12/8/2023 0 Comments Alchemist beer community![]() In most stories there was a mysterious character that was able to conjure up magical potions and remedies that always fascinated me. When I was a kid I loved magic, as I think most kids do, and enjoyed watching or reading anything I could about it. Originally, we wanted to brew under a different name but, with the hundreds of breweries out there, trying to find one that is unique and means something to you and the customer is pretty difficult. What’s the inspiration behind the brewery name? We’ll be looking to expand our range in the next few months as we roll from summer into autumn. With a small amount of citrus peel and coriander seed added late to the boil the beer has a fresh, zesty aroma perfect for an Australian summer afternoon. This is our take on the classic Belgian style ale that's pale and cloudy in appearance. We’re currently brewing bridging beers to get people interested in trying something a little bit different and broadening their experience and palate.Īt the moment we have our Wicked Wit-ch out around Sydney. Working with them has been an invaluable learning experience and an absolute pleasure – I would highly recommend popping in to check out their tasting room if you’re ever in the area! The alchemists at work on brew day (left to right): Stepdad Marty, Richard, Riaz and HopDog's Tim Thomas.Ĭertainly not to make money! Hmmmm, why does anyone brew? For us it’s because we love creating beer that is unique and special that you can share with family and friends. We’re lucky to have teamed up with them on their 800 litre system which has been fantastic and a perfect size for our first brews. We’re based in Sydney and that’s where we concoct recipes on our pilot system before up-scaling the recipe and travelling to Nowra where we brew with Tim and Tess at HopDog (cue early mornings and road trip tunes!). Our partnership works well in that it allows me to focus on the brewing side of the business and we’re able to bounce ideas off one another. Then there’s me, Riaz Shalla, with a career background in the television industry but having had the opportunity to work with some of Sydney’s local brewers and have a passion for brewing. ![]() He’s also proven to be a dedicated product tester. My business partner is Richard Ridge, whose background is in IT and runs the business operations. Name: Little Alchemist Brewing Who are you? Here is someone exuding positivity and with whom a meeting seems better ended with a hug than a handshake.Īnd that seems a fine way to set the tone for the first of the Who Brews.? series in 2017, our regular feature shining a light on up and coming brewers. So, as they prepare for an official launch en route to some distant magnum opus, here is Riaz to talk about their first wicked creation, putting a touch of magic in every bottle and why Little Alchemist is a bit like the world’s greatest punk cover band… When speaking to him just prior to their first commercial brew day about the prospect of being able to share a beer he’s created, there was a feeling he was about to pinch himself awake from a great dream. The co-founder of the new gypsy brewing outfit Little Alchemist Brewing, who The Crafty Pint first bumped into by chance on a sofa late one Sydney Craft Beer Week evening, portrays an enthusiasm for brewing that verges on wonder. In short, you need to feel some good vibes. ![]() You want whatever they’re making in your brewery to be something you can be proud of too. ![]() You want them to bring interesting ideas to the table. You need to actually get along with this person. If, as a brewery owner, you choose to spend an entire day with someone as they learn the ropes in your brewery, that’s too long to be in the close company of a charlatan. The reasons are many and related, including a rapid proliferation over recent years, increased competition for tap points and shelf space, not enough new venues to help spread the load and the ensuing and inevitable downward pressure on prices.Ĭonsidering that wider picture, you can understand why many breweries that have traditionally been open to gypsy brewers are becoming more discerning when it comes to choosing who they let in to brew after all, from a strictly commercial perspective, beyond renting some tank space for a couple of weeks, where is the long term benefit to a bricks and mortar brewery in having what is effectively a competitor set up under your own roof? In an somewhat portentous article to kick off 2017, The Crafty Pint published a piece in which, among other things, we suggested there are too many brewing companies in Australia. ![]()
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