Reub Goldberg Brewing Machine is located just south of Wollongong on the South Coast Ale Trail. Photo: South Coast Ale Trail/Instagram.
When Nigel Ayling first launched the South Coast Ale Trail in 2021 it featured eight local craft breweries. Now? There are 30, plus a new tap house showcasing the huge range of beers brewed on this special stretch of coast.
The South Coast Ale Trail is “a journey, not a destination,” according to Nigel. Covering more than 370 km, you’d need a few days (and a designated driver) to cover its length. While there’s been a boom and bust of craft brewers in other areas, the South Coast’s industry is growing.
“The interesting way that breweries have developed in regional areas is that they’re generally in small towns with relatively small populations and they’re primarily a hospitality venue,” Nigel told Region.
“People are not just going there for the beer: they’re dog friendly, kid friendly, and there’s food and live music. That’s why the South Coast breweries have all pretty much been sustainable because people are visiting those places as an alternative to other venues like pubs and clubs.”
Downloading the ale trail map from the website can unlock discounts at featured breweries. Photo: South Coast Ale Trail/Instagram.
A new venue on the scene is the South Coast Tap House at Merimbula, which aims to be a one-stop shop to showcase the beers on the trail.
“South Coast Tap House is an extension of the trail. Not everyone has time for that, so the idea of the tap house is to showcase beers from those breweries,” said Nigel.
“We’ve got 12 taps, each showcasing a brewery from the South Coast Ale Trail. And then we’ve also got a fridge full of cans with more beers people can try.”
A self-confessed beer lover, Nigel wants more people to understand that beers come in all kinds of flavours. There’s a much bigger world beyond XXXX and Great Northern. And to help visitors to the tap house, he and his staff consider themselves ‘beerducators’ (beer educators) who can guide even beer sceptics to try something that they might enjoy.
“Often people don’t really have a great understanding of what beer is or can be. In a bar, club or pub the beers on tap are usually owned by big multinational companies and they’re generally only serving styles like American lagers. But there’s over 100 styles of beer out there; people are surprised when we tell them that.”
Nigel said the tap house alone usually featured around 30 to 40 styles on any given day, with the beers on offer regularly rotating to showcase different breweries each time customers returned.
The tap house has a small food menu, but the licence extends throughout the covered arcade it sits in, which allows customers to sit outside and order food from neighbouring Sapphire Smokehouse and Yummy Thai restaurant while they enjoy their beers.
Longstocking Brewery is the southernmost stop on the trail, which extends 370 km down the South Coast. Photo: South Coast Ale Trail/Instagram.
Another feature of the local craft brewing industry on the South Coast is the proximity to the ingredients needed to make beer. Large breweries often source their ingredients from overseas and use dried yeast and hops, but South Coast breweries can get theirs fresh from just down the road. Hops are grown locally by Ryefield Hops at Bemboka, liquid yeast is produced in Wollongong by Mogwai yeast and Voyager Craft Malt is not far away in the Riverina.
“This is the only place in Australia where you can source all the ingredients for beer locally. And it’s just like food: great chefs need to use fresh produce. With access to good, fresh, local ingredients you can make a better beer. The quality and freshness is what matters.”
Find out more about the South Coast Ale Trail.
The South Coast Tap House is located at Galleria Arcade, Shop 7/46-52 Market St, Merimbula. It is open on Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 7 pm, and from Friday to Sunday from noon to 9 pm. Follow the South Coast tap house and ale trail on Facebook or Instagram.
