it's up to you to vote for your favourite Stone & Wood beer in the GABS Hottest 100.

VOTE HERE

Love At First Sip

You want to know what love is? It’s voting #1 for Stone & Wood Pacific Ale in the GABS Hottest 100.

Love at first sip…We all remember our first Pacific Ale moment, those passionfruit, citrus and tropical fruit flavours and aromas…Once it hit your lips, “Ahhhhhh.” 🤤

That “fruity mumbo jumbo” changed the way we thought about beer in Australia over 15 years ago. Fast forward to today…we’re prouder than ever to be the first sip that kicks off so many journeys into the craft beer realm, all over the country.

So if you’ve caught the Pacific Ale love bug, share it by voting 1 Pacific Ale in the Gabs Hottest 100 @gabsfestival hit the link below to vote now.

VOTE #1 PACIFIC ALE

⭐️🏆⭐️

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Don't Stop at Pacific Ale...

And while you’re there, don’t forget to vote for our other core-range beers (Hinterland Hazy, Green Coast Lager, Cloudy Pale Ale) and any of the Counter Culture beer releases you really dug this year.

VOTE HERE

Welcome to Stone & Wood’s Regenerating Our Backyard Series, a look into the ways in which the coldie in your hand can help create a better future for the environment that supports us.  

As a business, we’ve aimed to tread lightly on the earth since Day One. We’ve taken measures to reduce our reliance on traditional energy sources and produce less waste, but how can we do better? By thinking outside the box and working with like-minded friends from the farming and brewing communities, we’re making new pathways into a greener future.

In this, our first episode from the series, we look at how our brewers and a network of local farmers work together to close the loop on waste and produce some of the richest soil in the Northern Rivers.

As part of the brewing process, each tank of delicious Pacific Ale produced also creates a yeast waste byproduct. In 2015, rather than committing this product to traditional waste systems, Stone & Wood teamed up with local legends, Coastal Feeds, to take the nutrient-dense waste from all our beers to create a rich compost for organic farmers.  

Hamish Brace from Coastal Feeds said their core goal is to continually improve the quality of soil health for farmers and the yeast waste from Stone & Wood beer is a key ingredient towards achieving that.

“Because you’re brewing quality beer (no preservatives etc) you’re using good materials and that’s always in my favour to produce a good compost.”

From the hands of Hamish and team at Coastal Feeds, this beer-boosted compost goes on to feed the rich fields of local organic farmers, like Rod Bruin of Summit Organics.

The rich compost delivery helps tackle what is a big concern for Rod and many sustainable farmers - the limited nutrient life of soil. Working with a finite resource, farmers like Rod believe that tying up nutrient loops, like replenishing the soil with our brewer’s waste, is a way we can give back to soil’s health and keep the nutrient cycle going.

“The Stone & Wood compost brew we get off Coastal Feeds it’s the highest nutrient compost of any of the composts available locally,’ said Rod.

The whole point of compost in sustainable farming is we’re not feeding the plants, we’re feeding the soil. And in the soil is the microorganisms and the fungi, they’ll feed the plants. They’ve got this whole gig going where they help each other out. Bit like what we’re trying to do.”

Both Rod and Hamish believe that small, local actions and solid human relationships are the best way forward to ensure a greener tomorrow.

Hamish from Coastal Feeds said, “We can minimise our impact on the world with a lot of small actions. It’s guided sometimes by bigger actions, but on the ground, it’s the activity of the people in the community and how they can work together to create solutions.”

Similarly, our farmer (and part-time philosopher) Rod said, “I think it’s essential in order for us to move forward on this planet, we have to become more local and build up human relationships, long-lasting human relationships. I think that’s where the future’s at.”

To get a deeper understanding on how we’re trying to close the loop on waste and have a positive impact on the environment that surrounds us, watch the first episode in the Regenerating Our Backyard Series above.

More good news to come…

Episode two has been released 🎬 Watch Now:

GROWING A GREENER TOMORROW: SUPPORTING OUR YOUNG FARMERS

Our beer is made of the right stuff. Your favourite Stone & Wood beer is brewed with locally sourced ingredients and fuelled by our passion for good. We’ve done traditional brewing a little differently. And we’re inspired by the charm of our Byron Bay home.

From the core range to our limited releases, each of our beers and beverages has its own story. Discover here what your favourite Stone & Wood beer is made from.

So, what’s in beer?

Since its earliest days, our beer has always been that humble combination of malted barley, sugars, hops and yeast - fermented to perfection.

We’ve been creative with this recipe; experimenting with Australian malt blends, hop varieties and sugar sources. Our craft brewery has refreshed beer classics like Pale Ale and Lager with the help of Australia’s finest farmers and their beautiful produce.

Stone & Wood’s ingredients

We’ve broken down some of the differences between our core range of beers below:

Pacific Ale

Our Pacific Ale overflows with memories of summer picnics or beachside brews with every taste. We've taken inspiration from the golden haze of our home on the Pacific Ocean, using Australian-grown rolled wheat and malted wheat for the pale malt base. This combination helps to create that famous pale ale gold tone and delicious finish.

We then use our famous Galaxy hops sourced from Victoria and Tassie farmers to balance that malty bitterness with tropical aromas. Finished with a short and sweet fermentation period, we unleash more complex flavours from the yeast to boost the overall palette of our Pacific Ale.

Once brewed and bottled, our Pacific Ale offers a deliciously fruity, refreshing and full beer.

Green Coast Lager 

Our Green Coast Lager is a celebration of our home and beer’s homeland. The clean and crisp flavour has taken inspiration from the rolling hinterland of Byron Bay, underscored with malts sourced from Germany.

Our silver medal-winning Green Coast Lager has that classic Munich Helles taste of honey and bready malt. This could only be enhanced by our noble hop with a balanced bitterness and delicate sweetness, more than living up to it's namesake. 

Once fermented, the extended cold conditioning helps mellow and harmonise the flavours to give our Green Coast Lager a subtle spice. An easy drink year-round, Green Coast Lager’s unique malts and hops create refreshing beer with a low, clean bitterness.

Cloudy Pale Ale

Our take on a modern Aussie pale ale, we’re proud of our recently relaunched Cloudy Pale. Originally released way back in 2013, we tinkered with the recipe over the course of months to bring a fresh take to one of our classics.

From the get go, you’ll notice the tropical flavour profile, that is followed by smooth bitter notes and a crisp finish. The late addition of several dry Aussie hops gives distinct aromatics, and the malt profile brings it’s cloudy and smooth quality.

With low bitterness and hints of sweet stone fruit, Cloudy Pale Ale is perfectly paired with warm weather and a pub feed after a busy day.

What our beer is made of

Beer is simple, made with only a few ingredients. This means it needs to be brewed right.

Each of our beers go through a long journey from the malt mill to the final fermentation (you can learn more about our process here).

From the ingredients to the production and packaging, we make our beer from only the good stuff at every step. With solar panels, water waste systems and composting programs, we do what we can to have a positive impact on our community.

Our beer making process is focused on the ecology of brewing as we incorporate new measures and managements to support the earth that supports us.

When it comes to Stone & Wood, we work alongside our community to brew a beer that isn’t just delicious but a positive force for good as well.

Our latest Limited Release: Counter Culture #23 – Road To Munich, Festbier is here!

Join our Head Brewer Caolan and Production Manager Pat geared up in their lederhosen as we unpack the inspiration behind the beer, the characteristics, brewing method and food pairings for this delicious new lager.

This extremely limited release pays homage to Germany’s largest and most celebrated beer festival – Oktoberfest – specifically the pale, Munich lager they pour exclusively for it – the Festbier. It's also a nod to our team's annual pilgrimage throughout the most renown Belgian and German Breweries in celebration of five years of devoted service to Stone & Wood, that concludes in the beer capital of the world: Munich.  

Counter Culture #23 is available exclusively online, and in our Byron Bay and Brisbane Tasting Rooms. 

For full details on of Hops, Malt and Food Pairings for Road To Munich explore more here. 

We are so proud to be supporting our mates over at Pony Rider and The National Project as we bring to life the inaugural Wild For Wilderness Van Life festival. The goal of Pony Rider’s #TheNationalProject is to raise funds to support a ‘Land Buy Back’ scheme, where areas of land are bought to protect, regenerate, grow and create new Aussie National Parks.

Based in the Glenworth Valley and spread over two days, the Van Life event features adventure films and IRL adventures by day and live music under the stars by night. For the keen ones, there’s kayaking, hiking, mountain biking or horse riding, and for those feeling more zen, we’ve got breathwork, yoga and native food walks. Heading back into the campsite, there’s food trucks, cold beers, live music and good times.

Tickets are $150 per person and if sleeping in your wheels isn’t your thing, there’s a limited number of glamping sites too. 20% from ticket sales and all proceeds from the bar will be donated, along with other initiatives throughout the weekend.

Use the buttons below for more info on The National Project and Wild For Wilderness, or to buy tickets.

Beer:

Green Coast Lager

Ingredients:

• 6 racks baby back ribs
  • Rub mix
• 1 cup dry malt extract. *note – we used a mix of Karrared, we use in our Jasper Ale & Carafa2, we use in our Stone brew.
• 1 cup brown sugar
• Spice mix – increase amounts if needed
  • Handful Salt
  • 2 tablespoons pepper
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon spoon chili powder
  • Big pinch cinnamon.

Lager BBQ sauce:

• 2 cups ketchup
• 3 Tablespoons chili powder
• 1 can of Green Coast Lager
• 1 Teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 Tablespoon regular paprika
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (add more if you want more kick)
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar; packed
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Method:

• Whisk all ingredients in a saucepan and turn heat to medium, bringing sauce to a slow boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. 

BBQ ribs:

Method:

1. Combine dry rub ingredients in a bowl
2. Combine dry malt extract and brown sugar with fingers to prevent clumping
3. Combine with dry rub
4. Heat grill to a low to medium heat
5. Lay out large pieces of foil, large enough to wrap the ribs – 2 racks per piece.
6. Lay ribs onto foil and rub with dry rub ingredients – rub in well – wrap in foil
7. Place wrapped ribs on grill and cover with hood
8. Cook for 1.5 hour turning every 30 mins – not breaking foil
9. In the meantime, prepare the Lager BBQ sauce
10. Remove ribs from grill and gently remove from foil.
11. Replace back to grill and begin basting with BBQ sauce.
12. Baste continually for another hour turning gently twice only
13. Remove from grill and serve immediately. 

Get your chilly bin ready – Counter Culture #22 - Hopposite Seasons Cold IPA is almost here!

Available 04.09.23

There’s nothing quite like the magic moment when opposites attract. That’s why we combined hops from North America and New Zealand to create Hopposite Seasons COLD IPA, a beer that bursts with high aromatic hop intensity and flavour and finishes clean and crisp.

SET YOUR ALARMS

This limited release will be available online and from select venues and bottle shops on Monday, 4^th September…but only for a short time…so set your alarms and prep the chilly bin.

WE’RE HYPED

Can’t wait to get your hands on this Cold IPA? Get amped up now and join our Head Brewer, Caolan for a full run down on Hopposite Seasons – what are you waiting for?

We’re pumped to announce our mini beer festival, Murbah Open Day, is back for another year at our Murwillumbah Brewery on Saturday, 5 August. 

Welcoming locals and beer frothers from all over, Murbah Open Day is a celebration of community, great music, good food and of course, fresh beer straight from the source. 

The only day of year our brewery opens to the public, the festival gives punters the chance to peek behind the curtain of the Stone & Wood engine room, with staff guided tours of the brewery throughout the day.

Running from 11am - 5pm, Murbah Open Day is an event for the whole family and a chance to give back to the amazing community that supports us. 

Entry to the festival is by gold coin donation with all profits going towards an amazing local cause: Wedgetail Retreat.

Wedgetail Retreat provide free palliative care to the Northern Rivers community, giving locals and their families a warm and welcoming environment to call home. Operating without government funding, Wedgetail relies on the support of its community to keep its doors open and continue with the excellent care they provide. 

DETAILS

Saturday 5th August, 11am - 5pm

Stone & Wood Murwillumbah, 5 Kite Cres, South Murwillumbah

Cost: Cold coin donation for Wedgetail Retreat.

BUS TRANSFERS

SET TIMES

11am - 11:40am - Ben Whiting

12pm - 12:40pm - Blackboi

1pm - 1:40pm - Ben Whiting & The Pacific Nationals

2pm - 2:40pm - The Booty Affair

3pm - 3:40pm - The Booty Affair

4pm - 4:40pm - The Swamps 

FOOD TRUCKS

Time To Dabble In The Dark Arts

Around here, winter is a time of dark temptations. Of cold nights and raging fires, of dancing bodies and deep, dark beers. Welcome to the Season of the Stone.

From today, Stone Beer 2023, our rich and robust porter, is available online and in good bottle shops and venues across the country.

But the black magic doesn’t stop there. We’re also celebrating the return of our Barrel-Aged Stone Beer, rolling in at an 11.2% ABV, this is a potion best shared with others. Sold in a traditional ceramic crock, these can only be found in very limited numbers in our online store. To tempt you further, here’s a closer look at what you can expect from these two exceptional dark beauties.

STONE BEER 2023

6% ABV

This year’s brew was created using choice Australian and German malts, with aromas and flavours of coffee, rich dark chocolate, and hints of subtle smoked barley. Stone Beer 2023 pours near black and finishes with a rich smooth malt character and firm bitterness.

Malts: Pale malt, Chocolate, Voodoo, SM40, amber, CaraRed, regenerative-grown pale malt and macadamia smoked malt.

Hops: Fuggles Hops (England)

Food Pairing: This delicious porter pairs beautifully with grilled meat, hard cheeses, and excellent with anything containing chocolate.

BARELL AGED STONE BEER 

11.2% ABV

Aged for 12 months in whiskey barrels, this jet-black porter has the strong malt profile of chocolate and coffee flavours, layered with a luscious fullness of whisky and oak. Rich, smooth and full bodied our Barell Aged Stone Beer has a medium bitterness and low hop profile that balances the roasted malt flavours.

Malts: Pale malt, chocolate, voodoo, SM40 , Amber, CaraRed and regenerative-grown pale malt.

Hops: Galaxy Hops (Australia)

Food Pairing: A rich, dark beauty such as this deserves a dark chocolate dessert like brownies, served with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream or double cream on top.

2023 ÜBER STONE BEER

Double Barrel Aged Imperial Porter

FESTIVAL OF THE STONE WRAP-UP

More than just delicious beers, we kicked off our winter celebrations with our annual block party – Festival of the Stone held at our Byron Brewery.

Over 2000 locals and beer lovers came together to celebrate the turning of the seasons and to help raise money for an excellent Byron organisation – Fletcher Street Cottage. We are stoked to announce that together we managed to raise $21,500 for this amazing cause.

With an incredible musical line-up headlined by blues and roots legends, The Beautiful Girls, a community of excellent individuals came together for a night of great tunes, excellent food and fresh, fresh beer. If you couldn’t make it to Byron, you can still jump on the Festival of the Stone vibes, by hitting up our playlist on Spotify, grabbing your own glass of Stone Beer and getting down by a warm fire.